Day three was very exciting at both the VBS sites. The children who have been attending have really worked their way into our hearts and our youth have built some great relationships with them. This day of VBS was devoted to continuing the story of creation, our sin and God’s gift. What a blessing for our youth to lead MANY of the children through the plan of salvation.

There is something about a mission trip that changes the missionary sometimes more than the ones we are sent to. Our youth have really stepped up in leadership and witnessing.

Day three was split so that each VBS team went to their site in the morning, returned down the mountain for lunch and then went back later in the afternoon. We did this to accommodate the schedule of the villagers. Theirs is very much an agricultural lifestyle. Saturday and even Sunday aren’t much different from the rest of the week. Cows still have to be milked every day! In the late afternoon and as the sun went down, we shared the story of Christ with dozens of children and engaged some of their parents in conversation. An adult study group led by Scott Kolle was held in Huacos. This is the same town where Jay White is leading the construction crew in the building of a church. The area is prepped to begin holding worship services as soon as the church is complete!

We all made it down the mountain late, shared a later supper, and then …. Well instead of going to bed, we were entertained by a very loud wedding reception party held on the grounds of the hotel. Peruvians apparently have loud and LONG wedding parties. They started at about 4 pm and stopped at 2 AM. There no insulation in our buildings (you can almost see under the door, which is a lovely glass mosaic) so it sounded like the band was playing in our room. Of course, we all still had to rise for breakfast at 7 am and more than one of us adults wanted to beat a drum at 6:30 to let the entire hotel know we were up!

Day Four was spent in a new town, Huaros, where they have an existing church building and congregation.

We taught the children a lesson for Sunday School and then returned for a two hour worship service that night. About an hour or more was just in singing! Our group rallied around and sang many songs from our American culture for the Peruvian church (some bits and chorus we sang in Spanish) and they sang many songs for us in Spanish. This church has a pastor, Senor Jaime, who has suffered much tribulation at the hands of the local Catholic Church in his town. Unfortunately the people are in bondage to a perverted version of the church in which crosses and shrines are used as idols against evil spirits. Blessing of cattle by the local priest is common, but can only be attained by paying for them. From time to time, they have a parade, which we witnessed, in which a band marches up and down the city streets, crisscrossing the town with a symbol or statue of a saint to bless the town, it’s crops and people.

Pastor Jaime has suffered beatings at the hands of townspeople who have been incited by other leaders. The process to purchase the property where the church stands was very complex and needlessly complicated. It involved getting lawyers from Lima for various reasons. After a long wait, Pastor Jaime was on his way back to Huaros on foot, and was ambushed and the contract was burnt. The process had to begin again, this time successfully. The protestant work was known as being from evil outsiders. Then a World Changers project came through two years ago. They replaced roofs on two widow’s homes. Since then, the evangelical work is known as the good people who replace roofs!

We had five youth to share testimonies: John Dodds, Megan Gammill, Nicole Ball, John Michael Robinson and Haley Jenkins. They were well spoken and although speaking with a translator isn’t easy, they did an awesome job. The church was so happy to have us there – we were used of God to encourage these people in the journey and were stretched in our own worship.

The worship was wonderful, the testimonies were inspirational and the people of Huaros prayed for our safe return and the continuing work of showing the world the love of Christ.

Jim has given our teams the over-riding mission of making relationships so that we will have a platform to share Jesus. I must say with pride, that our youth know how to make relationships! From coloring to soccer to relay races and sharing lunch, our youth made lots of new friends. For me personally, I had a great conversation through our interpreter, Maria, with Roberto who is a teacher at the school. By the end of the conversation, Roberto prayed to receive Christ! I’m overwhelmed that God would use me all the way from Mississippi to reach this wonderful young man with the truth of Christ. Pray for Roberto – there is no church in his town and he desperately needs other Christians around him.

Nathan showing that white men can jump

The winning team- Natha, MK Haley, Haley and new friend.

Jim working the relay action!

