8 Months Already?!?!

Oh where to begin...As I look back on my blogs I realized I use to be better at updating this thing than I am now...oh well.

Last week at this time we were in Ft. McMurray where we had to have a snow day because of all the snow. We were suppose to stay three night and we had to stay four. We had a day off a day to play in the snow...IN APRIL!!! It was crazy they had about 2 feet of snow at the end of APRIL!!! Is that not crazy?!


I want to tell you a story of what happened this past week. A week or so ago we asked the kids to pray that we get a dentist soon. The kids prayed and a week later we had a dentist. Rosette stayed with a dentist and he offered to have a look at all the children. Before concert on Sunday morning he came in with a flashlight and looked at everychild...He recruited the help of 2 of his friends and Monday all the children had dental appointments. I went with a group of four Anna, Marvin, Jackie and Ibrahim as well as Uncle David. He filled every cavity and pulled every rotten tooth. Our dentist name was Dr. Roth...his dental hygenist was Tera...they were such a blessing. At least 6 straigh hours of dental work...no break or anything and it was all done for free!!! FOR FREE!!!! Anna and Ibra were the first ones up...They both had to have three teeth pulled and some cavities filled. They were both very brave...Anna did shed big crocadile tears. They pulled one of her teeth and she began to ball...So I got up to calm her down and talk to her...we needed to know if she was in shock or in pain. I got up stood next to her got her to calm down and then began to feel dizy. I asked...standing in the room feeling like it was about to spin or I was about to fall... "do you have any water?" They looked at me and asked "are you okay...you are really white." I had not eaten and I think that was the contributing factor...although if you know me well you are probably thinking it was the tooth being pulled! But I'm saying it was the fact I had not eaten. So David and I switched, I ate my sandwich and I was good to go. They even offered to have a look at my teeth...they said it was no fair all I got to do was come and get light headed. I told them that was very kind but I'm okay...really I did not want to get a shot either...it's been years since I've been to the dentist.



These Dr's truly blessed me and as I was going back into my blog archives I was reminded of when I first came on tour. My main goal and objective and hearts desire was to bless people, to be a blessing. I think somewhere along the road I lost that focus. Tour Life is great! But it's very easy to want to get away. What I mean by that is you arrive at your fourth host family for the week and it's a one night stay. A saturday night stay for example...and all you want to do is seclude yourself. That is okay every now and then but if I do that all the time...I think I miss out I really need to find a balance. I really love tour life as crazy as it seems...I wish I could explain it better. It is something you have to experience to know though. One day in tour life is like one week in "real" life. So many things happen in one 24 hour period. Take Monday for example...or even this week...



Sunday night we had a concert and Monday morning it was up at 6am to be at the church by 7:30 to be downtown at the TV station by 8:30...The kids changed into their dance costumes, warmed up and then by 9:30 the were on TV. On Breakfast Television...it's the equivalent to our Good Morning America...Once they sang there last songs it was to the changing rooms to change and back on the bus. Back to the church where we were picked up by all the different drivers to take us to the three differnt dentist once in the dentist office we hit the ground running. Two kids at a time had their teeth worked on as chaperones we were there for support wich I found is quite drainnig...then it was back to the church where we got picked up about 6pm. Next day I was up at 6 again to get one of my girls to the dentist who still needed to go. At the church at 8:45 and began the mail packet wich is something I send out once a week that is quite a lengthy process most times...at least half the day. After that it was time to teach school the rest of the day. That evening all the staff went out for staff night out...which was really fun...Day three got to sleep in till 7 am well after I shut my door at 6 so I would stop hearing the dog walk back in forth in front of my room. Day three was pretty normal arrive at church, head to another church, get ready and do a concert. Tour Life is crazy but completly worth it.



One more thing...We have devotions everymorning and to end devotions the kids always pray. They pray outloud to themselves. I never really pray outloud with them...don't know why really I just listen to them. Today though I thought why don't I pray outloud with them. Does it seem childish...since they are all children praying...I thought to myself...well I think if I was in a group of adults and they were all praying outloud I would join in then. Then I heard...you must first be like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven...

