Monday, July 25th

We prayed for RAIN...and got it!  We awakened this morning to a slow, Seattle drizzle, but that was only the beginning of our day of wonder and answered prayers.  Our ministry began at 10:00 a.m. this morning at the  Epic Life Academy, which has students ranging from 4 years old  to junior high.  All the students were either Ethiopian or Eritrean.  We planned to do a short concert for the children and teach them some of our VBS songs.  When they came into the auditorium, they were very excited about performing for us and a little girl, Favra, was sitting at the keyboard.  As we soon learned, the school's music teacher left the school at the beginning of summer and nine-year-old Favra had taken over the responsibilities of music education and performances at the school.  The school's principal takes the children to parks in the community to perform about 3 days a week and the children were eager to perform for us. We couldn't wait!!

The first number they performed was a medley of "Today is the Day" with "Our God is Higher".  The band was:  Favra on keyboard,  2 little boys on acoustic guitar, two little boys on drums, two children on tambourines, and three liturgical dancers.  The performance was outstanding.

The children 

The guitarists were about 8 years old and played well

For their second number, a young boy and girl moved to the keyboard.  One played the trebel clef notes and the other played the bass clef notes.  Favra moved to the front of the group and picked up an electric guitar.  Under her direction, the children sang "He Reigns". Again there was an acoustic guitarist, two drummers, tambourines and three dancers.  Excellent!

Favra on Lead Guitar - Nine Years Old

The Pianists - One playing trebel clef and the other playing bass clef

They listened intently to all of our songs and especially liked "Nothin' but Good" and the harmonies of "Majesty and Glory".  However, their favorite selections were the VBS songs.  We taught them "JOY", "Lean on Me," and "Pharoh, Pharoh".  They loved the motions and caught on so quickly to the rhythms, words and movements...even the 4 year olds.  They were delighted and so were we....precious, precious children...gifts of God!

We spent the afternoon at White Center, a suburb of Seattle.  We visited a women's prison, transitional home...one of eleven in a 2 or 3 mile radius.  The homes are sponsored by The Cross Church and Discipleship Program.  The ages of the women were from eighteen to grandmothers. There are three phases to the program.  The home we were visiting was a Phase I home.

The testimonies that the women shared were absolutely amazing.  Some of the ladies we met were in Phases 2 or 3, but there were also women in the Phase I house who had only been there a few weeks.  Each woman told about a life on the street, drug addiction and hopelessness.  Each one shared about the saving power and transforming mercy of their Lord, Jesus Christ.  The women were passionate about their faith.

Doris and Caroline, a godly woman, who is the House Mother

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ

that a man should have to seek Him first to find her"

~Painted as a mural on the wall of one of the ladies' rooms

The program in the houses is very structured.  The assigned chores of each woman are titled "House Blessings".  The chores are presented to the women as "opportunities to minister" and the women seem to respond beautifully to the philosophy.  They have Bible Study every morning, then church service, then home and watch a Joyce Meyers or other edifying video.  They discussed how other programs they had tried had failed, because they lacked Jesus at the center.  We took the women small gift bags (like we took to Sojourner House) with personal toiletries and nail polish.  They were so excited and grateful for these small representations of our love.  (As the women enter Phase II and III, they are allowed to work outside the home in preparation for their new lives in Christ.)

We prepared lasagna, salad,  hot bread, and pound cake for the ladies and then hurried off to the worship service at Cross Church.  As has happened at each of our venues, we were so warmly welcomed by the members. The sound team was eager to help us and went to considerable trouble to set up ten mics for us. The ladies that we fellowshipped with at the transitional Phase I house came to the concert, as well as the men in the program.  We estimate there were probably about 100 people in the service.  They were vocal and energetic in their worship, but always respectful.

During the concert, we received many standing ovations, and the attendees worshipped by lifting holy hands, joined us in singing, had wide grins on their faces, worshipped with holy abandon, and when we finished...they begged for more. Of course, we gave it to them.  Dana sang an encore performance of "Pray".

After we gathered the sound equipment, one of the sound men, James Garrod, came to us and asked if he could pray with us before we left.  He prayed a powerful prayer for our ministry.  After he finished praying, Rhonda prayed for him.

James praying for Sonshiners

The visit at the women's home  and the concert tonight proved the be the pinnacle of our week in Seattle.