And we're home . . .

Last ride with Mario

Australia was an experience of a lifetime. We each had different opportunities, different experiences, but we all had a wonderful trip and we each saw God at work in the lives we encountered and in our own lives, too. Today was departure day and we got up this morning, loaded Mario's "coach" one last time, and headed to Sydney Airport.

Today was all about lines and sitting and waiting, more shopping, card playing, cat naps, snacking, loading planes, sitting, sleeping, standing in lines, etc. We even managed some plane watching! You get the picture.

Looks like we have a LONG way still to go!

Our itinerary said we would depart Sydney at 1:25 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, and arrive at DFW at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, which we joked about frequently since that twenty minutes actually translated into 15 hours and 15 minutes! Crossing the International Dateline certainly made life interesting the entire time we were gone as we would discuss things in Australia and at home and never knew whether we were talking about yesterday, today, or tomorrow!

After the 15+ hours flying back from Sydney, we weren't finished yet! We still had to fly from DFW to OKC, and then we boarded the "bus" (we were back in Oklahoma, now!) and drove on into Enid. Fortunately, everything went smoothly. We did have two couples who somehow didn't have seat assignments at Dallas so they were forced to sit . . . in first class! I don't think they were complaining about anything!!

At last . . . it is good to be home (even though it IS hot!) and we look forward to returning to worship at Emmanuel, but Australia will not be soon forgotten. The trip made a deep impact on ALL of us and as we reflect on the trip, the lives, the experiences, this trip to Sydney will continue to live on for a long time to come.

Semper Gumby!

Margie Mathison and Mario with his "coach"

We were introduced to the phrase "Semper Gumby!" as our motto for the week when we first arrived in Australia and today we practiced it as best laid plans had to go to Plan B, then Plan C, and we sort of lost count! Originally, Mario was going to drop us off to take the ferry to Manly and then pick us up in Manly later in the day. However, there was no power at the Manly ferry dock so the ferry couldn't run, so Mario to the rescue drove us to Manly (about 45 minutes). Then we were going to take the ferry back to Darling Harbour, but . . . they couldn't guarantee it would be running, so Mario to the rescue again as he agreed to hang around and take us back! Times kept changing with each new plan, but in the end, we had a delightful time in Manly for all our last minute shopping and we had a gorgeous view of the ocean . . . and the sounds of the surf . . . it was great. There was even a whale swimming around for a while so a few got to see a whale without paying for "whale watching!"

After lunch, we loaded up and headed back to Darling Harbour for part of the group who had tickets to go to the "World's Largest IMAX" to watch the new Batman movie, while others opted to return to the hotel for more shopping, sightseeing, and packing before heading to Congress Hall for our "Farewell Dinner."


We had a fabulous meal from Ash and his crew . . . again . . . and then we received our last minute instructions to hopefully get us home in one piece! But then we began to share about highlights and experiences and we again affirmed that "Semper Gumby" rules! You see, the ministry parts of this trip have had to be as fluid and flexible as the tourist parts. We left Oklahoma with a tentative plan, an order of worship . . . that we never totally followed! We met some great people and we discovered that God had brought us to this time and place with a real purpose. In every venue we would watch as people's body language would change from the closed off crossed arms to a more relaxed posture to one of out and out worship. The people who spoke each time we sang varied primarily between Steve, as our past-president, and John, as our missions pastor. They never really knew what they were going to say. Everything was fluid, but somehow it was always right. Bonds were formed on many levels based on different triggers. Some were drawn to smiles, some to common interests, some to common hurts, but all were drawn by God to a divine appointment that included us as we all worshiped together.

In the end, I am one who was pushed out of my comfort zone. I didn't even have a passport until about four months ago. I'm not adverturous by nature (and that hasn't changed). I like to hide in my corner and do what I know how to do. But I would not have missed this for the world. God is so good.

Our final request would be that you continue to pray, obviously for us as we travel home on Saturday, but even after we're safely home and far from this beautiful country please pray for the people we have met in Australia. Pray for Pastor Steve Hales and the people of West Ryde Baptist Church here in Sydney. Pray for the efforts of the Salvation Army in Sydney through their weekly worship services; for the individuals at the Elder Care Facility who lit up our lives; for each person at the William Booth Center, the employees, the volunteers, and the clients battling addictions of all sorts. And pray for Ian and Carolyn Altman and the Lithgow Baptist Church. Pray for the sweet lady who had to be rolled in to hear us sing at the Elder Care facility, but came in singing "How Great Thou Art." Pray for the new father struggling with issues in his own father's health and for the young lady who had just returned from the unexpected death of her mother to hear Steve share about the loss of his dad at an early age and the change it had on his life. Pray for each of us as participants in this journey that we will always look back and remember we were a part of God's plan for the people of Australia this past week.

