As many of you may know, we just returned from a week in Atlanta, GA where we took our Youth Choir on Mission Tour. This year we had 17 teens, 5 sponsors, and Calloway. We left before the crack of dawn last Monday and 17 hours later we arrived.
On Tuesday morning we worked with Project Open Hand, an organization that packages roughly 5,000 meals a week to send out to senior citizens of Atlanta who are in need of help. Our group alone that day packaged 2,247 meals. That's basically half of their quota for the week. They were so appreciative of our help. Then we had lunch at the ever popular Varsity restaurant. Unfortunately the food wasn't that great, but hey, you go there for the experience right? That afternoon we worked with a gentleman by the name of Bennett. He works for the Family Heritage Foundation and we met him at an apartment complex for refugees. Basically, these refugees are people from any country that you may see in the news that something terrible is going on in their home country. This complex had Muslims, Hindus, we met a man from Liberia, Africa, and I'm sure there were others that we didn't get a chance to interact with. In the apt. complex we did some prayer walking, playing games with the children, and then we did a concert for them. Our youth minister gave a short message and then all the people who had made a decision for Christ (in whatever way) were asked to come forward. 22 people came forward. Praise the Lord! We may not ever know what decisions were made but at least we planted some seeds. That evening we had dinner at a very unique restaurant called Antico Pizza.
On Wednesday morning we left the hotel and headed to the Atlanta Cylcorama. This is the largest oil painting in the world. It is 360 degrees and 40 feet high. It depicts the battle of Atlanta during the civil war. It's always great when you can learn the history of a place that you are visiting. Then we went to the Original Chik-fil-A Dwarf House for lunch. It is a sit down restaurant with a menu and everything. I ordered hamburger! After lunch we went to an all African American retirement center and did a concert for them. This was the best concert we did and probably the most fun. Then we went to Jefferson Ave Baptist Church where they fed us dinner and we led their Wednesday service with another concert.
On Thursday morning we worked with Senior Citizen Services of Atlanta and helped paint a house for a lady. Then we went and met Bennett again at another apartment complex. This complex was predominantly African American, had a huge crime rate, and over 600 units. For so long these people would not accept help from outsiders. Bennett had been praying for 6 years that God would let him into this complex to minister to these people. Within the last year the new manager of the complex had noticed the success that Bennett had had with the other complex. He reduced the crime rate, started after school clubs for the children which helped raise test scores, and other positive things. The manager contacted Bennett and now people are allowed in to volunteer. We were the 2nd group ever to enter that complex and minister to those people. We prayer walked and did a concert. The group of girls that were with me during our prayer walk, led a 7yr old girl to Christ. It was AWESOME! That evening was our surprise dinner at Hard Rock Cafe.
Friday was our FUN DAY! We started the day by taking a tour of the CNN World Headquarters. Then we walked through Centennniel Olympic Park on our way to the Georgia Aquarium, which happens to be the largest aquarium in the world. We went to Underground Atlanta for lunch and then on to the ever popular Stone Mountain Park where we spent the rest of day and evening.
Saturday morning we left early and headed home. It's always great to see what God does through our concerts and in the lives of the teens while on these trips. As you can tell, Calloway made many new friends on the trip too!
The teens are all very excited about next year and I am too! Too bad I already know where we are going and they don't!
