Choir 32 has arrived!

On Friday 16th, 23 children and 4 adults arrived into the UK...after a 4 hour drive on a bus to Johannesburg airport, a 2 hour flight, a 10 hour flight and 23 South African Children going through immigration without even a question of who, what, where, why and when!!!!!!

Before we left South Africa some of the children had question's about tour such as "Is the bus going to fly?" "What will I do if I am trying to sleep and my host family is snoring?" and "Will we fly to each host family?" These children act so innocent yet they have experienced more that I will probably experience in my life!

We have been staying at Jubilee High School in Surrey since then - sleeping on a drama room floor and eating canteen food. Part of my job is bag check co-ordinator so I have been in charge of making sure the children have enough clothes, that they fit and making sure they have their names on them. I am also teaching Grade 5's which can be challenging at times but I love it...it is making me re-think what I want to do once I am done with this tour...although I don't ever think I will be done with the African Children's Choir.
These last few days have been a bit mental with keeping track of our children while there are 600 school children going about as well...the children have been in intense rehearsals all week and started more schooling today so it is really busy for them.
On Thursday we drive up to Hawick in our big bus for our first concert on Friday night...I can't wait! I can't wait for people to see how amazing these children are, to meet the team I am working with and to be able to spend time with new people and let them be a part of these children's lives...even for only a few days!

You would think that being with the same people all the time would get a bit draining but it's not like that at all....the children have individual characters that just keep growing and growing and it is good to keep learning things about the aunties and uncles. I love what I am doing with this season of my life and I am so grateful to God that His timing is perfect and that I get my first experience of tour with these children and these chaperones. I feel so comfortable to be myself with them and most of you know how I am in new situations!

I better finish for now but I will write more soon when I have some stories to tell!

South Africa

I arrived in South Africa on the 23rd of April into the lives of 23 beautiful children who are age 9 to 12! They are so cute and I am so excited about this next season of my life raising them and travelling with them in my own country. Over the last 3 weeks I have been living with the children at the school and being involved in their daily routine. They wake up at 6am most days, clean the house, have devotions and school starts at 7am. I have been teaching the children and will be teaching them on the road! They have playtime, naps and they are in bed by 8.30pm. It has been a bit overwhelming being here with these children as I have waited almost 3 years for this opportunity but I have settled into the team really well and being with the children is such an amazing experience!
I have been able to do some home visits of some of the children which has been good to know where they are coming from and how they have been living, I have gone to the after school programme that Music for Life holds in the community schools and I have met the team that work behind the scenes here for Music for Life and the African Children's Choir. I arrive back in to London on Friday 16th May and will start concerts on the 23rd. Sorry this is a short update but I will be able to write more in the UK!
Thanks for reading!