Awards

The Sombrero Award - Nathan

The "We Will March" Award - McKenzie

The Bacon-8-R Award - Mitchell

The Didn't Finish a Single Meal Award - Ally

The Boys Are Cuter in Texas Award - Cori

The Lifesaver Award - Spencer

The Boom-Snap-Clap Award - Yates

The Biggest Snack Award - Jake D.

The UNC Hat Award - Hunter

The Lazy River Award - Kaylee

The Nail Polish Award - Carrie

The Mustache Award - Daniel

The Flopping Fishing Hat Award - Tyler

The Flying Monkey Award - Mattie

The No More Fear of Water Award - Shay

The Loud Mouth Award - Wade

The Soaring Award - Katie M.

The Ladies Man Award - Blake

The Smell My Cup Award - Maddie

The Best Sleeping Pose Award - Lucas

The Songbird Award - Ashley

The "I didn't get in trouble this year... except for a few times" Award - Kyle

The I Believe I Can Fly Award - Savannah

The Pickup Artist Award - Collier

The Mighty Ant Award - Lauren

The Bird Target Award - Will

The "My dress was hiked a little too high" Award - Sydney

The Honey If You Love Me Award- Chad

The Most Impressive Eyes Award - Michael

The Two Trip Award - Nick

The Vintage Rock T-shirt Award - Eric

The Roller Girl Award - Emily & Sara

The Read Off the Paper Award - Julianna

The (Flex) BOOM Award - Caleb & Adam

The G-string Award - Colter

The Belly Flop Award - Laurel

The Golden Pipes Award - Matthew

The Best Broadway Choreographer Award - Rachel

The Artistic Chalk Award - Lydia

The Task Master Award - Katie O.

The Most Gullible Award - Jake W.

The Milkshake Award - Aaron

The Best Bus Driver Award - Ralph

Top Ten Things Heard On Tour

10. Because of the pregnancy. -Mount Holly girls (& chaperone)

9. I'm about to drop a 3 or 4. -Jake D.

8. Where's your buddy? - Chaperones

7. It's too early to be nice. -Eric

6. We won! What? We didn't win the Alamo? -Michael

5. Did someone say brownies? -Blake

4. What the dickens? -Nathan

3. Why yes, my name is Gary. -Cap'n Gary

2. Chad's asleep. -Everyone (except Chad)

1. Lord, Thank you for this day of sitting. -Adam

Day 8 - Friday

Warning... today's blog is pretty boring. In essence, we slept, ate, and rode. That's it. So, let me get the bad news out of the way... no pictures today.

Today, we left our hotel bright and early to head for Baton Rouge, LA. We slept a lot. We stopped at a mall and ate at the food court. Then we rode some more. Then we ate at Golden Corral. On our way to the hotel, a group of the Marion guys had a great devotion comparing us to the Magi.

At the hotel, we had time to unwind, swim and chat in the halls. Everyone is tucked in and ready to head home tomorrow.

I'm not sure if I'll have time to blog tomorrow about the day as we are getting in late and leaving early for the concert in Marion. But... if I had to guess... this is what the day would look like...

Today, we slept, ate, and rode.

LOL! I will say I think we are going to get to eat dinner at the Varsity in Atlanta (which is pretty cool).

Thanks for following the blog. None of this could have happened without the tireless efforts (for real... tireless... we've barely slept) of my partner in crime, Scott Griffin. He's awesome!

Day 7 - Thursday

Wow! What a day! We had an amazing time at the Schlitterbaun Waterpark. Most of the kids (and several chaperones) headed straight to the MasterBlaster... a water rollercoaster. The lazy river was pretty popular, too (although it's wasn't very lazy... it had waves in it). The weather was gorgeous!! The temperatures were in the low 90s, but there was cloud cover a good bit of the day. The kids had a blast! I'll have to let the pictures speak for themselves!

We had dinner at the Grist Mill. We ate on the patio, and EVERYONE loved it. What a great choice. Food was great, the service was wonderful, and the company couldn't be beat.

