Back in Franklin!

Some days I just marvel at God's goodness and the way he works things out. Today I couldn't help but thank him over and over again for the most marvelous day imaginable. For months I have been looking forward to coming back to Franklin, Tennessee. A year ago when I finished my student teaching here I left New Hope Academy with tears in my eyes hoping and praying that God would bring me back. Now here I am! Many of my students, parents, and teachers from the school came to our concert last night and it was such a blessing to share my children with them and show them what I have been doing. Today, God blessed me with a car to drive and I was able to meet up with many former students, teachers, and parents from New Hope. Thanks to those who came out to see me!!! I so enjoyed catching up with everyone, sharing stories, and laughing together. I'll always feel at home here.

After a great afternoon with friends I was able to take Laura and Patrick to see The Grand ol' Opry and the Opryland Hotel. We had a blast and I so enjoyed sharing with my new dear friends this place that became so special to me last year.

A sweet story from tonight: My friend Mark has been teaching up in northern Canada this year. He has shared with his 4th and 5th graders all about the African Children's Choir and they have made a project this year to learn all about Africa and how they can help. Denna, one of the girls from the class, has written up a proposal and the class is now having a drive-in movie fundraiser next month to earn money to help with the building of the new African Children's Choir Primary School. I just got off the phone with Denna...she called all the way from a remote area in Canada to ask me all kinds of questions about my kids and what I am doing with the choir. This little 9 year old is so curious and is learning so much about helping people she doesn't even know. I am so excited to see kids all over the world being touched by the choir and recognizing how they can help children in other parts of the world who are less fortunate. God is at work! This is a public school and most of the students don't even know Jesus. It's amazing to see how God works! Thank you for being a part of this ministry. It is more far reaching than you can ever know.

Because it is 11:28pm and I haven't blogged in awhile...

11:28 pm...I could go to bed...or I could blog. Hmmm. Well I'm not tired so let me just give you a glimpse at the last few days :) Firstly, I must just say that I am SOOOOOOO excited to be back in Tennessee!!! A year ago I was living near Nashville, teaching at New Hope Academy and loving my life. Then I applied for the African Children's Choir and life took an exciting turn. After all the places I have traveled and all the people I have met along the way I still love it here in Tennessee and I miss the poeple here. Every church we have been to here has been wonderful. The landscape is beautiful and I just feel happy to be here. In two days we head to Brentwood where I get to see so many familiar faces and I can hardly wait! Who knows what God has in store for my future...but I kinda hope he brings me back here.

Tonight I had an apartment to myself with three of my girls and we had a BLAST. After eating dinner and going for a pleasant walk we did a little role playing. The girls colored pictures for me..the first was a bouquet of flowers which I am supposed to use for my wedding, then some shoes...a dress..and finally a picture of my prince charming. After all the wedding talk we decided to put on a wedding of our own. I pulled up some wedding march music on my computer, got out my shawl and we took turns playing the bride, prince, and pastor. Of course I got it all on video and it's hilarious. I hope you get to see it someday :) What wedding would be complete without a little beat boxing at the end? Ours that is...Rachel, our host is an R&B singer and she taught the girls how to beat box last night so they have been practicing. I laid aside any shyness tonight and broke out into my best (and first) attempt at beat boxing ever. The girls thought it was absolutly hilarious. Of course we got video of that too. There is no denying it now. I tucked them in and we spent some time in prayer. Now I sit listening to the thunder and rain outside, counting my blessings and thanking the Lord for a great day. I love going to bed feeling happy, content, and blessed. Signing off for now....Angela

Mo's FedEx Moment

I believe I have mentioned before about Mo's obsession with FedEx. I don't remember when or how it started. All I know is that he can spot them from a mile away and always yells "FedEx!" when he sees one. He has been keeping count of how many he sees for a long time. For a long time I have wanted to find a chance to get a picture of Mo with a FedEx truck. Today...by a miracle orchesrated by God's hand the most incredible thing happened. We decided to stop at CVS pharmacy on the way home so I could pick up a few things. For some reason we went to the one by the house and not the one by the church. Mo came in with me to hold the basket while I shopped. As I was checking out I didn't notice a FedEx man walk in behind me to deliver a package. As I'm wrapping up my transaction I turn around to see Mo chatting it up with the FedEx guy. He turns to look at me and asks if he can show Mo his truck. Seriously! I was shocked. Faster than I can say yes, Mo has hopped up in the back of the truck and the man is showing him all the packages and explaining his job and how he delivers the packages. The man could have had no idea he was making a dream come true as he posed for some pictures with Mo. I tried to explain to him how much Mo loves FedEx and that he's from Africa. He was was so wonderfully kind. Mo has been on cloud nine all night. He's walked around non-stop saying, "this is such a blessing to me. This is the best day of my life!" Never in my life did I expect that seeing the inside of a FedEx truck would make my day, but you better believe I was just as excited as Mo because I know how much it meant to him. Wow...sometimes you have to stop and enjoy the small things in life.

