AACS Upper School Choirs: Atlanta Tour - Day 4 (Saturday, April 11, 2015)

Our Saturday began with a trip to Stone Mountain. We took a sky tram up to the top of the large marble rock where the Men of Note and Nota Dolce treated the folks at the top to a performance of their a capella pieces. We then walked to the edge of the rock and gathered together to corporately read a portion of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, boldly proclaiming, "Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!"

Next, the students and chaperones split into smaller groups to spend a few hours of free time on the mountain and enjoy its fun attractions. Many groups opted to hike down the rocky trail to the bottom. We grabbed lunch at various places along the base of the mountain. Some groups played mini golf, others took a ride around the mountain on a train, while still others opted for longer, more adventurous hiking.

We then boarded the bus to drive downtown to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, one of the oldest churches in Atlanta. After having a catered taco bar dinner in the parish hall, the students dressed up for their final performance. The performance space was stunning, and the students sang a powerful performance for a small audience of Atlanta-based family friends and people from the community. After the concert, as we waited for the bus to pick us up, the students broke into a joyous improv on the sidewalk outside of the church.

Just as we were about to board the bus outside the Shrine, the students were able to sing one final rendition of the Barocha-- the piece we always close concerts with, which is based on a benediction from the book of Numbers. The Shrine is active in ministry to the homeless community of Atlanta, and a man named Antonio approached Mr. McCollum and Mr. Vineyard to ask for help and prayer. Thankfully, we were able to give him a bag full of food and water, but he didn't want to have the students sing for him. After praying with and for Mr. Vineyard and Mr. Cherone, he changed his mind, saying he felt the Spirit encouraging him to let the kids sing for him. So, as we loaded the bus, the students sang for Antonio, moving him to tears. Antonio's final words to Mr. Vineyard and Mr. Cherone included, "I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink." (Matthew 25:35) It was a beautiful way for our students to live out what they've been learning in Atlanta, and the moment was brought to its fullest when Junior Kasey Bauserman ran up to Antonio to shake his hand and thank him for the opportunity to sing to him.

We made one final bus trip to Mount Vernon Baptist Church in the suburbs, where our students were greeted by eager host families from the church and carted off to their respective homes for the evening.

Please pray that our students will have a rich final day of the trip. Pray for continued safety. Pray that relationships would flourish. And Pray for Antonio, who blessed us with his words and allowed us to bless him with our song.