Hey everyone-- it's fall outside!!!
Last week was my fall break and it was soooo wonderful. Just wonderful. I have a great school and great friends, and thankfully not a hard work load at all this year-- but I was ready for a break. The week was fun, but it started before that first Monday we got to sleep in. It began Friday evening for our middle/ high school spirit week banquet, or as we affectionately call it, "Formal Hangout." And see, formal hangout is the end to our wonderful spirit week, but I'll have to post about that later. I know I say that all the time, that I'll post later, but when something exciting happens, I want to put that right then. lol. So, oh yes! Formal Hangout...
We were dismissed at 2 on Friday after our fun and very messy olympics. We all had to go home, shower all the chocolate, oatmeal, etc. off of us (don't worry, I really will try to explain later). Then we got all dressed up and met at the picture studio in Sears to, well, get our pictures taken! Then finally, finally we got to go to Melini's. It's this delicious Italian Restaurant, and we were all very hungry. So we ate there (I got a wonderful portion of fettuccini chicken alfredo which was super yummy but also too much to eat. But no worries- I took it home and ate it for lunch the next day=] ) Then we headed back to school where we all got changed from our "formal clothes" into jeans and hoodies and played Keep-Away with a little ball, boys against girls, on the parking lot in the dark and the cold... it was so much fun! lol. We also had a little bonfire and we stood around that some, and we hung out in the gym and ate snacks and talked. It was really fun. We left about midnight and slept in on Saturday. It was so wonderful. That day I did absolutely nothing, and it made me very excited because I knew I was about to have a whole week of relaxation like that. So I'll give a quick over-view of my week. The funny thing is, the weekends encompassing fall break were actually some of the best parts of it, but the week was wonderful too.
Sunday afternoon we had a birthday party for our cousin, but we only got to stay a few minutes because I had choir practice at church, then I led worship, then we had youth. So after church Jacqui, Gabriel, and I went back over to our cousins' house, and we watched Bride Wars with Chelsey and Aunt Chris. It was a fun evening.
Monday- relaxtion. Completely. It was cool but sunshiny out, and I laid on the trampoline in the warm sunshine and was super happy that we were on break.
Tuesday- I had a piano lesson that evening, then we went to Mimi and Papaw's house and ate dinner and visited with them for a while, which is always really fun.
Wednesday- I went with Chelsey and Aunt Chris to help show Chelsey the course for her driving test, then we picked up Jacqui and Gabriel and we went back to Aunt Chris and Uncle Mark's house where we helped them move furniture and such. As we were moving Jesse into Randee's old room, we had House of Heroes playing really loud and we were eating runts candy from like 3 Christmases ago, and it was a blast! Then we ate dinner with them (Aunt Chris made a super yummy meal), then went to youth with Randee and Mark.
Thursday- We went to Mimi and Papaw's again. Fun! :)
Then Friday was the beginning of our fun weekend! We went down to Lexington to stay the night with Aunt Debbie and Leanndra because we were going to the Cincinnati Zoo the next day. But that evening I got to go to one of my best friends' football games in Bourbon Co, and I had a such a good time!!! And since we live like 2 and a half hours or so from there, I hardly ever get to see my friend, so it was really good to see him. Oh, and they won. Hooray!
And Saturday, we went to the zoo! We had a really great time there too. I hadn't been to the zoo in a long time, but it was so much fun. I'm sorry I don't have any pics to post on here, because we saw some really cool animals, but I didn't take my camera in with me, and my brother did, but I don't have his pics on here. But anyway, we saw elephants and lions, rhinos and tigers, seals, bears, birds, gorillas, monkeys... so many pretty, cute animals (and some not so cute. But very entertaining.) I enjoy watching like all of the animals, but I think maybe the tigers were my favorite that day. There was a beautiful mommy tiger and four little cubs and they were sooo cute. But the cutest thing was that the momma was resting there, with her beautiful face and fur, and her big pretty paws crossed so delicately (if a huge tiger can be delicate), and one of her little cubs was behind her just kinda laying there too with its little paw on his momma, and it was so sweet!! They were really cute!!
Then Sunday was homecoming at the church where my Papaw pastors, so we went there and heard great music (from some of our family; 0ur second couins to be exact), heard my uncle (who's also a pastor at a different church) speak, and had a delicious meal. Church dinners are the best.
