Sunday, December 31, 2000
Chris, Nick, and I started off the morning in Lake Charles with a little pep talk/devotion. Nick talked a little about how meaningful it was to him, to have the choir sing in his hometown. Many people dream of coming home to their old stomping grounds to say "hey, look at me now" but this choir represents the company we keep and the pride that we have in our church far better then we could ever do with our own words.
I talked a little about trust, and how it is so necessary on a journey like this. Many of you probably heard your youth coming home, talking about these paper cranes and how it would never work. Just days before the tour, kids were still saying, "we aren't ready." But The Awakening and Song of Peace are two of their headliners and tearjerkers in the program and you can tell now that the kids sing these songs with a lot more confidence.
Finally, Chris challenged the kids to think about the idea that every time they sing, every time they stay with families, they are actually changing the world a little at a time. Just as Chris and Emily and I accepted our jobs with some hope of changing the world, these choir members have the same task. We talked about how at each concert you can sense the Spirit in the room and that a shift is taking place. As we go back home, our youth are charged with helping to change not only the world, but their own congregation as we encounter some exciting and new opportunities.
It's dress day!
After the heavy morning, we had a shotgun lunch in Baton Rouge so that we could make it to New Orleans with plenty of time for Cafe DuMonde and Jackson square before the concert. We all stuffed our faces with beignets and coffee and then ventured out into the stifling heat for a short glimpse into life in the French Quarter. After barely surviving the sweltering temperatures this afternoon, we arrived at First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans where the news was only slightly better. The sanctuary air condition had not been turned on and the thermostat read a steady 84 degrees for the duration of our show. As you will see from the pictures and video, we made the call to sing in what we already had on and jazzed it up with some mardi gras beads courtesy of the church. Despite the heat, the choir really responded with a wonderful show to for a slightly smaller but surprisingly energetic and appreciative crowd.
Riding high on the wave of another great performance, it was off to the nicest Hampton Inn I have ever stayed in. Only snafu, every room in the entire hotel consists of one king bed! Try telling 4 middle school boys they will be sharing one bed. Pretty sure some are sleeping in the tub as we speak. Just kidding, we managed to get it mostly sorted out with pull out sofas and rollaway beds.
The Seniors and Emily and I had a great night tonight. We went just a few blocks away for some great cajun food, a little live music and dancing, and good times at Mulates. What a special group that will be leaving us this year! All in all it was another long and great day on the road. We look forward to moving even a few states closer tomorrow as we roll into Auburn.
Get the red carpet unrolled and iron. We're headed home!
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Location:New Orleans, LA
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