Why Rush Us? - Droplet Testimonies
Chris Song, Murray ‘24
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” -John 7:37-39
This verse encapsulates how God has poured out His love to me through Living Water and all its kindhearted droplets (that’s what we call ourselves, heh) during my time at Yale.
Even before I became a member of Living Water, I saw how God was working through this group through my dear friend and mentor, Chris Kim. Seeing someone who inspired me so much in his faith, character, and musical ability, I hoped I would come out of college looking something like that. So naturally, when he gushed about his friends in Living Water and the formative four years he spent singing with this group, I couldn’t wait to audition myself.
An unexpected viral epidemic threw a bit of a wrench in the works, but at the start of my sophomore year, I finally had my chance to audition. In all my interactions with droplets throughout the rush process, I was struck by something that separated Living Water from the rest of the pack—a genuine loving kindness that shone through their words, their actions, and their songs. This isn’t to say that other groups didn’t also offer a great community and an amazing sound, but as I met more and more of both current and former singers in Living Water, it became distinctly clear that these were people I wanted to learn from and grow with during the rest of my time at Yale.
This past year in Living Water has been life-changing in many ways. I grew closer to two of my best friends on campus—Hannah and Joey—who rushed Living Water with me, and I developed new relationships with people outside of the Class of 2024, something I had been hoping for after finding it difficult to reach out to upperclassmen my first year. I was surprised by how much I bonded with every single droplet over the course of the school year, and these newfound, yet meaningful, relationships brought me comfort and companionship in my highest highs and lowest lows. Most importantly, after a rocky, isolating first year, I had finally found my footing in college. I found my people, a place I felt I belonged.
I definitely entered college feeling “thirsty” as John says in this verse, longing for a spiritual community that I could hold fast to through the busyness of college life. I found, in Living Water, a group of friends that supports me through every hill and valley, a firm foundation for my Christian faith, and an instrument to glorify God’s name through beautiful music. To think, you’re only a couple auditions away from receiving all the same. Hope to meet you soon!
Lena Jones, Morse ‘25
When I came to Yale, I decided I’d take the plunge on each new opportunity that echoed in my heart, even if the sound was faint. My parents encouraged me to put years of singing around the house to good use, so I considered joining an a cappella group. Kinda. I had very little choral experience, and I was worried that choosing singing over playing my cello would waste years of practice…
Then a couple of seniors handed me a bundle of blue snacks during the club fair. I couldn’t believe Yale had a Christian a cappella group; I’d never considered the existence of an ensemble like that. Living Water became a spot of light in the back of my mind. When I spur-of-the-moment went to the SSS Jam, I saw the same, kind faces grinning in the rain, beckoning people over for sign-ups. I couldn’t help but put my name down!
A genuine love of kindness for kindness’ sake radiated from the Living Water members. I could tell that they cared about my wellbeing as a person first and a prospective member second. What’s more, I admired their reason for singing. My audition songs weren’t only meant to make me sound good –– they were meant to glorify God, but I wasn’t used to focusing on doing both at the same time. These upperclassmen wanted to help me praise boldly in a formal setting. I wanted to experience the power of singing by their sides.
When I eventually chose an a cappella group, it had to be Living Water, because they had given so much to me in the brief Rush season. I wanted my time and energy to go to this group.
That’s how it started, and everything since has blown me away! From co-planning the 2021 Los Angeles Tour to currently serving as Bible study leader, I’ve loved pouring into Living Water, but the other droplets have multiplied my efforts minute by minute. Our busy Pitches would stay after practice to help refine my tone; when I felt sick, my friends would reach out and bring me my favorite snacks; if I had trouble finding a harmony, someone would sing the right part louder to get me back on track. My commitment to lead LW Bible study has even made me a more dedicated praise-and-worshiper in my private time! That’s what this group is about: when everyone’s invested in each other’s spiritual and artistic success, loving with your whole heart becomes natural and rebounds to benefit you. For every handful of joy I share, a dozen handfuls come flying back at me!
I hope you’ll consider joining Living Water just enough to take the plunge and audition. I can’t wait to meet you! Many blessings.
Joey Utomo, Morse ‘24
Hello! My name is Joey. I’m a senior and this will be my third year in Living Water.
I’ll keep it short and speak from my experience: Living Water is special among the groups because our pursuit of musical excellence is secondary to our mission to love. What that means is that while we strive to sound good (and praise God, we do), we know that the power in the music we sing is the gospel. Music is secondary to loving one another as a family. It’s secondary to loving and serving our audience.