Afterward, we headed to the Tower of the Americas. There are only a handful of buildings and towers that rise higher into the sky. We went up exterior elevators to the top where we had a spectacular view of the city. We also saw a 4-D movie about Texas. We felt snakes go by our feet, felt bulls blow their noses on us, and felt the ground shake as horses galloped by. It was pretty cool. On our way back to the hotel, we had devotions on the bus led by one of the Mt Holly seniors. I would definitely say the kids had a wonderful day!

Well, we are all packed up and tucked in bed ready for the ride home. Enjoy the pictures!

https://picasaweb.google.com/108678335787670017535/2011SanAntonioDay7?authkey=Gv1sRgCPfmp5D0pYqN-QE

Day 6 - Wednesday

Today was our last day at Baptist Temple Church. The musical is really coming together well, and they are going to do just fine in their performances. The paint team finished their project while a few built sets for the musical. The demolition crew became more than that. They did yard work and heavy lifting. The churches has been absolutely amazed with the work these groups have accomplished. Each night the kids are saying things like "__________ worked so hard today." I love hearing them building each other up like that. They are learning to become encouragers.

We went back to Mission Concepcion to record our singing. We did three songs. I hope I'll be able to post the video. It was gorgeous!

We ate lunch at a variety of places as we found a spot with many options. There was McDonald's, Sonic, Chinese, and chicken. We followed that with a concert at Esplanade Gardens. It was a little bittersweet knowing it was our last concert. The kids were better than ever. The crowd was enthusiastic and appreciative. One youth said it was the first time he almost cried. He was touched by a man crying in the audience. What a impact we have made on San Antonio and vice versa!

Next we toured San Fernando Cathedral. It was beautiful. We were able to sing there, too! Our tour guide was very informative and even Kendell said he learned something.

Later, we broke up into smaller groups and ate at the Riverwalk. What a variety of food! Following a quick visit to the mall, we took a riverboat cruise on the Riverwalk. I can't go into much detailed info right now, but something from that trip will be on the top 10 list!

Our devotion time continues to be wonderful, but the kids are ready for a day of fun.

Enjoy the pictures!

https://picasaweb.google.com/108678335787670017535/2011SanAntonioDay6?authkey=Gv1sRgCP2Wxeudo5nxNA

Day 5 - Tuesday

Today was a really great day!

We began with our work projects. The musical the music team is helping with is coming along very well. The demolition team originally had a project they were told would last all three days. They finished it in the first day. Then, they gave them an extra project they were told would last the other two days. They finished that today. The painting team has also almost completed their project. So, tomorrow most of those in the teams will be working on another project at a nearby Methodist church. All that to say... these youth (and their leaders) are working hard!! The leaders knew the work projects would help the two separate groups (Marion and Mount Holly) become one group. We were right. It really began yesterday, and today they are one group. They work beside each other, they laugh with one another, and they minister with one another.

After a quick snack (thank you Ealey family!), we did concerts for the State Hospital and then the State Supportive Living Center (SSLC) separated by lunch from Chick-Fil-A. Both facilities have residents with varying degrees of developmental disabilities, behavioral and psychiatric challenges, and medical problems. Each year, there is always THE concert. For many, the SSLC was THE concert. The audiences were wonderful!! They clapped (in rhythm), they sang, they smiled, they cheered! The residents are very well-loved and cared for. For some of the youth, the concert was sad because they realized how blessed they were to be healthy and felt so bad the residents weren't also. For some, the concert was happy because we had obviously made the residents so happy. For some, it was an eye-opener. One brave soul shared that when they first saw the residents, their first reaction was to snicker. But as the concert went on, they realized what they started to experience for these people was compassion. One youth said "This concert made my entire week." Wow! What a life-changing moment!! Unfortunately, due to confidentially reasons, we were not able to take pictures at those facilities.

