The ECMT officially began on October 1st. But so as to not freak my workplace out too much (and get a few more things done and my sub trained better), I didn’t leave until Friday the 3rd.
Most of the kids (as well as the directors, their kids and the bus driver), flew into Oklahoma City on Wednesday and started mime tech and piece training (as well as some other random stuff) on Thursday the 2nd.
Thursday after getting out of work later than usual and coming home and finishing packing, my parents and I left and headed for the Baltimore area (after dinner at Red Robin). I had reserved at hotel with free shuttle to BWI for my (I think it was 6) AM flight. Figured if I was going to be straining my body on tour, I’d better be smart about my sleep before it began!
I flew into Kansas City, MO (several hundred cheaper than Springfield) and then rented a car one-way, driving to the Springfield airport where I was picked up and taken to Branson. I got there shortly before dinner Friday night and was absolutely bewildered arriving in the middle of a meeting seeing nearly a dozen faces I’d never seen before, plus about a half dozen I had. Okay, actually, it was more like 15 and 10 (if you count the little ones). And I may be off. Like I said – I was bewildered and ‘out of it’ for awhile there…
Training then lasted through Monday. There were meetings and Bible study prep and learning pieces and a little technique (including my first introduction of forms to them). And they had a 2-piece presentation on Sunday.
Tuesday AM we loaded up – 13 of us – into a 15-passenger van (plus bookbags, sleeping bags, duffles, props, an amp and office/workshop stuff). There 7 “kids” (3 girls, 4 boys, ages 13-19), the directors, their two little ones (10 mos. and almost 3 years), our driver (who was Mrs. Director’s mother) and myself. We spent the night in Tennessee and had another 9(ish) hour drive again on Wednesday.
We spent Wednesday night – Friday night (October 8-10) in Blacksburg, VA where we taught a workshop to the team there. I led 3 mime technique sessions (plus one with their mini-mimes), finished editing and reformatting (onto my computer) our workbook and I think our tour kids taught their team like a half dozen pieces.
Saturday morning we were up at 4 and on the road by 5:15 for Purcellville, VA where we spent Saturday and part of Sunday. On Saturday they presented 2 mime sets at a Fall Festival (then helped with games and cleaning up) and Sunday they presented our newest piece (and a group favorite), ‘The Faithful’ at a church.
Sunday afternoon we drove up to my place and spent about 2 days in the Chambersburg area. Sunday evening, the 12th, they did a presentation at a church in Marion and Monday evening they did one at my church! Monday during the day we went to Gettysburg for some sight-seeing and then had lots of homework time. (I also got to feed them ‘my’ food – no pasta lasagna and sugar-free cheesecake.)
Tuesday morning we left for the general Lancaster area and spent a few days hanging out with the DRAMA team there. We went to the Mennonite information center and then Tuesday night hung out with various parts of the DRAMA team (they have like 5+ teams in that ministry alone) then sat in on practice of a drama group Tim was helping out with. Wednesday we toured Lancaster Bible College (almost fun to sit in on a class again), then went to a park to hang out with DRAMA people. Wednesday night we went into York where Tim is working with another mime team and helped out there. I taught a brief mime tech class there.
Thursday morning we left for Jersey. Jersey was our longest stay, arriving mid-day on Thursday (the 16th) and pulling out Monday morning (the 20th). They presented at an assembly at the church’s school Thursday afternoon and we began the workshop that evening. I worked with one of the groups (they were split into 4 groups to learn pieces) but can’t remember if I taught any technique – yes – I think I did do one combined technique class. The workshop ended Saturday just after noon with a presentation – a few of our pieces plus the pieces the kids had learned in the workshop. (That was a ‘typical’ workshop for us – mime classes, learning pieces, Bible studies and challenging the kids to memorize scriptures.) Friday during the day we traveled to another place in Jersey to a homeschool co-op. I did a mime tech class there. Saturday after quickly cleaning up, we went into New York City for a couple of hours. Mostly drove around but did stop (bathroom) and walk to Rockefeller Center and back. Sunday they presented for children’s church and we rushed about again to make it out to the Statute of Liberty and Ellis Island (think lunch and mime make-up removal in the van)!
