Orchestras & Choirs Serving in God's Love
Update # 25
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Praise the LORD!
For it is good to
sing praises to
our God; For it is
pleasant, and
praise is beautiful.
Psalm 147:1
It has been a long and busy year and many life changing things have happened in a short amount of
time. The most significant was the death of Chris's mother, which we covered that in the last update.
Since then we traveled to Michigan, rebuilt the floor and walls of our camper, replaced the linoleum
and  quilted cover on our camper, traveled to the Upper Peninsula  for a church camping trip which
then turned into a medical crisis...Because of that crisis we continued across the Upper Peninsula to
Wisconsin to get to a hospital and then after a week returned to lower Michigan. We continued
camper repairs and revisions until the winter winds chased us off to Wisconsin the week before
Thanksgiving. We had a very abbreviated visit there with our home church and with friends before
starting south on our trip back to Texas. We drove south through Saint Louis and on to Springfield,
Missouri. We stayed there for about 10 days and did some van repairs and replaced a bad tire. We
also were able to see some good friends before moving on. From there we went on to Arkansas to visit
more good friends before our final leg of the trip to Texas. In Berryville Arkansas we were able to
visit the Spanish church where Elizabeth was baptized when we still worked at Baxter Park. We visited
Chris's brother in Dallas and then more friends in San Antonio. Finally, just days before Christmas
we pulled into our spot behind the chicken plant where Chris does programming work. We spent
Christmas with Joseph, Pattijane, and Hannah. Pattijane was only a couple of weeks from delivering
their second baby so we were all anticipating the new baby's arrival. All in all we did accomplish alot
of things this summer but we feel a certain sadness that Grandma Bev isn't there anymore to call and
to tell our latest stories to. She was always our greatest encourager and a part of everything we do.
But we carry on looking forward to our upcoming trip to Guatemala and our first music camp in
Mexico in March. We were able to get a box of violins and Symphonies of Hope T Shirts off to Noah
in Colombia in October. This year he will be teaching a new group at the little Christian school where
he works in Guacamayal.
Counter
When we went to Michigan we took our camper to a farm near Owosso, Michigan where some friends
from many years ago live. Susan and Ben have a small farm out in the country but not too far from
town. It was only a half hour from Flint where Aunt Barbie lives so we were able to spend some time
with her each week. One week we went with her to see the Crossroads Village... a historic Park. They
had a one room schoolhouse and other old fashioned buildings as well as an old train ride and a boat
that took a short trip around the lake.
While the weather was nice the children enjoyed doing their practicing outdoors and we went for
daily walks down the dirt road for exercise. It was very quiet and beautiful out in the country there.   
Susan had some old fashioned clothes so one day the children dressed up in hoop skirts and other
outfits and we had a tea party with authentic tea pitchers and cups. It was an educational day... Susan
read out of the book of manners which maybe wasn't the kids favorite thing but it was good for them to
hear it.
Since we were in Michigan for several months we were able to participate with a small Orchestra in the
area. They were very welcoming and though the music was quite challenging it was a good experience
for all of us. We played concerts at three schools in August. We also visited a nursing home. We met for
practice once a week We also met a cello player who was able to give Coleen cello lessons and violin
lessons to the children. She was a very knowledgeable and helpful teacher. We are still working on
several of the music pieces that we learned while we were there. I hope that if we are able to visit
Michigan in the future we will be able to play with their orchestra again.
In September Jonathan and Samuel both had birthdays. Jonathan turned 13 and Samuel turned 7. They
are really growing fast. No one in Guatemala will recognize either of them! This year both wanted
model rockets for their birthdays...It really made us think about the days when Joseph was into model
rockets. We enjoyed launching the rockets after the glue and paint dried. Sarah discovered that
holding a cat while a rocket launches is not such a good idea!
