Winter and spring months bring many inquiries to Mustard Seeds and Mountains about Mission as Life trips to West Virginia. In the literature I send in reply, we offer an Appalachian cultural event we call Bluegrass Night, as an optional activity for their free evening on Wednesday. People often ask, “What is Bluegrass night?”

Here is a reply I made today to that very question. I have such fond memories of Bluegrass nights I’ve attended over the years, I thought I’d share this with you:

Many years ago, not long after we moved to West Virginia, Randy, a self-taught guitar player, heard about a little bluegrass place near our home called The L'l Opry, where you could jam with other musicians on Thursday nights. He went, had fun and met Phil and Kay who own the place. Randy found out Phil and Kay are Christians and he had the brainstorm of taking our volunteer teams to The Li'l Opry while they were here on their week long mission trips, as a cultural experience (we get a lot of city folk come to WV, you know).

The Li'l Opry was usually open Friday and Saturday nights, so since teams left for home on Friday mornings, they wouldn’t be able to go to the regular performances. So Phil and Kay opened their doors every Wednesday night, after they got out of Wednesday night Bible study at church, and had a show ready for the Mustard Seeds and Mountains volunteers. Sometimes a volunteer would get up on stage and play and sing, too. People from all over the eastern seaboard who had never heard bluegrass music, or two-stepped or flatfoot danced, had a blast! Phil opens each evening with prayer, and when they play any gospel songs, there's no dancin'.

 We've grown to love Kay and Phil, and Kay and Phil have grown to love Mustard Seeds: our staff and the wonderful folk who come from all over the country to serve the needy in McDowell County.

When asked what Bluegrass night is all about, I always tell people Wednesday night Bluegrass is a 'hoot' (I learned that word while living in GA, northern girl that I am)! It is a lot of fun, and the right kind of fun. Be sure to bring your cameras!

 So there you have it;)

Ya’ll come on over sometime.