Unnoticed Desert

I feel like the last few weeks have been busier than normal. After camp was over we had Angee come visit us for two weeks. Angee is going to be the tour leader for the Nkomazi Choir from South Africa, which is going to tour the UK. It was so nice having her...a breath of fresh air...maybe I'm partial because she had no problem taking goofy picture with me. A week into her visit Marci our Choir Manager flew in, she traveled with us as well. I think the children enjoy it when we have visitors.


Monday of last week 18 of the kids and some of the chaperones borded a plane aroud 6:30 am to head to LA. Here they sang with Chris Daughtry on the Ellen show. I however stayed in Calgary with 8 of the kids and Terese. I was okay with that...it meant I got to sleep in instead of wake up at 4 in the morning. I got to sleep in and party for a couple of days...Terse and I took the kids to the zoo, Calgary tower (which is like the ball in downtown Dallas), to Chili's, Olympic Park (this is where they filmed the movie Cool Runnings so we were able to see the bobsled used in the movie) and we went and saw Horton Hears a Who...I like that movie. We also watched the other kids preform on the Ellen show...I think we all enjoyed ourselves.


Today we arrived back in Calgary at the Church we will sing in tomorrow. It's quite a big church, they have a Saturday evening service. The band that would lead worship was in the middle of soundcheck when I went into the sanctuary. I had an idea...what if we could stay and go to church. I have not been to church, fellowshiped with anyone...truly fellowshiped/worshiped with anyone in 7 months. I said something to Jenny who relayed it to the detail person at the church. Being on the road is like being in the middle of a desert (at least right now it is). I thought I saw a watering hole...but it was a mirage...Jenny asked the Detail person who in turn asked someone else and when the verdict reached me it was...it would not work out. I was so bummed...I walked out to the bus just to get my stuff and on the way to the bus just began to cry. I had not realised how much I miss fellowship, true fellowship...and it hit me hard today. I really miss music...funny how you can miss music when you are traveling with a choir. I miss the raw, heartfelt...music worship...I long for this...this is the real reason I wanted to stay for the service and being told no was a blow. I'm not sure why I am writting all this for the world to read...maybe so you can pray for me...maybe so I can vent. Either way there it is.


We watched the Prince of Egypt on our bus ride today (it was a long ride) after the movie a few of the kids had questions. "Auntie is this a real story?" "Auntie who killed all those babies?" We were able to talk about the story of Moses...I showed them where it was in Exodus...I think that really interested some of them. Before the movie Jackie was asking me a lot of questions about Jesus and who buried him, etc... So we got to talk about Old Testament sacrifice, Jesus' blood being shed as the ultimate sacrifice...all this with an 8 year old. "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young" While watching the Prince of Egypt I began thinking about the story of Moses and the Bible in general.


We take Bible stories and put them on a child's level which is not a bad thing but as we grow we need to be able to see the entire story. When we are young we dring milk as we grow older we began to eat meat. The story of Moses, Noah, Samson and Delilah, Ester, Ruth, etc...are all stories we learn as children among many others. Truly stop and think about those stories though....Noah - the Lord wipes out the entire population of the earth because of how wicked it has become. He does save Noah's family because of their faithfulness and 2 of each kind of animal because he does not want to destroy the earth completly. Everything else however dies! I don't think it was an easy death either. Moses...He is picked up by the Pharoh's wife...is raised in the palace...has a brother...builds relationships. One day somehow he finds out he is not really a Prince he is a Hebrew, the ones who were slaves. He kills a man and flees. Then after getting comfortable in his new life the Lord tells him I want you to go back and confront Pharoh (your brother) and tell him to let my people go. Now think about this...your brother or sister has run away and years later returns...do you not want to rejoice and sit down and talk with them. Moses enters the palace Pharoh doesn't know what to think...then instead of being able to reunite with his brother he has to confront him and basically become his enemy. Ruth not only does her husband die, her husbands brother dies as well, her mother-in-law is a widow...and now she has to make a choice leave her mother-in-law and return to her people or stay with her mother-in-law and take on her customs and all. She decides to stay with her mother-in-law, which is the will of God and the Lord blesses her...but think about leaving all your loved ones to go to a strange new land. The Bible is not a children's book and yet it is. The Bible is the greatest love story ever told, it is full of Romance as well as war, sacrafice, loyalty, devotion, it is also a history book...it is truly a book of life...A book we take for granted as just a book...but it is living and written by God! I think maybe I should read it more...could be one reason it feels like a desert.

