Florence

We've had incredible sunny weather so the outside acoustic praise event in Florence was perfect from the angle of the lense. The acoustic members of the band got a little hot in the direct mid day sun but it was worth it to proclaim RESTORATION over the city!

PS. Our camera guys think they have died and gone to heaven!

Travel Day

Google maps got it wrong. Our twelve hour day turned into an ardious 17 hours. Fifteen people ordering coffee and needing subsequent potty stops takes up more time than we expected. It was a beautiful drive from Lisieux in northern France to Italy but it was very slow going. The trailor we are pulling in the 11 seat van creeps along safely but at a snail's pace. It's hard not to have speed envy when the fast Italian cars whiz by, zipping around the Alps with little effort. Our drivers, Tim and Perry, deserve extra credit for such a hard day. One of our scenic rewards was tunneling under Mount Blanc.

Here's a shot of David the camera man - who rarely gets HIS photo taken!

Lisieux, France

Catching Up

An insane travel schedule and a blown wi-fi fuse in the van have made it nearly impossible to blog daily. My apologies. But we wanted you to know that the praise events in Lisieux and Florence were a successful. They were very different in nature but from an audio and video perspective very successful.  The french prayer in Lisieux was particularly moving with a passionate response from the audience and the evening concert in Florence missional.

The team is doing well. They are all exhausted but happy when properly caffeinated. Every member pulls triple duty and does it with a great attitude - even though we are depriving them from sleep!

Photos to follow when I get a decent upload speed.  We're driving to Prague now and are already lamenting the last stop of the RESTORE tour.  Please continue to pray until all are safe and sound and back at home.

Chunnel

50,000 Worshipers Under the Sea

We were up early this morning and inside the Chunnel by 8am. We did a little impromptu concert 300 feet under the English Channel! Mike on cajon, Giorgio singing, Mark on guitar, and Klara with her violin. It attracted a bit of interest from other travelers and helped to pass the claustrophobic time. We should be in Lisieux shortly after lunch today. This is the concert that we have the shortest set up time allowance so we've got to move fast tonight! Thanks for your prayers.

Hmmmm

Lincoln Cathedral

Waking up this morning was a little scary. Months of planning and preparation all added up for today’s event. It was the day of filming at Lincoln cathedral. It was also one of the quietest unload and setups I’ve ever been a part of. The towering spaces of cathedrals, along with the hint of potential disapproval from a passing clerical robe, forced us into quiet. Two hours later we were ready to strike the first chord and in even had time enough for an entire run through before our small lunchtime crowd of praisers arrived.


The spiritual burden of worshipping in a place where more than 1,000 years of Christendom had passed was heavy. I could see it Mark’s shoulders. We all wanted to honour the tradition of the faithful. Were we carving out new territory and a worshipful place for the global soul? That was our prayer. Mark’s voice and Klara’s violin raced in tandem down the hand carved wooden quire stalls and up to the cathedral’s highest arches. The reading of Isaiah 58 projected out across the marble floors and like a heavy fog moved up the stairs to the altar. Gerard’s poetry prophetically called out to a time and place where a new city and RESTORED kingdom would at last be complete. Then almost before it began, it was over. Tear down, pack up, and load – the new mantra for the RESTORE tour.

We are now in the van (with intermittent wifi) and on our way to Folkstone. It is a beautiful clear sky and the drive down the M11 and around London’s west side is a pleasant one. The windows are rolled down and our tired team is starting to doze in the cool evening air. But I have no doubt that they will awaken when we manage to keep our promise of fish & chips!

Thank you for your prayers today. It was an amazing Friday and we are not even sure how to measure it. It felt successful on some levels and historically inadequate on others.

God be praised.

Photos. Enjoy the 'quick' upload, TOOK FOREVER!

Rehearsal Day

It’s time to make music day! Latches undone, the instruments emerge from their sleep. Trevor and Josh make spider man envious with their web of cables and wires that give us the gift of amplification. Camera guys talk about angles and certain ‘must have’ shots before Curtis heads up to Lincoln to interview several Cathedral officials. Can’t wait to hear what they have to say about the church’s history and restorative role in the community. We are trying to talk our drivers into a nap but I think the excitement of finally being together as a team is getting in the way with common sense! They promise to sleep later. Wonderful to have Gerard here, reading his poetry. He paces as he reads with passion – blessing us. Martin, our guest musician joined us and even friends Jon, Jackie, & Sam dropped by. After rehearsal today we’ll drive four hours north to Lincoln, sleep at the hotel, and then its worship time!

Day 3

Half of it went missing. The first half of Day 3 must have zipped by while we were sleeping off jet lag. A large white Parisian taxis van moved 7 members of the RESTORE tour plus luggage from Bercy station to Gare Nord. It was there that we caught the Chunnel and a fast three hours later pulled up at St. Pancras in London. Tired but relieved to be in the UK. The friendly faces of Manu and Tim were there to greet us. Also at the station were the two rental vans. One van headed west to Reading to pick up musical gear and sound equipment. The other van went south on the M25 to the hotel where Giorgio, Klara, as well as our Asian based team members; David & Curtis had already checked in. Our team is nearly complete, just awaiting news on Trevor & Gerard.

