Tour 2009 - Day 10

Due to the late hour of their arrival in Damascus (12:45AM) , the Day 10 blog will be posted later this morning - The bloggers are all asleep!

Thanks for staying up, Jackie!!!

Day 10 – DUMC Summer Youth Tour

One Faith, One Hope, One Lord (Watch Video)

Well, the late night faded into early morning and we gathered our belongings one last time, no longer certain which side of our suitcase was clean clothes and which was dirty. No matter, we donned our black dresses, white shirts and ties and rallied in the lobby at 7 a.m. for a light breakfast and check-out. Most of us rallied, that is – all but one room that forgot to set an alarm and came racing onto the bus, dresses half on and hair rather wild. No worries, they had a 10 minute bus ride to pull it together, as the Tall Friends spoke earnestly about the awesome privilege we were about to experience. We had passed by Trinity Church several times since our arrival in Boston, but we were not prepared for the magnificence of this Episcopal church, which is so rich with history. The current church complex was built under the direction of its rector, Phillips Brooks, a well known charismatic preacher in the late 1800’s [famous for many uplifting quotations, such as "Christianity helps us face the music even when we don't like the tune."] Trinity is the only church listed in the “10 Most Significant Buildings in the U.S.” (American Institute of Architects). Lovely gardens, dozens of stunning stained glass windows, a suspended cross and an extraordinary organ contribute to the grandeur. According to Stephen Kalnoske, our DUMC organ was built by the same man, 4 years later! We should note that Stephen traveled to Boston yesterday (Saturday) to participate with us in this morning’s worship service. Stephen was mentored at this very church, where his improvisational skills on the organ flourished - thanks be to God. This church normally features a paid choir, so the music directors are accustomed to professionals and treated our youth as they would the pros. They had high expectations and a no-nonsense approach. After a quick review of what the choir was to sing, when to sing it, where to stand, sit, process and recess – it was showtime. And goosebump time. The music lifted to the vaulted ceilings and seemed to return as angelic voices from heaven. It was a very formal service, during which we performed Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer; One Faith, One Hope, One Lord; and When I Survey the Wonderous Cross. After a quick bagel break and overview for the second service (which was similar but different from the early service), the choir reconvened. Invigorated by the majesty of the first worship hour, they delivered an inspired performance. The adults worried that the youth would not "get it," that they would not see what an incredible opportunity this was . . . that they would not be able to take it all in and absorb the moment. We sometimes need to have more faith in the depth of these "children" of ours, for the comments we heard from them showed they truly did get it, maybe even more than we did. They were awe struck, many of them expressing that they could not believe they were actually doing this. We were incredibly proud and hope you will be as well when they tell you their unique experience of this profound time. Thanks to the sweet talking of Beth Taylor, a few of the chaperones were given permission to watch the second service from the loft. Oh, my. We were next to the organ pipes (beautiful visually as well as for their sound), and we literally felt the music of Stephen Kalnoske. Please, if you have the chance, talk to Stephen about this magnificent organ and the historical significance of Trinity Church. He is a wealth of information. We also had a great vantage point from which to see our choir. It was something none of us will ever forget and actually difficult to put into words. To see these young people, whom we all love so much, singing so beautifully in this incredible setting, it touched us to our very souls. Last night was the height of our entertainment on tour, but this morning was the pinnacle of our spiritual journey. It was a vivid reminder of why we do this. We love the fun. We love the fellowship. We love the "white trash" and the fork stories. But it is really about enriching our personal faithfulness and witnessing to the glory of God, whether it is on the streets of Mystic, Connecticut, at the Boston Common, in the wonderous Trinity Church or, yes, even on the high seas in Maine. Our souls are anchored in the Lord. So, after a long but enjoyable bus ride home, typifying the tour's "we're running a little behind schedule" modus operandi, we return these wonderful young people to their parents. Thank you for allowing them and us this opportunity to touch the lives of other and, in the process, be enriched ourselves. We will see you all at tomorrow's Homecoming Concert!