Where it all began . . .

This trip to Australia has its roots in a trip the Singing Churchmen made ten years ago. Dan and Wade had returned from that trip with the dream of taking the choir "Down Under." They shared photos, Dan spoke of friendships, a seed was planted. With the passing of time the vision had dimmed, but when the choir officers began looking at the possibility of a major trip, that previous ministry dream was re-awakened. So, it is somehow fitting then that our last day of ministry had ties with that trip ten years ago by re-tracing the path to places the Singing Churchmen had been and rekindling a friendship that was one of the key features in our ministery plans for this trip.

Margie feeding the kangaroo!

We began the day with a trip to the Featherdale Wildlife Park where you can pet and feed the animals! It's just that in Australia that means . . . koalas, kangaroos, and wallabys! The geographical isolation of the Australian continent has led to a unique world of animals. There was a wallaby camped out at the gate as we entered the park . . . truly. And the tasmanian devil isn't just in cartoons! Apparently, there are actually penguins in Sydney Harbour. So, Australian animal life is just a little different than what we have in Oklahoma.

The Three Sisters

After Featherdale, we drove up into the Blue Mountains and stopped at Katoomba for a quick lunch. Willi even got to practice his Greek with the owner of the restaurant where we ate! Dan warned everyone to "eat light" because there was something "big" coming later even though he wasn't telling anyone what . . . he just said to save LOTS of room! We then headed to a spot overlooking the "Three Sisters," three outcroppings of rock with an indigenous aboriginal folk history attached to them. The views are breathtaking and, of course, we had to have another group photo op and sing . . . "Oklahoma!"

As we continued our drive up into the Blue Mountains to Lithgow, it was strange to look out the windows of the coach and see "mobs" (herds) of kangaroo in the fields grazing along the fence lines. Lithgow (pronounced as "lith - go") is an industrial/mining community about 2 hours away from Sydney. A community of 10-15,000 people, we were told that probably only 2% attend church on a regular basis (which is the national average).

We arrived at Lithgow Baptist Church where we met up with Ian Altman, the pastor there. When the SCM were here ten years ago, Ian and his wife Carolyn, were serving in Sydney. Dan and Donna had gone to their church along with another member of the SCM. So, as we began seeking ministry opportunities for our trip to Australia, Ian was one of our first contacts. Carolyn works for the Baptist Union and their contacts were invaluable in getting us connected for the trip. Over the years, the choir has prayed for the Altmans . . . Carolyn was diagnosed with cancer and given less than three years to live (almost a decade ago) and Carolyn's father is currently experiencing health issues. They are our choir friends we had never met, and it was a delight to finally have the opportunity to greet them face to face.

Dinner with Ian and Carolyn Altman

For supper we went to "Blue Sky" for Chinese buffet (that they bring to you). There was food, food, and more food! I can't speak for all the tables but Mario, Steve, Tom, and Willi sure didn't seem to make much of a dent in all the multiple plates of food brought out and yet they all swore they couldn't eat another bite (and none of those guys are generally "light" eaters!)!!


Australia doesn't have church during the week . . . just on Sunday . . . and since they don't ALL go to church then, Ian had no idea who would show up for a Thursday evening worship service. When we returned to the church people had already begun arriving. It has been special to have time to mingle with people everywhere we have been. Our purpose has never been to just do a "concert" and leave. Ministry involves people. It recognizes that we're not just a choir, we are people and it allows for us to interact as individuals as well as lead worship as a combined unit. Again, we had another great evening of worship. What we look forward to is being able to see the faces of those worshiping with us, to see the joy, to see them join in and participate. We had no time constraints at Lithgow and so we were able to just let God lead us. Dan changed the program and threw in a song that wasn't planned so Tom just threw up his hands at the back with no slides to project, but it was all OK because God was leading! John shared a message about thirst and living water. The people sang with us and we had worship. Afterwards, in addition to our Oklahoma bandanas and some Oklahoma rose rocks, we gave copies of our recording to all the family groups in attendance. One lady didn't want the CD for herself. She wanted to give it to her boss who doesn't know the Lord. We tried to get her to take two so she could still have a copy for herself, but she felt that was too much. We left our extra CDs we had with us so hopefully she will get one for herself when she returns to church on Sunday.

