Under The Wings of Hope- Recap

The rain poured on Friday night as the first cold front of winter made its presence known in the Carolinas. While standing in the brisk fall rain, hanging the "Hope Takes Flight" banner out in front of The Cause Community room, Levi looked over at me and said; "This is going to be a great night."

A political rally in north Charlotte mingled with the heavy rain to create a full fledged traffic crisis on Interstate 77. Songs of Water, one of our musical guests, endured a grueling four and a half hour drive from the Greensboro area- a trip that normally takes an hour and a half. Spending the morning running around picking up pastries and cakes, decorating tables, and setting up sound equipment had created a similar traffic backup in my mind which resulted in me completely forgetting to print fliers for Deborah Walker and Freedom Firm. The evening was getting off to a slow and soggy start.

Shane Mervin dialed in the sound system as the bands arrived and started the tedious process of set up and line check while Jonathan and Melissa Helser began the decoration of the dessert table in the reception area. (Melissa and Jonathan cut a branch off of one of the trees on their farm in Sophia and painted it white. They suspended the branch horizontally, parallel to the desert table, and hung pictures taken by Elizabeth Marx on our India trip last summer from the smaller limbs. The table was a work of art and I enjoyed the experience of standing at the door and watching the joy on peoples faces as they took in the beauty of the display. By 7:15 the night was up and running as the guests filed in out of the cold rain and were quickly comforted by cups of hot coffee and the exquisite cakes provided by Tizzerts. (Tizzerts is a locally owned and operated creative cakery here in the Charlotte area- www.tizzerts.com). We were really pleased with the size of turn out of the night and we really saw the commitment of our Charlotte community to stand against oppression.

The night began with an intimate and moving solo acoustic performance by Mark Mathis including versions of "California" and "Millinium." Mark's set perfectly prepared the atmosphere for Deborah Walkers engaging presentation on the sex slave crisis in India and the efforts of Freedom Firm to bring it to an end. She shared a video that told the story of a girl in India who had been sold into slavery at a very young age and the process of restoration that she had been on. The video left many in the room in tears and we all felt the impact of such a beautiful picture of redemption. Following Deborah, the Hope Takes Flight team told a few stories of our trip to India and conveyed the heart of the Hope Takes Flight project, the lights were then dimmed and first Hope Takes Flight teaser was shown. For those of you who did not attend the video was a seven minute look into what "Hope Takes Flight" will look like in the days to come.

After the teaser we took a brief intermission and the reception hall was again filled. This time, cakes and coffee were eaten to the sound of Brandon Willett on the turn tables, giving everyone a chance to decompress and exhale after an engaging and gripping look into the trafficking crisis in India. When the last cake had been eaten and the last drop of coffee poured out, we made our way back into the community room and Songs of Water began their set.

Songs of Water kicked off their portion of the evening with a ten minute northern classical Indian improvisational piece. Stephen Roach on the tablas and Luke Skaggs on the Sitar gave the perfect opportunity to reflect and process all that was presented in the night. The piece was like the calm before the storm as they launched into a half hour of rhythmic and percussive movements briefly interspersed by well crafted songs like "Becoming Fire" and "Sycamore." I couldn't think of a better way to end the night.

As we were cleaning up and the band was loading out, I walked with Stephen Roach as he carried his dulcimer to the car. As we stepped out into the parking lot, he stopped under the "Hope Takes Flight" banner that Levi and I had hung earlier that day, paused for a moment and said, "Joel, it was a great night." I laughed to myself, enjoying the symmetry of the moment. Levi was right, it was a great night.

Deborah Walker said, "I so enjoyed being a part of the event on Friday. I was impressed with how professional, creative and authentic it was. It was so well done on your part, and the part of the team. Thank you for having me, for the donation from Hope Takes Flight and for getting the word about Freedom Firm out there."

I believe it was the sum of all the parts that made the event such an amazing success. We all brought our part, our song, our creative spirit, our love for these girls, and our desire to bring that love into action- and that is the atmosphere of change. We all have something to give and that was the message of Friday night:

We gather together under the wings of hope, to give support, to become more aware, and to lift higher the message that things will change and lives will be saved.

We would like to thank each of you for taking part in this event. Stay connected with the Hope Takes Flight community as we prepare for future events and continue work on the Hope Takes Flight project.

Specal Thanks to:
Deborah Walker and Freedom Firm (www.freedom.firm.in)
Chuck and Susan Mervin and The Cause USA
Jonathan and Melissa Helser and A Place For The Heart
Tizzerts (www.tizzerts.com)
Charlotte Photography (www.thecharlottephotography.com)
Songs of Water (www.songsofwater.com)
Mark Mathis (www.markmathis.net)
DJ Brandon Willett