“And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.” Revelation 14:2

Sunday was a bittersweet day. We were going home, but that meant our trip had come to an end. We got on the bus and headed for home. It was long trip, but most of us just wanted to get home. We are all glad when we arrived back in Des Moines, knowing it would be a while before we would have to spend that much time on a bus again.

I want to take a minute to say a few thank yous.

First, to Dr. Duffy. Dr. Duffy pushes us in rehearsal so that we are the best we can possibly be. Sometimes it gets frustrating, but it’s definitely worth it when the audience is clapping and cheering loudly after each concert. Thank you for everything, Dr. Duffy.

Next, to Arnie, our beloved bus driver. Each year, Arnie requests to drive the Grand View Choir for tour. It is a long trip, but he loves spending time with us and listening to us sing. Thank you, Arnie, for all of the hours you spend with us and for being a constant face in the audience.

My third thank you goes to Kate Faas, who was in charge of logistics while on tour. We knew we could rely on her to get the CD table set up, hand the programs out, and handle all the behind the scenes details. A huge thank you to Kate, for being our number one fan, cheering the loudest at the beginning and end of each set.

Fourth, I need to thank all of the churches that hosted us and the families that opened their homes up to us. As students, this trip doesn’t cost us anything and that is because of the churches and families. It is so much fun to get to know each family. The host families are one part of tour that we will never forget. Thank you to everyone who hosted us.

Next, I want to thank Carol Hall. Carol is an employee at Grand View University, and she chose to spend her spring break with us. Thank you, Carol, for always making us smile.

Sixth, I want to thank the parents of the choir members. We would not be where we are today if it weren’t for our parents. They make us who we are. Thank you for supporting us in all that we do.

Finally, I would like to thank my fellow choir members. I had so much fun on this trip and it’s because of the people I was with. After tour, I have so many memories that I will never forget. Thank you for being a part of this close-knit family.

O God, Thank you so much for this wonderful experience and for keeping us safe throughout our trip. We pray that you continue to keep us safe and help us to focus on our studies as the end of the semester draws near. We praise your name, Amen.

“Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” Psalm 32:11

Saturday brought us to our last concert on tour, but not our last day on the road. We spent most of the day on the road, traveling from Sheridan, Wyoming to Alliance, Nebraska. We got to Alliance a little early, which gave us the opportunity to do a little sightseeing.

Upon arrival in Alliance, we didn’t go straight to the church. Instead, we stopped to visit Carhenge, similar to Stonehenge, but the building material is cars, not stone. It is a very unique place.

After our short stop at Carhenge, we drove to St. John’s Lutheran Church. The people of this church were very welcoming. Because it was our last concert, many of us were very emotional. I think we were all glad to be going home, but not ready to be done singing this set of music with our close group of friends.

While on choir tour, we get the chance to know each other really well. After spending 11 days on a bus together, we know more about the other choir members than we care to admit. The cool part about that though is we become a family. After choir tour, we have so many more people that we can trust. I know that I walked away from this trip with many more friends than I started the trip with and I wouldn’t want it to be any other way.

In “The Weaver,” by Jacob Narverud, we sing “The threads that make this fabric warm will keep this family safe from harm.” After tour, we are a closely knit group, each individual a thread that when woven together makes a family. A family that will always be there for each other, even after we have all graduated and gone our separate ways.

Lord, we rejoice in your holy name and we continually sing praises to you. We know that you are a part of our family and will always keep us safe from the harm of this world. We love you, Amen.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:10-11

On Friday morning, we ate breakfast with our host families before loading the bus and heading to Sheridan, Wyoming, our second to last stop. It was another long day on the bus, but luckily we got to stop and learn a little bit about the history of the United States.

On our way to Sheridan, we stopped at the Little Bighorn National Monument. While on tour, Dr. Duffy plans stops so we can have fun and learn a little bit about some of the places on our route. This monument was the second history related stop on this trip. It was a beautiful day to get off the bus, walk around, and learn about Custer’s Last Stand.

After gaining some knowledge about our nation’s history, we got back on the bus and finished our trip to Sheridan.

It was another beautiful concert in a beautiful church. And as always, our host families were wonderful.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for your never-ending love and peace. We pray that you continue to give us strength as we continue on our trip. Help us continue to do what is right and show your love to the people around us. In your name we pray, Amen.

