England Day Seven

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Ian McDowell is friends with Dr. William McCrea, the Member of Parliament in South Antrim, Ireland. He arranged a tour of the Palace of Westminster, the Parliament building, for us for this morning. We arrived at the Sovereign’s Entrance at the Victoria Tower about 9:15 for a 9:30 tour. Our tour guide was a door keeper for one of the houses (there is the House of Commons and the House of Lords) and was very knowledgeable about the history and procedures in the building.

When Americans look at our history and the beginning of our country in 1776, we think that was a long time ago. England has history in the form of buildings, leaders and traditions that date back to 1100 and beyond. We walked through buildings built for kings and queens and heard about traditions that have been done for hundreds of years. When there was the risk of men with swords breaking into the Parliament building, they established a method of entry that required a man with a large stick to bang on a door three times. The doorkeeper would look through a peephole and if clear, would open the door. That tradition continues with a guy named Black Rod banging his stick on a door; that door was on the tour route and we saw the area of damage he has brought upon the door. I love that kind of stuff.

We heard and saw too much to tell you about here, but if you’re interested in the history of Britain and Parliament, I’d suggest you reading about it. It’s fascinating. One other neat piece of trivia; there is a statue of Winston Churchill, the only non-member of the Royal Family to lie in state in Westminster Hall, at the entrance into the House of Commons. It has been a gesture of good luck to rub his foot as you went into the House. Now, his toe is worn shiny and there is even a small hole in the metal. Pretty neat.

Faye and I then went to Westminster Abbey while Allison stayed outside and shot pictures. The Abbey is still an operating church; we heard a mass being recited while we walked around. There are memorials and tombs of hundreds of people in the church; there is even a memorial to Franklin Roosevelt on one wall. The artwork and architecture are magnificent. This is also the church where Charles and Diana were married, and where the coronations of kings and queens take place. The coronation chair is on display and was built in the 1500’s.

We walked up to Albert’s Pub and Restaurant, a few blocks from Parliament. It has a bell on the wall that rings when it’s time for a vote in either house; MPs are known to eat there. We had fish and chips, a must-have in London.

After lunch, we hopped a cab and went to the Tower of London. The highlight there is the crown jewels. You walk through a maze of three small theatres that show videos of coronations, public ceremonies and addresses to Parliament where kings and queens have worn the jewels. You then walk into a group of rooms behind two big bank-vault doors and begin seeing the good stuff. First you see gold; gold swords and scepters, and gold altar plates, salt dishes, and a gold punch bowl the size of a kid’s swimming pool with a ladle the size of a shovel. I’d miss a cup with that ladle for sure and dump the punch on somebody’s hand.

The jewels are displayed in glass boxes in between two moving walkways. One of the diamonds in a scepter is 530 carats! There are priceless emeralds, rubies, sapphires, pearls, and every other jewel or gem you can imagine. It’s a breathtaking display. But all good things must come to an end and they usher you out into the real world.

After doing a bit of shopping we caught another cab back to the hotel and rested a couple of hours before an Italian dinner across the street from the hotel. We’re all ready to get home and see our dogs and sleep in our own beds. They say the best part of a vacation is coming home and I can attest to that. We’re already packed for our 1:30 PM flight tomorrow. We’ll be home soon!

Scotland and England Day Six

Scotland and England

Monday, December 11, 2006

Faye and I went down to the dining room and had breakfast this morning. Arriving a little after 10:00, we nearly missed it, but the waitress let us slip in at the last minute and get some cereal and fruit. We sat and drank coffee a while until it was time to meet Andrew to go to the airport. He arrived about 11:30 in his car along with Ruby and John in their car and piled with our luggage and headed out. During breakfast it was very windy and raining hard and I just knew we’d get soaked. By the time we left, there was blue sky and light wind. On our way to the airport, it got very dark and started raining again… the weather in Scotland changes more than the weather in Nashville!

We were blessed with very good CD sales and Andrew offered to exchange our pounds sterling into U.S. dollars at his bank. I was in the car with John and we arrived and unloaded the luggage. No Allison, Faye, Andrew and Ruby. We waited, and waited, and waited… I was starting to get really nervous because we only had about 40 minutes before they closed the gate for our flight.

