Point Loma Nazarene University’s concert choir spent the week of spring break, March 2-10, in Oahu singing for churches and elementary and middle schools.
The Concert Choir Tour, led by Professor Dan Jackson, occurs each year. Concert choir tours to different places each year around the same time to sing for churches and schools. This tour to Hawaii only happens every four years.
Second-year commercial music and music worship double major Julia Ramos attended this trip with the concert choir and said it was an incredible experience.
“There was actually ministry involved and we got to share God’s word through music, which is always super awesome to do,” Ramos said.
Ramos said that throughout the shows, they sang a couple of foreign language pieces, gospel pieces, choral pieces and a couple of worship songs. In each show, a different student was able to share their testimony with the church and schools.
Ramos shared her testimony to a group of middle schoolers at one of the shows, “I was lucky enough to get to share mine with the middle schoolers. A lot of my testimony takes place in middle school so it was definitely like, God is present here.”
First-year music education major Chloe Westra said it was so special singing in the churches and schools, “With the churches, it was always really emotional. The songs just speak to the choir and the church. We also got to pray for the congregation.”
Westra said it was a good bonding experience getting to know everyone in the concert choir as well.“I went on the trip not really knowing anyone in the concert choir, I was a little nervous,” Westra said. “It was really good to get to know everyone.”
First-year child development major Peyton Fernandez said singing for the schools was extremely rewarding.
“The people were so, so welcoming. The people of Oahu are such loving and giving individuals,” Fernandez said via text message.
When the group wasn’t singing, they enjoyed hiking at the North Shore, swimming in the ocean and spending time with one another.
“Some activities I did on this trip were of course worship alongside my choir classmates. I also had time to snorkel at Turtle Canyon, hike many waterfall trails, and explore the island with friends.” Fernandez said via text message.
Fernandez said her favorite part of the trip was getting to minister to the youth. She said it was a fulfilling experience getting to spread the word of the Gospel to young, sweet kids.
