Closing Choir Tour (Sunday, June 14)

*Sniff* *Sniff* Today is our closing concert to the tour :( arriving at church at 3:00 P.M. I helped Jonathan review our award selections, for our closing award ceremony every year. After reviews were confirmed and double checked, he printed them out and I got them prepared. Final, the time was here. We all focused on Jonathan, and sang our hearts out. This was one time, in all of my XP Tour history, that our weekend apart didn't phase our unity in singing. I felt like we all sang very well together tonight, and it was a very, very beautiful service. After the service we had the awards! It was the largest crowd I think we have ever had for award night! IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! The awards were awesome, everyone seemed happy. The seniors were awarded with our senior notebooks, (A blank notebook that is passed around on the tour, where the choir members write encouragement to the graduating seniors) and our personalized awards. I GOT THE TENOR AWARD! YES! Afterward, I said my goodbyes to everyone and had some prayers with some friends. Do you know why? Well as sure as the sun rises tomorrow, "Jesus Month" continues on tomorrow morning!

Biltmore! (Friday, June 12)

Today we head home!!! WHOA WHOA WHOA, not so fast, we need to make a short visit real quick. Don't worry though, it will be worth while. We are just gonna go see the largest personal owned home in America. NO BIGGIE!

Oh the Biltmore was incredible! There were countless ROOMS that my ENTIRE HOUSE could fit in! If for some strange reason you don't know what the Biltmore is, look it up! So the choir had a great time on the house. Even though we were exhausted, everyone had a GREAT attitude. After the Biltmore, we headed back home. At one of our pitt stops, Lisa Hammons went on with the equipment bus, along with the adults riding along. So when we arrived home, OH HOME SWEET HOME, we came to find that the bus was already unloaded!! WHAH?! Such a huge relief! So I headed home, and went to bed. My family was having a family reunion in Pigeon Forge while I was gone, but thank goodness I was able to visit with all my cousins on Saturday, THANK YOU LORD!

Phatdippin' (Thursday, June 11)

Today we went to an Eliada Home, for a good 2 or 3 hours. We sang at 9:30 in the morning and sang 'til about 11:30. The kids varied from pre-K to Seniors in highschool! The kids, and their teachers were very receptive. There were very good experiences there that I'm not sure if I should go into detail about or not, but to be safe I will just leave them out. All in all the visit at the school was very productive. After that we got an entire afternoon break! HALLELUJAH! Now this is where Phatdippin' comes in. A group of us decided, earlier on the trip, that we would go Phatdippin'. "What's that?" I asked. "It's where you jump in the pool with all your clothes on!" James David told me. I was so ready for it all week and today it was finally here! More and more people joined in as the word spread, and once we got prepared, we found out that Jonathan was evening gonna join us! So we all stood around the pool, some of us with our shoes and socks still on. And the count down started as we all jumped in together with a HUGE SPLASH, then a sudden silence, and utter chaos as we arose from the full emersion of the water. It was a blast. In the evening we went back o the V. A. Restoration Quarters, and saw some familiar faces and some new. Tonight was our last SCHEDULED night to sing so we made the best of it, and really got into the music. Tonight at our vesper service, Rebecca and I played for everyone Lord of Lords. Tonight was a great closing to our week, even though there are still very many things left to accomplish. Goodnight, God

Our Full Day! (Wednesday June 10th)

We went to The Cove this morning. A retreat center, I believed FOUNDED is the right word, by Billy Graham! It was incredible. Long story short it was an amazingly beautiful area, with an amazing southern style chapel, in which we got to sing for a large crowd! Isn't that awesome?! We didn't even know if we would get to sing, let alone sing for people. It was a great honor, seeing as our tour guide spoke of all the things the chapel had been used for in the past. Moving on, we went to the V.A. Hospital, and had some lunch. There were some people to greet us there from New Bridge Baptist Church! It was Stephen, Stephen, Michael. We sang twice, once for the staff and for our main concert at 1:30 for some patients. We of course stayed after to sing for the patients incapable of moving from their rooms, which is always a joy. After the hospital we went to a museum, NOT WASTING MY TIME TALKING ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT, I'm tired and I want to go to bed, hahah jk jk it was a neat arts and crafts museum. Very much over priced though :(. We went to participate in the Wednesday night service at Grassy Branch Baptist Church, where we heard a speaker from China! It was a great day in the name of the LORD today, and it is an awesome thing, to witness our choir growing together in the LORD, Goodnight!