“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:18

Thursday was an uneventful day, as it was a long day on the bus. We traveled from Kennewick, Washington to Missoula, Montana.

We started the day with breakfast with our host families. Our host families provided us with sack lunches and brought us to church so we could get on the road.

We arrived in Missoula a little early, so we got about 45 minutes to walk around and do a little bit of shopping. It was a nice change in our schedule and it was good to be able to walk around for awhile.

The beginning of each of our concerts started with us processing in while singing, Perspice. The song started with two trombones, played by Evan DeBoer and Kim Dusek. The choir joins in singing through the song once in unison. We would then split, and sing in a round. The third time through the song, hand bells were added to make the song even more powerful.

The church was beautiful and our concert went very well. We left the church and headed home with our host families. All of us had wonderful experiences with our families.

O Lord, we thank you for providing us with a peace the surpasses all understanding. Even when we are stressed or frustrated, your peace is never-ending. We pray that one day your peace may overtake this world. We trust in you and your faithful, unconditional love. In your name we pray, Amen.

“For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:52b

We left Junction City on Wednesday morning, but didn’t head directly for Kennewick, Washington. Instead, we made a detour to the Pacific Ocean. Many of the choir members had never had a chance to see the ocean before and this was a good opportunity since we were only an hour away.

We got to spend about 45 minutes in Newport, Oregon on the beach. While it was a little chilly, a lot of us were glad we got to stop. It was a nice break from sitting on the bus.

Many of the boys decided to change into shorts and go into the ocean. They say the water was freezing.

Several others just took off their shoes and walked in the water.

One of the guys brought a Frisbee on the trip and the beach was a great space to throw it around. There were very few other people there that day, because it was chilly and cloudy, with rain in the forecast.

Stopping at the beach was a great way to relax and release some of our energy, even though it was a short stop. After stopping at the beach, we got back on the bus and headed for our next destination – Kennewick, Washington.

We had another great concert at First Lutheran Church. We all had great host families and enjoyed our stay.

Jesus, our Savior and Lord, You have blessed us with so many wonderful things. We thank you for the beaches and the mountains, for our friends and host families, for Dr. Duffy and Arnie (our awesome bus driver). You give us so much more than we deserve. You are marvelous and we continually thank your holy name, Amen.

“The wall was built of jasper, and the city was made of pure gold, clear as crystal.” Revelation 22:18

Junction City, Oregon was a very special stop for us. Faith Lutheran Church shares a similar background as Grand View University – both were founded by Danish immigrants. Also, several of the members of the church are Grand View alumni. One of the oldest congregation members (102) was a part of the Grand View choir when she was younger.

Dr. Duffy was first contacted by Faith Lutheran Church in 2011. That year, the choir made Junction City one of their stops on tour. Since then, Dr. Duffy has been asked every year when she was going to come back.

The members of the church made us feel very welcome. At the end of the concert, a young lady named Ava, dressed in a traditional Danish costume, presented Dr. Duffy and our accompanist, Colby Gochanour, with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

The church, although small, was a beautiful place to sing. While we were there, we were blessed with wonderful weather, allowing us to explore the area in our free time.

Thank you to all of our supporters in Junction City, Oregon.

Magnificent Father, We know that you have wonderful plans in store for us. Thank you for the opportunities you provide for us. We trust that we are in your loving hands. You will never leave us nor forsake us. All our love and praise to your merciful name, Amen.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29

Tuesday was day six of the trip. We spent the day on the bus traveling from Boise, Idaho to Junction City, Oregon. While the bus rides can get long and boring, they are also a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better.

The long bus rides provided time to rest and relax, so many of us chose to sleep (giving others the chance for to take funny photos). Everyone slept on the bus at some point during the trip.

Several of the choir members found the bus ride a good time to tell long, dumb jokes. Also on the bus, we spent many hours playing games, such as one-handed solitaire and Heads-Up.

