Filming Oxford!
It is nearly four in the afternoon. The rain is coming steadily down, tapping out a rhythmic cadence against the window pain. SK and I just finished lunch, and I am sitting on the couch reliving the day.
I got up at six so that I could listen to Alex Boye's testimony, and to write and organize my thoughts about him. It was only a three-minute introduction that I was to write. I listened to several interviews with him, and read some articles, trying to condense a life that is larger than life. His mother traveled to England from Nigeria when she was pregnant with him. At some point, she said, "I'm going to Nigeria and will be back in awhile. Eight years later, she returned.
He spent several years in foster homes and many years in boarding school. At age 16, his manager at McDonald's introduced him to the church. He was baptized and later served a mission in Bristol England. His mission president invited him to sing for many special events, and encouraged him to head in that direction as a career. He did, becoming the lead singer in a European boys band. Even though reaching a level of success, he looked around and thought, "These people are going where I don't want to go."
He embarked on a solo career, and has excelled. I think you will enjoy his testimony.
We met the sisters and elders by the landmark Bodleian Library at 10:30 a.m. I finished the script for Alex Boye at 10. I was still in my PJs. I'm slow. It took me that long to read through everything and come up with a place to film and write something about the location and Alex Boye that was pithy.
We met first in our church building, where the sisters filmed their testimonies for next month. Then we ventured out. We walked to the first place. It took an hour for the elders to get the equipment working, the microphones at the right level, and the three cameras where they wanted them. The sisters stood without their coats, shivering with cold, and getting damper by the minute. Finally, the elders got a good copy, and we moved on to the next four locations.
The last location was to be in the Botanical Gardens, but it was a half mile away, and everyone was tired, cold, wet and hungry. We shot the last one at 2, and it was almost three by the time we got home. We stopped in a sandwich shop and SK bought everyone lunch to take with them. You can't sit down in restaurants yet. They all appreciated it greatly.
By the time we climbed the stairs to our flat and entered the warm cozy atmosphere, I was done. We fixed ourselves some grilled cheese sandwiches, ate, and I sat down to work on a couple of things. I fell fast asleep on the couch and didn't wake until 6. It was a deeply-satisfying sleep. SK sat and worked on his Indexing.
Our Saturday evening mission call ended the day. It was a good day, and I think people who watch the devotional will enjoy it. Alex Boye is at the end. During his remarks, he plays a song from his time as a soloist with the Tabernacle Choir. It is called "Goin' Home" - the melody comes from New World Symphony and the words were written by one of the composer's students.
Tune in if you can. It starts at 6 p.m. Sunday evening. If you are unsure what time that is for you, look at the weather app on your phone, and it will tell you what time it is in your area when it is 6 here. The link is:
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