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Heather Jensen goes on Australian tour with Grace University Choir
Heather Jensen of Exira is happy to be back from her Australian mission trip with the Grace University Choir of Omaha. She is the daughter of the Rev. Nancy and Dale Jensen. Nancy is minister of the United Church of Christ in Atlantic, where Heather is involved in many local church activities.
Jensen said the friendships among the members of the choir grew during the trip and she was touched by her host family, Lyn and Ivor, an older couple in Geelong, Australia.
Luggage problems
"To start things off," Jensen explained, "we had long layovers in each airport and once we got to Australia we found out that someone's luggage was lost. We arrived in Melbourne, Australia, early in the morning on May 21 and set off with our guide, Bronwyn, for a long day of sightseeing. Later that evening, we headed for Geelong to meet our host families."
"My favorite thing with them was sitting at the breakfast table each morning and just talking about all sorts of things. Our conversations were amazing. They took me to the beach one night. It was my first time getting to play in the ocean. I was so grateful to them."
Busy days
On May 25, the Grace Choir had three performances at two churches and a retirement center. Jensen said, "It was a long, busy day, but it was very rewarding." The following day, the group went to an outdoor zoo to see kangaroos and other Australian animals and then to Phillips Island to see the penguin march. On May 27, the group rode for 12 hours to get to Sydney, Australia. On May 28, they went to the Sydney Opera House to take a tour.
"While we were on the tour, we were allowed to sing in one of the smaller rooms," Jensen explained with excitement in her voice.
Sunset thrill
Later that day, they went to Wesley Institute to perform for the students. Jensen said, "Right before the sunset we got on the ferry to go to Manly Island, and we watched the sun go down behind the Opera House and famous Australian Bridge. While on Manly Island, we were treated to a fish and chip dinner."
On May 29, the group went back to Wesley Institute for a workshop with their school choir. Jensen exclaimed, "It was an amazing experience singing with the choir there. They were very warm to us. The rest of the day was ours to explore Darling Harbor and do some shopping."
May 30th was the group's last day in Australia. They spent the morning in the Blue Mountains, taking in the breathtaking beauty and riding down the steepest train in the world with a 52-degree incline. That night they had an exchange with the Australian Youth Choir. Jensen said, "When we finished there, our Sydney guide took us to an ice cream shop and bought our group four huge towers of ice cream. Late that evening, we all sat together and spent a few hours debriefing."
Getting home
She continued, "When we arrived at the airport on May 31, we were excited to be heading home. Once we had unpacked the bus and it left, we found out that our plane had been delayed eight hours. So we were stuck at the airport for 12 hours. When we finally got back to the States at 7 p.m., we still had to go through customs and recheck our bags. We were supposed to leave at midnight, but we didn't make it out of there until after 1 a.m. Sunday. We arrived in Dallas at about 6 a.m.; and left again by 8 a.m. Sunday. We had returned home safely on Sunday morning with no luggage problems and everyone in high spirits."
"I am so thankful that I was able to go on this mission trip. Through the people on the trip and the people I met, I was truly blessed. I learned about people's ability to love. Between the wonderful people who donated money for my trip, my peers who were so helpful for me with my sprained ankle, and the people who opened their homes for us to live in, I realized that God's love is abundant and reaches beyond the shores of America. God gave me patience on the trip with all the struggles the group had and the personal struggles I had. I made new friends and experienced many firsts on this trip, and I couldn't be more appreciative for everyone's prayers and God's protection while I was in Australia."
Jensen said the friendships among the members of the choir grew during the trip and she was touched by her host family, Lyn and Ivor, an older couple in Geelong, Australia.
Luggage problems
"To start things off," Jensen explained, "we had long layovers in each airport and once we got to Australia we found out that someone's luggage was lost. We arrived in Melbourne, Australia, early in the morning on May 21 and set off with our guide, Bronwyn, for a long day of sightseeing. Later that evening, we headed for Geelong to meet our host families."
"My favorite thing with them was sitting at the breakfast table each morning and just talking about all sorts of things. Our conversations were amazing. They took me to the beach one night. It was my first time getting to play in the ocean. I was so grateful to them."
Busy days
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"While we were on the tour, we were allowed to sing in one of the smaller rooms," Jensen explained with excitement in her voice.
Sunset thrill
Later that day, they went to Wesley Institute to perform for the students. Jensen said, "Right before the sunset we got on the ferry to go to Manly Island, and we watched the sun go down behind the Opera House and famous Australian Bridge. While on Manly Island, we were treated to a fish and chip dinner."
On May 29, the group went back to Wesley Institute for a workshop with their school choir. Jensen exclaimed, "It was an amazing experience singing with the choir there. They were very warm to us. The rest of the day was ours to explore Darling Harbor and do some shopping."
May 30th was the group's last day in Australia. They spent the morning in the Blue Mountains, taking in the breathtaking beauty and riding down the steepest train in the world with a 52-degree incline. That night they had an exchange with the Australian Youth Choir. Jensen said, "When we finished there, our Sydney guide took us to an ice cream shop and bought our group four huge towers of ice cream. Late that evening, we all sat together and spent a few hours debriefing."
Getting home
She continued, "When we arrived at the airport on May 31, we were excited to be heading home. Once we had unpacked the bus and it left, we found out that our plane had been delayed eight hours. So we were stuck at the airport for 12 hours. When we finally got back to the States at 7 p.m., we still had to go through customs and recheck our bags. We were supposed to leave at midnight, but we didn't make it out of there until after 1 a.m. Sunday. We arrived in Dallas at about 6 a.m.; and left again by 8 a.m. Sunday. We had returned home safely on Sunday morning with no luggage problems and everyone in high spirits."
"I am so thankful that I was able to go on this mission trip. Through the people on the trip and the people I met, I was truly blessed. I learned about people's ability to love. Between the wonderful people who donated money for my trip, my peers who were so helpful for me with my sprained ankle, and the people who opened their homes for us to live in, I realized that God's love is abundant and reaches beyond the shores of America. God gave me patience on the trip with all the struggles the group had and the personal struggles I had. I made new friends and experienced many firsts on this trip, and I couldn't be more appreciative for everyone's prayers and God's protection while I was in Australia."
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