Day 7 – A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN (West Virginia has NOTHING on Granville!)

June 28, 2016

After our late, late evening arriving at our host homes last night, Tom encouraged everyone to sleep in today (as long as the hosts did not have to get up early to go to work.) We gathered at 10:00 a.m at the First Presbyterian Church in Granville. This is the home church of Carol and Danny Worrell, former DUMC members. Their sons, Joseph and Robert have been traveling with us on tour.  Within walking distance of the church is Denison University, a private, 4 year college founded in 1831. It is the second oldest liberal arts college in Ohio and it has a beautiful small campus.

 

Our group walked through the campus to a small area where there were shade trees and benches and settled down for some reflective moments of our time on tour. People who have never experienced tour think that all we do is sing and have fun. It is SO much more than that. Spiritual growth happens on tour. New friendships are made on tour. Recognizing God working in our lives happens on tour. Tom and Polly talked to our group about sharing how tour has opened moments for us to find our “tryst” with God – a time when we felt we were meeting with God at an appointed time in our lives to help us grow spiritually; a moment when we felt Gods presence at work. We had some beautiful sharing moments.The adults shared how watching the youth sing fed our souls and brought us closer into Gods presence. Many youth shared how this tour made them feel like part of a larger family, freeing them to be themselves and not having to pretend they are something that others expect them to be. Some talked about how the host families greatly affected their faith  through in-depth conversations and interactions. Others shared that they experienced healing from deep hurts and encouragement from everyone. I think in the end that everyone realized that this special bond must be shared with others. We have to show the world that God’s love exists.

At lunchtime we walked back into town and spread out in groups to experience the various culinary delights of Granville. This town is so quaint and beautiful. One of the adults remarked that this must be the ideal American town to live in. Granville is a rural area, in the geographic center of Ohio, known for its New England character and historic architect. Even though it is small, there was a nice variety of restaurants to choose from, including Mexican, Italian, Vietnamese, Burgers, small cafes and diners. Some of the adults were craving salads. (We haven’t had too many green things to eat on this trip!) There was something for everyone. We all met afterward for ice cream at Whits Ice Cream shop and decided that this should definitely be a day to chill out. Some went shopping to explore the shops, others went back to the church to nap, read or play games and others walked down to Hudson Lake, a few blocks from the downtown area.

Tonight was our last concert on tour. Even though everyone is tired from a busy week, the kids sang their best and had a great time. Some new members were added to the men’s choir; Evan Kamuf, Shane Johnson and Micah Tsoi  joined “Prayer for the Children.” They sounded spectacular. 

Have I mentioned our bus driver Paul? He is our biggest fan. Every night he parks his bus at a hotel and calls Uber to pick him up and drop him at the places where we are singing. He hasn’t missed a concert yet. Be sure to thank him for driving all of these miles safely with such precious cargo!

Tuesday is our travel day and we will be heading home. I think I can safely say that your children have grown this week. They have experienced God in a new way. They have found their tryst. Come to our Welcome Home concert this week and experience what we have witnessed all week. You won’t be disappointed. This is Sue, signing out. 

Click here to see photos from Day 7