Today started with a nice breakfast at a local curry house down the block from our hotel. We enjoyed Roti Canai, an Indian flatbread with egg, and Mango Lassi, which is like a mango smoothie. Before breakfast, we talked about our workshop from the night before and some observations from the trip so far.
After breakfast, we loaded up on the bus and took a drive to a beach in Karambunai where we dipped our toes in the refreshing Malaysian waters, keeping an eye out crocodiles. There were several heart-shaped structures along the beach and a heart-shaped deck on the resort. It was on this dock that Rebekah and I got engaged and married within the hour. Dr. Zeiss officiated and gave a lovely speech about the preserving nature of love; in that if we could survive the long trek to Malaysia, then we could survive anything! While this wedding was all good natured fun, it was set on the backdrop of stunning mountain views and vibrant blue waters.
After a quick wedding, we got back on the bus to return to the hotel. We then took naps (much needed in this early period adjusting to the time change), took showers, and enjoyed the company of our fellow travelers. We then got dressed to go back to the Sabah Theological Seminary to eat dinner and conduct our second set of workshops.
My workshop focused on song selection for the church. Here we talked about the importance of theological consideration, musical appropriateness, congregational involvement, and practical applications. Basically, discussing why it is important to understand what these worship songs are say and asking if they are inline with the Bible. Asking if the music being sung is appropriate for the season the Church is in or conveying the same message as the sermon for the day. Recognizing the challenges and limitations some congregations have when it comes to music, whether it is physical limitation or a lack of resources and how to overcome those preventative factors.
Two things that stuck out to me from today came from the workshops. While on the bus back to the hotel, I learned that some of the people present at the workshops drove upwards of 8 hours just to come learn from us. This resonated with me because it shows the impact that we have on the growth of people in the churches here and our role in shaping their understanding. The other event that stuck out came from my workshop. Towards the end, Dr. Monteiro was explaining how God transcends language barriers and used the song Silent Night as the example. The group then joined in, singing in 5 different languages. It was a powerful and beautiful display of our global fellowship.
Written by: Nick Hernandez