Dinner at Shepherd of the Hills

We just got done eating dinner at the church. It was awesome! It was also really cool talking to some of the people before the concert and getting to know some of the congregation.

We were really worried because right before dinner Laura's bridge on her violin broke. Everyone was really worried and we were searching all over for a place to find a new one.

Luckily we found a place that had them and someone from the church was kind enough to take her to get a new one, so she should be able to join us tonight! She just got back and is eating dinner now, so we'll start soon.

We're staying at the church tonight and we'll be playing in East St. Louis tomorrow.

Until after the concert...

-Chris

Unloading in St. Louis

Here's a few people unloading at Shepherd of the Hills. We got set up really fast and the sound check went, oddly enough, rather smoothly.

Now we're getting ready for dinner provided by some members of the congregation. It all looks really good! :)

I'm really excited to play here tonight. The people here are so welcoming and really seem to appreciate our ministry.

-Chris

On the way to St. Louis

We didn't have cell phone connection last night, so the blog from last night just went up.

There was a lot of cool history with the building and the town it was in. So even though the hype of the "haunting" got a few of us a bit shaken up, it was still really interesting.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on who you talk to) we didn't hear or see anything weird.

This morning a few of us went for a walk around the town. We got to see the sunrise too. Bentonsport is a really beautiful little town on the Des Moines River and it was really cool to see it early in the morning.

We also wrote a song this morning. We were all jamming out in the living room of the bed and breakfast and all of a sudden we were playing a new song. We had acoustic guitars, banjo, and violin so maybe we'll add it to our fun "bluegrass" set.

We just stopped at a small town called Cantril where we grabbed some lunch. We're now on the way to St. Louis and should be there by about 4 o'clock or so.

Shepherd of the Hills Church was by far the best worship experience last year, and it sounds like they are very excited to have us back.

I know we're definitely excited to be stopping there.

-Chris

Bed and Breakfast

So apparently we're staying at a "haunted" bed and breakfast tonight. Its really creepy.

There's a whole mix of emotions going on right now. Some people are terrified, others are a bit skeptical. I, personally, am exceedingly excited.

We're gonna sit down in a bit and talk with the owners (Hans' in-laws) about the place.

Depending on the amount of creepy over the next 8 hours we may or may not post again.

I'd say count on a few posts.

Assuming we make it through the night, we'll be heading to St. Louis tomorrow.

-Chris

Kid's Club at Kirkville

This is a picture of us playing for the kids in Kirkville. We went to the little county building in Kirkville to interact with the kids from the area.

We weren't really sure what to expect, then we found ourselves singing, playing, dancing and acting silly with many enthusiastic kids ranging from 4 to around 12. Their smiles were so bright! The youngest, JoJo, was so shy at first, then by the end she was dancing and jumping around more than any of the other children.

The entire experience was beautiful and a blessing to be a part of! Now we're on the road, on our way to Bentonsport where Hans has family we will we staying with. After a long day, I think we're all ready to sleep! :)

-Kate

Lunch and Loading out in Oskaloosa

This morning we worshiped at Allison's church in Oskaloosa, Iowa. It was such a beautiful church and a great congregation!

After the service we ate lunch here at the church, yummy food!

Now we are going to have a quick rehearsal and then we are going to head off to Kirkwood to hang out and play some games with kids at a kid's club! I love games!

Talk to you later!

-Shelley

Central United Methodist Church - Oskaloosa

We just got done playing at the first service here in Oskaloosa. The first service here is more traditional and tends to be a bit more reserved. However, we had a lot of compliments and people seemed to really enjoy us. It is really good to know that we are able to bring hope to all types of people through our music.

The second service is supposed to be generally more awake, so we're going to do a few more high energy songs. It should be a lot of fun.

After that we'll pack up and we'll be heading to Kirkville to hang out at a kid's club.

At the moment a few people are jamming out to Amazing Because It Is by the Almost. I think I'm gonna go join.

-Chris