It was a long drive back to Sydney. We were exhausted. But we wouldn't have missed a minute of it!

Why we came to Australia . . .

From day one this trip was planned and intended to be something special. Our choir has never ventured out on this scale and certainly never this far from home. People often wonder why you have to go someplace else when there is always something to do at home. The answer probably lies in the reality that we become bleary-eyed with what we see day after day, and in changing our circumstances, we are able to open our eyes in fresh new ways.

The day started as a free day with additional sightseeing and time on our own. Some of us went to the Australian Museum (primarily natural history), some went to the Tower Eye for the thrill of seeing Sydney from above, some went shopping, . . . just a normal day for people on a trip a long way from home.

For lunch we went to "Cheers" (where "everyone knows your name" . . . especially when you wear your name tag!). The chef had three scrumptious entree options for us (all quite yummy) followed by crepes for dessert with three options to choose from again. No one left hungry, that's for sure! We returned to the hotel (or some still had activities going) until we met just before 4:00 for today's ministry opportunity . . . and from that moment this day changed, we were changed.

One of the ministry options presented to Dan when he kept insisting he wanted more for us to do had been for us to go to the William Booth House to lead worship and share a meal with the residents. William Booth founded the Salvation Army and here in Australia they are alive and well sharing the love of Jesus with those who are hurting and needy. The William Booth House is a residential program for individuals struggling with addictions -- drugs, alcohol, gambling. The program is based on the 12-step program used by AA and others, but it adds to it the element of Christian faith. After our final itinerary had been published, we were informed there was a conflict and to preserve the opportunity to go here, we had to rearrange another ministry opportunity that was on the schedule . . . and it was all because God had an appointment for us this evening. We were told that chapel participation was required. We were given a time slot and told that the residents would start to become restless at an hour because they wanted to slip out for a smoke, etc. Then this morning we were told we would have to work around some elements they had as part of their chapel so our "program" would need to be adjusted. It sure seemed that it wasn't going very smoothly, but then God showed up.

There really isn't any other way to describe it. Between the times of encouragement for new inductees into the program and those who were completing the program, between the songs and the testimonies, God took over. The program ran long and nobody cared. The residents sang their hearts out and we sang our hearts out right back at them. Steve shared a testimony and we experienced the refreshing breath of God's mercy flowing over us and through us.

Before the program we had the opportunity to share the evening meal with the residents. We had to go in two different shifts. We weren't hungry after our huge lunch and would have liked to skip the meal so we wouldn't offend anyone with our failure to eat what they provided. But if we had skipped the meal, we wouldn't have begun the interaction with the people that continued throughout the evening. I sat next to a young lady who only had three months left in her program. She was thrilled with her progress and looked forward to a successful completion.

Visiting with residents at William Booth House.

We have bandanas embroidered with "Oklahoma" to give away at the various venues. I gave my bandana to this young lady. But while we were there to give, residents had been given small boxes to give to us! Each box contained a key chain as a memento of the William Booth House, although I don't think any of us needed anything to help us remember it. Following the service, we joined residents for a few moments of fellowship and sharing before boarding the coach and heading back to the hotel. We were exhausted. But we were pumped, too!

Everyone has a story to tell and this could go on forever trying to tell them all. Check out our Facebook page for insights from individuals in the group. Thoughts are a little disjointed this evening, but it is difficult for words to describe God at work!

Thank you for praying for us. Please continue to pray for the residents of the William Booth House. Pray for their success in overcoming their additions. Pray for their grasp of the Christian faith that is being shared. And pray for us as we set out tomorrow for Lithgow for our final planned ministry opportunity.

Free Day!

Although our purpose in coming has been clearly defined as ministry from the beginning, we managed to have one totally free day to do whatever you wanted to do! In Sydney the possibilities are endless and I'm sure we'll have to update the blog as everyone reports in.

They Sydney Aquarium

The Maritime Museum covers the history of Australia from the aborigines through the settlements and various immigration stages.


The Sydney Aquarium is one of the highest rated aquariums in the world! It is truly amazing with beautiful displays, educational information, and tunnels where you can literally walk with the sharks! There was a display from the "Great Barrier Reef" and "Jellyfish" that were especially mesmerizing.

With people headed so many different directions, it was really funny to grab some lunch and find at least one-third of our group all in the same place!!

