Our piano teacher does some incredible things with her students.  She lines up great perfomances venues at different locations throughout our city throughout the year!  It is so much more encouraging and motivating than the typical "one recital" at the end of the year.   She has some casual events and some formal.  They play at the mall, the bookstore, the  coffee shop, the park, resort hotels, and the music hall at the university. 

At the end of the year she normal has a "Gala" performance in the music hall at ASU.  It is a very exciting event and pictures of the students, trophies, and a biography of their performances are displayed.  Now, in the midst of all this attention to the students...our teacher does a very wise thing.  She has a adopted a wonderful charity to donate the money collected at the final Gala.  Tickets are sold to the final performance, family and friends are invited, a meal is served and a silent auction is in place.  

Yes, it is important to recognize the students and allow them to dress beautifully and to have fun and be rewarded for their accomplishments but it is also important to remember that many, many people in the world in need of the basic neccessities. 

The organization that she has chosen is www.wheelchairfoundation.org.  There are so many to show the love of Jesus throughout the world if we just take a few minutes to think and look and listen for the nudging of God.   We have pictures of two people in China whom received a wheelchair from our donation.  We have them hanging on our bullentein board so we can look at them and pray for them.

These pictures are from the Katzin recital this year.  The reason for the all the tears is that Nana and Papa, Cousin, and Poppy were leaving right after this to head back home to MS.  So after all the fun and excitement came the tears and the goodbyes.