Village 3

Welcome to my home.

Her name is Village 3 (so I'm not actually sure if I would refer to the bus as a she but if it was a ship it would be a she so why not. A bus is really just a ship with wheels right?!?!)

This is my beautiful front door.

First stop, my bedroom: complete with pillow and blanket. I have become quite well acquainted with this seat and it has been a faithful friend.

Extensive art gallery: drawn by Faith and I on one of our longer bus rides. I am partial to it; it may even compare to the Mona Lisa.

Powder Room: where hair is fixed before each concert.

My closet: don't be alarmed. I share it with 8 other people. Sometimes we even get our clothes confused and we end up changing twice.

Transportable dresser: holds everything from toiletries to slippers to books and movies. Bonus to this model of dresser is that it can go anywhere! If you need to move, it moves with you.

Living Room: a nice spot to get away from it all or visit with someone or even make a phone call home.

The "Bay" Window: gives a great view of the world outside.

Library: full of books, while most of them are children's books there are a few wonderful classics for all ages like Anne of Green Gables and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Pantry: midday snack? Craving? You can most likely find the cure in this little box, it's pretty wonderful.

Office: where much work happens. A place of great inspiration and where great ideas are born. You think I'm kidding, but I'm not.

Ah, and now for one of the best parts...a few of my busmates:

Mel: sitting in her bedroom talking on the phone to a dear friend. I love listening to her on the phone because she gets so excited!

Tony: doing "office work" a.k.a bonding with his itouch.

Amy: catching up on a few winks. And please note she crocheted this beautiful blanket herself! (and she is willing to sell it to the highest bidder)

And finally: the view from home tonight. Tomorrow it will be different. A different place, a different view...yet still beautiful.

Rocky Mountains

Today was a longer bus ride. We left Castlegar and headed to Salmon Arm, British Columbia. It took nearly 7 hours, over 300 km (on mountain roads mind you), and a ferry to get there. I enjoy the longer bus rides as it offers time for us to be together, just Choir 35, building our relationships with each other. Driving through the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by their greatness I was overcome with how small we were. Here we were, 30 people on a bus moving as one together. Life around us was huge and powerful and we were so small compared to what surrounded us, it reminded me of God’s greatness and His splendor.

I was sitting with Deborah for part of the ride and we listened to some music. As Deborah sang quietly I observed God’s handiwork. Not only could He create this rough beauty He could create something so intricate and delicate. He created Deborah to have a relationship with Him and to know Him. I watched as she tenderly worshipped her God. I could have stayed in that moment for quite a while.

She sang these words: Jesus I'll put You first/In my life nothing else will do/I'll spend the rest of my life/In Your house/Giving all to You/I'm so glad You're here/I'm so glad You're near/'Cause I need You/Yes I need You

Later that night at my host family we sat on the back deck, a soft rain hitting the lake behind the house and I listened to the girls laugh and enjoy their hamburgers. The night air held a sense of expectancy and I knew that God was smiling down on us. Here we sat: 2 Canadians, 1 Ugandan, 2 Kenyans, and 1 American enjoying His creation and reveling in the beauty surrounding us in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

Today my soul was renewed.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. (2 Corinthians)

Be still.

I am writing this now while sitting in Starbucks but going to post it later since I don’t have internet unless I pay for it and that’s not going to happen. It’s been one of those days where everything seems vivid and very real. I can see perfectly what is going on; things seems almost as if they were moving in slow motion. God is teaching me and the other chaperones so much right now and we are growing in Him daily.

The last few days the same thought has been showing up in paper words and in spoken words: stillness. “Be still and know that I am God.” A short and to the point verse that is difficult. Be still: how often are we still? How often do I, not just slow down, but practice the discipline of BEING STILL?

So, step one: be still. Be who you are and in essence shut up. Go before God and be quiet, practicing the discipline of quietness.

Step two: know that He is God. Look at the power in that statement. Know that I am God. He is God. I am not. I cannot control any situation, no matter how much I try because I am not God. Know Him as God, Creator, Savior, King, Lord, Judge, Groom, Almighty.

How do I go about knowing Him? Be quiet; be still before Him. Enter His presence and do nothing, just listen. Listen for His voice and know Him. Hear His heart, feel what makes His heart beat.

In the Old Testament God says who He is by two simple yet powerful words: “I AM.” I am God. I am Creator. I am Savior. I am King. I am Lord. I am Judge. I am Groom. I am Almighty. That’s it. That’s all I need to know because if I truly knew these things about Him my life would be different. I would not doubt or control or question because I would truly know His heart. I would know Him deeply as the I AM. The One who was, and is, and is to come. No other came before Him and no one will go after Him.

That truth changes me. It changes my relationship with Him and others. It changes the way that I live with these 29 other people on a bus for 15 months. It changes things. And while God is perfect and unchanging I am changing because I have not learned it all.

Please pray for me and the other chaperones that we would know God. There are times on tour when we try to figure things out on our own and then realize that we should have laid it at the feet of Christ. He is God and I will trust Him to show me the way and to be confident in whom He is and who I am in Him.

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes coma and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. God dwells in that city, it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts! The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: see how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire. Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” Psalm 46

May Days

Here is a picture diary of our last couple of weeks. It has been a busy couple of weeks and quite wonderful at the same time. We have had many new and unforgettable experiences, the first being performing with Michael W. Smith!

[MWS photos courtesy of Uncle Vic]

Some dress up time, our girls' best!

Host family bowling, (above) Ivy: "Which ball is nicest to me?"

Poor Faith hurt her arm, she is so bummed but doing great learning how to do things with her other arm, she is on a quick road to recovery.

Day off at the lake, this one below is for Tony (haha)

Outing for Ice Cream!

They love to share =)

Black licorice ice cream, yummy???

That is it, for now at least.