Day 9

Dear Gospel Choir followers,  

What a bittersweet day it has been. We finished up our tour today and we are headed back to chilly Illinois tomorrow.

            Today was our last morning at La Jolla Presbyterian. We awoke from our slumber, gathered together all of our smelly luggage (what do you expect after 10 days of lots of use and very little washing?), and wandered downstairs to grab some breakfast. We were expecting to just clean up and hop on the bus, when—in typical Gospel Choir fashion—we agreed to sing Days of Elijah with the church choir at the last minute. We learned the new version of the song in about 10 minutes and sang it successfully in the service. Woo! All of those people were very welcoming and kind and CUTE! This was just another testament of how God has blessed us with encountering some amazing people on this trip.

            We scooted on out of the service after we were finished and loaded the new bus. Yes, it was a new bus. For the whole trip, Pastor Salter had been our faithful driver, but unfortunately he had to leave us last night. So I would like to take just a moment to explain just how great of a human being Pastor Salter is. You need to understand that he came to every single one of our concerts, camera in hand. He was not only a bus driver, he was also a friend and a huge support to all of us. We though he was great, and we miss him!

            So anyways, we boarded our new bus and headed for Total Deliverance Worship Center for our penultimate concert. We were greeted with some nice snacks and bustled into the sanctuary. It was a very upbeat and an all-around good worship time. We sang well and according to one of the lovely people there, this was the first time that a guest choir had sung during the service in 15 years. What a privilege! They served us a delicious lunch of fried chicken and fish and sweet potato pie, among other goodies. They were so gracious and hospitable, it was so good to sing there and meet all of those wonderful people!

            We boarded the bus once again and began our two hour trek to LA, where we would give our last concert at South Bay Church of God. We were all sleepy and warm, since it was almost 90 that day…not that we were really complaining. But we unpacked our stuff from the bus and shuffled inside. The concert was good. There were lots of alumni there who really contributed to the mood of the concert. I believe that considering how exhausted we were, we still had a good time of worship. The good times just continued to roll on into dinner time, and man oh man was it delicious! The conversation was also very good and it was a joy to be able to talk with some of the lovely congregation. Overall, it was a great night, and an especially great way to end tour.

            After dinner we were driven to the hotel where we are staying tonight. Tour has been both rejuvenating and exhausting, a time of bonding and a time of personal reflection. I wish we could stay longer, but at the same time I’m ready to go home and share my experiences with everyone. It truly is a bittersweet time. Tomorrow morning we are heading to the airport and eventually leaving beautiful California behind, hopefully not for long though. It has been such an amazing experience and my eyes have been opened to the beauty of California. I praise God for all of the absolutely amazing opportunities, experience, and people that we have encountered. I think I can speak for the choir when I say that this precious time will not soon be forgotten.

            So, I hope you have enjoyed reading about our adventures! Thank you so much for the continued support, love, and prayers. It is so comforting to know that we have such a strong support group. We love you with the love of the Lord!

 

Laura and Lucy Rose, on behalf of the Wheaton College Gospel Choir