The finally showed up, having gone by the bank to take care of the funds transfer business. As it turned out, our flight was 45 minutes late due to wind at Heathrow, so we all sat and had a cup of coffee while we waited. One of the things we enjoy more than anything about traveling is meeting people and these guys were wonderful. Allison told the crowd last night that she just knew her mom had lied to her about her birthplace; she know she’d been born in Scotland! We’ve never met more kind, friendly and genuine people than those in Ireland and Scotland. It was like leaving family when we said goodbye at the security gate.

London’s Heathrow airport is the third busiest in the world after Atlanta Hartsfield and Chicago O’Hare, but it has the smallest land area by a large margin. An airplane takes off and lands each and every minute of every day. Landing and takeoff slots are very expensive for airlines to purchase and U.S. / U.K. routes are limited by international treaty. The overcrowding at gates and on the runway is severe, and the airport authority wants to add a third runway against the vehement objections of the neighbors that would loose hundreds of homes in the deal.

We landed and due to overcrowded gates were pushed to an international gate and had to board busses to take us to the domestic arrival terminal. That was pretty lucky because the walk to the luggage claim would have been brutal. One of those distinctive London taxis drove us to the hotel and we arrived about 5:00. After dropping off our luggage we walked about 3 blocks to the tube, London’s wonderful subway system. Just two exits away, we climbed the stairs and were right at the entrance of Harrods, the most amazing store we’ve ever seen.

Harrods is billed as the world’s most famous department store. Opened in the late 1800’s. at one time it ran its own funeral service and embalmed Sigmund Freud. You can’t describe Harrods; you must experience it. It is eight floors, all very large and crammed with people and very expensive goods. One half floor is devoted to food items; candy, seafood, quail eggs, literally everything you could want or need. Several restaurants dot the landscape. There is a pet section, an area for fine writing instruments, furniture, kitchen supplies… literally anything you can think of. We ate dinner in the deli and it, like everything else in Harrods, was expensive. But it’s one of the must-see places for London visitors and wanted Mom to see it.

Scotland Day Five

Sunday, December 10, 2006

We were able to sleep in this morning. Andrew met us at the hotel a little after noon and drive Faye, Allison and me to Edinburgh, Scotland. Edinburgh is one of the most beautiful cities we’ve ever seen. Dominating the skyline is Edinburgh Castle, home of James the second, the man that brought us the King James Bible. The city is a marvelous blend of old and new and is a place Allison and I want to vacation.

One of the neat things in Edinburgh is Holyrood Palace, one of the homes of the Royal Family. The flag was flying high over the palace and indicated that one of the Royals was in residence. Andrew dropped us off near the castle and we arranged a pickup time that left us about an hour-and-a-half to explore. When we walked to the gate, the sign said the castle was closed for the day due to high winds. We felt like the Griswolds traveling across the country only to find Wallyworld was closed!

So we spent the time shopping in the local stores up and down what is known as the Queen’s Mile. I wanted to buy a kilt to wear to church Sunday night but Allison thought better of it… I still want one. The tartan design in kilts, vests, sweaters, scarves and blankets was very beautiful, and they showed a loom in action making cloth sold on the spot.

When we met Andrew, he took us to a hotel for tea and lunch. It’s a spot he takes clients (he’s a banker) when he’s doing business in Edinburgh. The U.K. people know how to do tea. It was an event complete with highly starched tablecloths and napkins. Lunch was good, too, and it was good to get in out of the rain and wind.

Back at the hotel, we dropped Faye off (she chose to rest for the evening and forego the concerts, a decision which I heartily agreed with) and drove on to the first church. The night was, in my dad’s words, a double-header. We sang at 6:30 PM at a small church for a group of three congregations that had come together to hear Allison. They were a sweet crowd, very appreciative of our coming. The church was small but very old and beautiful.

