Saul: The First King of Israel

We did not meet him until Saturday. He walked up with Nelson, the Sunday School teacher. He had a hat pulled down on his head. He was quiet and soft spoken. He picked up a shovel and started helping mix concreto. You could tell he was not as physically strong as the others --- he even made a joke about it --- but he worked just as hard. He was at first shy and soft spoken, and when Steve asked him his name, Steve could not make out what he was saying and so asked again. This time he answered more forcefully and said in perfect English, "Saul --- like the first king of Israel." A short while later he began to sing in a quiet but beautiful tenor voice Casting Crown's "Because of Jesus" in English. As the day went on he played gently with the children, worked hard, laughed and played with the other workers as they mixed the concrete. He quoted scripture, talked about how he learned English, a little in school, mostly by reading, and by listening to American music, including contemporary Christian music. We discovered he, like Nelson, with whom he was obviously a close friend, taught Sunday School. Steve shared at devotion Friday night how he had been touched by this young man and the song he had sung, and we read the words to the song.

Then came Sunday morning. As people were still filing in to the worship service, Nelson and three other young men took up their instruments and began to play. One young man whom we had not met began to sing with a beautiful voice. Those who were already there, including us, began to worship. After the first song, the young man who had sung moved to the piano and began to play and in walked Saul. He had no hat but a full head of hair meticulously styled. He was no longer shy as he stepped confidently to the stage with a broad smile. He picked up the microphone and began to sing, and boy could he sing. Now his voice rang out as he led worship and sang in Spanish an American praise song, "Because He Lives", Latin American contemporary Christian songs, and more traditional North American and Latin American hymns and songs of worship. He lifted up our our hearts and minds to God as all of us, Americanos, Honduran children and adults, clapped and sang with him (when we could), accompanied by the driving beat of Nelson's bass playing and the rest of the excellent praise band. They had graciously invited Bob to join them, and Bob played his guitar with them forcefully and rapidly with a huge smile on his face. Together we made a joyful noise to the Lord, as talked about in the Psalms of David, the second king of Israel. The spirit moved and we worshiped excitedly our true King together.

We are amazed every time we come to this poor country how God is working here, through young, talented committed Christians like Nelson, Egla, and Saul. We are honored and humbled to meet them, work with them, serve with them and worship with them.