Dear Jerry and BonnieJean,

Our dear Vanessa suggested I send this to you.  We are all pretty excited about it.  We have nearly 40 singing in the combined choir!  Seven of our eight-voice choir from the summer are involved.  Pastor Bob (tenor) is narrating.. Vanessa, Dad, Rich, Helena, Penny and Jeff are singing and I am conducting..  Aunt Jean (#8) was called Home on December 18th.  

Our brother Larry is singing, too, and playing the guitar for one number.  We also have hammered dulcimer, flute, clarinet, upright bass and piano!  Thrilling!  

Let’s hear it for the church choir experience in Arcade, NY!!!!!

I hope your Lenten Journey is meaningful.

Loving,
Dona Rae Roll

O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek you; my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise
you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you!

Festival of Choirs USA®
807 Skinner Creek Road, Port Allegany, Pa. 16743
August 17, 2013

Warning! The attached picture below is of our son after last year’s Festival. A lot of work. Good times though!!

Be Blessed,
Jerry Goochee

The first year we had two choirs compete. They were both in a different group size. Each one received a prize of $500.00.

In the second and third year of the Festival we had two choirs register each year. Both choirs each year were in the same group size. One first place prize of $500.00 was awarded to a choir each year.

The fourth year we had five choirs in two different group sizes. Two first place prizes of $500.00 were awarded.

In my eyes all of the churches that have registered in the past four years have been winners whether they got first place or not!!!!

The third weekend in August 2013 we will be having our five year celebration for the Festival. There is a lot of planning that has already begun. There has been a ton of emails, phone calls and everything else trying to get the word out. Please help us if you can.

Thanks,
Jerry

Thirteen years later God reminded Abraham of his covenant with him. In the fourteenth year God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled when Isaac was born.

I believe that God uses his scriptures for even the simplest things.

I was reflecting back on the Festival of Choirs USA® and correlating the example of Abraham’s son’s births. In 1994 the inspiration of the Festival was given. I so wanted to start it right then but I didn’t have a peace about it. In 2008 after coming out of the hospital I asked God again about starting all of the planning for the Festival. It was the right time then.

I believe if I had started the Festival fourteen years earlier in 1994 out of my excitement and not God’s will it would have been very disappointing. Starting the Festival fourteen years later with a tremendous peace and knowing that it was the right time has proven to be very incredible!

GOD USES HIS WORD TO ENCOURAGE US AND GIVE US HOPE!!

The third weekend of August, 2013 will be our FIVE YEAR CELEBRATION! Waiting on God can be very challenging but it is always the BEST!

Jerry