New Song 2011 Tour : Day 9

For getting up at 6:30 A.M. I'm pretty cheerful and alert. It's a new day and it's beautiful....but cold. Our host mom was already gone at work this morning, but the guy and his daughter were still there. He fed us french toast, eggs, and bacon. So delightful. He also packed us a lunch of subway sandwiches, and snacks. When we got to the church the one bus wasn't there and the other bus was locked. 40 of the girls, or somewhere around that number, along with Marissa and the bus drivers had stayed at a ranch for the night. They were about 15 minutes late, which left the rest of us standing in the cold while waiting for them to show up. But eventually they arrived and off we went. We stopped at a Walmart again for 3-4 hours to kill time. Good deals in Walmart when I have my wallet with me is a bad idea. Not good. I ended up buying 3 DVD's (Breakfast at Tiffany's for Colette, Horton Hears A Who for the kids, and I,Robot for me, hehe), some tank-tops and a pair of shorts. After the four hours passed, we were off once again. We watched 'The Illusionist' on the bus. It was pretty good. Finally, we arrived at the church in Yreka.


5/16/11 Update: *
It's amazing how a wonderful evening, complete with a good concert can turn into a nightmare in a matter of minutes. One minute you're laughing and talking with friends, the next minutes you're crying, you feel sick inside, and your heart is breaking. After the concert, about half of the girls left with their host families. The rest were sitting in the pews, waiting to go to a hotel. Then...the happy night was shattered. Marissa asked us to all get on the stage and just sit down. Then she informed us that one of our beloved bus drivers, we'll call her H., had received a phone call saying that her young son had had a severe athsma attack, was being taken to the hospital by ambulance and had stopped breathing. Marissa told us to pray and we all gathered on the stage and began fervently praying. Then Marissa returned a while later, crying and shook her head at us, unable to speak for a few moments. H had gotten a phone call implying that her son had not made it. We all were crying and praying hard again, for H. and her family and for God to comfort them. Marissa then came a third time and said that H. had recieved word that her son had a heart beat again and was breathing through life support. We lifted up prayers of praise and more prayer for Marcus and his family. Then we gathered around the piano and sang "I Stand Amazed" which is one of H's favorite song that we do....and the song said what we were all feeling at that moment. Then H. came in. I won't go into details.....there is no point, and H deserves privacy...but I can not even describe how awful it was to see her grief....and be able to do nothing. We gathered around her and sang the song again, just for her. Then we prayed for her. It was one of the hardest nights and things for me to see her and her great pain and grief....and be able to do nothing for her and her son. We all got on the other bus and the 40 of us who were left without host homes went to a hotel. It was a nice hotel with an indoor pool. I roomed with Bibby, Gabby, and Victoria P. We had a good time, talking with Jasmine, who visited us, but I couldn't get the nightmarish events that had taken place just hours before, out of my head. H's son is in a coma now, this morning (5/17/11). H flew home to be with her son this morning. I hate that I can't do anything but pray...but I know prayer is a powerful thing. God is in control.

*H's son, Marckus, is now responding to people talking to him, but he is not speaking and hasn't woken up. He is now off of the ventilator....but the next step in his recovery is for him to wake up. Please pray for God's healing upon him. Pray that he would be restored to full recovery and that God would be with him and his family during this time.