Second half

Day 2’s end.


It was a little criminal to be in the historic city of Rome and not see any sites. But seven members of the RESTORE team were simply glad to be across the Atlantic and on European soil at last. Truimph over an unruly volcano! There was something organic about landing with uncharged cell phones and no internet access. Simply a pre arranged meeting point and the hope of familiar faces. It worked! Mark, Carrie, & Jessica easily found their fellow travelers.

Fifteen hours on an overnight train after a Trans Atlantic crossing is only redeemable with a sleeper car. The seven of us piled into three compartments and gave our eyes and weary bodies a rest. With the train’s journey ending in Paris there was no lingering thought of oversleeping our stop. So we slept!

As to Day 2’s RESTORE work, Mark finished writing the CD’s insert and finalized interview questions for our camera guys. Jessica relieved her outbox of emails informing our European counter parts of our late arrival into London and of our thrown schedule. Carrie chased up Perry’s original flight, managed to cancel her lost credit card, and responded with a resounding ‘yes’ to the offer of a French prayer for Lisieux’s concert recording. We also received word just before the Iphone lost power that Klara arrives in London via bus, noon on Wednesday. Lastly the very generous South London pastor who is lending us a rehearsal room now knows of our travel delay. All we lack is arrival confirmation from Beijing based Curtis and David coming up out of Hong Kong.

Day 2

Good morning from Colorado! Four Americans are just about to boarding their flights to Newark and on to Rome. Mark, Jessica, and Carrie follow about noon.  Manu from German is booked on a train, Tim from Brussels is now booked on the chunnel, Giorgio is trying to meet us at the train station in either Rome or Paris, and the remainder of the team are getting together a new no-fly plan to get to London. 

Today we really need prayers for all crooked places to be made straight. 

Hopefully the next time we blog we will be on the other side of the pond!

Blessings.

Flights Cancelled

Well. We didn't get very far today. Our 3 flights to London were cancelled because of the ash cloud. After talking to a friend who is a 777 captain as well as another aquaintence who is a United Airlines dispatcher, we were advised to avoid anywhere in Northern Europe for the next 36 hours. Then we had to make a quick decision concerning the rest of the team's arrivals. All 7 Americans will now leave for Rome tomorrow. That's one day late for three of us and 2 days early for the others. We then take an overnight train to Paris, then the Euro Chunnel to London, where the vans will meet us.  The four Europeans have been advised to find emergency train routes to London, we are working under the assumption that all air travel might cease for a few days. And we just pray that our 2 guys coming from Asia will somehow make it into London.  We spent 4 INSANE hours with 5 laptops and 4 cell phones all going nuts until we rescheduled. Big thanks to Kayla, Daniel, Benjamin, Megan, and Jessica for what was a very chaotic tough 4 hours! We are now over budget but in the end had to trust God that the results will be worth it.  So. We honestly need MORE prayer cover.  What a start...

RESTORE TOUR Day 1

We recieved a very caring and powerful prayer from a friend today.  What better way to start off the RESTORE travel day 1 than to share it with you. Please join with us...

"Lord of the Universe and Lord of this earth, make a way for the scattered members of the Worshiplanet Band to gather for the restore project. We know that it has been prompted by your Spirit to begin the call to Europe to return to its roots, to be restored in a right relationship with you through your only Son. Part the ashes of this volcano as you parted the sea for Moses and the children of Israel, make a way for each individual on the team, from drivers to techies, to musicians and vocalists. And especially thank you for the people that you are calling to these events now, stirring in their hearts a longing they did not know they had to be RESTORED to you. 

Hear our cry great God in heaven, and fill these houses with your Spirit, with your people, and with those who hunger for you. Make yourself known in ways unimaginable that can only be explained as miraculous. Do what you do best Father. We trust in you, and pray in your precious Son's name! Amen" 

Packing Day - May 15th!

Camera, cables, connections - it is time to pack!



Tomorrow 3 of the fifteen member RESTORE team heads to the airport - Mark, Carrie, and Jessica. Now is the time we need your prayers. Safety, health, on time connections from Beijing, Denver, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Brussels, Prague, Florence; safe car journeys of team members coming from Eastbourne, Lincoln, and Eastbourne; luggage arrival, equipment that works, lights that light, vans that run, volcanoes that don't smoke - you get the picture.


But more than anything, we are asking you to pray for the EMPOWERMENT of the HOLY SPIRIT. We need the same creative juice that was present at the beginning when the 'Spirit hovered over the waters.'

"To God be the glory and power forever and ever amen!"

Singing with David

Secured an outdoor gig for the Florence portion of the RESTORE tour. Giorgio, our background vocalist and resident Italian, made that event happen.  It will be an acoustic set up. Mark on guitar, Mike on Cajon, Klara on violin, and Giorgio singing his Italian lungs out! Manu & Carrie get to take a break since there is no power for bass amp or keyboard.

