As a child, I scored well on tests regularly. I remember receiving letters from a congressman or some such person congratulating me. A few times I received a dollar in the mail from a newspaper that had printed some little article I wrote or a picture I made. 

It was encouraging to me that 'someone out there' saw what I was doing. It was rewarding, and served to motivate me to continue working. ASAPH Teaching Ministry has initiated a program with those same objectives.

For the first time, ASAPH Teaching Ministry has awarded local students who achieve high marks in the classroom with a special ribbon. Three local schools have decided to participate in the program. The three top achievers for each grade will receive a shiny award ribbon.

Each marking period, the program will reward about 75 students who attain notable grades. They can work to 'keep' their position, and others can work to reach that position. We trust it will be a motivation for students to work harder and learn more, thereby preparing for a better tomorrow.

Holidays are music-filled. Easter is a great example. This year again the ASAPH Brass Band presented special Easter concerts. This time we traveled to Fondeneg and to Aquin. The band played great, and we were well received. I think we clearly communicated the message of the resurrection.

Our concerts we not well attended...considering the size of the towns where we played. We need to do a better job of publicity. We've begun working on that already. When we evaluated the actual cost of transportation and preparation, the concerts didn't put us into the black, as they say. BUT, they were successful musically, and in presenting our message. 

The band worked hard as another holiday season approached with extra rehearsals and much preparation. Christmas and Easter are special times for us. The members seem to be fine with spending those special days together playing music.  It's a blessing to be with them on those occasions.

Fisher Raymond apparently wrote and sings the song LAVI MWEN PA YON AKSIDAN. It's very popular in Haiti these days, and the message is powerful.

When you suffer, it's easy to begin thinking that there must have been some mistake made. No one should have to deal with THIS. The enemy can easily find ways to lead us into thinking that God made a mistake...He couldn't possibly be on board with me going through THIS!

I remember preaching on this very subject, and I remember how much people absorbed the message. It's good news! People who live in poverty and want are apt to believe that they were born OUTSIDE of God's beautiful plans. But each and over life inside each and every womb is a plan that God made. There are no unplanned pregnancies in God's book. People born without x, y, z are part of His plan. People born with a, b, c are part of His plan. My life, your life, his life, her life...no accident.  Life comes from only one place...God Almighty. Men and women do indeed sleep together without plans for a child, but no life has EVER begun outside of God's perfect plan.

That means HE wants me. My life is not an accident.

That's the song our brass band has been playing for over a year now. It's terribly effective everywhere we play it. It was the song we chose to play when we traveled to CAYES to play on TV at the big Baptist Convention.  It went over well, and the kids played great. (Check out the video on YOU TUBE.)

We are thankful to God for each and every life He chose to create. We're thankful for every member of the ASAPH Brass Band.

We will continue to share the powerful message that YOUR life not an accident!