Day 6-worship with Voz de Desierto

On Wednesday evenings, Voz de Desierto has a midweek worship service.  We had purposefully worked to finish painting the wall at the front of the sanctuary on Tuesday so that the space would be usable on Weds night.  After VBS we returned all of the band equipment to the stage, and then did some extra clean up of the paint specks on the floor so the space would look really nice that night.

Very similar to the service in Agua Prieta, we began with a lot of songs.  I'm glad to say that many were the same songs we had sung in Agua Prieta, so I knew some of them well enough to sing along even in Spanish.  The did not have a projector, but did have songbooks for everyone to use.  It was really enjoyable to listen to their band.  They did a great job!

After singing the pastor gave greetings to visitors, especially those of us from the US and Agua Prieta.  We read a Psalm in unison, alternating between the Spanish and the English for each verse.  This was particularly difficult not because of the language, but because the Americans had at least 3 different versions of the bible and our unison was more of a babble.  Fortunately it was not a long psalm.

The Pastor offered up a prayer, then invited Pastor Bill from El Dorado to offer the sermon. Bill had Delaney read the scripture (Matthew 16:13-18).   Bill did a really nice job with the sermon on the church BEING the mission, not just HAVING a mission, and Joca translated as he went along.  It must have been challenging at times to build into the peak of the message and have to pause after every sentence for translation even though Joca was quick in her work. (She also worked the other way, translating Spanish prayers to English as Pastor Ramon spoke).

The band

Joca, Pastor Ramon, and Jay presenting a gift on behalf of Southern Kansas Presbytery

Nita, Carolyn, and Miriam

The service lasted about an hour and half, although I think it would have been shorter without the translation work.  We ended by forming a circle around the perimeter of the sanctuary, holding hands and singing a closing song together.  I was most moved by the music of the service.  It really helped me feel close to this worshipping community that was so far away from my home.  My favorite song (although it was hard to choose), was: Unidos, Unidos (roughly - united together).

Unidos, unidos
en su nombre unidos
pues en este mundo
paz y amos tendrmos.

Unidos siempre unidos
tomados de la mano
iremos por el mundo
cantandole a Dios.

La gloria de Jesus,
al fin resplandecera
y al mundo llenarade
amor y de paz.

United, united, in his name united.
Then in this world we will have peace and love.
United, always united, holding hands around the world singing to God.
The glory of Jesus in his splendor shines around the world in love and peace.