Monday morning we left for Connecticut. We were there the 20th – 22nd. We did a workshop in the evenings. I think I may have done two technique sessions there. Tuesday I think we did something in the morning, but I can’t remember. I know we had lunch and homework time at the church. Wednesday morning we visited the Submarine Force museum and took a tour of the Nautilus, then stopped at a rocky shore on the way back (Rhode Island was to the left and a New York island was across the water). Wednesday night was another presentation (mostly us with some of the pieces the workshop kids learned). It was in Connecticut that we had one person finish all 5 sections of scripture memorization and Bible study homework!
Thursday we left and headed back down, this time going to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We were there Thursday and Friday, doing afternoon/evening workshops. I think they presented one or two of the Bible studies but it was mostly technique (I taught once or twice) and learning pieces. Friday during the day I went with Megan and Mrs. Cooper (and the two little ones) to a nearby clinic. I had gotten sick and wanted to make sure it wasn’t strept because (a) I seem to be extra susceptible to it and (b) it is highly contagious – esp. when you’re living in cramped quarters with 12 others! It wasn’t, but the doc did give me muscle relaxers to help me sleep better (I hadn’t been). Friday night there was another presentation.
Saturday we headed up to Dover, DE where we ran another small workshop (again mostly mime technique and piece learning) Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon/evening. Sunday during church I got very dizzy and spent most of that day sleeping or resting. Sunday night there was a pretty nice bonfire with the Dover team. Monday we had a service project during the day, then homework time and then the parents wanted a presentation (to share what their kids had learned). The coolest part of Dover was that their team and ours knew Virtuoso so we had them do it mirroring one another.
Tuesday we drove back down to Federalsburg, MD (on the Eastern Shore – home to one of our tour kids) where we cleaned house again and had more homework time. I think Tuesday night we went over to the Rice home and ate there, then had more homework/paper plate time. I really connected with their family. Wednesday we did some sightseeing and then went to another little church who had us come in for their mime practice that night and help with some pieces. There our tour kids got a kick out of teaching me a part in 5 minutes so I could help teach the piece!
Thursday morning (Oct. 30th) we left Federalsburg and went into DC, taking in a tour of the Capitol and spending time at the Air and Space museum before heading on through to Purcellville. Thursday night we worked with the team in Purcellville (I did five minute of mime technique). Friday we toured Patrick Henry College and then helped out at a Halloween-alternative event where the Purcellville team was presenting. Saturday was another work (service project) day, then we did an afternoon workshop with their team (I taught a technique class). That evening was our big end-of-tour dinner. Mrs. Cooper (queen of the kitchen) made a special meal and we presented our paper plate awards and the kids had gotten gifts for each of the adults.
Sunday we got up and headed into DC again, eating lunch in the van before putting on make-up and starting a series of 3 or 4 sets presented at the Lincoln Memorial. It was November 2nd, just two days before the election. And ACTION has a lot of patriotic pieces – including ones calling our nation back to God. My parents met us there (and Mom got to see a piece to her favorite song – Battle Hymn) and I said goodbyes (as did Josh whose parents had also come to watch and pick him up). Then my parents whisked me away and we headed home – stopping at a restaurant (maybe a TGIFridays?) for dinner. I remember I got steak. Then we walked across the parking lot to a Starbucks where I got a sugar-free steamer. It was VERY cold and windy that day.
Got home between 9 and 10 and went to bed. Up Monday morning and went to work!
This was somewhat of a unique tour in that instead of offering workshops with different tracks (mime, drama, sign language, etc) that the kids teach, most of the places we went this year wanted to focus on mime technique and learning pieces. Which is how I ended up teaching so much. (And loved every minute of it.) I think I introduced forms and mime twister to every team we stopped at.
I also did most of the registrations, workshop paperwork and the like. Mostly on my computer. And though it was a lot like my day job – I enjoyed it!
tauta LogizomAi 