So…I've been asked to write an article about touring with the Young Continentals for the newsletter. And here I am, wracking my brain to come up with something about what it was like and how it changed my life…and I can't think of any words that go far enough. The moment I think of YC 2008 Tour 1, I'm flooded with memories that are nearly impossible to fully describe. But I'll try and give you a taste of what it was like for me and how it affected me...this is what I remember:
I remember arguing with God that one night, asking Him, "Are You sure You want me to go now? I'm way behind in school as it is, and I've only got five days to raise $1500…" And I only got one word out of Him, echoing over and over in my mind: "Go." By His grace, and thanks to your prayers and support, I was able to feel the nervous butterflies and excited tremors running through me as it finally hit me: I was going on my fourth tour!
I remember rehearsal camp on the first day…the shy smiles as we met and introduced ourselves, the laughter as our various quirks were unveiled, the boisterous fun during the icebreaker games, and the unsettling anxiety that sat in the pit of my stomach that night when I realized we knew nothing. Not one song, not one dance move…nothing. And we had to get this whole program polished and put together in only two weeks. God help us.
And He did! You could clearly see His hand at work in everything we did; choir, drama, choreography, staging, lighting…you name it! Everything began to fall into place. I was amazed at how hard everyone worked and how fast we picked things up. It was still extremely intense, and I won't deny that we all struggled with colds and twisted ankles at some point. Even though I'd done this three times before, I was still brought to my knees, and it was only by God's strength that I was able to get up again and persevere. We all literally shed blood, sweat and tears to get this program put together…but it was more than worth it. And before we knew it, the dress rehearsal came and went and we finally hit the road in our big, not-so-beautiful tour bus.
I remember the tour: the jangling nerves of the first concert here at St. Jude's, the joy of seeing my family, my church and all of you again (and being able to sleep in my own room once more), the way each concert improved more and more as we grew in confidence, the thrill I felt every night when I saw people raise their hands to accept Christ as their Savior, and the fun of staying at a new host home every night and meeting new people as we traveled all over the west coast.
I remember the friends I made and the memories we shared - like the time when we had to travel through frigid cold and only the AC would work (plus the time we traveled in 90 degree weather and we had to turn the heater on to save the bus's engine. It got up to a hundred and ten degrees in there!!) I remember the jokes and funny stories we told, the game of Tag we played at the park, the close talks we shared, the ridiculous pictures we took of each other, and the awe and majesty of the Grand Canyon when we stopped in New Mexico. (You never fully understand just how vast it is until you're actually there.)
And finally, I remember the end of it: the bittersweetness of the last performance on the last day of my last Young Continental tour, the last time we tore down our equipment, the fun we had while hanging out for the last time, pigging out on junk food, signing journals and doing insane little skits for a few final laughs. I remember trying not to cry as we walked onto the empty stage for the last goodbye and sat down together, voices trembling with emotion as we shared just how much we now meant to each other as a tour.
"When you walk off this stage," our director said when we were done, "you are leaving this tour behind and beginning a new chapter of your lives." I remember pressing my palms against the floor and digging my fingernails into the rough carpet, bitter tears streaming unhindered down my face. I didn't want to leave. I did not want to step off that stage and leave everything behind. I miserably watched as one by one, all my friends stood and hesitantly stepped off the platform with tearstained faces, leaving me behind and going to sit in the pews. And finally, the only person left…was me. For the longest time I sat there, frozen, unwilling to move and gulping down the sobs in my throat. How could I leave? How? It didn't seem physically possible. But I finally gritted my teeth and stood up shakily, taking one last longing glance behind me. In a numb daze, with wooden, reluctant steps, I walked off that stage and into the next chapter God had written for my life's story.
It was incredibly hard watching that bus drive off without me, and even harder saying goodbye to everyone. I still miss that tour a lot…but it's so good to be home again. Thanks to God and those of you who supported me, I was able to go on one last YC tour and be a part of this life-changing experience; life-changing for me, my tour-buddies and everyone we came in contact with. On this tour alone, in the four weeks we traveled, 175 people came to know Jesus and 35 children were saved from poverty through Compassion International. Thanks to you, I was able to learn and relearn so many things, like how to rely on God for the strength you need, how to keep your cool and persevere in tough situations, how to get along with people who rub you the wrong way, how to be a servant and how to strive for excellence in everything you do for Jesus. All this was possible because of YOU. Thank you for that. I still can't find good enough words to describe all that I experienced. But hey, at least I'm not staring at a blank page anymore.