We made a detour to Mission Concepcion, one of several Texas missions (the Alamo is the most famous one). We toured the chapel (which was small) and decided to sing "Lord, For Thy Tender Mercies Sake". What a sound!!! It was beautiful!! We did have a few for which that was their favorite concert and were blown away by it (no names... but I think you would be surprised which ones). Just one song, but a song between us and God. The acoustics were amazing, and the kids' already beautiful voices sounded like angels. We are hoping to go back tomorrow and make a video.

This evening we sang out on the concourse before the San Antonio Silver Stars WNBA game. Again, the kids sounded great. Families slowed as they walked by. Several stopped all together. Some stayed the entire time. Some people watched from the upper floors. Everywhere we have gone, the kids have shared the gospel through deed and song. How many other youth do you know who would give up a week of their summer to do that? What a special group of youth!!!!! We stayed for the game and had a wonderful times cheering on (sometimes too loudly) the Silver Stars.

As usual, we ended with devotions. Several of the Marion guys led us in a wonderful devotion. Then, the kids shared about their day. I wish I could record all the things they say. They are so excited about what they are doing. When they talk, it isn't about "this funny thing happened"... well, maybe once in a while. But usually it's "This moment of the day was special to me because..." or "I'm so impressed with ________ because of the hard work they are doing." Many times, Kendell ends his message with a challenge to go out "loving each other and loving the world." That is EXACTLY what these kids are doing. Sometimes, you wonder "Do they get it?" This week, they have gotten it!!! They are understanding what mission is all about. I am so excited to see what they will do and share tomorrow.

Enjoy the pictures!
https://picasaweb.google.com/108678335787670017535/2011SanAntonioTourDay5?authkey=Gv1sRgCJD_uoOoi7T2cQ#

Day 4 - Monday

What a wonderful day we have had! We began this morning at Baptist Temple Church. We had three teams: music (for the church's summer music production), painting, and demolition. Each team had it's particular set of blessings and challenges. But, for all teams, these kids worked HARD! And the stories they tell! It's wonderful to see the kids becoming closer to each other and God through this work!

After getting changed, we traveled to New Forest Estates for lunch and a concert. They were so sweet to provide lunch for us! The room was a little warm, but the kids loved the concert because the audience was wonderful! They are really enjoying singing with each other! They are also becoming more and more comfortable with speaking to those in attendance. I love hearing the kids talk about the people they met at the concert!

Our second concert was at Morningside Ministries. There was a little bit of deja vu going on as it looked a LOT like a facility we sang at in Chicago. One of my favorite parts of the concert was when one of our girls was singing a solo. As we walked into the facility we were able to hear the occasional chirping of a bird. When our soloist began... "Talk about a child who do love Jesus, here's one...", the bird began to sing with her. It was absolutely beautiful. It was as if this creature of God's was saying "Here's one, too!" Again, the residents were fantastic. Several, including staff members, said we were the best youth choir that had sung there. What a compliment! They were also kind enough to have refreshments ready for us after our "meet and greet" session.

Tonight we ate at Bill Miller Barbeque. Several of our youth were surprised to learn that Texas "BBQ" isn't the same is North Carolina BBQ. Then, it was back to the hotel for some much needed play time! Pool time and chatting in the hallways were the favorite pastimes.

Devotions were led by several of the girls from Marion who spoke wonderfully about how stressful mission work can be and the need for flexibility. Then, the kids have a chance to share of their experiences of the day. I wish you could be there to hear how excited they are about making a difference in people's lives. Kendell shared with us that at the second concert, one man was visiting his wife in the medical part of the facility where they had just received some bad news. He left her room and could hear us singing. He came and stayed for the rest of the concert, and shared with Kendell we would never know how much that meant to him. One of the pieces we sang for him was "Be Not Afraid" which includes the following:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.

When you pass through the floods, they will not sweep o'er your.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be consumed.

You are mine, you are precious in my sight.

How appropriate.

Enjoy the pictures!

https://picasaweb.google.com/108678335787670017535/2011SanAntonioDay4?authkey=Gv1sRgCIj3qe35u_S1Ag