I was back in PA for a quick family vacation time.  It was a wonderful time in a wonderful place.  

I'm spending about 2 weeks in PA this July.  I've always locked up the ASAPH Teaching Center while I am away.  This time I'm trying something different.  Because it's only two weeks, and because it is summer vacation, I decided to have some ASAPH activities continue without me.  

Erntz is usually away at school, but he is there to help watch over everything for me.  He knows what I do (and try to do) as well as anyone.  Esprenord is usually busy teaching in Cayes, but he is available to man the Teaching Center.  He will be there from 8:00 until noon every day giving my students the opportunity to come and practice while I am away.  This way, they will make progress instead of backslide while I am not there.  Keyboards, guitars, trumpets, drums, trombones, and a bass are available to my regular students.  I even encouraged them to come and make music together while I'm away.  

I even have a saxophone student this summer.  I had hesitated to start anyone on sax because of the reed issue.  (You can't buy them in rural Haiti.)   But one young man is back in town for summer vacation and he is doing fairly well so far.  

ASAPH Teaching Ministry...preparing musicians to serve their congregations.  


 

A former student of the Help-From-Above School spent several years in Port and is now back in town and leading activities at one of the newer congregations in Passe-bois-d'ormes.  He composes songs and leads a singing group.  He wanted to have a fundraising concert for his young congregation that worships in a school classroom right now.  He did a wonderful job of planning and coordinating.  He invited ASAPH to participate in the concert along with another group from our church.  

The ASAPH Brass Band played Haiti's national anthem to begin the concert.  We also played a hymn and a brief compas during the program.  ASAPH musicians also played a blues song and a drum & tin whistle duet.  In effect, we were the instrumental interludes for the concert.

Three singing groups were featured in the concert.  All three offered songs that proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ.  There were some very nice moments by all three groups.    

It was great to work together with Christians from four congregations to prepare the concert.  Sadly, there was not enough advertising and/or motivation and the crowd was small.  The goal of raising money was not achieved.  BUT, it was a great lesson in many ways.  

Thanks to sponsors of ASAPH Teaching Ministry, I was able to travel with a portion of the brass band (six instruments and players) and the ASAPH drum set.  Your support makes this ministry possible!