Transition

After several days without email access, I am enjoying a leisurly day off at Panera Bread, catching up on emails and such. I have to say Panera has become one of my favorite hang out places. Cinnamon crisp bagels, hazelnut coffee, chicken frontega sandwiches, free wi-fi? What more could a girl ask for? :) I will happily eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner here any day!

Transition is probably the word that would describe these past few weeks most accurately. Steve left for vacation, Lindsey came back, Andrew went home for good, Lindsey became tour leader, I took over concert speeches again, and tomorrow we go from Georgia to Tennessee! I can't wait to get back. I only spent three months there, but in some way it feels a bit like going "home." It's a familiar place full of people I love and miss. Not only are all the adults going through many changes, but the kids, in addition to experiencing changes with their aunties and uncles, are growing up and going through many changes of their own. The boys are beginning to talk about growing beards and a few are very concerned by the fact that they are growing hair on their legs and toes! Even after explaining how normal that is they insist on plucking it and asking the aunties if they can shave it. Haha. 22 pre-adolescents on the road makes for some pretty interesting conversation sometimes. I'm sure there is much more to come!

Thank you so much for your prayers as we continue to serve the Lord and these children through many transitions. The team is doing well. Lindsey makes a great tour leader and we look forward to what God will do in the near future in and through us. Please continue to pray for wisdom, health, safety, energy, and God's provision for my financial needs. In faith we live and move and breathe!

My favorite magic show

Iv'e never been THAT impressed with magic shows that I have seen over the years. Maybe I sat in awe as a kid at the "amazing" tricks that were performed before my eyes, but I certainly have no recollection of it. It's true that sometimes it doesn't matter you are doing, but rather who you are with. This past week a wonderful host from a church here in Georgia invited a Christian magician to come in and do a show for the kids one evening. I had to smile when he showed up with his magaicians garb, his big beard, and a parrot on his shoulders. I was actually pretty impressed with the guy...and of the course the kids were in awe. Some of them weren't too sure what to think. When he threatened to turn Uncle Steve into a frog Lillian burst into tears and had to leave the room. I eventually coaxed her back and I think she enjoyed the rest of the show. I was glad he began the show by explaining that he is a Christian and what he does is not actually magic, but just tricks. He produced a chinchilla from a box, and a rabbit from a hat. He brought a parrot out of a pan and turned our beloved Uncle Steve...not in to a frog..but into a super hero..of sorts...Chicken Nugget Man to be exact! The kids LOVE chicken nuggets, so of course they burst out laughing. I have to say it was my favorite magic show ever....

CHANGE

I have thrived on change for as long as I can remember. One more reason why I viewed this position with the African Children's Choir as a perfect fit. CHANGE and FLEXIBILITY has certainly been key words for me these past 9 months. I still enjoy the change of scenery and all the things that make life interesting, but I do now recognize and value the importance of staying put sometimes and resting. It's amazing how much can change in one month, one week, one day, one hour, and one moment. I'm constantly reminded that God holds us in the palm of His hand and the blink of His eye things can change. I'm reminded of the verse that tells us that we can't know what is going to happen tomorrow so we musn't assume we will. God brings people to a place for a season of their lives and then he moves them on. Sometimes I'm grateful for this and sometimes it is so hard to say goodbye. Friday we are saying goodbye to Andrew, our tour leader (and friend) of the last 9 months. He has been a great spiritual leader, challenger, and friend on our team. God blessed us with his leadership and we appreciate Him so much. It's sad to say goodbye, but we know that God has called him elsewhere at this point. With Andrew gone Lindsey will be filling in as tour leader and I will be taking over speeches in the concert and media spots again (for at least awhile). Pray for our management team as they seek the Lord's guidance in making a decision about a new leader for our choir. Pray also for the kids and the team as we adapt to the upcoming changes. There are a lot of role changes and we need each others support.