So my fall break was very, very wonderful. Everyone needs some down time and relaxation once in a while, and I think my week was just about perfect for that. :)
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Hope for Africa Children's Choir
Well, it's been another good week of my senior year. I'll begin by explaining the fun things we did last weekend. Well, actually after I finished typing this, I realized all I wrote about was the African Children's Choir, so I'm gonna leave it at that and write more later, because it was such an amazing time, and I wrote more than I thought I would. :)
Well, first of all, I slept in very late on Saturday morning, and it felt so wonderful because I was very tired. Then that evening we went to Central Park where the Hope for Africa Children's Choir was performing. The spring before this last one, they had come to our church and we were a host family to three beautiful girls and one of their chaperones, and it was really amazing. But let me back up to that Saturday over a year ago.....
Well, when our church found out the children's choir was coming, they asked us (my brother, my sister, and myself) to come entertain the children a couple hours before the host families for our church would come pick them up. So we agreed, but when that Saturday came, I was very excited about hosting some little African girls in our home, but I was not too excited about entertaining thirty or so kids for two hours. Yet we went to church anyway, and my thoughts were immediately changed when we got there. We walked into the building, and a few little African children greeted us w/ "Hi, Auntie!" and w/ large hugs. I was shocked. These children had never met us before. Their smiling teachers told us they had just finished their schooling for the day, so they were free to go play w/ us. So we took them outside, and the first thing we did was sing. I had brought my guitar, and we stood outside on the breezy, spring evening and sang w/ the children. And let me tell you- those African kids can dance. We did the song "Cast Your Burdens," and they sang along, and even the kids who didn't know the song danced. It was so wonderful to see such young hearts dance, sing, and be joyful before Jesus. It was so great.
After we sang a couple songs, we played a game w/ them- elbow tag. That lasted for a while, the children being so thrilled and happy and smiley. I don't think I could wipe the smile off my own face the whole evening.
Then the children just played on the playground and laughed and talked. They talked so quickly, and even though they were speaking English, it was still hard to understand them. The children had been taken from the streets of Uganda not even a year before, and been brought to a refuge, and were schooled and taught English, and some got the opportunity to visit America w/ the traveling children's choir. They were so precious.
All the children had short, black hair- even the girls. So when the girls noticed that my sister and I had long, blonde hair, they rushed over and asked if they could play w/ it. So we sat down and they gathered around us and began to play w/ our hair, and tie it and braid it and do whatever they could w/ it, and they were chattering so quickly to each other as they worked that I had no idea what they were even saying. But they were happy, so we were happy.
Then the host families came to pick them up. After all the children got to the places they were supposed to go, we took home our three. And we had such a fun evening. We went home and w/ the girls in our front yard, we played catch w/ a ball, and played tag until it was time to go in and eat. My mom and dad had made spaghetti- the girls had never eaten it before.
After the meal, which the girls were so grateful to us- "Thank you Auntie; Thank you Uncle- they immediately began taking up our plates doing the dishes in the kitchen. We told them they were guests and they didn't have to, but they insisted and quietly and humbly cleaned up the kitchen.
They got their baths, but before they went to bed, they came in and said they would like to do devotion w/ us. They sang a beautiful song and prayed a beautiful, heart-felt prayer, w/ their arms lifted to our Father above, and I was in awe that children so young- our girls were 9, 11, and 13- could have hearts so pure and sincere.
The next morning we took them to church, and the service was to be the children's performance. It began w/ the praise team leading a worship song, and one or two of the African men w/ the children's group helped lead worhip too. It was so cool. And then, they dimmed the lights, the sanctuary got completely silent, and suddenly the entire front row of the little children in their matching African attire, rushed onto the stage in an excited whoop and constant yell, as the first four ran and banged on the bongos while the other children got to their places. And then they began their songs. Oh my goodness, it was incredible. Those children could dance and sing and they were so joyful the whole time they did it! And it was really cute, because in one of the first songs, the smallest little boy, Derek, who was only 5, lost his shoe while they were dancing, so he went off the stage and got it, but instead of going back up, he just stayed and sat in the back row. So my brother motioned for him to come over and sit with us, so little Derek came and sat on my brother's lap. A few minutes later I almost cried when I saw Derek's little brown hand in Gabriel's larger white one. This is the kind of thing Jesus intended- and I know God was happy.
I don't remember exactly what the last song was that they did, but when they finished, everyone was crying. It was an absolutely amazing service.
Afterward, the host families went over to the family life center where breakfast was served to the children. Here is a picture of us w/ our three girls:
And I realized that that's how we are supposed to be- so grateful and joyful and pure in heart, and overflowing with love for our Jesus- just like the African children.
