One of the most joyful evenings I can remember took place Friday night in Denver Colorado at the 20th Anniversary Christian Home Educators of Colorado state home school conference. (see http://www.chec.org) Thousands were in attendance to see the progeny of Captain Georg Von Trapp perform hymns, Americana, folk ditties from Austria, and songs from the Sound of Music. Thanks be to God for the visionary leadership of the CHEC board in bringing this family out.

The Phillips family has enjoyed a special friendship with the von Trapps, and so I was given the great honor by CHEC of introducing Annie and Stephan von Trapp (he is the grandson of “The Captain”)to the audience. Annie and Stephan shared with the audience not only how they started home edcuating their children, but how the Lord brought their family to repentance in Christ and the evangelical faith through their own children sharing Scriptures with them. It was a thrilling testimony.

Since performing for Vision Forum Ministires at the 2003 Father and Daughter Retreat, the Von Trapp children (Sophie, Melody, Amanda, Justin) have improved in leaps and bounds. Their vocal abilities, choreography and performance were simply outstanding. I think many people were deeply touched by the purity of spirit and genuine innocence of the girls who spoke and sang with a simple but refreshing femininity. They were accompanied by a talented pianist who doubled as a fine accordion player.

For my part, the significance of the evening was not merely that thousands were able to enjoy a lovely, entertaining family-oriented concert. The real significance was the generational impact of the event. For parents and children alike, here was an opportunity to connect with a family who touched all of our lives through the remarkable story of the Captain and Maria. More importantly, these families were able to witness the generational impact of God working in the life of a family of great historical significance, bringing them to the Evangelical faith and turning their hearts one to another as the Holy Spirit blessed their home education.

A thousand thanks to both CHEC and the Von Trapps for this remarkable evening.