Cameras ready for whales!

The Royal Botanical Gardens encompass acres from downtown Sydney all the way to the harbour.


John planned to go surfing this afternoon.


Whale Watching . . . we had several different groups going. We got to "see" (from a distance, but really nicely shown on the local television news) a female and her calf which was probably about two days old in the Sydney Harbour. The Harbour Patrol is keeping curiosity seekers at a distance to protect the whale and calf. As we went farther out, we had several sightings and one really playful humpback whale (watch video on our Facebook page)!


We had one group climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge . . . and report that it was absolutely breathtaking!

. . . and, of course, there had to be shopping for friends, co-workers, families, children, grandchildren, and maybe even ourselves!

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Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will return to ministry with a visit at the William Booth House. Please pray for us and those with whom we will come in contact.

Ministry at the Salvation Army Aged Care Facility

Courtyard behind one
of the eating establishments.

After a couple of long days, we were able to sleep in a little (if you had fully recovered from jet lag, that is!) before we set out for The Rocks district for some browsing, shopping, and lunch. The Rocks developed out of an area that was originally an open-air gaol (aka jail). It has some of the oldest surviving buildings in Sydney which have been converted to museums, art galleries, shops, and eating establishments . . . and you could walk right down to the Harbor's edge!

Salvation Army Elder Care facility

Following lunch, it was back on the coach for transport to the Elder Care Facility. Margie says their motto at Harmony International is "Semper Gumby" (always flexible!) and this was one of those times. We didn't know anything about the set up and what we would be able to do there. As we started moving into the facility to prepare, they were using the elevator . . . umm, lift . . . to transport the group down to the lower level when it decided to quit working! Those of us still on the main level decided to walk down the stairs only to discover that the group on the "lift" were still on the lift!

Singing with the WHOLE group finally!

So, what do you do when you have 35 people in your group and 13 of them are stuck? You mingle! The residents were thrilled to have us with them and made us feel very welcome. However, as time passed, we decided to try to get started with some worship songs while we hoped the rest of the group would be joining us. The people LOVED it and many of them joined in to sing with us and we were thrilled when our group of 13 finally entered the room to join us after being rescued from the "lift" after 45 minutes! Residents kept coming in so the crowd was growing. Some were quite ambulatory while others required walkers, wheelchairs, and one was even confined to her bed where they rolled the bed in with it raised where she was sitting in it.

Lou and Gary visiting with residents

We concluded the program singing "Oklahoma" and then distributed red bandanas with "Oklahoma" embroidered on them (Thank you Edie Wichert!) as a remembrance of our coming and continued to mingle. This was an amazing facility with approximately 140 residents, five of them over the age of 100 with the oldest being 107! As seems to be happening everywhere we go, we think we are going to encourage and find ourselves getting the most out of what we do. Again, Dan made the observation that we travelled half way around the world to have our eyes opened to things we can do at home!

Rehearsal at Congress Hall

As a postscript to the day . . . on Sunday, Ash Sellers with the Salvation Army had invited any who were interested to attend their rehearsal on Monday evening. A few of us took him up on the invitation thinking we would be an encouragement to them and their ministry and instead we walked away feeling refreshed and renewed by them. They have an amazing group of extremely talented musicians who have toured world wide. John Stam made the discovery that their "music list" contained "The Star Spangled Banner" and we learned that they had sung for a double A baseball game in Jackson, Mississippi! It was wonderful to visit with them and be a part of their rehearsal together. We did have to adjust our vowels on a few words . . . like can't is pronounced kant (for those of you who had to take Philopshy/Ethics in school) or kAHnt for everyone else! At home, many of us say that we consider rehearsal our favorite part of the week with the fellowship and freedom from the restraints of a timetable and we felt the same in Sydney!

Tuesday is a 100% free day so we'll be dependent on individuals to share experiences.

WOW . . . We had worship today!

Today is what it is all about. This is why we came to Australia. Today we worshipped.