The plan was to go with 3 or 4 other families from the little church in Owosso to the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan for a 3 day camping trip...It seemed like a good idea... a chance to get away from all of the
repairs for a few days... a chance to spend some time with other families, Jonathan had been pretty sick
the week before for a few days but seemed fine now and we were ready to travel a little. We didn't have
everything that we normally carry in our camper with us since we were doing repairs so we figured it
would be easy breezy set up and take downs... And for just 3 days we could live without it. We had a
pleasant drive to the U.P. and set up camp near some falls for the night. We ate around a
campfire...grilled black hot-dogs and the regular camping type food, sang some songs and got ready for
bed. Shortly after bedtime Jonathan began feeling sick... Poor boy...Just like the week before after his
last cookout he seemed to have a terrible stomach flu... but soon he began to complain of pain in the
lower part of his stomach... on the right side. The pain worsened by morning and we were beginning to
get worried. It seems that everyone on my side of the family except for my sister had had appendicitis at
one time. In fact my grandmother died of appendicitis... so we knew it was dangerous... A family at the
camp said they had a daughter who had similar symptoms every time she ate grilled hot dogs too so there
was another possibility. They gave us some aloe vera capsules and said that they would really help his
symptoms. We were really torn on whether to wait or to find a hospital to check it out. We were 3 hours
from any hospital... and Wisconsin was 3 hours away...Maybe we should go there,,,There was a chance
that we could get some partial insurance coverage there since it was our home state.  
We finally headed out sadly... We would miss out on the rest of the camping trip. We made it to
Marinette Wisconsin and took him in to the emergency room later that day. We were worried about the
cost...but of course here in the U.S. we were unable to get even the remotest estimate. The doctor came
in for about 10 minutes, they took some blood and said come again in the morning. They felt that it did
seem like appendicitis but it appeared to be subsiding. We are told the new way to deal with appendicitis
is with antibiotics (unless it has already ruptured) and then later they plan a surgery. We weren't sure if
the aloe vera did it or if he just spontaneously recovered but we were thankful that after a few days he
was feeling much better. In the mean time we hunted out a small campground nearby and stayed several
days to make sure he really was recovered. This was an exceptional campground! They were so kind to
us...They did not charge us for our stay and it was very beautiful there. I am even including a link to
their website... If you are in the area it is the best campground we have seen in quite some time...
http://www.campdiamondlakewi.com/default.asp?file=SiteMap  .... If you need a great campground in
Northern Wisconsin this is the place! )Diamond Lake Family Campground)
No onwe wanted to leave the campground but we had to get back to finish our repairs before winter set
in...We needed to get back on the road. It turned out to be a longer getaway than we had planned and a
bit scary at one point but we were very thankful for how it had turned out.
By the way Jonathan now avoids grilled hot dogs...just in case!
Well, the time had come...It was five years since we last changed the canopy of our camper. There were
numerous rips and a few leaks into the outer wall which added weight to the cover. ( It never leaked
inside the camper though) It was getting ugly too. Eventually the fiberglass insulation begins to break
down too from all of the folding of the sides, It was a big process. The white tarp was ordered and laid
out on the grass. The rolls of insulation had to be split to half their original thickness, The split
insulation was then rolled out onto the white tarp and spray glue was used to hold it in place. Then the
gray tarp was put on top. The special basting gun punches plastic I's in every 5 inches to sandwich the
two tarps together ...The we have a very large quilt. The old cover is cut off and rolled up... The new one
is rolled onto the frame. Two smaller "quilts"are carefully fitted over the ends of the camper and glued
into place... both on the inside wall and the outside wall. Then a short piece is sewed to a 2 inch strip of
tarp and is used to line the inside walls and closes out the wind from between the two walls.(There is a 2
foot foam wall around the bottom of the camper and the canopy hangs over the outside of this. A new
door had to be sewn and attached. Then all of the outer tarp had to be covered with a thin foil blanket
(with spray glue.) to protect the tarp from the sun. Three rolls of foiled bubble wrap top the roof. Then
this silver spaceship is painted with regular latex white house paint. Besides all of this we had to replace
two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood flooring and put in new linoleum. Also several of the foam panels needed
replacement as over the past 10 years there has been some breakage.
