Something that I have discovered about myself during the course of this year, is simply that I love performance arts. I know that I already knew this, but the World Race has only served to confirm and re-edify this resounding truth. Upon arriving in Bayankhongor, I was volun-told that I would be helping with our church’s Easter drama. Part of me wanted to quail and be irritated at the nomination, but the honest part of me was ecstatic. Working with creative teenagers to tell the story of Easter in a dramatic fashion, this is the kind of ministry that I have longed to do for 9 months.
For a solid week, Piva, Erica J., Drea, and I would go to the church each night to work with the youth to put together an Easter skit. Often these practices would be filled with laughter and uncertainty, as we attempted to direct our actors without a common language. However, there is something that is transcendent about the art of drama. Not only were we able to communicate but we were able to effectively convey the wonder of Jesus’s resurrection through drama.
After several intense practices, our drama crew was ready to perform at the Easter service for the community of believers. And this is when a wrench was thrown into our plans. The elders of the church had decided that the Easter skit was not needed for their Easter program. It was gut wrenching listening to our youth tell us the skit was not going to happen. I did not know what to do. All I could do was comfort our mourning teenagers, who were heart broken. (They are definitely the sensitive artistic types). It felt like such a true show business moment, when all of our hard-work seemingly got swept away. In fact, two of my teammates became (self-proclaimed) indignant stage moms. Then the elders changed their minds for no apparent reason. It lifted everyone’s spirits, and reminded me that there is something different about the Christians of the world. In a true performance world, my youth would have been cast aside without a second thought. But in this Christian production, there was grace, inclusion, and lots of joy.
My youth performed admirably and the true excitement over their performance was clearly evident when they took their final bows. In moments like this one on the Race, I am blown away by the way God uses my gifts and callings. I am so thankful that God has placed such talented and special teenagers in my path.