Warm-Up at West Ryde

After an early (6:30 a.m.) breakfast, we set out for West Ryde Baptist Church and to meet one of Dan's new friends, Pastor Steve, face-to-face after originally meeting over Skype. One of the first discoveries we made is that if you ever need a technical "go-to" guy, look for someone named David . . . and West Ryde had two of them! And it was almost like being at home with our own David! In corresponding with Steve Hales, pastor at West Ryde, Dan had mentioned some things we would like to have, if available, but said they were not essential. Well, enter the two Davids, and just like our own David, they figured it all out, rigged projector platforms onto speaker stands, etc. And it all worked! But back to worship. We got to West Ryde early to rehearse/warm up because they have a special schedule. About an hour before the service begins each Sunday they have people who come into their worship center and pray! We certainly didn't want to be a distraction and were delighted by the opportunity following our warm up to get into small groups scattered throughout the church and share in this special time of prayer. Then the service began. Any time you step outside of your "normal," you don't know what to expect. Dan had put together a service of special music and worship medleys, but we didn't know  whether the people would know the songs, enjoy the songs, or participate with us on any of the songs. But they did . . . and with gusto! Steve Yarbrough (our past-president) and John Stam (our missions pastor) shared brief testimonies. John shared how one week ago when we had a prayer on behalf of this team prior to our departure for Australia he had mentioned that the opportunities for ministry might begin before we reached Australia and that it might even be with the person sitting next to you on the plane. Little had he known then the person that would happen to would be him! It was a wonderful morning that could have continued forever, but time wouldn't allow it.

Pastor Steve Hales & family

After the worship service at West Ryde, they have "tea" (aka snacks in the Commons back at Emmanuel) and visit. Pastor Steve had asked Dan about the possibility of splitting us into small groups to go home with church members for lunch. During "tea" as conversations were struck up, members would ask someone they had bonded with to come home with them for lunch and would take a group . . . some of 3, some of 6, and Pastor Steve and his family took 10! It was amazing to visit with these people in their homes, to learn about their lives, and share a special time with them on a more intimate level. But again, we had a schedule to keep so we had to meet back at the church to begin our transit to the Salvation Army Congress Hall. Along the way we stopped for a group photo again!

Rehearsal with our Australian friends!

When we arrived at Congress Hall, we were joined by Ash Sellers (he worked sound for us) and about 30 singers from the Salvation Army choir and William Booth House to rehearse "Lord of All" which was the closing number for the evening. We had another great evening of worship with another great group of people. We followed the same basic order from the morning and once again Steve and John shared with those who were present. Then finally, the experience of joining voices with others to close out the evening was indeed a very special moment.

We had great plans for dinner . . . we were going to go to "Harry's Cafe de Wheels" for Australian meat pies . . . but, alas, there were too many of us so we'll have to go back in smaller groups for this unique Australian experience. We returned to the Meriton where we headed out to eat on our own or hit our rooms after a long, exhausting, but very rewarding day.

We made it!

We made it!

We finally arrived early this morning. As we made our way through the immigration lines towards baggage claim, it was nice to see a couple of friendly faces waiting for us on the other side -- Paige and her mom, Val! They came to Australia a week ahead of the group so they could see more of the country. In addition, we met up with Phil Barfoot and his son, Aaron, and Margie Mathison (our tour coordinator extraordinaire!).

So . . . after a LONG time on a plane where some slept more than others . . . what do you do? You get on a bus and go . . . sight seeing! There really is method in the madness. We had to stay up all day so we would be able to get the day/night sort of straight AND we couldn't check into our hotel until 3:00 p.m. Our bus driver this week is Mario (as in "Super Mario," of course!). He's a delight, even if they do drive on the wrong side of the road here!

It was a beautiful day and, if this is winter, everyone would be willing to stay! Mario did tell us that it was an exceptionally nice day . . . I guess the Aussie weatherman knew we were coming! First stop was Bondi Beach and the Pacific Ocean! Many of the group walked out and waded in the ocean even though we weren't exactly dressed for the beach. We also had time for a second breakfast/snack and/or caffeine since we were now about 3-4 hours from the breakfast served on the plane! Then, it was back on the bus for more sight seeing and our next stop which provided a beautiful view of the Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House where we finally managed to get a group picture! This was also the location of Mrs. Maguire's (pronounced mack-gorey's) Chair. This is a stepped off seating area carved out of the stone where the governor's wife used to come and sit. The steps are definitely "carved" (there's nothing level involved), but it was amazing to see and provides a nice view. I can imagine sitting there and just gazing out into the harbor . . . Oops, no time for naps, because we're off on the bus again! This time Mario drops us off by the Sydney Opera House. You could see groups climbing the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House is incredible to view. The funniest moment was the promo photo of . . . John Stam? His twin brother? It made a natural photo op (check out our Facebook page). Then, it's back on the bus and we head to a food court area downtown for lunch. Best part of this bus trip? Our wonderful Margie has talked to the hotel and we can check in at 2:00 instead of 3:00 . . . can you hear that shower calling? The food court was fascinating. There was Thai food and all kinds of different options including MacDonalds and KFC!

