I never heard a sweeter sound!

2012 January 27

by Ashley, Children at Risk DTS Staff

How do you fit eleven YWAMers and eleven rescued orphans into a small pick-up truck (sungtow) that has three benches in the truck bed?

A little something like this…

Full truck - YWAM Madison DTS Thailand outreach

Yep, 22 people fit in here.

We pile in and squish together. When there is absolutely no room left for anyone else, we drive to church. A couple minutes into our ride, someone starts singing. Soon, everyone sings along to fun kids’ songs. After a quiet moment, one of the children starts the next song, one of my favorite worship songs.

I look around me and my heart just melts. Some of the kids close their eyes, some sing at the top of their lungs, and others gently lift their sweet little voices toward Heaven. Tears come to my eyes as their song wraps around me.

The song splits into two parts, with the kids taking the harmony and melody, and I’m surrounded by a heavenly choir!

Worship with Thai orphans (click to download, it’s an .m4a file that should open with iTunes.)

As we worship together, I think about how we come from such different places: Them–orphaned, then rescued to another country to live a better life. Their future is unsure, with no family to call their own but each other. Us–families at home, many people missing us, praying for us, and awaiting our return. Yet as our voices blend together, so do our worlds.

My heart is overwhelmed with the sweetness of the moment and I am overtaken by the realization of God’s goodness, His redemption, His grace.

Here we are, all the same to Him: just a bunch of His kids singing in the back of a truck. It’s like I can feel God’s smile. And I wonder, maybe tears are coming to his eyes, too, as he listens to His kids from totally different worlds become a family and sing to their Daddy.

These kids who once had no hope now know the One who brings hope. They are safe, protected, loved.

They know it too, and in response they just sing.

7 Responses leave one →
  1. Mary permalink
    January 27, 2012

    i tried to click the link but it didn’t work…. is it just my computer or does it actually not work for anyone else either?

  2. Jenn permalink
    January 27, 2012

    my heart just completed melted..ahhhhh! God is so amazing, words can’t even describe!

  3. January 27, 2012

    Others have had a hard time with the link. See if you can right click and then “save as” to hear it. It should open in iTunes. http://blog.ywammadison.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Memo.m4a

  4. Laurie Brown permalink
    January 28, 2012

    That was incredibly beautiful and so sweet. My heart is touched by the beauty of those precious children and their love for God.

  5. January 28, 2012

    It worked when I saved it!! Wow, that is so precious! They have real talent! I love it!

  6. Janene Waldrop permalink
    January 28, 2012

    Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I loved how you brought the two worlds together and made all of you one in the Father’s heart. That is so true. It is sad that more people in our world can’t or refuse to see that concept. I can’t wait for Jullianne to come home so I can hear more of the amazing things you guys have been a part of. Once again, Thanks a bunch!

  7. February 2, 2012

    Thank you guys… you have been a blessing to us and especially to the children.

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