Andrew Lanham had to make his decision about joining Up with People very quickly. Very, very quickly. Like, in less than 24 hours.

“The vice president called me on a Saturday, after I had just gotten home from school, and asked me to join,” said Lanham, 24. “I had to tell him within a day if I wanted to do it. He called me on a Saturday, and I flew to Denver on Tuesday.”

That was a year ago. Lanham has since traveled with the organization to Thailand, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Belgium, Denmark and all over the United States. This weekend, he’ll return to his hometown, when Up with People spends the week of Dec. 2-9 in Bangor. UWP volunteers will stay with area host families, do community service and give one of their trademark musical performances at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Bangor Auditorium.

Lanham had a special reason to join the youth organization, which travels the world doing musical performances and community service: His parents, Bangor lawyer Samuel Lanham and his wife, Stephanie, met while both were doing Up with People in the 1970s.

“I definitely saw countless shows growing up,” said the younger Lanham. “It was always a huge part of our family. The whole outlook and attitude that the whole organization has is reflected in the way my parents raised me. I think the house has a lot of warmth and laughter and happiness in it, more than the average house.”

UWP staff members landed in Bangor several weeks ago, preparing for the volunteers to arrive this weekend. Ryan Watterson, a community relations coordinator, has been working out of the Bangor YMCA, which is one of the organizations the UWP show proceeds will benefit (the other is Community Health and Counseling Services).

“When the volunteers get there, they do a lot of things. First, they go on a field trip somewhere to learn about the surrounding area,” said Watterson, 26. “Then we do community service for two days, because we want to give back to the community that’s hosting us.”

And then, of course, there’s the show.

“It’s full of international song and dance, with a live band,” said Watterson. “It’s a very positive message. We do an interview with community members, and we also have the Bangor Area Children’s Choir singing. And of course we have our host families in the audience.”

The message of Up with People is one of tolerance, understanding and breaking down of barriers between different cultures.

“We have a lot of songs about communication, and how different cultures can come together,” said Watterson. “When I watch the show, I have a positive feeling. We’re trying to build communities. We’re not trying to change the world. We just start in a community, and hope that when we leave each town that they’ll pick up where we left off.”

For Lanham, he has relished the chance to make new friends all over the world, and to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences. For example, during his first time in Thailand, he and three volunteers were staying with a young man in his small house when a monsoon hit. A fallen tree knocked out power, so Lanham and the others huddled around a single candle and talked the night away.

“Because the rain was so bad, the frogs and crickets were the only thing you could hear. The frogs had all come under the doorways, so there were like 15 frogs jumping around our feet,” said Lanham. “It was one of the oddest nights, but it was probably one of the best, because I became friends with all of those people for life, just because of that experience.”

Up With People arrives in Bangor on Sunday, Dec. 2, and will be in town through Sunday, Dec. 9. The performance is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Bangor Auditorium. Tickets are $22 for adults and $13 for age 18 and under, and are available at the Bass Park Box Office. Proceeds benefit the Bangor YMCA-YWCA and Community Health and Counseling. For more information, visit www.upwithpeople.org, or call 941-2808 ext. 335. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.