Tour Timing

Planning tour as gone through many stages.  

My first hurdle was writing an email to Nairobi schools and churches.  I had a lot of trouble writing to people who didn't know me to ask if we could come perform.  I wasn't sure how to start.  I finally figured out a way to introduce myself and humbly ask if we could come.  I ran it past the other director who gave me a few pointers and I started email locations the first week of Jan.

The other music director was a great resource and he checked in with me regularly to 

talk through who to contact.  It was wonderful not to feel that the planning rested solely on me.

I was thrilled that right away I heard back from four locations saying they were looking forward to my email, having had our school perform for them in the past, and were open to having us come again.  

God had shown me He was with me in the process.   

As the weeks went on I struggled to come up with a location for Saturday afternoon finding that several schools were available for Fri. but would not have enough students around for a Saturday concert. Soon, I ran into another challenge when my Sunday afternoon concert also felt they could not ask their congregation to stick around for 3 or 5 hours for a concert in the afternoon.  Transport can be expensive and families often come from a distance to go to church in the busy city of Nairobi. 

As February drew closer I was not down to only 4 concerts.  This past week I have spent hours researching schools and making calls.  By Wednesday, I had made little progress, but as I looked at the process God reminded me that He was still covering my original fears of being well received as a stranger by giving me wonderful conversations with the people I called.  Each phone called produced people who were eager to hear from me and encouraging even if they could not accommodate me.  I know that some of their responses were from the reputation of RVA and some of it is from their hospitality as Kenyans.  The combination was a joy and a reminded that God was showing Himself to me. 

A month before our tour I received a call from a school I had originally contacted before realizing they were not a boarding school and would not have availability on a Sat. I was amazed by the words of the principle as she explained that the week of our tour was their school's music festival.  She had waited to call me back because they had been finalizing details for their Friday festival culmination. She explained that they specifically wanted our school to come and perform as part of their musical emphasis that week.  I was so honored that after talking to the other music director we changed our schedule to be a part of the festival.   

Still without a concert on Sat. I know I have some work ahead of me with more phone research and phone calls next week, but I am doing what I can to remember that I am not also trying to put together host homes or transport like I did for tours in the States.  RVA has it's own buses and another Christian school in Nairobi will be hosting us for the weekend.  All I can stay now is, I'll keep you posted.