Voices of Unity Youth Choir

 

3am - off to the airport

 The first group is off to the airport this morning. It's 3:00am. We're even beating the famous Chinese roosters to the punch.

Competition yesterday was tremendous. Your VOU team once again brought down the house though! More to follow upon return to the good old USA!

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Up with roosters!

 Still makes me laugh every morning when the Chinese roosters give their 5:45am cock-a-doodle-doo wake up call! We're up on the 28th floor of the Shaoxing Margaret Hotel, in the very heart of a city of millions of people and yet we wake up to roosters' crows. I can't help wondering where they are hiding during the day.
 

Game time!

 One word: Electrifying! Looked like gold to me!!! :-)
 

Game time!

 The auditorium is now standing room only, with people from every corner of the globe. Beautiful scene!

Just listened to 10 min warm-ups by Cinci, Malaysia, and Japan... Yes, in the gospel category. Quite a shock to see an Indonesian choir break out a beautiful version of "Wade in the Water!"

Let me assure you that the competition is serious!

 

Game time!

 We're in! The band is setting up right now. I'm told we have a 10 minute accoustic warmup time followed by a maximum of 20 minutes of judged performance in which we are to perform 4 songs. We're in a beautiful auditorium that seats approximately 400. It's just the VOU, our travel team, Chinese volunteers and translators, police, and a panel of (it appears) 7 international judges.
 

Game time!

 We are just arriving at the competition venue for our first performance. Security is airtight. The tension is palpable in the air. You'd think we were entering Fort Knox. They're even inspecting the instruments, amps, water bottles, etc.
 

Stephanie Woodson's article in the Journal Gazette

 Check out this outstanding article chronicling her China experience by choir alumna Stephanie Woodson!

"As I sit at my laptop, see the Chinese characters on the Google site, gaze into the morning sky, look at this INCREDIBLE view and hear the rooster's call…it has finally set in…this is REAL!"

 

The irony!

 Sometimes the irony of our modern world just slaps you in the face. Take a look at this news footage. The first half of the video deals with a robbery at the CVS in Angola, followed by the 10 people that were shot in downtown Indianapolis at about the same time the members of the Voices of Unity were peacefully, joyously, lovingly celebrating while boarding the bus to represent the United States half way around the globe on a world stage. You probably heard the same whispers I did, "Why would invest so much money to take these young people to China?" The purpose of this trip extends so far beyond a singing competition, it's hard to imagine. Marshall White summed it up, "Hope Made Tangible. These kids have done the impossible." Not only the kids, but the chaperones, parents, and volunteers have learned that ANYTHING is indeed possible. $460,000 in 5 months? Compete in the World Choir Games? Be invited to be highlighted in the opening AND closing ceremonies? Learning to speak Chinese? Representing their country? They now understand, by direct experience, what a blessing it is to live in the land of the free, home of the brave. What a joy it is to be able to determine our own future, to decide our own destiny! The constraints of what is possible that so often limit our kids' futures have just been released for good. Indeed, their lives will NEVER be the same.

Some have lamented that American youth has lost focus, lost respect, perhaps even lost determination. Some have even expressed concern that we are losing the ability to dream. While that may be true for many, let me assure you of this: Thanks to Director Marshall White and the VOU family, dreaming is alive and well. Thanks to your support these kids will go on to achieve results that will astound us all in business, in politics, in service work, in the ministry, and yes, perhaps even in music.

Special thanks to Indiana's News Center for covering our departure to China! http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Voices-of-Unity-Choir-Leaves-for...

 

Techno Difficulties Solves

 Thought you might be curious how our technical difficulties were alleviated... My very tech-saavy roomate Pastor Pressey performed an ancient Chinese secret called a technology prayer dance. Here it is for your viewing pleasure! LOL!

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