2025 Children's Music Mission To Chattanooga. It begins.

I've always heard that April showers bring May flowers. Turns out they also bring something else: it's Music Mission season. I'm currently in Rising Fawn, Georgia (which is basically Chattanooga, TN) with the Music Makers choir right now (Grades 3-5). In the next 4-6 weeks we'll have an Afternoon Choir music mission and the Youth Music Mission. Each of these has its own flavor. Things I like more and things I like less. But mostly more, if I'm honest.

I started keeping a blog on these trips a long time ago. It started out as a means to an end: I needed to find a way to let parents know what we were up to without having to call a phone tree or something. But I discovered the blog became something of a diary for me...a chance to process what is happening. I celebrate the wins, and I think through the losses.

I'm excited about this year's Children's Music Mission. We have a lot of great things planned for the kids, and I have a great crew of adults here to help lead them. I mentioned that I'm in Rising Fawn, Georgia. We're at Camp Lookout, a United Methodist camp on Lookout Mountain. It's a delightful place. I bring the youth choir up here for retreats as well. But let's look back at how we got here, shall we?

If it seems like it's hard to see all the kids in this picture...it is. One thing about kids on the bus...if they aren't sticking their arms up, you almost can't see them! There are 19 kids on the bus here plus 6 adults, so there is plenty of room. They're pretty excited about it.

We also have a special passenger: Stitch. Seen here ready for his ride to our first concert. He's a class pet for one of the fifth grades at Oak Grove Elementary. I feel like he's about to have an adventure.

If you're not familiar with a Music Mission, here's what that means. We go to places that we think would enjoy our singing, and then we sing for them. All kinds of places. Assisted Living, Nursing Homes, Independent Living, homes for people with disabilities, Veterans Homes, children's homes...you name it. We start by singing a concert.

This year's program includes music about singing: new songs and songs of Thanksgiving. That's honestly a pretty common theme for me.

Then after the concert, we hang out with the audience for a while and visit.

Frankly the visiting is the more important part. For all of us. Some of these kids are new at this, and some have been doing it for a few years at this point. They do a great job.

Even Stitch did a little visiting.

Sadie is actually a big part of the reason Stitch was able to join us this weekend. Thanks, Sadie!

And sometimes we see family! What a joy to meet Josie's grandfather.

When we had finished at the Mansions of Decatur, we got on the bus and headed for Camp Lookout. You can imagine what that looked like...

We sat in that for a hot minute. All of a sudden I remembered what I forgot: movies! Oops. It's ok, though. There were card games and visiting...and Colin told me all about some amazing water slides in a water park in the Bahamas. 

We did eventually make it to Camp Lookout. I told everyone where to go, and we got settled in. 

This is one of the differences between the Kids mission and the Youth mission...earlier nights! Lights out was 11pm, and I was able to get started working on this. Shoot...I'll be done well before midnight!

I've said this before, but I feel it again. As I'm working on these trips...working on the music, setting up the logistics, raising the funds, etc...I always reach a point where I start to wonder if it's all worth it. It's a lot of effort and expense just to go sing for folks. But it is. It IS worth it. I wish you could have seen and heard those folks who came to our concert today. And I wish you could have seen the kids chatting with them.

To me, it looks like...well, it looks like we are doing exactly what Jesus told us to do. I'm so lucky to get to be a part of that.

A full day tomorrow! Breakfast starts at 8. I'd better get some sleep...because while the kids go to bed earlier, you'd better believe they're going to be up earlier!