I rushed this group as a cautious sophomore intrigued by acapella, and I didn’t know how much this group would mean to me two years later. I’ve seen this group care and pray for one another more times than I can count. We’ve sung for the homeless and brought the gospel to audiences at Yale that have never heard it before. This group has challenged me to grow in painful and meaningful ways.
So why rush Living Water? Because, from my experience, a group that is united by the mission to love and glorify God is a valuable one. It becomes a space where you grow, where you are loved and learn to love. It’s a true joy to know that beyond sounding nice, God is using our music to touch hearts.
We would love to have you join us!
Valerie Nguyen, Silliman ‘24
Hi friend!! If you’ve made it to this page, it probably means that you’re interested in rushing Living Water! I hope that after reading our testimonies, you’ll have a glimpse of what it’s like to be a part of Living Water and be encouraged to rush.
Honestly, in the midst of witnessing the chaos of rush season among my peers during my first semester on campus fall ‘21, I had no intention of trying a cappella. At the same time, I was looking for a way to plug into a Christian community, as well as immerse myself into music, somehow at Yale. And thank God I found both in Living Water.
Alas, one fateful night, while looking on the Yale extracurricular website, I stumbled upon a group called “Living Water”, a phrase I recognized as a Biblical allusion. After realizing that Living Water was Yale’s only Christian a capella group, I was immediately intrigued. I loved being part of an orchestra throughout middle and high school, and I knew I wanted to be part of a musical ensemble on campus. I had also never had any vocal training, but I knew that I loved to sing. That night, I realized I wanted to join this group. Butttttttt then it turned out that I had JUST missed auditions. I reached out to the rush manager at that time, they graciously let me audition during call backs, and the rest is history!
Even though I had very little aversion to joining Living Water, I was also VERY pleasantly surprised to find that Living Water far exceeded my expectations. The intimate, family-like community that gracefully balances musical excellence, playfulness, and selflessness was unlike anything that I had ever experienced. (I have manyyy stories to tell, but you might just have to grab a meal with me to hear even some of them!) As a group that doesn’t just value our sound, but more importantly prioritizes each individual’s personal needs, it was a refreshing contrast to my past musical experiences. Living Water is truly a group that strives to see and care for the individuals that make up the group, while also maintaining a clear view of our group dynamic as a whole.
Being a Christian group, Living Water also has our own Bible studies and prayers together. Bible studies are led by Puddle (what we call our spiritual director), and we are divided into “prayer fams” for our small-group spiritual needs. It never once felt like a burden to do these “extra” things that most a capella groups don’t do because it honestly just feels like hanging out and engaging in meaningful conversations with close friends.
Living Water has been formative for my college experience, and I can say with confidence that if not for Living Water, my own college experience would not be nearly as enriching!!
Joshua Zhang, Branford ‘26
Hi friend! My name is Joshua and I can say with full confidence that Living Water has been one of the best, most rewarding and exciting experiences of my time at Yale thus far. The reasons for this are many. Arriving on campus as a first year, I hadn’t even planned to audition for acapella. With my suitemate’s encouragement, I took the step of faith to ready my vocal cords. To be quite honest, at the beginning of rush season, Living Water wasn’t one of my top choice groups. Admittedly, Living Water ultimately was the only group I was tapped by, but (and I say this with complete honesty) boy am I grateful for God’s perfect plan throughout that entire process.
Especially considering that this is a space that I spend so much time in, I’m extremely grateful that I’m surrounded by such close friends who are also brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the things I’m most grateful for is how I’m constantly pointed to Christ by this group, both in direct and indirect ways. Whether it’s through our weekly “puddles” (Bible study and intentional times to fellowship or check in on one another) or the times of prayer during rehearsals, I’m constantly reminded of God’s wondrous mercy and everlasting love towards me, a sinner. Coming in as a first year, it was also wonderful having these dear friends by my side as an almost built-in friend group, a place where I could always find a sense of community and do life together with other believers.
Living Water is 100% flawed; it’s not perfect by any means, but it has provided me with a body of believers in which I can serve the Lord and see God’s glory more intimately. I love this family more than I know how to express with words. If you’re reading this, I’m ecstatic to meet you. I truly hope that, by the grace of God, you can taste for yourself the living water that flows through this group!