When we arrived at the hotel (Meriton World Towers) . . . we had fun riding the elevator. We missed the instruction about the little black fob with your key and the elevator won't accept the number you put in until you scan it! We road almost to the top and back down and several floors in between before we finally got to the RIGHT floor! The apartments are great -- two bedrooms, two baths with lots of amenities, but what you really look at is the view . . . except, of course, when you're headed to the showers!

We had one last item of business and that was the "Welcome Dinner." This was catered at the Salvation Army Congress Hall where we will be Sunday afternoon. We had a wonderful meal and met Ash Sellers who has helped with coordinating our Sunday event and manages the building (including our catered meal).

Finally, the bed called . . . LOUDLY! We have an early start on Sunday (6:30 for breakfast) and won't be back to the hotel until after dinner in the evening. It will be a long day packed with ministry as we lead worship at West Ryde Baptist Church and then lead the 4:00 p.m. worship at the Salvation Army Congress Hall and combine with some local choir members for the final song. Please pray for us . . . pray for our stamina so that our fatigue will not dampen the depth of our spirits in communicating the glorious message of God's grace and pray for the hearts of the people of Australia that they will be ministered to by our presence.

And . . . we're off!

Waiting to board our final flight!

It was amazing to see all 29 people riding the bus ready to go ahead of schedule! Several choir, family, and friends showed up to see us off, and even better, assure us of their prayers for us as we traveled and ministered throughout the coming week. Finally, after having a time of prayer, we were off!

When we arrived at the airport in Oklahoma City, we joined up with our four other travelers (two individuals have already been in Australia for the past week). Anyway, it’s quite a trip just logistically! In Oklahoma City, we all checked in. It is no small feat to check-in 32 people (and their luggage) when everyone arrives at the same time! To keep it interesting, a few people weren’t assigned “real” seats until they arrived for each leg of the flight.

From OKC we flew to Dallas where we changed planes and then flew to Los Angeles. At last, we’re on Qantas and everyone made it! We’ll be flying for a LONG time. We left Enid this morning (Thursday, July 11) around 11:30 a.m. and we’ll land in Sydney on SATURDAY a little after 6:00 a.m. My mind is thoroughly confused as to how long we’ll be flying (I’ve been told a little over 15 hours). We will cross the International Dateline and lose a day (“Bye, bye to Friday the 13th!”). We’ll make it all up on the return trip though when we leave Sydney a little ater 1:00 and arrive in Dallas a little over 30 minutes later! Oh . . . if only it were so!

Please continue to pray for us. Saturday will be an official “jet lag” day, for sure. We’re determined to do our best to acclimate quickly because Sunday will be a very long day as we lead worship at West Ryde Baptist Church in the morning, share lunch with families from the church, and then go on to the Salvation Army Congress Hall for a late afternoon worship service! We can’t wait to see what God has in store for us!

And the countdown is on . . .

Tonight we met for our "final" rehearsal and group meeting before our departure on Thursday. There are lots of last minute details . . . shirts . . . name tags . . . CDs . . . but we have a great group of 35 people who are all eager to help! Anticipation is building as we see the many doors God has opened. Some of us are ready to walk out the door . . . and some of us will probably still be getting ready on Thursday morning!

When we first considered going on a choir/mission trip and we were examining the options available, Australia almost immediately came to the top of the list. Obviously, they speak English (at least a form of it!) which is very reassuring for those of us who have never travelled abroad. But those of us who heard Dan, Wade, and John share about their experience after the Singing Churchmen went to Australia ten years ago could recall how there was a thirst for the worship experience they shared, and although God's work is going strong, the majority of people in Australia are unchurched.

They also shared that a "choir" was novel in a country known for praise and worship "bands." Ten years ago, people were drawn to the choir experience and it is our hope and prayer that as we travel with a representative group from our own Praisingers that the people in Austrlia will have the opportunity to experience worship with us. Week after week, we are reminded that our role as a choir is to lead others to worship along side us . . . not to perform, . . . not to seek the praise of man.

We pray that the people we encounter will recognize that spirit in us and be drawn to worship in a special way while we are there. This week's Emmanuel Life contained information on some of the specific ministry opportunities. Please continue to lift us up daily.