Experience of a Lifetime

Before I left for California on July 5th, I stayed up really late with my mom crying about all the worries I had for going on tour. I returned on August 18th, crying myself to sleep from the feeling of loneliness. I was home, where I should have felt really comfortable and happy and I felt so alone. I was used to always being surrounded by my tour members. Even when I slept, I was sharing a bed. I felt really sad when I got home. College was coming and volleyball tryouts were coming, and I felt like I was being forced to leave this great experience that I had just had and move on to the next thing. My mom helped me realize that I didn’t have to just cover up what I had just done. When a person comes back from a mission trip, they can’t just go back into reality. They have to ease themselves back in. Also, people here at home were waiting to hear about my experiences. Explaining my trip to them would keep it alive in me.

I left on this trip with a goal set in my mind. I wanted to become closer to God. My goal was to have a closer relationship by the end of tour. I had questions that I hoped to be answered while I was there. I didn’t realize it until the very last night, but everyone I met helped me to answer those questions. I still have questions and struggles with certain concepts as does everyone else in the world, but I feel like things were cleared up for me.

It was really neat going to so many different churches. So many were so different and it was neat to compare the different types, in which I might like to go to in the future. I also saw churches that I definitely would not want to go to. I met all sorts of different people from so many different places.

I’ve gone on weekend retreats and week-long mission trips before, but spending 6 weeks with and for God is completely different. In the beginning of tour we were told that we would be changed when we went home. In the last couple of days, I didn’t feel changed, but by the last night I was looking back on my relationship with God before tour and what it is now. After being with my family I felt a change and after interacting with people not on tour with us, I feel a difference. It’s a good difference.

Something that was a little different in this tour was that we were ending the 40th year celebration. There was a big concert at the end of tour at a very large church in Anaheim, CA (could fit about 2000-3000 people in sanctuary). All of the tours from the second half of the summer reunited for this last major concert. There was also the recording choir (the professional people that do recordings for the Continentals) and there were people from the first Continental tour. We spent the day rehearsing with the other groups and going through the transitions. The actual concert was amazing. All of the groups were on the stage singing together. There were fog machines going and different colored lights. There were cameras everywhere that focused in on our individual groups and faces and put them on big screens on either sides of the stage. I loved it. I felt so professional. It was at this concert that I realized that I go to concerts like this. Except this time I was on the other side. It was an awesome experience.

At our normal concerts, it was really neat to see people changed or touched by our program. I especially loved hearing soft “Amen”s after singing our ballads. You could hear people sniffling in the audience. It was really cool to be worked through by God in that way.

That is exactly what this trip was. God was working through us and through our talents to show the world his face. We were able to spread his love through example and spread his word through our songs. I watched people change on tour and saw a lot of people accept Christ into their lives while on the road. Every single audience member was so happy at the end of our concerts. It was very enlightening.

All in all, I am so happy I went on tour with the Continental Singers. I grew a lot in my faith and love knowing the fact that I was worked through to help others grow in their faith also. I would like to thank you all one last time for all of your support and love before leaving, and comments and prayers while I was away. You really made this experience of a lifetime happen for me and I am forever grateful. Thank you.