Cave Exploration

Well, I think our special music went OK. Several people told us that they really enjoyed it, so that's always good to hear. When we got to the church for our sound check Robbie told us that Pastor Nixon was still speaking for the second service so we waited in the back until that service was over. Ty had talked to some of the people in charge of the communion and had found out that we weren't playing for a traditional special music, but rather the special music was going to be during the time the deacons handed out the bread and wine. I started worrying that our song would be too raucous for that, but then we decided that since it was Renewal we wouldn't worry about it Then they had to convert the stage from a girls choir and handbells to be ready for a praise team and a string quartet. Finally when they were done that Robbie told us to go on stage and do a quick sound check. Lots of the people were already filling the pews for Renewal so that was a bit weird, but it was fine. We did the sound check and then, after putting our instruments in the back again, we sat down near the front of the sanctuary. We left to go backstage when Nixon started his sermon and as soon as he was done we filed on stage and then started playing as the deacons started receiving the plates of bread and wine. After we were done the deacons still had a few more pews to serve and we were just supposed to stand quietly on the stage until they came back to the front of the church. It was a little awkward, but I tried to make it look like that was the plan, so hopefully that came across. We talked to each other afterward and said that, had we known earlier that it was going to be for that particular time in the service, we could have added another verse. Oh well. Maybe next time, haha. Anyway afterward we heard good comments from people so I'm happy. It was really fun to perform again actually, especially for a church a little bigger than our home church.

In the afternoon Jonathan brought his cousin, Tom, Bryn, Ty and me out to a neat cave north on I-24. Bryn and Ty had to leave early, but Jonathan, Tom and I explored one whole arm of the cave until we came to a place that had caved in or something like that. Jonathan had been to that cave twice before and he remembered it going farther, but every direction we tried to take led to dead-ends so we finally had to give up. It was still a lot of fun, even though we had to walk through a very cold stream, squish through tons of mud and try not to disturb the bats (who were adorable, by the way). When we came out of the cave it was dark and we were frozen until coming back to our respective dwellings for really hot showers. Of course, before we got all showered and clean we took pictures of how dirty we got.