Well, first of all, I slept in very late on Saturday morning, and it felt so wonderful because I was very tired. Then that evening we went to Central Park where the Hope for Africa Children's Choir was performing. The spring before this last one, they had come to our church and we were a host family to three beautiful girls and one of their chaperones, and it was really amazing. But let me back up to that Saturday over a year ago.....
Well, when our church found out the children's choir was coming, they asked us (my brother, my sister, and myself) to come entertain the children a couple hours before the host families for our church would come pick them up. So we agreed, but when that Saturday came, I was very excited about hosting some little African girls in our home, but I was not too excited about entertaining thirty or so kids for two hours. Yet we went to church anyway, and my thoughts were immediately changed when we got there. We walked into the building, and a few little African children greeted us w/ "Hi, Auntie!" and w/ large hugs. I was shocked. These children had never met us before. Their smiling teachers told us they had just finished their schooling for the day, so they were free to go play w/ us. So we took them outside, and the first thing we did was sing. I had brought my guitar, and we stood outside on the breezy, spring evening and sang w/ the children. And let me tell you- those African kids can dance. We did the song "Cast Your Burdens," and they sang along, and even the kids who didn't know the song danced. It was so wonderful to see such young hearts dance, sing, and be joyful before Jesus. It was so great.
After we sang a couple songs, we played a game w/ them- elbow tag. That lasted for a while, the children being so thrilled and happy and smiley. I don't think I could wipe the smile off my own face the whole evening.
Then the children just played on the playground and laughed and talked. They talked so quickly, and even though they were speaking English, it was still hard to understand them. The children had been taken from the streets of Uganda not even a year before, and been brought to a refuge, and were schooled and taught English, and some got the opportunity to visit America w/ the traveling children's choir. They were so precious.
All the children had short, black hair- even the girls. So when the girls noticed that my sister and I had long, blonde hair, they rushed over and asked if they could play w/ it. So we sat down and they gathered around us and began to play w/ our hair, and tie it and braid it and do whatever they could w/ it, and they were chattering so quickly to each other as they worked that I had no idea what they were even saying. But they were happy, so we were happy.
Then the host families came to pick them up. After all the children got to the places they were supposed to go, we took home our three. And we had such a fun evening. We went home and w/ the girls in our front yard, we played catch w/ a ball, and played tag until it was time to go in and eat. My mom and dad had made spaghetti- the girls had never eaten it before.
After the meal, which the girls were so grateful to us- "Thank you Auntie; Thank you Uncle- they immediately began taking up our plates doing the dishes in the kitchen. We told them they were guests and they didn't have to, but they insisted and quietly and humbly cleaned up the kitchen.
They got their baths, but before they went to bed, they came in and said they would like to do devotion w/ us. They sang a beautiful song and prayed a beautiful, heart-felt prayer, w/ their arms lifted to our Father above, and I was in awe that children so young- our girls were 9, 11, and 13- could have hearts so pure and sincere.
The next morning we took them to church, and the service was to be the children's performance. It began w/ the praise team leading a worship song, and one or two of the African men w/ the children's group helped lead worhip too. It was so cool. And then, they dimmed the lights, the sanctuary got completely silent, and suddenly the entire front row of the little children in their matching African attire, rushed onto the stage in an excited whoop and constant yell, as the first four ran and banged on the bongos while the other children got to their places. And then they began their songs. Oh my goodness, it was incredible. Those children could dance and sing and they were so joyful the whole time they did it! And it was really cute, because in one of the first songs, the smallest little boy, Derek, who was only 5, lost his shoe while they were dancing, so he went off the stage and got it, but instead of going back up, he just stayed and sat in the back row. So my brother motioned for him to come over and sit with us, so little Derek came and sat on my brother's lap. A few minutes later I almost cried when I saw Derek's little brown hand in Gabriel's larger white one. This is the kind of thing Jesus intended- and I know God was happy.
I don't remember exactly what the last song was that they did, but when they finished, everyone was crying. It was an absolutely amazing service.
Afterward, the host families went over to the family life center where breakfast was served to the children. Here is a picture of us w/ our three girls:
And before they left, they sang us another last song. It was so sweet. Here it is:
Then it was so sad because as the children were hugging us all good- bye, some of them started crying, and it made us cry, and when we walked them out to their bus we cried some more. But it was a wonderful experience, and we were soo blessed by it.
And I realized that that's how we are supposed to be- so grateful and joyful and pure in heart, and overflowing with love for our Jesus- just like the African children.
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