As I sit here, our recording of “I’ll Fly Away” loops above my head. Mike is upstairs, recording the final background tracks for the song. Whenever I hear this melody, it transports me back to the time when I received my second cancer diagnosis—Ovarian Cancer. Initially, I rode a wave of assurance—after all, my previous breast cancer experience had turned out well. At the time, I had been ten years cancer-free, so why wouldn’t I conquer this challenge too?
Then came the first recurrence, localized and seemingly manageable. I clung to the belief that I was special, that I would be fine. But when the second recurrence hit, it was no longer localized. It was stage 4, an apparent death sentence. Tears welled up as I read the scan results, and I turned to Mike, saying, “Well, I guess I’m going to die!” The weight of it all overwhelmed me.
As I struggled, God pulled me close and comforted me. During one dark November night, God granted me a vision—an extraordinary glimpse of my future. On a grand stage, I stood, singing old gospel songs. Behind me, a magnificent Gospel choir swayed in burgundy robes, clapping, singing, and dancing. The stage was bathed in twilight hues, lights spiraling around us. A full band accompanied us—drums, bass, piano, Mike on guitar, and another guitarist. Monitors and a set list lay at my feet.
The audience wasn’t a church congregation; it was a vast open-air event—a festival, perhaps—where over a thousand people watched, engaged, and moved by our performance. I understood that this show wasn’t about me; it existed to glorify God and sow seeds of faith in hearts.
Further details of the vision remained elusive until April, after six rounds of chemo. But I soon found out that the first step was to form a Gospel choir. When I announced the retro Gospel choir’s start, 18 members joined almost immediately. With God’s guidance, we secured a practice spot at our church and selected songs.
After that, more details began to come. Now the vision included a dynamic gospel show—choir-only pieces, duets, singer-fronted choir songs, other soloists, and testimonies. He led us to incredible Choir charts and even backing tracks to get us started. The excitement is almost overwhelming!
But still, with all this, I find myself questioning and fearful. The amount of money needed to get started is a lot, and that is making me nervous. It would be so easy to just turtle and call it a day. But I feel so strongly that I am called to do this, so I am stepping out in faith that it will all work out as God has shown me it would. I’m clinging to the knowledge that our God is faithful.
So right now, all we need are more choir members. I’d love to see 17 to 22 additional singers—both male and female—between the ages of 14 and 114 join us. If you have a passion for old gospel songs like “Amazing Grace,” “I’ll Fly Away,” and “This Little Light of Mine,” if you’re seeking community, want to learn to sing with others, or hope to overcome stage fright, please join us! The only missing ingredient is you! 🎵🙌
You can find more information here: https://elevationvoiceacademy.com/retro-gospel-choir
If you’d just like to chat about all this, please feel free to call/text me at 250-318-0716 or email me at elevationvoiceacademy@gmail.com🎵🙌