"Captain Ice Berg Ahead"

No we did not run into an ice berg!!! But we are now back on the mainland! Actually today (side note...I just put a movie in thinking this looks good to watch while I type up my blog...but...it is not in English!!!! I don't even know what language it is in...but there are sub-titles...Now how am I suppose to type and read sub-titles at the same time. If you know me you know I already have a hard enough time multi-tasking...I'll let you know how the movie turns out)...Back to what I was saying we are in Cache Creek, BC today, we arrived yesterday.



We got back to the mainland about three weeks ago I guess. We had a few concerts and then it was off to camp! I really enjoyed this camp...we were in Washington State...It was nice to be in the states again... We were there for about 5 days...We had a funky dress night, stuff yourself contest (which is putting as many clothes on one person as possible), the famous egg/spoon relay along with a few other games. The last night we made a bond fire; we roasted marshmallows and made smores...Let me brag...I made the bonfire...it was my first real camp fire to ever make. I know I drive a big truck, shoot guns, go fishing and camping and had never made a camp fire...but that's not the case any more!!! It was a lot of fun.



We are still in British Columbia but not for to much longer...we are heading to Alberta in just a week!!! Now I have a bit of exciting news...Our choir is going to be on the Ellen show. They leave April 7th to go to LA to record the show but...only 18 of them are going. So I am staying behind with the other 8 and we are going to party!!! I'm thinking zoo definitely!!! I don't know what else.


Well I'm afraid it's short but it's all I have to write for now. I hope everyone is doing well and not burning up in Texas. You can send some heat my way...We are heading back into the Mountains...I hope we don't get a lot of snow!!! I like snow but only when I am on skis!!

The Island

well we are on the Island...Vancouver Island that is...It is very pretty! A week ago today we took a ferry over here. I'd never been on a ferry before...but I mainly graded papers during the journey. That's okay though there is always the ride back.


Before coming over to the Island we were on the mainland for a bit around the Vancouver area. We went to teh Capilano bridge. It's a giant suspension bridge. The Lord granted us a beautiful day...warm, suny...very pretty.


Also I got to go skiing! This was great. I was staying with a family who was from England, the husband worked in Hawaii, but he was in town for a bit and they had friends visiting from Australia. So I got to go skiing with the friends...it was neat to be skiing in Vancouver, Canada with Australians...how cool is that. The view was amazing the skiing wasn't all that great but it was worth the view. At the top of the mountain...which is not high compared to skiing in Colorado. Anyways once I was coming down the mountain...I could see the city of Vancouver...I'm not use to being able to see a major city...while I'm skiing. But there it was off to my left in between us was the bay of the ocean...to the right a light fog rolling in. To top it off a birds swooped down and the sun caught its wing just right and glistened.

Now we are on Vancouver Island another beautiful aspect of Canada. We have traveled from the North tip, at Port McNeil, to the very bottom here in Victoria...the capital. Surrounded my water and mountains...on a sunny day few things are more gorgeous.


It seems a bit short of an update but I'm in a productive mood so I decided to go ahed.

New York, New York and bit more!!!!

Well let's see...I have grown older since the last time I wrote. Well for my birthday we were in Pincher Creek, BC. It was a Saturday so we got to sleep in a bit and then we all met at the church for breakfast. After breakfast we just hung out a bit and the next thing I know all the kids are carrying a cake that looks like it's on fire towards me. It really did look like it was on fire; all 24 candles had melted almost down to the bottom so all one could see was the flame. They laid it on the table and then all 26 children tackled me!!! I fell to the floor! It was fun...I'm just now starting to get my b-day packages so it's like having my b-day all over again. :)