Submitted by Stephanie Clare
I remember arguing with God that one night, asking Him, "Are You sure You want me to go now? I'm way behind in school as it is, and I've only got five days to raise $1500…" And I only got one word out of Him, echoing over and over in my mind: "Go." By His grace, and thanks to your prayers and support, I was able to feel the nervous butterflies and excited tremors running through me as it finally hit me: I was going on my fourth tour!
I remember rehearsal camp on the first day…the shy smiles as we met and introduced ourselves, the laughter as our various quirks were unveiled, the boisterous fun during the icebreaker games, and the unsettling anxiety that sat in the pit of my stomach that night when I realized we knew nothing. Not one song, not one dance move…nothing. And we had to get this whole program polished and put together in only two weeks. God help us.
And He did! You could clearly see His hand at work in everything we did; choir, drama, choreography, staging, lighting…you name it! Everything began to fall into place. I was amazed at how hard everyone worked and how fast we picked things up. It was still extremely intense, and I won't deny that we all struggled with colds and twisted ankles at some point. Even though I'd done this three times before, I was still brought to my knees, and it was only by God's strength that I was able to get up again and persevere. We all literally shed blood, sweat and tears to get this program put together…but it was more than worth it. And before we knew it, the dress rehearsal came and went and we finally hit the road in our big, not-so-beautiful tour bus.
I remember the tour: the jangling nerves of the first concert here at St. Jude's, the joy of seeing my family, my church and all of you again (and being able to sleep in my own room once more), the way each concert improved more and more as we grew in confidence, the thrill I felt every night when I saw people raise their hands to accept Christ as their Savior, and the fun of staying at a new host home every night and meeting new people as we traveled all over the west coast.
I remember the friends I made and the memories we shared - like the time when we had to travel through frigid cold and only the AC would work (plus the time we traveled in 90 degree weather and we had to turn the heater on to save the bus's engine. It got up to a hundred and ten degrees in there!!) I remember the jokes and funny stories we told, the game of Tag we played at the park, the close talks we shared, the ridiculous pictures we took of each other, and the awe and majesty of the Grand Canyon when we stopped in New Mexico. (You never fully understand just how vast it is until you're actually there.)
And finally, I remember the end of it: the bittersweetness of the last performance on the last day of my last Young Continental tour, the last time we tore down our equipment, the fun we had while hanging out for the last time, pigging out on junk food, signing journals and doing insane little skits for a few final laughs. I remember trying not to cry as we walked onto the empty stage for the last goodbye and sat down together, voices trembling with emotion as we shared just how much we now meant to each other as a tour.
"When you walk off this stage," our director said when we were done, "you are leaving this tour behind and beginning a new chapter of your lives." I remember pressing my palms against the floor and digging my fingernails into the rough carpet, bitter tears streaming unhindered down my face. I didn't want to leave. I did not want to step off that stage and leave everything behind. I miserably watched as one by one, all my friends stood and hesitantly stepped off the platform with tearstained faces, leaving me behind and going to sit in the pews. And finally, the only person left…was me. For the longest time I sat there, frozen, unwilling to move and gulping down the sobs in my throat. How could I leave? How? It didn't seem physically possible. But I finally gritted my teeth and stood up shakily, taking one last longing glance behind me. In a numb daze, with wooden, reluctant steps, I walked off that stage and into the next chapter God had written for my life's story.
It was incredibly hard watching that bus drive off without me, and even harder saying goodbye to everyone. I still miss that tour a lot…but it's so good to be home again. Thanks to God and those of you who supported me, I was able to go on one last YC tour and be a part of this life-changing experience; life-changing for me, my tour-buddies and everyone we came in contact with. On this tour alone, in the four weeks we traveled, 175 people came to know Jesus and 35 children were saved from poverty through Compassion International. Thanks to you, I was able to learn and relearn so many things, like how to rely on God for the strength you need, how to keep your cool and persevere in tough situations, how to get along with people who rub you the wrong way, how to be a servant and how to strive for excellence in everything you do for Jesus. All this was possible because of YOU. Thank you for that. I still can't find good enough words to describe all that I experienced. But hey, at least I'm not staring at a blank page anymore.
Submitted by Stephanie Clare
St Jude's In The Mountains Anglican Church - Tehachapi CA
Vicar's Corner
History Lesson
Let Us Pray
Upcoming Events
Other News
Links