We left there and drove about 15 minutes to another church. When we arrived, the church was already rocking with music from a black choir from Chicago, friends of the church’s pastor. The pastor was from Chicago. How did he end up in Scotland, you ask? He went to Moody College and was part of an exchange program that was supposed to last a couple of months; he’s been in Scotland for three years! This congregation was more raucous, the house was full, and we had a great time. Outside it was blowing rain horizontally and hailing a bit, but it was warm inside! We were exhausted when we got back and Allison’s throat was sore from overuse, and we fell right to sleep.

Ireland and Scotland Day Four

Saturday, December 9, 2006

We had it all planned out. We would meet Ian in the lobby at 9:30, so Faye and I would go down and get Breakfast at 8:30 and I would be her wakeup call at 7:45. It was a great plan except for the fact that I forgot to call Mom! I knocked on her door at 8:30 and she didn’t answer; I went to our room and called and she was sound asleep… Oooops… So much for using me as an alarm clock! It all worked out fine because she needed the sleep and we got coffee at the airport.

Our flight out of Belfast into Glasgow was at 11:10 AM and was only 30 minutes long so we were at the hotel in the suburb of Motherwell by 1:00 PM. The rules for carryon baggage in the U.K. are different than they are in the U.S. Our airports allow two bags: one roller bag, for example, and one laptop case or ladies purse. Here, they only allow one. We all had two so that made for some interesting juggling. Faye had to put her purse and my laptop into her roller bag, threatening the seams and zippers, Allison had to empty her purse into her roller bag, and I had to check my roller bag that holds our mic, ear monitors, and other equipment. If you’re used to traveling one way, it makes it very inconvenient to change while you’re in the middle of a trip. Oh well, life on the road!

Shane, Chris, Faye, Allison and I were hungry so we grabbed some lunch, even though they were supplying us with a meal at 4:00. We ate in the hotel dining room and lo and behold, right there on the menu, was the food that Scotland is famous for: haggis. Now, I’d heard of haggis and had decided not to indulge if given the opportunity. For those who are wondering what haggis is, I’ll tell you. It’s made from the lining of a sheep’s stomach, parts of the lungs and heart, with barley and wheat. I swear it looked like something I would get out of a can and serve Ellie for dinner. Allison tried some and put some on a plate for me. The aroma that assaulted my nose, and this is the honest truth, smelled like Alpo. But I did the respectable thing, the thing that one does when in a foreign country and is presented with that country’s delicacy: I ate it. Thanks God for allspice. While I wouldn’t make a habit of eating haggis, I kept down the one bite and lived to tell about it.

We had just enough time to change clothes and freshen up before we left for the venue. Motherwell hall was a beautiful hall that was decorated for Christmas. The event we were part of was the eighth-annual Christmas event sponsored by a ladies trio called Crystal Clear. When Andrew Polson, our Scottish contact, asked them if they could use Shane and Allison, they jumped at the chance and made them the special guests of the evening.

The hall was full, about 800 people, and it was a great evening of Christmas music and good American Southern Gospel music. They loved “I Will Glory In The Cross” and “Because He Lives” that Allison did. But the finale was the most amazing part of the night. They booked a bagpipe band that came in for the last song; six bagpipes, two snare drums and a bass drum. The intensity and precision with which they played was very moving. They marched in from the back playing the Scottish national anthem and the crowd started singing. Allison and I cried like babys; it was very, very moving.

After the concert, the only thing that was open to eat was McDonalds and we all had Big Mac meals. The hotel was hosting a very loud and raucous Christmas party so we couldn’t sit in the lobby, Shane, Chris, Andrew, Faye, Allison and I all crammed into our hotel room and ate our good American food to end the day.

Ireland Day Three

Friday, December 8, 2006

Faye, Allison and I slept in a bit and started walking towards the Belfast City Hall this morning. We decided to eat breakfast somewhere other than the hotel and found a small bakery a couple of blocks from the hotel. Faye wanted to look for an Ireland-specific gift so we ventured father into downtown. School was out Friday afternoon and kids were out with their parents in droves shopping for Christmas.

Malls are the same the world over; Allison loves to look at everything in sight and I get tired about half-way into her exploration. But people-watching is a unique experience in other countries. Even in a culture as close to America as the United Kingdom, there are differences in dress, mannerism, accents, etc. There is one thing for sure, however: The Irish are very, very friendly and kind, or as they would say, “very friendly indeed”.

