ePulse Second Presbyterian Church

To see all of our pictures from tour, go to www.walgreens.com , click on the photo tab and use the login name 2pctour and password, 2pctour   Click on slideshow and you will be able to see all of the pictures so far.  If you would like to order pictures, when given the option, click on “Order for a friend”, you will then be able to put your information into the system to order.  Be sure to look on YouTube.com for more videos as well.

The unfortunate thing about touring in the remote north is that no one has cell phone coverage or internet access.  However, tonight, we are back in the world of the being connected. So….

A quick update:

Day 1: An amazing trip to Mayo singing to the kids. We were met by a choir tour alumni who toured with 2PC in the late 50s.  She was so eager to hear the choir and it was great for the kids to see our legacy brought to life.  Even more amazing was the opportunity to sing in the chapel which was chilling for those of us listening. It brought tears to our eyes.  What a way to start the trip.  We ended at the Anderson’s home church in Fridley, Mn which was beautiful!

Day 2: A day at Mall of America and then to Eau Claire for the evening church service.  They were so excited about our singing that they had cancelled everything in the service but the sermon so we could sing as much as possible. :)  We had such gracious host families that made us feel so welcome.

Day 3:  Long day of driving which the kids LOVE because it means extra sleep time.  We arrived in Marquette and had a great opportunity to do devotions on the lake on a gorgeous sunny afternoon.  The acoustics were great in this old stately church and we all headed off to our host homes as well as many tours of the islands.

Day 4: You would be soooo impressed.  The kids, yes, your children, were all at the church by 6:30 a.m.!  We headed to Mackinac Island and had another picture perfect day - warm, sunny, and cloudless sky.  Most of the kids rented bikes to ride around the island or just wandered the island downtown.  We then arrived at the church in Mackinaw City and once again had the opportunity to do devotions on the lake.  Devotions become so much more meaningful when we are surrounded by God’s creation.  That evening, many of the host families got together for a huge bonfire on the beach at the base of the Mackinac Bridge to watch the sunset.  What a perfect example of God’s handiwork.  As the sun set, we commented that we could see the colors of our concert shirts in the sunset.  Some of the kids said, “Well, you can’t really see the blue color of our shirts”  About 2 minutes later we looked up and there across the horizon was the brightest blue all along the edge of the water.  God must have been loading his paint brush as we spoke.

Day 5: Morning devotions were on the shore at the base of a lighthouse then we headed out to Mackinaw Mill.  Everyone got to climb across a swinging suspension bridge and then head up the hill for a zip-line trip back down over a lake and onto the platform.  Don got some great videos of the trips.  Then we were off the beautiful Leelanau Peninsula to work for the Leelanau Conservancy.  The crews set off to plant trees, dig holes for trail markers, cut back overgrowth and help with numerous other tasks to enhance this beautiful natural habitat.  The weather cooperated again and we had a warm sunny day.  Once that was completed, we were off to Bellaire Michigan to a church which is lead by one of Chip’s friends.  The people were so again so friendly eager to have us there.  They encouraged us to put them on our agenda in another four years again.

Day 6: Finally, heading back into the world of the connected, we headed down to Grand Rapids to visit Calvin College and sing at a Retirement Community.  The concert was in the afternoon and we sang to a full house.  We had to go back to the car three times for more programs!  However, it was a lower ceiling and a few of our boys had a little difficulty because their heads pushed the ceiling tiles up when they stood on the risers.  The people were genuinely touched by our kids.  From there we headed out to the Whitecaps Baseball game and the kids did an impressive job of singing the national anthem.  The weather looked pretty doubtful but it ended up being a perfect night for a game.  We headed back to the hotel for some late night swimming, devotions and much needed sleep.  (Or at least some of us)

Day 7: A big day of work planned with Grand Rapids Area Service Project (GRASP).  On the way to work, we stopped at Meijer to pick up Gatorade and however, when we went to leave – the bus refused to start.  Clearly it was going to be a while, so we sold our services to Meijers and the kids spent the next hour cleaning the perimeter of the building.  The final total was about 10 large trash bags, 2 tires, 1 rug and a shopping cart full of odds and ends.  I guess God needed us there that morning.  Finally the bus started however, it couldn’t be turned off – hmmm, that might be a problem.  However, we got to the GRASP location and set to work on painting over graffiti that was spray painted on people’s homes, garages, and fences, cutting back overgrown shrubbery and the biggest part of the project was cleaning up the garbage, mattresses, and amazing array of materials that had been dropped in the alley.  It was hot, humid, dirty, disgusting, but at the same time fulfilling, uplifting and eye-opening as well.  The people of the neighborhood came out and couldn’t express their appreciation for our help.  It really showed how they wanted their neighborhood to be clean but it was beyond they ability to tackle it by themselves.  The kids sang to several people who really reached out to us and made a serious impact on the condition in the alleys.  We headed off to a local Christian High School where we were fed and housed with host families.  The charter company determined that maybe having to leave the bus running all the time was maybe not the best choice and are sending a new bus up.  Everything had to be removed from the bus and stored in the school until the new bus arrives in the morning.

Day 8: Today…A new bus arrived and actually turns on and off!  The weather, which had been flawless up to this point, was looking ominous so we started out our day at the beach.  It was early morning, the beach was quiet and the sky was threatening although the sun was out.  Several of the kids as well as Josh and Don made a mad dash to the lake and braved the 50 degree water.  It was great fun to watch them loose their breath but try to act macho about it.  After that we set off for Tunnel Park and went to the top of the sand dune and did devotions from an overlook, again, a great example of God’s handiwork.   We let the kids loose in downtown Holland for lunch and exploration followed by a tour of Hope College.  That evening during our concert, the weather decided to show us the try power of God’s creation.  Lightning, thunder and MASSIVE amounts of rain graced the earth. Graced it so much that when we were all trying to leave the church, many of the roads were closed due to flooding, host homes were flooded, power was out, and the storm showed no signs of letting up.  Several people ended up staying at the church along with their host families.  Good thing there was lots of extra ice cream left over from dinner J One of the host families car stopped because of the depth of the water.  The boys got out and pushed the car home in the pouring rain.  They said once they were soaked to the skin it was really pretty fun.  These are memories that will last forever and God delivered everyone safely to their destination – which for some was the church. 

Don is our biggest FAN!!!