In the town of Lake Wales in the middle of the state of Florida, removed from civilization, is a great big bell tower called a Carillon. Built by Edward Bok, the Ladies' Home Journal magnate and editor during World War I and the previous 25 years, the structure towers above the gardens that surround it. I spent a relaxing afternoon strolling through the gardens and listening to the carillonneur, William De Turk, play music. He performed a set of classical pieces and ended with the more familiar songs from The Sound of Music - I taped part of 'The Hills Are Alive' for your listening pleasure. Afterward, he came down from the tower and talked to us, answering various questions that we had and generally being friendly.
I went with my friend Matt, his girlfriend Melissa and his friend Ivan (and family) to Epcot Center today, in the Disney World park. It was pretty cool - I've never been to any of the Disney World theme parks before. As we were walking around for twelve hours, it struck me that westerners (and particularly Americans) seem to play just as hard as they work, almost as if to have fun you have to expend tons of energy in recreation. Not that it wasn't fun - I had a blast hanging out with friends and riding the rides, being exposed to new experiences and learning new things. It was just interesting how dedicated everyone seemed to be to the experience and yet how tired everyone was. I wonder if we've forgotten how to rest.
I got to ride Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Mission to Mars, The Land, and a few others that were pretty cool (a really neat aquarium and greenhouse), but the country exhibits were probably my favorite. Different cultures representing themselves, albeit in a fake touristy way, but they did have museum displays that were actually interesting, and later in the afternoon there were live performances by musicians from each country. The Moroccans were jammin'! We ended up at the Norwegian restaurant for dinner (no goat cheese or real Norwegian bread, unfortunately) and the girls got to meet all the Disney Princesses except for Jasmine. Finally, the day culminated in a spectacular fireworks show. Notice how it's accompanied by music - the whole day was accompanied by background music intended to inspire and encourage and keep us happy. I think it probably works subliminally...
Today I took a tour at Wycliffe, led by my friend Chris who is also a connector/facilitator at Wycliffe. She had some interesting things to say about the work that gets done here at the office and around the world.
We were also able to meet with a national translator from the Brazilian Amazon who is here to develop relationships and partnerships with Wycliffe. You can hear some of our conversation in this video. There is much more about the tour that doesn't fit in this short video, though, so I recommend that you visit the office in Orlando yourself. You can also find out more on their website. Everyone is needed to accomplish the task of Bible translation.
Today I visited Wycliffe in Orlando, met with some folks and visited with some old friends. I love the folks here - very welcoming and friendly and excited about what they're doing. Missionaries are some of the coolest people.
In Port Orange, next to Daytona Beach, is a non-profit organization that celebrates the arts. Named 'Arthaus' and founded by my aunt Laurie Ring, it has been celebrated by local media as a place where kids are encouraged to be creative and expressive, and to grow in their artistic abilities. It's a great thing - today I stopped by for a tour.
The title today refers not to the saint who penned the well-read 'Confessions', but rather to the oldest city in the US (which happens to bear his name). St Augustine (just south of Jacksonville, FL) was founded by Spain to protect its interests in the West Indies, and their fort, San Marcos, was never taken by force, only by treaty. We drove there today from Micanopy (the second city in Florida) on a gorgeous spring day. Spring has truly arrived here in Florida, though some would say it never leaves.
St. Augustine is also the home of Flagler College, which remembers Henry Flagler, a magnate of the early 1900s who (like his contemporaries the Rockefellers) built a lot of buildings and bequeathed a lot of money for the benefit of posterity. The college is a small liberal arts college that has a strong deaf education major.
On the way back to Ormond Beach, along A1A, we took a detour through the Tacoma swamp to visit the oldest Live Oak tree in Florida. This tree is huge and is over 2,000 year old! It's a pretty amazing sight.
It rained a bunch last night, which folks around here say is needed - they've been waiting for rain a long time. Woke up to damp surroundings, but with the sun up it was a gorgeous day. I went to church with Warren, Mike and co. at Micanopy Fellowship - today was sharing Sunday, so I shared a couple of my songs (The Problem and I Am Not a Thief) and was blessed by other people's testimonies. Particularly Lenora's - she has an incredible story of how God brought her out of abuse and drugs, and is now working with Teen Challenge in Lakeland, helping others find hope and joy in Christ. Other people's stories were also powerful, with one family in the church having lost two children in a recent car accident, their third is now in the hospital slowly recovering.
We then shared lunch together - potluck and conversation, and afterwards Warren and I visited Hunter in the hospital. I was able to sing one of my parents scripture songs to encourage Hunter and her family, sans guitar. We went back to Mike's and rested, and then set up at the fellowship in the evening for the concert. You can see/hear Chasing Shadows in the video below. People were really responsive and encouraging, and as they prayed for me afterwards I could sense the Spirit of God in this place, among these people.
Today was a bit of a sabbath for me - just rested and hung out at Mike's house near Micanopy. It was a beautiful day and Warren spent most of it re-connecting with folks by phone. I took a nap and did some computer stuff. Then we went off to McIntosh, where the daughter of some friends of Warren got married in the Presbyterian church. So here's some short video of my day.
Uncle Warren and I woke up early this morning to meet with some men in a bible study in Daytona beach @ 6am. Really great guys seeking to grow closer to God. I miss this kind of regular study, and it was great to be invited to join fellow believers. I was pretty tired though - too little sleep in the last few days - on the trip over to Micanopy I was nodding off and had to munch on a few Jolly Ranchers (thanks Trip Beans!) to stay awake.
Warren took me on a mini tour of the Micanopy area when we got there. This is a part of Florida I had never seen - far from the hectic pace of Orlando, in farm country, the roads are hemmed in by tall trees covered in hanging spanish moss. Peaceful, with cool breezes, shady and relaxing. We stopped by Evinston to visit the Post Office - which combines mail with fresh vegetables and a country store. It's a one-of-a-kind place. I sorted through their record collection and picked up a few childrens records for my friend Phil as well as a couple jazz LPs that I look forward to listening too. They are a bit scratched up, but shouldn't affect the playability.
We then stopped by Mosswood Farms - down a dirt road to visit some friends of Warren who own a horse training farm. They use the natural horse training method, in which horse and rider develop a relationship based on the way horses behave in the wild. I first came across this when I spent a semester in Tanzania and took a horsemanship class with a British lady. It seems like a really good method - horse whisperer style.
I'm looking forward to resting the next couple days. I play music on Sunday, but that's all I have scheduled for a while. We're staying with Mike and his wife - friends of Warren and parents of Matt, who was with me in Norway (you can look back at last May/June's blog entries to meet Matt).
Today was full of driving - the longest drive of my tour yet. I drove 7 hours from Greenville, SC to Ormond Beach, FL where my 'Uncle' Warren lives. I'm spending the night and then driving him to Micanopy for the weekend, where I'll play a concert at a church. It was good to see him again - the last time I saw him was in Norway this past spring.
The trip itself was uneventful. Here's some video of the trip - me arriving at the welcome center in Florida and observing local wildlife, driving under the bridges in Jacksonville, and driving over the inland waterway to the ocean.