Every day on the bus, we would do Iowa Trivia. Dr. Duffy would ask us questions about Iowa. The topics included Sports and Entertainment, Arts and Leisure, Geography, History, and others. If you answered a question correctly, you were awarded two points. If Dr. Duffy gave a hint and then the question was correctly answered, one point was awarded. The three students with the most points at the end of the trip (Andrew Hill, Shantell Rasty, and Jordan Skarin) were given a prize of a Grand View blanket. Iowa Trivia is tons of fun and provides a way for us all to interact with each other while sitting on the bus.

Another fun activity on the bus was randomly bursting out in song. Andrew Hill, a bass in the choir, made the trip entertaining and interesting. We never knew what song he would sing next and he would often impress us with his knowledge of the lyrics to songs such as “The Circle of Life” from Disney’s The Lion King.

O God, We continue to thank and praise you. Thank you for allowing us to bond while on this long trip. Help us to find the time to rest our souls, minds, and bodies while on this trip. We know you love us and for that we are grateful. You are good. In your name we pray, Amen.

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” Psalm 68:19

Sunday night was our last night in Salt Lake City. Many of us spent the evening exploring the town with our host families.

On Monday morning, after eating breakfast with our families, we arrived at the church to pack our lunches. Shortly after that, we loaded up the bus and headed to Temple Square, the center of Salt Lake City.

At Temple Square, the principal organist gave us a private tour of the Conference Center and the Mormon Tabernacle. Both were beautiful. The Conference Center seats 21,000 people and has a custom built organ, which one of our choir members, Colby Gochanour, got the opportunity to play.

In the Tabernacle, the entire choir got to sing a few of our concert pieces. The sound was beautiful. Colby also got to play the organ in the Tabernacle. Some of the pipes on the organ are so large one person cannot reach around the entire pipe.

After finishing our tour of Temple Square, we got back on the bus and headed to Boise, Idaho for concert number four.

That night, members of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Boise fed us salad and pasta. Our concert went really well.

We departed with our host families, with the instructions that we had to return in the morning to head to our next destination.

Father in Heaven, We thank you for your continued guidance. We know that we can trust you with our daily burdens and troubles. You are always with us, no matter what befalls us. Thank you for the opportunities you continue to bless us with. All our praise and thanks goes to you. In your name we pray, Amen.

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”” 1 Chronicles 16:31

The fourth day of our trip was spent in Salt Lake City, Utah. Because we didn’t have to do any traveling, we got to spend most of the day with our host families. Our concert was at 4:00, but other than that, the day was ours to relax and go sightseeing.

In the morning, some of us chose to go to church, while others chose to take the opportunity to sleep in. Zion Lutheran Church offers two worship services, one at 8:15 and another at 10:30. Grand View was represented at both services.

All of us got to experience different parts of the city throughout the day. Several of the students were able to go up the mountains. Other students drove around the city. A few of the students got the opportunity to get a personal tour of East High, the high school where the film High School Musical was shot.

A majority of the students were able to experience the In-N-Out, a burger restaurant only available in the West. It was delicious.

No matter where we were in Salt Lake City, the view was unbeatable, whether it was the mountains, the sunset, or the city lights at night. Some of the students got witness last night’s sunset from the banks of Salt Lake.

Thank you to members of Zion Lutheran Church for making our stay in Salt Lake City unforgettable.

Magnificent God, Thank you for the wonderful opportunities this trip has allowed us to experience. We praise your holy name for the incredible sights you created. Please continue to keep us safe as we continue to travel west. In your name we pray, Amen.

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”” Genesis 32:24-26

Most of the day was spent traveling. While it was a long day on the road, we got to see some wonderful views. The snow covered mountains are breathtaking.

After spending almost seven hours on the bus today, we arrived at Zion Lutheran Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. We rehearsed for our concert tomorrow and then got a chance to talk to some of the congregation members about life among Mormons.

Salt Lake City has a large Mormon population. The Mormons followed the Platte River until arriving at their final destination of Salt Lake City.

After our discussion, we were fed a wonderful meal of meatloaf, baked potatoes, and brownies. It was fabulous.

We parted ways and went with our host families, who we will be spending the next two days with. The view of the night sky is like nothing we have ever seen before. We can actually see stars, something we can’t see in Des Moines.

Dear Lord, Thank you for blessing us with these wonderful opportunities. Please continue to keep us safe and allow us to continue to bless others with the gift of music. We love you and praise your merciful name, Amen.