Ballroom Dancing? (Tuesday June 9th)

This morning we went to the nursing home, here is a quick way to describe our day today,
Tried to get to the nursing home
Came to a bridge
couldn't fit under the bridge
WHAT DO WE DO NOW?!
God provides a guide for a different route, OF COURSE!
We forget Jacob Sr.
Jacob Sr. runs
Jacob gets tired
We finally realize we left Jacob and wait for him to catch up
Have a great time at the nursing home
Go to Battery Park Apt.
Wait forever to get on the elevator
Go to the top floor which held a MAGNIFICENT Ballroom!
Sang for some guest in the ballroom
Went to a Basilica
Had a great tour and sang outside
Sang for some people as they awaited a "HUGE" concert for a band named "Phish" ?
Seniors departed for dinner
And now SLEEP, Hallelujah!
Glory-Maicie Hammons
Goober-Kacey Anderson

VA Homeless shelter, The Fun Depot! (Monday, June 8)

Today, we got to have a little sleep time, YAY. Leaving the hotel at 9:30 A. M. we arrived at the VA Restoration Quarters. I believe they said that it is the only free shelter in the U.S. , that homeless veterans can live in and be supported as they work their way back into society. The VA Restoration Quarters is Christianly based and was a great ministry opportunity, we of course sang "The Armed Forces Medley", with the fellow veterans singing along. We were able to relieve the workers, by splitting up cleaning around the kitchen from head to toe, and the dining area for preparation for lunch. You should have seen all the kids, I did not hear one complaint what-so-ever, these children have great servant hearts!
In the afternoon we went to an awesome Zoo/Shelter, for all of these AWESOME animals. It was like no zoo I've seen. I was not excited about the zoo, and the heat, and the walk. BUT, it was well worth it, the animals were actually, like VISIBLE! But all that is a story for another day. My favorite part of the day was this afternoon. At 5:30 P.M. we arrived at the Fun Depot. A gaming area that is very similiar to Chuckie Cheese except, well better. With go- karts (Indoor/outdoor), climbing wall, laser tag, putt putt, bumper cars, batting cages, unlimited arcade games, and a whole lot of fun with the youth group! OH it was a blast! 3 hours of none stop action. It was an awesome night getting to spend time with different people! Anyway, got to go to bed!
Glory winners- James, Christian, Caleb, Keith, Chris, Nathan
Goober-Victoria (A hilarious Go-Kart accident, another time, another story)

Wait, Use A Hymnal? (Sunday June 7)

Today we went to Grace Baptist Church, and they were just now learning the very familiar song, "How Great Is Our God" I know, INSANE right?! I forget that not everyone sings the same songs as us. I recieved their worship teams cd this morning and was expecting like, God of Wonders or Shout to the Lord on it, but no it was all hymns! CRAZY RIGHT?! Anyway, we ate a rather large breakfast there. Then we went to the sanctuary to practice. Worship went very well.
Got lunch at the mall, then went back to the hotel to rest, HALLELUJAH. At 3:30 P.M. we headed over to New Bridge Baptist Church. They had an Awesome crowd. Very, very receptive and worshipful. This church had a larger youth group, so of course we enjoy that! The entire service was reserved for us so we sang alot! Afterwards, the entire church ate a picnic and enjoyed playing/watching a nice, and friendly game of SOFTBALL! Personally, Rebekkah Scott and my first time playing! It was alot of fun, alot of fun, and games, and fellowship. The church was very friendly and active. Well that's about it for the day. BLESSINGS!

First Concert (Saturday June 6)

I held the parrot!
We sang for the parrot!



Today we went to Pritchard Park. Now they had previously talked about us playing with this "Drum Cirlce" type thing, but we found out that it was actually held last night. We heard though, that if it were tonight that we would not have been able to do anything! With an estimation of 100 people there participating, our choir would not have been able to assemble, so the LORD worked through that in itself. Anyway, we DID go to the park and assembled in the center of the park and began to go through our WIDE variety of simple accoustic songs. Which would include songs like, "Fil-A-Me-Up, He Is The Rock, We've Got The Spirit, God Of Wonders, Mohla Jesu A Boa, etc." It was alot of fun and a productive afternoon!

We've Arrived and Settled In (Saturday June 6)

We are at the hotel! It is very nice, I'm in a room with James David Hammons, and Bill. I know right, how confusing being in a room with 2 James names. Anyway, Bill is not here yet so James squared are in charge around here, YA YA! We are going to a park this afternoon to sing. It shall be a joy haha.

Early Prep. (Saturday June 6th)

Well in less than 8 hours we will be off to Asheville, NC! It's late right now and I'm, officially, tired. With swimming trunks, snacks, iPod, underwear, violin, CAMERA, and cellphone packed I am ready to go. OH, Lord I pray they will have chocolate milk at the hotel! Hahaha jk jk. Well next time I update this I should be at the hotel in Asheville! LORD PROTECT OUR TRAVELS!

Senior Singers

So this will officially be the last choir trip for the seniors, as actual youth, this summer! Don't worry, it is always possible for us to be chaperones, but that would imply that we act our age.........and we just simply cannot do that. Ha no really we are excited about our "Tour" this summer, and there are always new things to expect with the new 7th graders.

  This year we are traveling to Asheville, North Carolina, about a good 4 hour drive.