This is quite an undertaking to do in a few weeks but it was apparent that fall had arrived and our
number of days of cooperative weather was declining rapidly. We were close to done, but not quite,
when suddenly the cold, wind, and rain overwhelmed us. We were uncertain of how we were going to
finish but Susan's daughter who lived next door offered the use of their shed to shelter us while we
finished up. We were glad to get out of the wind but worried about all of our belongings as they were
outside in the yard under tarps. The wind howled for several nights, rain poured and it was sharply
colder. Finally the sun returned and we pulled out of the shed and returned to the yard to finish up. It is
good to have everything fresh and new again...Five more years before next time. We pray that God will
keep us going during that time as we continue to travel and work with children in Mexico and Guatemala.
We finally made it back to Texas just a few days before Christmas... We were somewhat exhausted and
still there was a lot more work to do as we embarked on building a second camper for Elizabeth. We
were able to have a little Christmas time with Joseph and Pattijane and Hannah. Then Later we had our
own little Christmas in the Camper. We kept it simple and most gifts were things we already needed like
clothes or useful items. It was good to see Joseph and Pattijane again... Hannah really grew while we
were gone. She was very cute. She took Christmas in stride as if it happened every day. She would  open
a present and gather up the paper and say"trash" as she carried it to the fireplace where we were
gathering it.
Chris & Coleen Anderson
Symphonies of Hope
P.O. Box 501, Pharr, TX  78577
In the U.S. :  608 -  313 - HOPE (4673)
Message phone in U.S. :  956-781-5133
Email: chriscoleen@symphoniesofhope.org
Email: chriscoleen@choirsoffaith.org
SymphoniesOfHope.Org
SinfoniasDeEsperanza.Org
ChoirsOf Faith.Org
CorosDeFe.Org
Dress up Day
and a Tea Party
A Visit to Crossroads
Village near Flint, MI
Visiting with Ben
and Susan
Practicing
Outdoors
When all of this change began we were in Mexico working with a church in Gomez Palacio. We
left there to go north to Missouri to be with Chris's mom in her final months of life. Though we
had many things going on we continued calling the little groups that we have started in Mexico
and Guatemala to encourage them to continue throughout the summer...Some of our groups have
grown a bit in the last year. Most notably a family in Guatemala with an especially dedicated
dad joined several months ago. We are excited to hear them over the phone and to talk to them
over skype and see them. We are really looking  forward to returning to Guatemala and working
with them again. We are working late at night trying to gewt ready to go. As soon as this camper
is built we will be on our way. In the mean time we continue to work with them weekly over the
phone and through the internet. Pray for us as we make decisions and guide them. We hope to be
able to take more instruments with us this time If anyone know of string instruments that are not
being used that could be donated for this cause let us know. It could really make a difference in
the life of a young person who might not otherwise have an opportunity to learn.
Launching
Birthday
Rockets
While this year has been filled with hard changes and many struggles we have been blessed by the
Lord continually through it all. He has kept our family safe and fed and has taken us to places  we
never expected to go. We have met several people along the way that have inspired us and blessed
us. He has shown us amazing things even through times of hardship and we are very thankful. Please
keep us in your prayers as we continue to grow Symphonies of Hope and as it reaches more and
more young people in Mexico and Guatemala. We love to hear from you so drop us a line on our
email or on our Symphonies of Hope comments page. It is good to know that you still read our
writings...This year I have gotten so behind I feel as though I will never catch up...But little by
little...There is music to post, updates to write, buttons and t shirts to make, supplies to order for our
trip, repairs to make, sorting and reducing of belongings ( a NEVER-ENDING task) donations to
prepare... The list goes on. But through it all we keep going because we know that a 6-10 days drive
from here there are several students who are waiting for us to return and somewhere along the way
there may be another group of children waiting ... We are preparing to bring them an opportunity to
learn a valuable skill and to learn God's word as well. We hope that you all will pray for us as we
prepare... thank you for your prayers and for caring.

Blessings,

The Anderson Family (Chris, Coleen, Elizabeth, Sarah, Jonathan, and Samuel)
& Joseph & Noah too.