Our dear Prayer Partners,
Many thanks to all of you who prayed for the time we had with the USA Jazz Band from MidAmerica Nazarene University. The days we spent with them were full and went by so fast, but were definitely blessed. Only God really knows what all was and is being accomplished through this intense time. I can only report some of my own impressions and what I could see with my own eyes and sense with my heart. But that report will be limited and God is working far beyond my own comprehension. Of that I'm certain.
Everything, technically, went as planned. That is already a very big answer to prayer. No mishaps, no accidents, no failing parts, not missing people. The band arrived exactly on schedule and the first few hours went as we'd hoped. God was present and helping us in the rehearsal with the band. The songs that hadn't come together in the previous last rehearsals suddenly went well (the tenor and bass from the U.S. were a GREAT help to our men). The room we rehearsed in is very loud, so the choir was a bit overwhelmed by the band's volume, but the smiles on faces showed that they were enjoying it all.
The next day was very full for the band. First, they played and explained Jazz to music students of the Einstein Gymnasium (High School) in Neubrandenburg. The students were enthusiastic and enjoyed the "lesson" with live music. I announced that anyone who was interested in singing in the Gospel choir could get a small card from me after the program, which would give them our web-sight address so that they could find out when we rehearse. Several out-going teen girls came up afterwards and showed interest in singing in the choir. I hope they will follow-through and really come to sing with us. We need to get more youth into the choirs, so please pray for this.
During the second "lesson", I interviewed one of the sax players and asked him about his faith. Up to that time, the students had been pretty attentive. But as soon as this young believer started telling what God meant to him, there was a whole group that just started rudely talking and making noise. When he was finished, they quieted down again. Obviously, the enemy was at work there, and those young people didn't want to hear the Good News. Very distressing.
That evening we had our first concert with Gospel Union and the band together. This was in the very large (long!) State Church in Friedland. Our ensemble, Voice of Praise, had sung there a number of years ago, but the large choir had never been there. The acoustics weren't the best for the balance of band and choir, but the audience was very receptive and I was very pleased to see some of our old choir members who had come to the concert. One man, who had sung in the choir for 8 years until he felt he'd become too old (73), had driven 1 and 1/2 hours to get there! Another woman, who sang in the choir with her daughters in previous years, but since then has lived in another place, was also there. She'd attended our Bible studies and she seemed so happy to hear the choir again. These people were hearing the Gospel message again, as one of the band members gave her testimony, and Ron McClellan, the leader of the band said they'd come again because they wanted to tell the people here that God loves them.
That night, several of us came down with a stomach-intestinal infection that is going around here. Saturday morning, I really didn't know how I was going to make it to the concert that night, let alone direct the choir. But God's strength is made perfect in our weakness, and He gave all of us who had this very weakening illness the strength to make it through the concert. That was in the State Church here in Neustrelitz where I live. The church was even more full than it has been at times when we've sung there before, and again, many of our former choir members were there. Young people who have gone away to study came home that weekend, just so they could be here to hear the band again. One of these young students came to all three events and spent the whole day with band members on Sunday! I believe this girl will one day come to faith in the Lord. She is very lively and intelligent and told me once that she "felt something" when singing the Gospel songs in the choir, that she hadn't felt when she'd sung in her school choir.
Weakened as I was, I had to get up Sunday morning and travel to Feldberg for our Jazz/Gospel service at the State Church there. God gave strength again. This service was the highlight of the weekend. The church was so full that people were standing in the back. The pastor was so happy that the choir and band were there, that he led the service with an enthusiasm seldom seen here. He even preached spontaneously without reading his sermon. That is practically unheard of here in the State Churches. And it was the Gospel message, urging people to allow God to enter their lives. The choir was now more sure of the songs and were beaming from their places on the choir risers behind the band. They knew I was sick, so they were concentrating doubly hard and their enthusiasm delighted me and the congregation.
People were so responsive to the band, to our music, and to all that was said.
I know there are many who come to our concerts to hear the music and just "tolerate" the message we try to bring across in spoken words. Some feel we say too much (anything would be too much for them), but I feel what we say is so limited. There is so much I want to tell the people here. They reject what they haven't even understood. They accept what they were taught during the Communism regime here: there's no God, and that's that! But one day maybe they will remember what they heard and call on the Name of the Lord and be saved. That is my hope and my prayer. I could cry at their stubbornness. Jesus wept over the stubbornness of Jerusalem and I pray He gives me a heart like His. In the meantime, we keep doing whatever He shows us to do, at least as well as we can discern what that is. My prayer is that I won't get in His way.
This is already too long, though it is far from a complete report. But only God could give a truly complete account, because only He knows what He is doing in individual hearts and lives. May He bless all of it to the salvation of souls and the advancement of His Kingdom. And may He bless you, too, for your interest and prayers for the people in this dark land.
Love and appreciation for you all,
Linda Psaute
