As has become something of a tradition, I brought my middle school class from Windham Christian Academy to Vermont for four days of performing and service. We left at 8:00 on Thursday morning, May 23. This year's class is small; I have only 11 students, and two were unable to go. So nine kids ages 12-14 and four adults made up the team (plus a rabbit and two doves, of course).
The chaperones were all parents of students in the class, and, for the first time in nine years, all students and chaperones were all first timers for this event. Needless to say, there was a lot of enthusiasm and nerves as we pulled out of the WCA parking lot. Nonetheless, the kids were excellent in the van. Hunter led a brief devotional and prayer time about an hour into the drive; I am very proud of how he did and how his classmates responded so respectfully and enthusiastically. After a brief bathroom break, we continued another 45 minutes to the Fold Family Ministry in Lyndonville, Vermont. The Fold is a residential school for 'troubled' teens from across the country: mostly nonviolent kids with life controlling issues such as self injury, addiction, promiscuity, etc. The Fold is Set beautifully in the mountains of northeastern Vermont. We set up quickly on their basketball court, and then their staff and students came out and sat on the hillside.
Our show went a full hour, and was highlighted by Sam's eighth grade juggling solo. Performing to 'Wizards of Winter' by Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Sam worked his way from three ball juggling to rings, then clubs, machetes, axes and fire torches. He closed by juggling a machete, an axe and a torch. What a amazing performance for a kid who couldn't juggle in September!
Other highlights included a flawless machete medley in which nobody dropped at all, the first performance of "Prodigal Juggler" of the year, and Will doing an audience participation escape trick with three of the Fold students. The staff and teens all loved the show. We ended with "Beautiful, Scandalous Night" in which students bring banners with words like 'hate', 'fear' or 'guilt' printed on them one at a time to a,large cross. They drape them on a cross, kneel to pray, and rise juggling. By the end there is a crowd of kids juggling around the cross, and a cross covered with these bandannas. Then I laid out blank banners and sharpie markers as "Beautiful, Scandalous Night" continued to play. One by one, kids from both groups began writing on the cloths and bringing them to the cross. This was a very powerful moment.
When the show was over, we still had a two hour trip to our base in Essex Junction. Anna led the next student devotion and prayer time, which was a very meaningful one about forgiveness. When we are arrived at Grace Methodist, our home base, we were all ready to get out of the van for the day. And we were ready for the upcoming five shows, parade and visit to a retreat center that was still to come.