Jackie Perry

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Tour 2009 - Day 9

Day 9 DUMC 2009 Summer Mission Tour

Today was a day full of surprises. Surprise! In spite of what the front desk told us, there was no breakfast café a couple of blocks from the hotel (so many of us had a long stroll in search of a “quick” breakfast). We rounded up and drove a short way to Boston Common, where another church group had just provided breakfast to the City’s homeless who gather there. It was a beautiful, warm and sunny morning, and the homeless and Churchies enjoyed our a cappella performance, as we enjoyed giving it. We then headed over to MIT for a tour of that campus. Impressive in a very different way than Yale, MIT is all about the numbers (even the trees on campus were numbered and barcoded). We returned to the hotel briefly then had the bus drop us at Faneuil Hall where we were in for another surprise. Peggy Edmonds, whom we last saw in Connecticut, had secretly plotted to meet us at Faneuil Hall to surprise Walt on their 39^th anniversary. Surprised and uplifted, Walt enjoyed the rest of the day with his sweetheart. Faneuil Hall was lots of fun, with great food, trendy shops, kiosks for the tourists and entertaining street performers. We opted to return to the hotel a little early to give ourselves a little down time before our night on the town. All dolled up (except for a few guys stuck in their bathing suits without room keys . . . oops!), we went out for a lovely dinner at McCormick & Schmick’s. The food, service and ambience were just fantastic. After dinner we strolled a few short blocks to the Charles Playhouse where we were in for our final surprise of the night with the delightful play Shear Madness. Most of us had never seen it and were howling at the bawdy humor and hilarious improvisations. Unknown to us, Cathy Dobrzanski had provided the theater with some scoop about the characters in our group, and they tailored much of the humor to us, with several “Waltisms” and inside jokes. The actors were very engaging and it was laugh-out-loud funny for a full two hours. Of course by then, in spite of exhaustion and the late hour, the kids were re-energized and getting them into their rooms for midnight curfew has been like herding cats. And that comes as no surprise!

Jackie P.

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Tour 2009 - Day 8

Day 8 – 2009 DUMC Summer Youth Tour

It seems we’ve just made new friends and the time has come too soon to bid them farewell. Londonderry was so good to us. The great news was that after a night of thunderstorms, the morning brought blue skies and sunshine – perfect for a day at Canobie Lake, a charming amusement park in Salem, NH. We lathered with sunscreen and fanned out to ride the rides and enjoy the water park. The Tall Friends (chaperones) ventured to the carousel and bumper cars (woo hoo), while the kids piled onto the antique cars and rode The Corkscrew. One of the highlights was an antique 1939 wooden roller coaster called The Yankee Cannonball. We feasted on ice cream sundaes named “When the Fat Lady Sings”, “The Wicked Honkytonk” and “Fat Man on a Dirty Couch”, as well as the usual Dippin’ Dots, cheeseburgers and caramel apples. Our visit to the park culminated with a wild water ride on The Boston Tea Party and as Walt, Catherine and Nick got a surprising spectator splash, the kids burst into song: “We are riding in the light of God, we are riding in the light of God . . . We are soaking in the light of God, we are soaking in the light of God.” There are many ways to praise our Lord, and don’t you love the spontaneous joy they just can’t contain? As the clouds rolled in and the rain began to fall, we were back on the bus and on our way to Westborough, MA. This was our final formal concert, performed at Westborough UMC, where the Rev. John Wesley Taylor presides in the pulpit and Brother Al presides in the kitchen. We were treated to a marvelous Caribbean meal that kept them coming back for more. Though we love our spaghetti dinners, this was quite a treat! The days have been long, the voices are becoming strained, there are the occasional snippy moments (and that’s just the Tall People!). But when the black dresses, ties and game faces go on, our youth sing from their hearts and touch lives in ways they cannot imagine. A comment tonight reflects what we’ve heard in every venue. A woman told us how she and her husband debated about whether or not to come, as he is in poor health and she did not think he was up to it. He told her he somehow felt he really needed to come. By intermission they both felt their souls had been restored . . . she believed God had worked through our choir and orchestra to lift them up. They, and many others, left with smiles on their faces. These concerts are more than just young people making beautiful music. They are truly witnessing their faith and fulfilling the purpose of this MISSION tour. It is almost 11:00, we have just pulled into the Hyatt, and - go figure - the kids have gotten their second wind. We’re scheduled for lights out at 11:15. We’ll just hope for the best!

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God Bless !

Jackie Perry