Pictures From Tuesday's Adventure

Letter From Home

Remember the song "Letter From Home?" John Michael Montgomery came out with it awhile back and it was hit. The lyrics describe the feelings of a soldier upon receiving letters from his family back home. This week I was reminded of that song when I got a box full of letters from my kids' families and friends back in Uganda. Being able to hand deliver those letters to each of the kids was unbelievably exciting. The joy and excitement on the bus that day was contagious. I traveled from seat to seat in the bus, reading the each child's letter and looking at pictures of their families. They were so excited to show me pictures of sisters, brothers, aunts, grandparents, and even neighbors. For me, the most emotional moments came, however, in reading the letters. Almost every letter said thank you to the head teacher. I was reminded what an enormous responsiblity was placed on me and how grateful these parents are that we are giving their children an education that they never could. It brought tears to my eyes. In those moments when I'm tired, I don't know what to do, or I'm frustrated with school, those letters keep me going.

After a long week, God blessed me with the perfect day off today. Our host church here in Acworth, Georgia is right on a lake. Laura, Steve and I were able to take out a canoe and a kayak and spend the whole day paddling around the lake and swimming. What a terrific blessing....God always knows exactly what I need.

Just when you were wondering...

Just when you were wondering if I had dropped off the map...(for those of you who follow this on a regular basis)...here I am! I have not really been neglecting writing. Internet access has unfortunatly been very limited the last few weeks. April 4-16th we took a rest from our tour and headed to our base house in North Carolina. What a treat it was to have acres of land, a big house all to ourselves, and a lake nearby. The kids enjoyed playing soccer for hours, painting pictures, skipping rope, reading, and relaxing. Easter was great! Kings Park International Church put on a giant easter egg hunt for the kids and they loved it. Of course we also spent the whole week talking about the events leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection. I've never seen people (especially children) who feel so deeply the meaning of Easter. It's not about the easter bunny people!

On the afternoon of Easter I got one of the biggest scares of my "parenting" career. While I was single handedly watching five of the kids at the lake...Mo managed to get a small stick lodged in his eye. When I saw all the blood and the stick poking out I was pretty scared. Praise God for the woman who was at the lake with a suburban and took us back to the house. After an evening of prayer and uncertainty, Mo returned from the hospital with good news. The stick didn't wound his eyeball and he is okay! What a relief. God was watching out for us once again.

We are now back on the road in Georgia. It's been a bit difficult getting back into the swing of things but we are getting there. Two small but encouraging Wal-mart stories for you: Yesterday I went into Walmart on the way to our evening concert to get some change. The lady at the customer service counter said she was not allowed to "sell change." However, she called her manager over. The manager proceeded to tell me that they are not allowed to make change....but she said she would do it for me anyway. She mentioned she had heard we had a great concert that morning and many people were blessed. I walked out with $150 in five dollar bills! Amazing. A few moments later I was waiting for Andrew when a woman tapped me on the shoulder. She said she had followed our bus into the parking lot and searched all over Wal-Mart looking for us. She explained that God had laid it on her heart to give us something and she handed me a $100 bill! She gave me a huge hug and said thank you for the work you are doing. Wow! It had been a really long hard day already and I was on the verge of tears. It took everything in me not to burst out crying in the middle of Wal-Mart. So there ya go...God even works through the people at Wal-Mart (just when you thought there was nobody nice or helpful there).

Would you please keep our team in your prayers this week. It's been an emotionally rough week and people are dealing with some personal stuff that I am not yet at liberty to share. I covet your prayers for peace, comfort, and God's guidance for our team though. Thank you for your faithful support. I wish I could post some pictures, but I'm writing from someone elses computer. Next time :)

From Mississippi to Alabama

We crossed the border into Alabama today and we couldn't resist playing (yes, you guessed it), Sweet Home Alabama (the song) as we entered the state. We will be here one short week before heading to North Carolina for a bit of a spring break :). After spending a few weeks in Mississippi, these are my conclusions. It is a BEAUTIFUL state, especially in the springtime. Lots of trees and flowers. I might consider living here if it weren't for the unbearable hot/humid summers. It's hardly spring yet and the poeple here are already talking about the summer. The people are very nice and laid back. Most people joke about those who live in the backwoods and have no running water (though I never met anyone like that). I did have trouble getting wireless internet and cell signal in a lot of place though. O well, forces me to read more. I read the Shack in three days and am currently finishing up Eat, Pray, Love (both of which I really enjoyed). Each one has been a "make you think" book. I realize both could be considered controversial, but I enjoy processing them. I truly wish I could have read the Shack within a book club or something so I could discuss it with people. If you've read it and have comments or would like to discuss it, let me know....