Ian picked Shane, his friend Chris Hughes, and me up around 3:00 and took me to Ulster Hall for a sound check. They used a great sound company based out of Ireland and the guys were helpful and very professional. The auditorium is an old concert hall with great acoustics for symphonies and choirs but with amplified sound, it is very live acoustically. But these guys made it sound great. By the way, Ulster Hall has a beautiful old pipe organ and Ian made the thing vibrate; he’s a great player!

Here’s a mostly-useless factoid: most of the world’s electrical outlets are 240 volts, but America’s are 120 volts. The three pieces of sound equipment I took are all 120 volts which means I needed to run them through a transformer. What I didn’t realize and couldn’t test at home was that my transformer didn’t have enough capacity to run all three units. One would quit, or I’d get bad noise, or something else would be messed up. The lead sound guy, Malcom, was very helpful and loaned me two power cables for my two units that have switching power supplies, meaning they will run on either 120 or 220 volts. Now if you’ve never plugged a $3,000 piece of very sensitive electronic equipment into 220 volts for the first time, you’ve never lived… I was a nervous wreck! One night when I was traveling with The Speer Family, an electrician at a county fair where we sang had wired the 120 outlets with 220. Two amplifiers and a strobe instrument tuner literally smoked… we never got rid of that smell! That’s my memory of 220. Luckily they worked just fine and the program went on without a hitch.

The Irish people were very receptive to Allison’s ministry; about 700 people bought tickets to see Shane, the Gospelaires, and Allison. The Gaither videos are very popular in the U.K. and everyone knew Allison and Faye. The concert was great; Shane and Allison did a duet together, and the Gospelaires joined them for “Because He Lives.” The emcee interviewed Allison and Shane about their Christmas memories, and brought Faye on stage to interview her.

After the crowd was gone, several ladies served us dinner and tea in a room back stage. We got to the room after midnight, very tired but very pleased with the night.

Ireland Day Two

Thursday, December 7, 2006

It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for one’s attitude and disposition. Faye, Allison and I all slept like a dream, so to speak. Our room at the Holiday Inn Belfast was cool, dark and quiet, the three components we need for good sleep. We met Faye about 9:30 AM and had breakfast in the hotel dining room. Most of the items here you would find on a breakfast buffet at home but tastes and preparation are a bit different. And what I wouldn’t do for a Starbucks right now! They understand tea over here, but the coffee is somewhat lacking for a diehard java-head like me.

Having an hour to kill, we bundled up and took a walk. It was partly cloudy but cool and windy… we went from shop to shop, ducking in a store when we needed to get warm. Downtown Belfast (500,000 population) is beautiful with many old buildings and gothic architecture. The city hall is especially beautiful and we hope to take a tour before we leave. Ulster Hall, the site of the concert Friday night, is just a couple of blocks away from the hotel.

Our hotel is right across the street from a beautiful old building that belongs to the BBC, British Broadcasting Company. Our hotel doesn’t have CNN or any American news stations, so we watch the BBC Headline News. The anti-American slant is very evident and pronounced, especially on the topic of Iraq. Tonight they showed a clip of one of their correspondents questioning President Bush and the President responding in a feisty and firm manner; it was described as arrogance and stubbornness.

One of the joys of being on the road is the places you find by accident or stupid luck. Around one end of the city hall grounds was an outdoor market that had wares from local vendors, everything from plants and flowers to fresh nuts to baked goods to soap to jewelry. Faye and Allison had a great time going from booth to booth looking at things while I, as usual, tried to get them to hurry up! We realized we were just half done when we had to head back to the hotel. We’re planning on going back tomorrow to explore the other half and find a store recommended to us by our hosts.

Back at the hotel, we met Gordon, our tour guide for the day. Gordon works with Ian McDowell on concert promotions and sings in a local quartet here in Ireland. We piled in his Saab diesel and took off. Our first stop was a hundred-year-old building that used to be a post office. It is now a delightful restaurant and shop where we had lunch. Faye bought a couple of Christmas ornaments and we had soup and stew, perfect on a cold day.

