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.

days off

For the next two or three days I think I'll be staying in a hotel so I won't have access to a computer as far as I know. We have no concerts monday or tuesday and our concert sunday is during the morning church service. So we'll be having some days off. I have no idea what we're doing yet. :)

To my host families:

The host family post is older. I keep editing it and adding more. To see it you have to go back to July 21 post (probably on another page) Don't forget to look for your name!!!!

A couple of cool things

just a couple cool God things that have happened:

A girl on our tour has been really tired and she has a solo. The past couple of nights she was kind of giving herself pep talks and stuff trying to get awake and stuff. Tonight she prayed about it and asked God for help. After the concert she told all of us how much better she felt during her solo. She said she had an epiphany that she's been just trying to feel better by herself, but once she asked God for help, she just felt so much better. So the moral of the story>>ask for God's help and he'll give you a hand. if you just try and do it by yourself you won't get half as far.

Another thing:

A couple days ago, all these weird doubts kept coming into my mind. I was so confused and really just didn't understand nor did I want them there, but for some reason they kept popping up. I was talking to a girl about it at a host home (same girl as above) and we prayed about it and the next day I was completely fine. God answered my prayers and took all those weird doubting thoughts away that had been bothering me earlier. God is awesome.

Back in CA

So we're back in California. Susanville. I woke up this morning at 4:43 for a 6 am call time. We drove for about 8-9 hours. I don't think I've slept so hard on the bus yet. I definately drooled more than ever. haha no joke.

Anyways, while we were still in OR, we got pulled over by a cop. I guess our bus doesn't have a license plate (which the Continentals thought was fine b/c its a newly purchased bus and they have a little sticker on the front which should be fine...in CA...and no one knew that little detail. I guess OR needs more than just a sticker) We were pulled over for at least a 1/2 hour. It was the excitment of the trip. So please pray for our safety and bus "issues". We should be fine now that we're back in CA.


To the family: I can't wait to see you on the 14th!

to elyse....

lol...oops. i completely forgot. I was waiting for the 21st to come around...i guess i was thinking it was june...? anyways sorry i missed your PARTY. maybe that's what I was thinking. oh my goodness.

Only 6 more shows... :(

Although we still have a week and a half left, many of our concerts didn't end up getting scheduled so we only have about 6 left... :( It's so weird how fast this tour is going by. I'm already thinking about next year. (I think they're going to Thailand or something...)

Lately on the bus we have been doing testimonies. We started a while ago, but we only got through about 3 people and we want to hear about everyone before the end of tour. I really like testimonies because it allows everyone to get to know eachother more. Some testimonies are a lot more traumatic than others, but everyone is so understanding and loving and welcoming. It's such a great group of people.

I talked a little bit about the invitation portion of our concert in a previous post. I mentioned how at this part we go out into the audience and pray with people. I've only gotten a chance to do this twice. Both times I was really nervous and not really sure what I was doing. Now that I really want to go pray with people and understand what to do, I haven't really had a chance. We have 4 groups that rotate so its all fair, but the difference in every concert is how many people raise their hands and if you are the closest distance to them to go pray with them. I guess I just haven't been lucky haha. But that's ok. I'm hoping that I'll get another chance before tour is over.

Today we were supposed to have an outdoor concert in a park which I was really excited about. But it started raining really hard and hailing and all sorts of bad stuff so we moved it back to the church. (Luckily we had like 4 extra hours. we somehow got there really early) It was pretty awesome cuz the stage was bigger than they have been.

Elyse, I miss you too! Tell Kasey I say hi back. See you soon! I was going to call you on your birthday and I was counting down the days and then before I knew it, it was August 4th...So happy be-lated birthday! I love you!