The past few days have been very busy for us and very exciting. Gucci invited us to New York to sing in the Madonna, UNICEF and Gucci fund raiser. Madonna produced it...she is not very congenial. But we'll get to that later...So Monday we headed to New York, we arrived at midnight New York time and did not get to sleep until 2:30 am. My sister and a friend of hers flew out and met us in New York...I got to spend a lot of time with them...this was the highlight of the trip for me. Tuesday we got to sleep in, I woke up around 9:30 and then Kinnie and Adrianna came over around 10:30. Kyndell's hotel was right across the street from mine...it was great!!! Her and Adrianna hung out in the room with us while we ate breakfast (an apple and yogurt since it was so late in the morn). We all got ready and then the two of them ate lunch with the entire Choir...besides just getting to hang out with my sis this was the highlight of my time in New York; Kyndell getting to meet all the kids I work with on a daily basis. After lunch the kids headed to their dress rehearsal and I headed out with Kyndell and Adrianna.



While I was running around New York with Kyndell the kids and the rest of the chaperones were hob knobbing with the celebs...they met and rehearsed with, Rihanna, Timberland (let me be honest I had no idea who this was), Chris Rock and Madonna who was producing the entire thing. The next day the preformed before tons and tons of stars...I saw Madonna who I don't have much to say about...and then Alicia Keys walked by me but I did not know that until someone said "that was Alicia Keys"...but I would not have traded spending the day and half of the next day with my sis...for all of that.



Kyndell, Adrianna and I roamed the streets of New York. First on our list of things to do was go to the Statue of Liberty...this meant getting on the subway. I was okay with that until I actually got on...I do not like the subway...I like to be above ground! But we made it and began to walk to the Ferry. On our way we saw a man dressed up at the statue of Liberty so we went and took a pic...then after taking pics he says "that's $5 per person". WE TOOK THEM WITH OUR OWN CAMERA. I did not pay but Adrianna gave him 5 and Kyndell said "well since you don't have a sign can I give you a 5 for both (me and her) us" We should have just taken off...but now we can say we had a true New York experience. After taking our pics with the fake we headed over to the real Lady Liberty that just stands in one position and doesn't charge to take pics with...just to cross the water to get to her. After visiting the statue Kyndell and Adrianna wanted to go to China town.



I just wanted to get off the subway...but they talked me into going to China town...and I'm glad they did...I got a hat and scarf along with a couple of other things. Those I can't mention I think it was illegal...;) When we were out of money we headed back to our side of New York, we grabbed dinner (everything is expensive in New York) then we went to Toys "R" Us, M&M and then the Hershey's store. Then it was back to meet the kids and put them to bed for the night. (I had to get glasses so I decided to throw a pic of my new glasses in as well)



The next morning the kids had to be at a practice at 9 so breakfast was at 7:30...I had the morning off to spend with Kyndell. I took the kids downstairs and headed back to my room where I waited on Kyndell to call. Her and Adrianna went to the Good Morning America show and they were on TV. When that was over she called and I met them at their hotel. Adam met us there and then we walked to 5th Ave and looked at the stores. There was a diamond ring at Harry Winston’s that was 7K's it was $1 million...then where did we go...oh that's right to the subway. We went to Central Park, FAO Schwartz...which was across from the Hotel in Home Alone. Then it was off to the Manhattan Mall. Then I needed to head to the UN for rehearsal. They walked me half way then I walked from 45th St. and 5th Av to 45th st and 1 Av...IN HEALS!!!



Just for the record New York is not the place to forget your shoes and only bring house shoes and heals...all I wore the day and a half I walked around New York were heals...I don't even wear heals to begin with. My feet are still swollen.




Well we sang that night before a star studded audience (literally) then it was back to the hotel. Kyndell came and hung out for about an hour then had to say good bye that was hard...I'm ready to come home and see everyone! Then we got ready because we had to be up at 4:00 am that morn...I got a phone call at 3:30 am as a wake up call...Then we took off for a long and bumpy day of travel.




We are now back in BC and Praise the Lord there is no snow only rain and warm weather. By warm I mean in the 40's and 50's...maybe even 60's...but that's probably pushing it.