standing in the gap

Recent report from a project I've been working on...

Mindanao, Philippines in 2009
When Operation Mobilization’s Philippines mission director first dreamed of Heart Sounds International coming to his home country, he was coordinating HSI's Mongolia project in 2003. Finally, that vision became a reality. This month, HSI's Southeast Asia coordinator, Erica Logan, partnered with multiple organizations to host and lead a songwriting event in Mindanao, the southernmost island of the Philippines. Twenty six people from a range of backgrounds gathered to test the waters of creating new songs for the first time. Among the group were pastors and musicians from three tribes in the southern Philippines.

Anticipation surrounded the event as believers who risk persecution in their home communities gathered together in a safe environment to pray, share, and create something new for the Lord. Over the course of three days, teaching on biblical worship and redeeming culture were shared along with ideas for indigenous songwriting. Because the religious situation in this area is delicate, the participants brainstormed ways to infuse their native melodies and song styles with Christian truths in a way that would be acceptable to their communities. Among the corpus of new songs were songs to encourage “the least of these” such as evacuees and street children, songs to address cultural issues such as revenge and loss of identity, songs to accompany everyday activities like shelling coconuts, and songs to give glory to God in the midst of community wedding celebrations.

Geoff Logan was able to record all fourteen songs, mix them, and burn them to CDs in one afternoon. The excitement mounted as participants waited anxiously for their CD. They were so delighted to receive it! During the last session of the day, one man who had been quiet during the entire seminar stood up and talked at length about the encouragement he felt not only for his own people but also his desire to take this idea up a nearby mountain to a neighboring tribe. We celebrated how the Holy Spirit was inspiring such an immediate response to take the Good News in song!

With Erica and Geoff living in the area, it is possible to follow up on the foundations laid this week with yearly gatherings in the provincial areas. Our desire and theirs is that the seeds planted to express God’s truth in the heart languages of the participants will grow and multiply.