originally emailed July 5, 2008, 6:29am
Good morning! {yawn} It's early. The kids are probably all still sound asleep, save Leanna who rises early because it takes her so long to get ready. We'll be home in just a few short hours and I'm sure your kids will give you their perspectives on how everything went. But before they do, here's one final update for you...
Yesterday the high schoolers sang at Methodist Children's Hospital. The hospital requirers all volunteers to be at least 15, and no amount of pleading on my part could make them change the rule. So, the middle schoolers had a chance to sleep in and work on a secret project (which everyone will find out about later). I opened my door at 730 to head down to breakast and who did I find in the hallway? Maddie, Madison, Jenna, and Kaitlyn. Up. Dressed in their uniforms. And en route to breakfast. (Their room was across the hall from mine.) So much for sleeping in! Their high school counterparts were still tucked away in their rooms but these young singers were up and at 'em. I think they've been so excited to be on tour that they're still a little giddy with excitement. (They're going to crash when they get home!)
The high schoolers headed off to the Hospital where we divided into 2 groups because of the large size of our chor and the small size of the patient wards. Dean led one and I led the other, and then the group joined forces and sang together. We had our instruments for the kids, as well as patriotic leis, stickers, and other 4th of July trinkets, and bubbles. Singing in a hospital is always an interesting experience because there's no telling what form the patients will be in. Sometimes we sing to a packed room. Other times, there are just a few people in the crowd-- yesterday was like that.
But the nurses were quick to point out a few important things. Of the small crowd, one girl hadn't been out of her room in a month. She was 9 or 10, and had been part of a musical group at her church. She made it to the hallway where we were singing and we put a drum in her hand. She kept the beat for the whole concert! Other patients were too sick to come out of their rooms but they could hear the music and enjoyed listenting. One patient was having a painful procedure and his nurse told him to just listen to the choir-- and that helped him cope.
On these trips, I trust God to plan the most critical details -- like who's in the audience. And I fully believe that the people who hear us are the people he meant to hear us. There was a little boy sitting in a wagon at the hospital yesterday, propped up on pillows that almost hid all the machines he was attached to. He had to be 2 or 3 years old. I put a drum in his hands, and that little guy played and sang through the whole concert. You look at a child like that, sick and spending his summer in a hospital, and you can't help but think, "Yes, I would fly halfway across the country to make you happy for 20 minutes. Yes, I would invest hundreds of hours in rehearsing and fundraising and planning just to remind you that God loves you and cares for you, even in this difficult time. God put me on this earth to be right here, right now, and I am going to make the most of it."
After the hospital, we picked up the middle schoolers and headed off to Market Square for lunch and shopping. Then, we went to visit Mission San Jose, part of the historic Mission Trail. The kids watched a film about the mission and then explored it before our concert. The space, like San Fernando, is a great place for singing. We had a good-sized crowd and the singers gave their best concert so far. And while we sang, the rain came down. But - it stopped right as our concert was ending. :-)
From there, we changed into dressy clothes and headed down to the Riverwalk for some free time before our evening dinner cruise. The juniors and seniors were on one boat and the 6th-12th graders were on 2 other boats. Our upperclassmen enjoyed this special time on their last night of choir tour and the younger singers had a good time on their boats, too. On the junior/senior boat, we added up years of VIP exeperience. The total came to 45 with Molly and Leanna in the lead at 7 years; Dean, Jenna, and Jamie at 5; Blaire at 4; Ashley at 3; Kyle, Caitlin, Carrie, CC at 2 years; and Cary with one. We are fortunate to have had each of these singers with us.
Back at the hotel, it was time for our last devotional. It was my turn to lead and I closed the week with the verse from Matthew 5:14-16--"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
I took the kids outside and gave them 3-foot sparklers which we lit and waved as we sang the piece "This Little Light of Mine." And that was cool.
Indeed, they are the light of the world. Thank you for teaching them to shine and for letting them be part of this trip.
Homeward bound,
Holly
PS - Our concert is tomorrow night at 7pm-- please bring refreshments for our post-concert reception. We are asking all kids to report by 6pm and I am asking singers who have been late to past rehearsals to report at 5:30pm. Thanks for helping them with this!