picture this...

It was supposed to be a professional presentation. I had minute-by-minute schedules in everyones hands, we had invited the visiting work team, set the time (7:00 pm), set the location (the chapel at the seminary), and I had spoken with everyone involved about their part. A first year and second year student were each asked to share a song, a fourth year student his testimony, our secretary said she'd share a devotional, our director about the program at Emmaus Biblical Seminary, our academic dean about the financial needs we have, Matt was to share about the importance of EBS's ministry here in Haiti, and I was to close in prayer.

But sometimes professional things are more personal here. By the time Matt and I made it there a few minutes before seven, we were tired from a long day, and huddling around our flashlight just to find the chapel. The power was completely out again, along with all of the security lights that sometimes shed some dull yellow light along the path. The team was exhausted after another long day of work at the new seminary campus, and also struggled to find the chapel without power. The power finally came on, only for us to realize that only one light in the entire chapel even works.

So, a good 10 minutes late with everyone tiredly huddling under the one light and the podium in the dark as giant bugs dropped from the lights onto our heads, we began the Emmaus Biblical Seminary Wednesday night presentation. Moments after, Luma, one of my students from last year, began signing a Haitian hymn about God's faithfulness in all difficulty. With such boldness and clarity, his voice cut through the darkness as He praised God at the top of his gifted lungs. Verse after verse he sang, completely unaccompanied, glorifying his God, MY God, testifying of His power and goodness for what felt like all the WORLD to hear.

Another student followed him, sharing through Matt's translation about how God had gotten a hold of his life as a rebellious boy. He dedicated his life to Jesus, and then shared a story about one day whenever he was on the streets. He says he saw a big group of people walking down the middle of the street, singing loudly. "They had all darkness," he said, "they were clearly following Satan were demon possessed. I decided then," he continued "that THOSE were the people I wanted to see transformed by Jesus. Not just my family, not just my brothers and sisters, but the darkest people...I wanted to give them the transformation of Jesus. That's what I'm doing here."

He finished and one of my new first year students, Civil, who was obviously nervous and dressed in a perfectly pressed long sleeve dress shirt and a tie, got up to sing. "I want to give God the glory" he told me quickly and motioned for me to translate. "It would make more sense in this culture that I worshiped Satan, but I know Jesus instead, and I want to give God the glory." As soon as this timid small man started to sing, the power went out again, giving him added confidence as his rich deep voice began to resonate throughout the pitch black chapel with increased boldness.

A visitor in the front row pointed a tiny flashlight at his chest, casting a huge shadow of Civil's outstretched hand and thrown back head across the chapel. "I give you my burdens, I give you my life, I give you my praise!" he began to sing. I felt the Lord's presence strongly, immediately thinking, "This is what heaven is like. Could it be any better than this? THANK YOU."

Watching his shadow visibly glorify God and hearing his humble voice sing whole-heartedly God's praise in that pitch black chapel just took my breath away. It was worship, and nothing else. The kind we're always trying to accomplish, always trying to create, always wanting to be a part of...

...the kind that's taking place in heaven right now, and I caught just a small glimpse of that tonight in a crumbling dark block building with bugs dropping on my head in the middle of a falling apart country after a long sweaty day.

I can't WAIT until all I do all day and night is stand in His awesome presence and sing His praises.

Until then, I'm not sure it gets any better than this.