Interpreter Maria, Roberto and Tom

Sheila the soccer pro with admirers

Hannah, Paula and budding artist Cristofer

We made it on board our Peru flight and arrived in Lima at about 6:30 am – spent a bit of time collecting our luggage, getting through immigration and customs, changing our money and getting some breakfast. We met our hosting missionary, our translators and our van drivers and boarded vans for a three and half ride to our base of operations in Canta, Peru. The world’s best roller rcoaster ride cannot compare to the van ride through the middle of Lima traffic and up the mountain roads which are MUCH in need of repair. I was worried we might get lost in a couple of those pot holes. Our translator (Javier) said that Peru certainly has driving rules and regulations, but only if you choose to follow them. My head is still sore from banging against the side of van from a few of those twists and turns.

Our hotel is a lovely, clean and rustic inn nestled in the Peruvian mountains in the city of Canta. We’re not in New York’s 4 star finest, but it’s a great place for our team. We’ve taken over the hotel and there is a large area for gathering and eating. The village is nestled just below the hotel. It’s smaller with about 2500 or so people, but also safe and sound. The hills around are covered with small plots of cultivated land separated by endless rows of stacked stone. There is an endless supply of stone around the countryside. When you see the vast plots of cultivated land in the lower valleys you appreciate all the hard work over the years that has gone into clearing that land to make it tillable!

After we arrived at the hotel, we spent an intense afternoon of showering and napping. Most of us hadn’t much sleep since the day before!

We took another van ride in the late afternoon to view our valley which God has given us as a mission field for the next few days. In the setting sun, Pastor Jim led us in prayer and reflection for our time together. As we stood at an overlook in the Andes Mountains, they don’t make these in Mississippi, we sang ‘How Great is Our God” and into the chorus of “How Great Thou Art”.  The ‘day’ ended with supper and getting to our rooms! FINALLY Day 1 was over – it only lasted 48 hours! I’m proud to say that the entire mission team (adults and youth alike) came through our extended day with great attitudes and smiling, but tired, faces.

I’ll try to get some pics up as well as more updates.

Mr. Webster, like many musicians, was of an exceeding nervous and sensitive nature, and subject to periods of depression, in which he looked upon the dark side of all things in life. I had learned his peculiarities so well, that on meeting him I could tell at a glance if he was melancholy, and had found that I could rouse him by giving him a new song on which to work. He came into my place of business, walked down to the stove, and turned his back on me without speaking. I was at my desk writing. Turning to him I said, “Webster, what is the matter now?” “It’s no matter,” he replied, “it will be allright by and by.” The idea came to me like a flash of sunlight, and I replied, “The Sweet By and By! Why would not that make a good hymn?” “Maybe it would,” said he indifferently. Turning to my desk, I penned the words as fast as I could write. I handed the words to Webster. As he read, his eyes kindled, and stepping to the desk, he began writing the notes. Takin his violin, he played the melody and then jotted down the notes of the chorus. It was not over thirty minutes from the time I took my pen to write the words before two friends with Webster and myself were singing the hymn.

For more interesting information on the use of this tune see this wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Sweet_By_and_By.

The Story Behind “Revelation Song”
By Jennie Riddle

I gave my life to Jesus back in 1988. There was a new song out at the time entitled, “I Hear Angels” by Garrit Gustafson. The lyrics read:

“I hear angels singing praises, I see men from every nation, bowing down before the throne… like the sound of many waters… like the rushing wind around us… multitudes join the song… and a symphony of praise arises… tears are wiped away from eyes as men from every tongue and tribe all sing…. Holy, holy… God almighty… who was, and is, and is to come…”

I remember looking up and around asking, “Where God? I want to see and hear that too!” Those prophetic words from Mr. Gustafson took residence within me, became the lullaby sung over each of my children, and fueled an earnest, decade long prayer to see multitudes gathered around the throne.

Back in 1999, I had just changed my 20,446th diaper (yes… I count… don’t you? ), and began singing the aforementioned lullaby over my fourth son, Andrew, as we cuddled in our blue chair. My keyboard was broken down, and I simply didn’t have the energy to set it up; it had been a really tough “mommy” day. The guitar (which I didn’t really play) was accessible, my spaghetti dinner was begging to be cooked and calling my name… but so was the Holy Spirit. I, again, began telling Him how much I wanted to SEE and HEAR all creation worshipping Him. The songs being sung by the Bride at that time were focusing on need. My heart longed to focus on something far greater than my need, knowing that all needs would be satisfied with just one glimpse of Him.