The interesting thing about the building was the thatched roof which was being redone. The roofer was an older gentleman that has been doing this kind of work for 40 years. He uses wheat as the roofing material and holds it in place with “nails” of 9-inch willow branches. A roof like that will last an unbelievable 20 years, probably longer than my shingle roof at home. It is thick, about 12 to 18 inches, and evidently has a great insulating factor. We assumed that a guy like that would be hard to find and be a dying breed, and it was neat to watch him work.

The rest of the afternoon was spent driving around the Irish countryside and seeing the sites. We watched a ferry cross a loch during high tide when the water rose into the roadway, explored a centuries-old castle, and a four-hundred-year-old church. Gordon stopped in a little village for us to look at a castle that was still lived in by the ancestors of its original owners.

We met Ian and Lynn for dinner, along with Gordon’s wife Mae, and Shane Dunlap and his friend, Chris Hughes. Shane is from America and you might remember him singing with n’Harmony and Signature Sound. He has sung in Ireland before with Ian and is back as a part of the concert with Allison. Dinner was great and we had an enjoyable evening sitting around the table talking and laughing. It was great way to end the day.

Ireland Day One

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

We arrived safely in Belfast, Ireland, this afternoon at 2:00 PM. Allison sang in Jackson, MI, Monday night for the Michigan Nazarene District Christmas party and we spent the night there. Faye met us at the airport in Detroit Tuesday night and we left at 9:30 PM for London. We each had a two-seat space to ourselves which allowed us to stretch out a bit, as much as is possible when flying coach! The Airbus 330-300 had video-on-demand so I was able to watch two movies on the way over. I normally can’t sleep in an airplane and this time was no exception. Due to a strong tailwind, we made the trip in 6 hours and 30 minutes, a full hour faster than scheduled.

I’m glad we were early because Gatwick Airport in London was a zoo! We must have walked three miles between gate, immigration, check-in, security, and gate. After flying all night you don’t feel the best anyway and the crowds, hubbub and heat from thousands of bodies made us cranky… well, it made Allison cranky, but not me. I took it all in stride! The flight from London to Belfast was short, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and we made it in without incident.

The promoter, Ian McDowell, was there with his wife Lynne to welcome us when we exited the secure area. On the drive from the airport to the hotel, we passed the docks where the Titanic was built. Our hotel, the Holiday Inn Belfast, is right in town, near Ulster Hall where the concert will be held Friday night. We took a short nap then met Faye for dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Tomorrow, they will take us on a sightseeing tour of Northern Ireland. We’re praying the rain will hold off until we’re finished. Ian and Lynne, will take us out to dinner tomorrow evening if our internal clocks are reset by then! We all three feel like we’ve been hit by trucks but jet lag has a tendency to make you feel that way. We’re thankful for a safe and uneventful trip. I’m having a bit of trouble finding a good internet connection so my blog posting might be spotty, but keep checking back!

From Allison:

At dinner tonight we sat at the hotel restaurant and began to look at the British paper money. The Queen is on each bill and because we were somewhat exhausted we began to talk of her and Faye mentioned that when she passes away she will have to be buried with her arm all crooked because she has held that little pocketbook of hers at her elbow for so many years. Then we made the progression of “What exactly does the Queen keep in that little purse of hers?” As we began to speculate it became funnier and funnier.

We decided that she probably has a couple of wadded Kleenex, a tube of Chap-stick, a couple of paperclips, nose spray, maybe eye drops, one of those stupid little finger toothbrushes, and Marriott ink pen. If she is any kind of mother or grandmother at all she has to have a pop tart. Brian then added she probably has three old aspirin covered with lint and that topped off the evening. We have laughed a lot and sighed a lot at being so tired. Tomorrow will be an adventure. Faye and I both are going to look in London for one of those little Queen pocketbooks!

