Happy Sunday from Grace & Sara!

This morning we got up at 6:15 am (you can imagine how that went over), and attended Sunday mass at the Anglican Church of the Holy Spirit in Heideveld, where we performed intermittently throughout the two hour service. It was special in my opinion because during that moment, we were a part of the community, not just foreign guests. We saw people being baptized into the church, ranging from a new born baby to an adult, and I personally met a woman in the church choir who was also named Grace (you can see our picture in the Gallery page of the blog)! After eating some samosas and coconut doughnuts (both common foods here in South Africa and both delicious), we headed over to another church, St. Johns Church in Crawford, which happens to be Leonard’s church and neighborhood. There we had a great lunch and, later a rehearsal before our visit at Leliebloem House, a place for children in the community who have been removed from their families by court order after suffering from abuse at home. We met a bunch of kids, mostly in their early teens and a few little guys, and played our drums from the World Rhythm Ensemble with them! It was a short visit, but definitely touching and fun. Each day we become more and more immersed in South African culture and the widely diverse, but still segregated communities of Cape Town. Sara will take over from here! - Grace

Just as I thought we were going to leave, a group of girls asked me to sing at least one more song at Leilebloem House, specifically Tshotsholoza. When I started to sing, sure enough the choir heard what I was singing and everyone joined in. It was a beautiful moment we shared, repeating with the girls, standing mesmerized by the music we were creating. It was only a few minutes after that when Jane and the rest of the staff came around to get us all together back to the church. When we went inside, an audience was already sitting, waiting for us to begin. It filled us with happiness to see some of the children from the Leliebloem House were able to attend the concert. We sang a variety of songs from Quien va Cantar to Jamaican Folk Songs. The audience loved us. Our concert was coming to end but the children requested one more song—just like before, Tshotsholoza. We invited them to join us on the stage and performed side by side. There is nothing more moving than to watch a group of kids smiling and having fun because of what we are doing. We brought them music and joy even if it was for a short amount of time. I was very emotional due to the events of the day and in my opinion, it has been the most memorable moment I have experienced during this trip. Back at our retreat center, we had tons of free time to make s’mores. We were singing and dancing to music. It was definitely a bonding time between the younger and older singers in the choir. We all became more comfortable with each other, showing our silly and embarrassing sides. I have to say that at the end of this day, I realized just how personally important and influential BCS has been. Some of the most amazing opportunities have taken place thanks to this community. However, this trip is far from over and I simply cannot wait to start a new day and see what else it will bring for all of us. -Sara

Quote of the Day:

“You sing to uplift…thank you” said the priest of St. John’s Church as he greeted our singers.

*From today on we will be announcing the “Singer of the Day” we will recognize a singer based on outstanding musicianship and leadership.

Singer of the Day: Isabelle, thank you for bringing your magnetic energy and powerful voice to our performance in benefit of Leliebloem House.