Listening to the message of a life redeemed. Guappo.
The crowd. They gave up their seats for us to sit.
Attentively listening.
"Here I Am to Worship" en Espanol.
Drummers extraordinaire! John and Sammy
The speaker and his baby and wife, bad photo of sammy at the drums, the tambourine player to the left, the standing room only section off the side door.
Davy interpreting for Harry, introducing Maddie and Lauren.
The worship leader. Pastor Evelyn to the right wearing pink. Kevin C on the keyboard.
John C being eaten by the plant, the metal cylinder thing player, Harry.
The Gift of Worship
We have many talented youth in our church and more specifically in the group on the trip. Some of us had the privilege of seeing them in the Youth Talent Show, which raised support for the trip.
But the real privilege was seeing them use the gifts the Lord has given them in the DR.
Kate, probably one of the most generous women I know, realized that Brian has been given the gift of music so she purchased a guitar at the LaSerina (WalMart). Kevin C played the guitar for Brian, showed him chords, taught him guitar. The expressions on both their faces say it all.
Thursday night, we were invited to a small village for a Youth Rally. What was awesome is that we were the youth! The sanctuary, about 15 x 30 feet, runs on a generator which was a little cantankerous so the ceiling fans were still. When we arrived, they were worshipping. The leader who sand is about 4 ½ feet tall, maybe 50 yr old, woman who danced and sang, shouted, writhed on the floor at one point worshipping ( I did not see that as I started out in the back). The tambourine player at the height would convulse. The metal cylinder thing player danced. Sammy, the 10 yr old son of Pastor Evelyn and Pastor Johnny, played the drums as if he were a professional recording artist. It was so joyful to worship with them, although the only words I understood were “Salvadore”, “Dios”, “Ya”. We kind of had our own words going.
A sweet treat was the music prepared by Maddie, Andrew, Lauren, Ashley, Kevin, and John. They sand “Here I Am to Worship” en Espanol, and the smiles glowed on the people’s faces. Then we sang “Amazing Grace” all together, us in English and them en Espanol. Kevin and John had never played either of those and were able to compose it for this rendition as we went. What a truly amazing gift. What joy to sit under them leading our worship of Jesus, Salvadore.
There was pure beauty in worshipping in such close proximity with such human elements such as heat, sweat, loud joyful music, preacher walking up the aisle passionately. The universal language of music. “Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy” Psalm 33:2-4. “Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints” Psalm 149: 1-3.
Revelations mentions music and singing several times. Psalms. The new songs sung in Rev 5:9, Rev 14:3. I hope that we get to learn musical instruments in heaven, because there is indescribable joy in praising in the form of music. We are made in His image. God loves music, as He says repeatedly in His Word. And He has no iPod! No wonder we are drawn to music in an unexplainable way. “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your Name, O most High” Psalm 92:1. One song that helped us to worship that spoke to us is “Tears of the Saints” by Leeland. It encapsulates our thoughts, prayers, emotions. What a gift He has bestowed.
I am so excited to see how John, Kevin, Maddie, Lauren, Andrew, Ashley and Sammy use the gift of music. And Brian. We do pray that the orphans will eventually be given the gift of music. Right now, we pray that their spiritual and physical basic needs are met (praise God for Brad and his family serving as house parents!). And for a GIRLS ORPHANAGE to get the girls off the streets and out of dangerous circumstances. And we look forward to worshipping again with the saints of that sweet little church in a small rural village in the Dominican Republic. Either here on earth, or in heaven eternally.
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” Eph 5:18-20
We have many talented youth in our church and more specifically in the group on the trip. Some of us had the privilege of seeing them in the Youth Talent Show, which raised support for the trip.
But the real privilege was seeing them use the gifts the Lord has given them in the DR.
Kate, probably one of the most generous women I know, realized that Brian has been given the gift of music so she purchased a guitar at the LaSerina (WalMart). Kevin C played the guitar for Brian, showed him chords, taught him guitar. The expressions on both their faces say it all.
Thursday night, we were invited to a small village for a Youth Rally. What was awesome is that we were the youth! The sanctuary, about 15 x 30 feet, runs on a generator which was a little cantankerous so the ceiling fans were still. When we arrived, they were worshipping. The leader who sand is about 4 ½ feet tall, maybe 50 yr old, woman who danced and sang, shouted, writhed on the floor at one point worshipping ( I did not see that as I started out in the back). The tambourine player at the height would convulse. The metal cylinder thing player danced. Sammy, the 10 yr old son of Pastor Evelyn and Pastor Johnny, played the drums as if he were a professional recording artist. It was so joyful to worship with them, although the only words I understood were “Salvadore”, “Dios”, “Ya”. We kind of had our own words going.
A sweet treat was the music prepared by Maddie, Andrew, Lauren, Ashley, Kevin, and John. They sand “Here I Am to Worship” en Espanol, and the smiles glowed on the people’s faces. Then we sang “Amazing Grace” all together, us in English and them en Espanol. Kevin and John had never played either of those and were able to compose it for this rendition as we went. What a truly amazing gift. What joy to sit under them leading our worship of Jesus, Salvadore.
There was pure beauty in worshipping in such close proximity with such human elements such as heat, sweat, loud joyful music, preacher walking up the aisle passionately. The universal language of music. “Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy” Psalm 33:2-4. “Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the saints” Psalm 149: 1-3.
Revelations mentions music and singing several times. Psalms. The new songs sung in Rev 5:9, Rev 14:3. I hope that we get to learn musical instruments in heaven, because there is indescribable joy in praising in the form of music. We are made in His image. God loves music, as He says repeatedly in His Word. And He has no iPod! No wonder we are drawn to music in an unexplainable way. “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your Name, O most High” Psalm 92:1. One song that helped us to worship that spoke to us is “Tears of the Saints” by Leeland. It encapsulates our thoughts, prayers, emotions. What a gift He has bestowed.
I am so excited to see how John, Kevin, Maddie, Lauren, Andrew, Ashley and Sammy use the gift of music. And Brian. We do pray that the orphans will eventually be given the gift of music. Right now, we pray that their spiritual and physical basic needs are met (praise God for Brad and his family serving as house parents!). And for a GIRLS ORPHANAGE to get the girls off the streets and out of dangerous circumstances. And we look forward to worshipping again with the saints of that sweet little church in a small rural village in the Dominican Republic. Either here on earth, or in heaven eternally.
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” Eph 5:18-20
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