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

Tour 2009 - Day 7

Day 7 2009 DUMC Summer Youth Tour

The day began with breakfast in our host homes, then the usual reassembly with suitcases at the church parking lot - this time Bath UMC. All were excited about our upcoming event of whale watching. Prepped with Dramamine, we boarded our boat at Fisherman’s Wharf, in Boothbay Harbor, Maine with great anticipation. It was a rather cloudy day, but we were optimistic the fog would lift any moment. As luck would have it, our view leaving the harbor was shades of gray as we tried to imagine the lovely scene our tour guide described of the coastline. Still, there was something adventurous about heading out to sea, and for the first hour we enjoyed the photo opportunities and the fresh ocean spray on our faces. Yes, that first hour was lovely. Then it began. With each passing moment we began to realize that Dramamine indeed has its limits. When all was said and done approximately 75% of us had succumbed to the mighty power of God’s great ocean. The tour guide cheerily described the birds and their antics on the water, and the various species of seal and porpoises gracing us with their presence as we tried mightily to rally ourselves. The highlight was the dolphin show, presented by Mother Nature without the need for animal trainers. We visited several of the favorite whale feeding grounds and squinted through the fog in hopes of catching a glimpse, but alas it was but a mass of gray and we could not distinguish water from sky. We turned and headed 13 miles back to shore - some lingering near the rest rooms, some slumped at the tables, some . . . Well sort of hanging over the rails of the boat. We arrived at Boothbay’s version of the Inner Harbor with our expectation of a grand adventure fully realized! As Harry Cole used to say, if you want to make God laugh, just tell him your plans! We were very grateful to be on solid ground and we strolled through the picturesque town of Boothbay Harbor, some having a bite of lunch and others sipping Ginger Ale. We re-boarded our busses and quickly gave in to the after-effects of the Dramamine, snoozing most of the way to Londonderry, NH. There the most wonderful thing occurred. We were greeted by blue skies and sunshine! The first time we’ve seen the sun since departing Damascus. Doug and Beth Taylor lived in Londonderry for many years, and their home church of Londonderry UMC prepared us a fabulous Mexican feast in their dining hall decorated for a fiesta! What a lovely and warm welcome. Our concert was held across the street at Londonderry Presbyterian, which was packed with an enthusiastic audience. In the host pastor’s remarks at intermission, he told the audience of our whale watching experience, saying the choir’s swaying during “Order My Steps” had taken on a whole new meaning! Despite the slight trials and tribulations, we remain spirited and excited for these final days of a tour we will never forget! We capped off the evening with a special celebration of Rachel Wilson’s 17th birthday with a cake reception following the concert.

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