April 2014

BE THE LIGHT

The theme of the Journey Youth Choir spring concert tour was “Be the Light.” Group member felt like they were, in fact, the light several times during the trip, but they especially felt that way when they sang for a group of mental and behavioral health unit patients at the Children’s Hospital of New Orleans (CHNOLA).

“We actually got there by mistake,” Journey Choir Director Stacy Curtis explained. “I thought I had called the hospital’s main number so when Keith Botello, the activities director, told me I was calling the mental health unit and that no one ever asks to sing for them, I knew we had to do it.

“We sang about a 30-minute program. I had my back to the audience but our choir members told me they could see smiling faces, and kids singing and moving to the music. One member said she could see a visible change in the posture of the people in the audience.”

The CHNOLA visit was day three of the trip, and was preceded by a concert and brunch at Raymond Methodist Church in Jennings, La., and dinner at the home of Covenant Director of Music Ministry Tom Brown’s son and daughter-in-law in New Orleans.

“All three of our planned church concerts had a connection,” Stacy said. “Jennings is the home of Cheryls Banks’ family and Emily Banks, a Journey member, was baptized at that church. At Parkway Presbyterian in New Orleans our contact was a longtime member whose best friend is Ann Brown, Tom Brown’s wife. Our last church concert outside of Galveston was at the church of my grandmother. She and my dad were at the concert. My husband and kids were there, too.”

Seventeen kids were on the tour as well five chaperones, including Youth Ministries Associate Director Nathan Richards, who led devotionals every day. “One of the coolest things about the trip was just seeing the kids’ ownership of it,” Nathan said. “All of them were committed to making it a good, worthwhile thing. They really served people.”