Word Of Life International

This week finds us at the Word Of Life conference center in Schroon Lake, NY. Mike Bush, V.P. of Inn Ministries, invited us to be part of his Senior Saints conference. We met Mike and his beautiful wife Amy last year when Amy had Allison sing for two of her ladies conferences. They're great folks and we enjoy our time with them laughing and telling stories! The speaker this week is Dr. Don Hubbard and his teaching has been outstanding. He and his wife Joy have been a blessing.

Schroon Lake is about 90 miles north of Albany, NY, in the beautiful Adirondack Park. The setting is rustic, right on the lake, but the facilities are anything but rustic. They have a lodge where we stay, a large auditorium, and a dining hall that serves amazing meals. Word Of Life was founded by Jack Wyrtzen and Harry Bollback and not only offers year-round conferences to singles, married couples, ladies, men, seniors, and youth, but has a world-class training facility that sends missionaries out all over the globe.

The week has been relaxing for us. We borrowed a van Wednesday and drove an hour to Lake Placid, the site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. You might remember that Lake Placid is the site of the 1980 "Miracle On Ice" when the United States beat the Soviet Union on the hockey rink. We shopped and walked through the town, ending our visit with a lite lunch overlooking Mirror Lake. We leave tomorrow for Cicero, IN, to be in a ladies conference at the Harbor Shores Church.

A Twenty Dollar Bill

One of the great rewards of my life is seeing people on the road that talk to me about memories about my mom and dad, Faye and Brock Speer, and The Speer Family. I've heard some great stories about them, but one I heard last weekend that meant an awful lot to me.

A lady told me that she and her husband were in a pastorate in a Nazarene church and had The Speers in for a Sunday-morning concert. They had two sons in a Nazarene college at the time and most of their funds were going to keep them in school. One of the boys was going to Russia to train as a missionary and the Sunday the Speers were there was the same day the church had a "sending" ceremony to send the young man to the mission field.

The pastor's wife told me that while they had money to send him on his trip, they just didn't have any extra to give him for spending money. She said that my dear mother folded up a twenty-dollar-bill and gave to him to help him on his way. Her words were, "The Speers were there to minister to us as a church and your mom ended up ministering to us in a very personal way." The son is now a missionary in an Asian country and is doing well.

You never know how a small gesture like a small amount of money, a casserole, a card, or a kind word can impact someone. And thank the Lord for Godly mothers.

A Wild Week

Hey there... Again, I must apologize for not blogging more and for it being so long since the last one. Some of you we have seen out on the road have mentioned to me that you miss reading the postings, and I'm always shocked to hear that somebody is actually reading them! To you three people, thank you...!

We're in Lake Lanier, GA, this week with Pastor Johnny Hunt of First Baptist Woodstock GA. Pastor Johnny hosts his pastor's school, Timothy Barnabas (www.timothybarnabas.org) four weeks in a row, from Tuesday through Thursday. Each week he has a different artist for a solo concert (Allison's week is the third week) but he has invited us to be at all four conferences. She will do a devotion time for the men in the morning and one for the ladies right after that. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to minister to pastors and their wives.

Last week was wild, stressful, and tiring. As most of you know by now, we lost a dear frend on Wednesday. Anthony Burger passed away on a Gaither Homecoming cruise while playing during a concert that evening. He was 44, one year younger than me. The one word that nearly everyone has used when hearing this news has been "shock." He had no history of heart trouble and was a vibrant, active young man when he died. I spoke to his wife Sunday and she said he would be so moved by the outpouring of sympathy. His favorite TV network, CNN, aired a piece on him and she said that would have thrilled him. He will be terribly missed.

Allison's mother had to put her husband into a nursing home after a stroke took his ability to walk. As any of you that have gone through that can attest, there are a range of emotions that go with a move like that; guilt, grief, sadness. Please pray for Allison's mom as she adjusts to life without Jim at home.

As if that weren't enough to happen last week, my mother, Faye Speer, had a heart cath and stent put in after finding out that she had one artery 90% blocked. Amazingly, she was at Vanderbilt hospital for her weekly volunteer work when she had chest pain and shortness of breath. She's doing fine, resting at home, and has a great prognosis for recovery. We're thankful that it was caught early.

Life goes on even through the hard times. God is still God.