Stirring Their Hearts To Reach For More

A journal entry from this last week:

I am now sitting on a ledge, overlooking the Mekong River, waiting for my bus to leave for Phnom Penh. There Dan, Elisabeth and I will prepare the last few things we need to do before we start Sold Out: Cambodia next week. As I sit here, I think of what exciting things happened yesterday in my seventh grade music/guitar class. Let’s first go back a bit.

Since being back from the States, I have begun teaching a lot of the kids how to read music. This is rather ironic, seeing I pretty much knew nothing about reading music before coming. Me deciding to teach them music was all on a whim, too. I was picking up a few last things from Wal-Mart before flying here and I saw a book to learn to play guitar and learn to read music at the same time. “This will be a great way to teach the kids to read music!” I thought.

And it has been. When I first began teaching music, it reminded me of when I first began teaching English. I had lots of blank stares. Music really is another language. I kept telling them, “Just believe me! Just believe me!”The kids laugh at me now. Whenever they don’t understand something, they laugh and say, “Just believe me! Just believe me!”


The other day I was thinking about what to teach in my classes. I hoped, as usual, to have an opportunity to teach seventh grade music. I began to think about all the opportunities the kids could have if they keep pursuing music. I imagined some writing original worship songs and others playing in symphonies around the world.

As I was imagining these things, the pastor and leader over the kids here at the center was blasting some new “up-beat” Khmer worship music. All I could think was, “How can they listen to this stuff?!?” The music is fun, but there is no variety. Their new music mostly consists of all those dorky 60s beats and piano synthetic sounds on cheap electric keyboards. I needed to listen to something different so I could think, so I grabbed my iPod. Then God spoke to me. “They have never been exposed to anything different than this.” I flipped to some classical music and it was so soothing. Then I had an exciting idea!


The next day I got a chance teach seventh grade music. The very first thing I did was have them all sit down and listen. The first song I had them listen to was Pachelbel’s Canon. When I turned it on it was like a spell came over them. Normally they would be goofing around, but they were completely captured with what was touching their ears.

It was actually very hard to read their reaction at first because there was no reaction on their faces. It was like everything stopped in time. I wanted to know what they were thinking. Did they love it? Did they hate it?

Then I just began to pray that God would speak to them. As I looked around at their faces I could see worlds being opened to each of them. Even if they didn’t become the new Beethoven, how would the music inspire them to other new things? I saw them growing up with hope and peace and joy. I saw them catching a vision for their lives.

Some people may wonder what the big deal is, but these kids came straight from the jungle. Things we take for granted, they have never heard of. Before moving to the Children’s Center, many of them had never seen a light bulb, much less a computer. Even still, many of them have never seen an American toilet.

As Pachelbel’s Canon came to an end, I asked the kids if they liked it. A look as if in a trance still lingered on their faces, as they whole-heartedly answered, “Yes.” I then explained to them that once they could play the simple songs they will at some point be able to play all these other songs.

After teaching a bit, I played for them one last song. “Usher Me In,” by Lily Tucci, a friend of mine from G.T., who has her masters in music and is extremely gifted in leading people into worship. I explained God gave my friend this worship song. I asked them if they wanted God to give them songs, too, and the biggest smiles came across their faces. “If you ask, maybe God will give you one!” I encouraged. Their excuse was that they had no time to ask God. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this statement. Don’t we all use this excuse at times, though? The next day was a free day for them, so I gave them a little homework assignment. I told them, “Your homework is to take a guitar, a pen and a notebook and go off by yourself. You are to find a spot and sit quietly for 15 minutes and ask God for a song. If He doesn’t give you a song, it is okay, but if He gives you one, great!”

I am so excited to see what God does through the children. I have been praying for a long time for God to give them new songs of worship. He is going to do it. I believe it!

How valuable is learning to play Mozart in the jungles of Cambodia? This is a question I am still asking God. I do not know fully, yet, except that these amazing players will soak it up. Maybe they will see their lives worth more than just rice planters at the same time.

What does music have to do with their future? A lot. With a lack of education, there is a lack of vision. With a lack of vision, there is a lack of hope and purpose in life. Many people here can only see their day-to-day lives. Music is a very powerful key to inspiration, hope and allowing God to move. He is coming!