P.S. 2009 DUMC Summer Youth Tour

Refreshed after a good night's sleep in our own beds, we gathered as a group for one last concert before calling this year's tour a wrap. It was a packed house, and the lack of air conditioning made things very cozy. As Walt remarked, it seemed much like the churches we visited these past 10 days in New England, where air conditioning is a rarity. The kids were excited to be performing before the home crowd and already nostalgic about this chapter coming to an end. The orchestra sounded magnificent and dazzled the audience, particularly friends and family who were hearing them for the first time. The choir was ready to sing with full gusto, no longer feeling the need to hold back to save their voices. At full throttle their performances were just incredible. We were treated to some new music, as Brian and Seth serenaded the offertory break with lovely clarinet/flute duets they had rehearsed but never performed during the tour. A special part of the evening was the addition of tour alumni for the encore pieces. It seemed a wonderful way to tie this year's experience together with the rich history of tradition from prior tours, and to segue forward to whatever may come next. The audience would have loved for the singing to continue on and on, but there was a party to get to, so Walt drew the concert to a conclusion. On behalf of the tour group, Dan Krotz presented Walt a token of our appreciation. In Dan's words . . . as thanks for all the support Walt has shown us, we wanted to give him a bit of support as well. In the form of suspenders - one pair with smiley faces, another with musical notes. Dan also thanked our tireless tour director, Cathy Dobrzanski, for all of her hard work and coordination, and Joe D. gave her beautiful flowers to show our appreciation for all she did to make this such a wonderful experience. We then moved the party down the road to the Damascus pool. A huge thank you to Wendy Hembrough and all of the parents who helped organize this and provided the delicious food. It was a lovely way to unwind and enjoy one another's company. For once, the weather actually cooperated! As the kids swam, the adults traded tour stories and chatted about plans for the rest of the summer. Sadly, the evening's festivities concluded around midnight. The kids shivered in the cool night's air, hugged one another and said goodnight, realizing the summer would now switch gears and they would begin to scatter for sports camps, summer jobs and family vacations. But the memory of their shared experiences will remain fresh for a long time to come, and the journey their faith has taken is now indelibly woven into their hearts and souls.

Jackie P.

As the official "blog poster and picture uploader" I would like to thank Jackie Perry for her thoughtful and inspiring words these past few days. She truly has a gift with words and I know we all appreciate her work! Please take a moment to thank her next time you see her!

Have a restful summer, dear DUMC friends.

Love,

Beth T

Click Here for Photos from Homecoming Concert & Party

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

Click here for photos from Day 10

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.

Click here for photos of Day 9