What fun to praise in the high places! Come join us...

Piazzale Michelangelo

11:00pm

Monday, May 24th

Live Blog Tour

Don't foget that in THREE DAYS the RESTORE tour goes live on the blog! Get your passports ready and travel along with us!  

Brussels to France

We ust got word that a van full of worshipers from Brussels are joining the Lisieux filming! If you are in the area , come be a part of what God is doing in France.

Saturday, May 22nd

Lisieux

8:00pm

Post Production

RESTORE is a Euro project but it requires the global village to complete it!  After we finish with the tour in May, the CD audio files go back to England with Irish Trevor. He will edit it down and then come to Colorado Springs for the final mix work. While all of that is happening in audio world, the video files head to Beijing. Our dear friends David Teo and Marylynn Chee will put the finishing touches on RESTORE. Mark flies to Asia in June to join them. Marylynn is a graphic artist and will make miracles happen with the full colour insert. David is the video clip king and will make sure that our voices match our moving lips! What a team!

Loaves and Fishes

Feeding a team of fifteen people for nearly two weeks is no easy task. By the time we add up breakfast,lunch, and dinner it comes to 33 meals! Carrie and Jessica have been busy planning meals and coffee stops to keep our volunteer team happy and well fed! One of the places we’ll be lunching is shown in the photo. The Tedders recently visited Florence on a scouting trip and it was here in this little café that they had THE BEST mozzarella, prosciutto, and eggplant sandwich on hot Italian flat bread. Hungry yet?

Additional Strings

The last stop on the RESTORE tour is Prague. 

We have a musical surprise arranged for that last CD/DVD recording. Although it is a secret, we wanted to give you a little peek into what might happen. The photo below is of Klara, our violinist, and her father, who plays a stringed instrument too! The Czech Republic is full of amazing musicians and has a deep and thrilling musical history. We are honoured to be a tiny part of that legacy.

Come join us if you are in Prague. Right after the lunch time concert, we'll pack up the van and drive up the hill to Prague Castle. Mark, Giorgio, Mike, and Klara will perform an acoustic gig just outside the entrance to the castle. Can't wait!

Counting Down

10 days from today Mark, Carrie, & Jessica board a direct flight from Denver to London. They arrive at noon on Monday, May 17th, three days ahead of the rest of the team. Picking up the rental vans, sound equipment, a spare guitar stashed in south London, and the lighting rig are part of their 'to do' list. Pray for all three of them as things are getting a little frantic now. The calendar is filled, down to 15 minute increments, maps are printed, tickets purchased, songs charted, etc. But there is still so much to do and time seems to be moving way to fast. It will be a miracle if everything gets done. That's why we need you to pray!

More on Prague

Here is one of the back rooms in Prague's St. Nicholas Church. The locals call it St. Mikulas. This is the place where Trevor, the RESTORE project's recording engineer will be stationed.

Check out the magnificent crystal glass chandelier. It was handcrafted in northern Bohemia at the Harrachov glassworks. The photo doesn't do justice to the silver and crystal cross that hangs down from the middle of it. In 1871 the Russian Orthodox community of worshipers rented the building and blessed the building with this beautiful addition.

High Places

We just got word that will play an open air concert in Prague. We love to praise in the high places! Located on the front door steps of Prague Castle, the Worshiplanet band will set up.  Carrie & Manu will have the time off since there is no electricity. It's a completely acoustic gig.  And right under the statue of Czech's first president!

A big thanks to Klara, the bands violinist and long time friend of the Tedders, for getting the permit. 

If you are in Prague, come join us. We'll be there on Wednesday, May 26th from 3:00pm - 5:00pm.

Practice, practice, practice.

Last night three members of the RESTORE tour - Mark, Carrie, & Mike got in their first live practice with a full band. While our tour bass player, vocalist, violinist, and poet were missing, local friends stepped forward to fill in the gap. Don McCaleb, a bassist from Colorado Springs, and Kristin Wood a local worship leader, made our sound complete. On May 14th, this same Colorado based band will host a home concert which will include the new pieces of spoken worship and all of Mark's original songs. Thanks for keeping this concert in your prayers - we need them both. Prayers and lots of practice!

Worshiplanet

RESTORE is a special project inspired and funded by Worshiplanet, Inc. It took a small army of generous donors to make this CD/DVD happen.To learn more about the purpose and focus of Worsiplanet, check them out at www.worshiplanet.com  or find them on Facebook. 


Other projects by Worshiplanet include The Door, the first-ever live worship event recorded in mainland China.  Learn more at http://www.thedoorchina.blogspot.com/

Going Back Home

The last concert of the RESTORE tour is in Prague. One of our favorite places on earth! We want to invite you all to the lunch time recording and filming.  The Cathedral in Old Town Square is spectacular and has a rich history of faith.  Can you believe that we get to be a part of that? Wow.

Live dangerously - grab a cheap ticket to the Czech Republic and be a part!