The day: Wednesday, the ninth of August; the time: 7:45 AM; the destination: Athens, Tennessee. All 16 members of Tehillah and their respective family members had groggily dragged themselves out of bed and been driven to meet the bus at Barnwell Mennonite Church. Much caffeine had already been consumed, and several cries were made in need of more. The sound of scurrying feet was heard as the singers scoured the church to make sure nothing was left behind.
Around 8 o’clock, the bus moseyed its way out of the parking lot at the hands of Joe Miller. The six-hour drive had begun! During those next six hours (actually eight with all the stops), the bus was filled with words of devotionals, cries of babies, exclamations due to exploding felines, and conversations on various topics. Sleeping was an option, but was usually accompanied by waking up with sore muscles due to the strange position one’s body had shifted into while in dreamland.
By 4:15 PM, the bus was pulling into the parking lot of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. As the ensemble made their way toward the stage to start practice, more cries were made for caffeine. (In case the reader hasn’t noticed yet, caffeine is a very important part of this tour.) After getting ready and trying to quiet down Karen’s hysterical laughter, the ensemble worked their way down to the basement to enjoy a scrumptious meal of haystacks prepared by the pastor of Cornerstone and his family.
When 7 o’clock rolled around, nerves and temperatures started rising as the members of Tehillah readied themselves to parade onto the stage. Songs were sung, mistakes were made, tears were almost shed, lights flickered, and most importantly the message of praise to God was heard! As the program drew to an end, the congregation of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship bravely came forward to host the ensemble. Thus, the day drew to an end.
– Jonny Mullet