Tour Stop

A little bit of the past came to visit over the weekend.

The Concert Band from Lutheran High School of Indianapolis (LHSI) completed their Lenten Tour by leading music in worship at Lutheran Church of the Living Christ here in Madison.

I spent seven years at LHSI serving as Development Director.  It was an awesome experience.  Our son graduated there in 2008.

It was an opportunity and blessing to work with many great people and very good friends.  

The band of 18 students, their director Pam Miller, and three chaperones contacted the church in Madison about a month ago looking to round out their Wednesday to Sunday tour.



Members of the congregation opened their homes to provide lodging and the small group Bible study we are part of provided a home - made meal for the group after they arrived Saturday afternoon to unload their truck and practice for the next morning.



It's kind of surprising to think I've been away for nearly two full academic years now.

What that means from a practical standpoint is that any students I might still know were freshman and sophomores when the Class of 2012 graduated.



There were a few students who came on the trip that I knew well.  One is preparing to graduate and busy choosing which college to attend.  Another has another year to go, but is studying diligently and making college visits. 

I recall while working at the school how quickly young men and women grew up from freshman to senior year.



But with a year or two away from campus - it was impressive to see how much some of those young kids have grown.



One thing I remember from my time at LHSI was accompanying groups on trips from campus.  Without fail the students were solid representatives of themselves, their families, and the school.  It was a great feeling to know you could count on them in any situation.



We had three young men in our small place - they were fun, respectful, and (most noted by a parent of two boys) got up on their own (on time!!) early after losing an hour of sleep.  They were very low maintenance and seemed to enjoy the one Madison "must-stop" place on our list to share with them - Ella's Deli for some Saturday night ice cream.



The joyful sounds of the band added great energy to the sanctuary for worship. 



It was a brief visit, not even 18 hours long, but their presence was felt, enjoyed, treasured, and remembered.