Therefore, I asked the Holy Spirit to help me write a song that painted Him; a song that the angels and creation were already singing, so that we could join in with One Voice, as One Bride, to One King. My heart recalled Ezekiel 1:26-28 and Revelation 4.

“And then, as they stood with folded wings, there was a voice from above the dome over their heads. Above the dome there was something that looked like a throne, sky-blue like a sapphire, with a humanlike figure towering above the throne. From what I could see, from the waist up he looked like burnished bronze and from the waist down like a blazing fire. Brightness everywhere! The way a rainbow springs out of the sky on a rainy day—that’s what it was like. It turned out to be the Glory of God! (Message)

“…a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightenings, thunderings, and voices… Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal… And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures… And they do not rest day or night, saying: ‘ Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!’…”

I put the baby down to play with his toys, picked up the guitar, and began to play four chords I had figured out how to play the day before. Immersed in those scriptures, the Lord helped me paint what I was seeing through those passages,” Clothed in rainbows of living color, flashes of lightening, rolls of thunder…” The melody stuck. It had the sound of heaven in it. The song wouldn’t leave me and I sang it for weeks. I can still hear the Lord whispering to me that He would carry this song across the world. I remember thinking how cool it was going to be to have a couple of my missionary friends carry it to the natives in the bush to be sung around campfires. I had no idea…

Check out the following links:

Kari Jobe singing Revelation Song http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=c455e06ebd06647fc4de

http://www.JennieRiddle.com for a video of the author telling the story and of more info about her music.

And so we stand; we are amazed
to know your truth, to feel your grace.
We hear your voice. We seek your face,
following your purpose and your plan;
and so we stand.”

There is a bit of lyric that leads into the chorus after each verse. It’s called the pre-chorus! This text comes from Chips oft quoted reference 2 Chron 16:9 ” For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” My version is quite similar but perhaps a little more succinct: You search throughout the whole-wide world, to strenghten those whose hearts are fully Yours.

The verses are statements of faith and worship, while the bridge holds an important key to bring the entire song together. Try using the word ‘experiencing’ in a song; too many syllables! However, the bridge does utilize that important concept word and adds a new dimension to the personal worship nature of the verses by saying that we stand together experiencing God as His Church.

Here then is the entire lyric, enjoy!

Verse 1
You are holy, You are awesome
You alone are God and you reign supreme
I am humbled by your presence
You alone are God and Lord of everything

PreChorus
You search throughout the whole-wide world
to strengthen those whose hearts are fully Yours.

Chorus
And so we stand.
We are amazed
to know your truth,
to feel your grace.
We hear your voice.
We seek your face.
Following your purpose and your plan;
and so we stand.

Verse 2
We are children by your calling.
We’re your servants and we’re saved by grace alone.
You are Abba, Abba Father
Boldly we will come,
with joy surround your throne.

Bridge
And so we stand together
Experiencing God
We are His church forever
Purchased by His blood
We’re bound to Him whatever,
with ties no one can sever;
A chosen race, a nation of His love.

Ready to paint, ready for football.

The youth are working in five different Backyard Bible School sites this week, teaching Bible stories, helping children in crafts, serving them lunches and of course, playing with the kids. There might be five to over thirty children at a site, and the kids come at different times. Our youth are excellent leaders! They are handling the differing situations with a wonderful attitude of service and love.

An extra opportunity came up at one particular site that is a park in an American Indian community. The park was somewhat overgrown, had lots of trash and a recreation building that was filled inside and out with graffiti. With Pastor Jim’s guidance the youth spent an afternoon clearing trash, mowing an entire baseball field and painting the building and somehow at the same time playing softball, soccer, tag and hanging out with neighborhood kids.

Our evening was spent in worship with our camp worship leaders: Josh, Ricky and Sammy. It was greatly encouraging to see our youth really engaged in the worship experience. The Spirit moved in our lives as the youth sang and responded in worship through singing, testimonies, preaching and prayers. They are indeed a great force in the kingdom of God!

The Mission Trip Begins