We boarded the buses this morning with a sense of
anticipation for our sight-seeing day in Gatlinburg. Little did we know that the sights would
begin long before we reached Tennessee!
It was another beautiful day, and our route took us into the heart of
the Smoky Mountains, where we saw cabins nestled in the woods, vistas opening
up as the road curved, and mountains stretching into the distance in any
direction we looked. After a loop
through the mountains, and a chance for kids to stretch their legs, we
continued on our way to Tennessee.
We drove through the busy, touristy downtown of Gatlinburg
before picking up our BBQ lunch. We
enjoyed our boxes of BBQ and baked beans, and then had a little over two hours
to explore the shops and sights.
Gatlinburg is situated at the foot of some beautiful mountains, and
several of us enjoyed taking in even more of the view as we rode the Sky Lift
(a chair lift for seeing the sights).
Kids spent the afternoon wandering around the town, tasting
hot sauce and other local delicacies, shopping, and enjoying each other’s
company in the warm sunshine. We had a
short trip on the bus to Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede, where we were herded
into the arena where we would enjoy our southern-style dinner and a show. Highlights are below!
Highlights from Dixie
Stampede:
-Mr. Kempton, Virginia Hagerott, Mia Hardesty, and Logan
Belcher competing in the horse races… on stick horses
-the delicious food (all eaten with our hands—don’t worry,
we sanitized first!)
-the ostrich races
-the pig races
-the expert horsemanship of the performers
-the chance to participate and cheer for our side (the
North)
-the spectacle of the whole show
The theme of this day (unintentionally) was eating, so after
Dixie Stampede we boarded the buses to head to a nearby TGI Friday’s for some
dessert, skits, and fellowship. We
reunited with our tour groups from the Biltmore to plan our own version of “The
Wheels on the Bus” in a randomly assigned style of music. Other patrons at TGI Friday’s looked puzzled
as they left the parking lot, filled with clusters of kids planning, choreographing,
and rehearsing. Seniors took leadership
in directing their teammates, and everyone had a chance to suggest their own
creative touches. We were all excited as
we filed into our room at the restaurant, and eager to see the other
performances.
Our first group did a country version, which featured a
mash-up of “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” Our second group did a rap version, with some
beat-boxing that got everyone cheering.
The third group was assigned to perform in a Disney style, so they
reworked “The Circle of Life” from Lion
King with several group members acting as animals that were turned into
roadkill by the ‘bus’. The fourth group
did a jazzy version, which featured some humorous moments, and got the audience
laughing and snapping along to the beat.
The final group did an oldies version, to the beat of “Rockin
Robin.” While the judges deliberated, we
enjoyed the chance to mingle and chat with the people at our tables.
After this, everyone had the opportunity to enjoy some
appetizers and desserts before Mr. Joseph did a final devotional for us. He used a text from Exodus to talk about
transitions, and remind us that we will continue to face times of transition
throughout life. He pointed out that
when God brought the Israelites out of slavery, He led them into the desert,
and reminded us that we will face times of suffering and difficulty, and that
those times have a purpose for our good.
He talked about how God uses suffering to discipline us, and to produce
trust, faithfulness, gentleness, perseverance, and patience in us. But he also pointed out a verse that mentions
how the Israelites made camp at a place of springs and palm trees. He encouraged us by saying that God also
leads us through places of refreshment, sometimes even amidst times of
difficulty. These words were an
encouraging reminder of God’s goodness, and purposes for us, even when things
are hard.
We boarded the bus one last time today to head to our hotel,
which was situated at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. After our unloading and check-in, we headed
in and had a chance to unwind for a bit before getting some rest for our last
day of tour.
Highlights from
Twitter (#aacschoirtour2013):
-Katie Kinsey – #aacschoirtour2013 was a huge success in my mind…
God at work, relationships growing, fellowship, and lots and lots of memories.
-AACS US Choirs – BBQ, sky lifts and more southern activities to
follow.
-Jodi Hoffman – Dear Mrs. Joseph, your husband is hilarious. Love,
all the choir girls.
PTL for:
-another beautiful day to enjoy
God’s creation in a new place
-safety in our travels
-the opportunity to enjoy time
together and make memories
-the bonding that has already
occurred on this trip
-the wisdom of Mr. Joseph, and
his willingness to be a part of this tour
-the patience and comforting
presence of Mrs. Bennett
-the ways God has been working on
this tour
-the opportunity to worship with
the members of the church we are singing for tomorrow
-the patience and kindness of our
bus drivers
Please pray for:
-spiritual protection
-energy as we perform one more
time
-the ability to look back on the
blessings of this tour with gratitude rather than grieving that it is almost
over
-safety on our long trip home
-good opportunities for students
to rest and process on the bus ride
-God’s strength and provision as
we reenter the demands of the school schedule
-protection against exhaustion
and being overwhelmed
-relationships to continue to
grow and provide sources of spiritual encouragement and accountability as we
return
-that the hearts of those who
have heard us perform would be blessed, and that the truths we have sung would
penetrate their hearts and minds as well as ours
Pictures from the day:
The Sky Lift
Dixie Stampede (you may recognize some performers)
