September 10-16

How can I capture even a glimpse of what we have experienced during this world gathering of indigenous believers in Jesus? There has been incredible variety in dance and worship forms:

From youth to elders in all shapes and sizes and colors

From the quiet, serene synchronized movements of the Okinawans to the exuberant, joyful, spontaneous jumping and shouting of the Papua New Guineans

From the single man who removed his shoes because he was on holy ground and then sat cross legged on the ground, singing in his own language as tears rolled down his cheeks to the energetic, colorful and wildly entertaining Moluccans

The only commonality has been the consistent worship of Jesus, the One who values each culture and takes pleasure in the creative expression of each group or individual. It’s not the drum; it’s the heart of the drummer. It’s not the dance; it’s the heart of the dancer.

Many times I was brought to tears and humbled by the deep devotion of the indigenous peoples.

One time I was standing on the shore of the Galilee at sunrise. An elderly Navajo man was leading us in worship. All of his songs are directly from Scripture, put to the music of his people. Near the end of our time he just broke down and cried with the freedom he was experiencing to worship Creator in his ‘heart language.’

At that same service, just as the sun was rising, we watched a Native woman in her beautiful coastal regalia fall to her knees next to her canoe as she worshipped. A few minutes later she was on her face before the Lord. This woman was in the very first NAIM Trails camp that Dave led almost 20 years ago. Later during the conference she shared with David how significant his counsel had been to her as a young woman seeking her identity at that camp. Today she is married to the hereditary chief of his tribe and they both are spiritual leaders.

Still another time we witnessed 50+ people being baptized in the Jordan River – Native believers from all over the world being baptized by other Native leaders, some quietly with tears and others exuberantly with a victory cry.

The ‘God ordained’ connections have been astounding:

Mona, an aboriginal from Australia, whose story parallels the movie “Rabbit Proof Fence.” If you haven’t seen that movie, it is worth your time.
Elizabeth, a Dutch lady from WA that went to Bethany Fellowship and knows our good friends the Haases. She is interested in reconciliation. Where this connection will lead I am not sure, but I suspect it will have long-term implications.
Mary and Louise from the far north who know and work with our good friend, Ruth, a missionary with NCEM. Dave shares more about this in his impressions.
A medical doctor from the Six Nations Reserve that we just happened to have breakfast with. She looked at my eye and said she thinks I have shingles. The red, itchy patches and swelling are following the nerve path around my eye. That was not good news to me, but never-the-less it was good to know what I have and what to expect.
Pio and Sonja, leaders of the 6th World Christian Gathering. These people have become very special friends and are planning a trip to WA to promote their work in the Philippines.

One of the highlights was at the Garden Tomb where all 400 delegates met and held a worship service. Although this is my first World Gathering, apparently at each of the others a cross has been set up and participants were given an opportunity to leave their hurts and their losses and their pain, etc. at the foot of the cross. At this service the aboriginals from Australia did a dance without any words, all to the music of the didgeridoo, which depicted them picking up the things that had been taken from them and reclaiming them and using them to bring honor and glory to their Creator. How appropriate that at the place where Jesus was crucified and buried and rose again, that these people, who have suffered so much and lost so much, should resurrect their culture and their language and their dignity and use it to honor the One who created them in the first place.

I wish each one of you that is reading this blog could experience what we have been privileged to witness. Thank you for sharing with us and allowing us to serve Creator in this holy place. Thank you for your support, your prayers, and your encouragement. Let me close with the words from a song by Debbie Graafsma and Don Moen.

Hallelujah to the Lamb

Verse 1
“Lord I stand in the midst of a multitude
Of those from every tribe and tongue
We are Your people
Redeemed by Your blood
Purchased from death by Your love
There are no words
Good enough to thank You
There are no words to express my praise
But I will lift up my voice
And sing from my heart
With all of my strength”

Chorus 1
“Hallelujah hallelujah
Hallelujah to the Lamb
Hallellujah hallelujah
By the blood of Christ we stand
Every tongue every tribe
Every people every land
Giving glory giving honor
Giving praise unto the Lamb of God”

Verse 2
“Lord we stand by grace in Your presence
Cleansed by the blood of the Lamb
We are Your children
Called by Your name
Humbly we bow and we pray
Release Your power
To work in us and through us
‘Til we are changed to be more like You
Then all the nations will see
Your glory revealed
And worship You”

Standing by grace in His presence,
Dave and Diane