1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hi from the Salvation Army. You're listening to 2 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: Words of Life, the. 3 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 2: Words of the Life. Hey, and welcome back to Words 4 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 2: of Life. In today's episode, we're continuing with part two 5 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 2: of a four part conversation with some members of the 6 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 2: Salvation Army's Southern Staff Band. In October of last year, 7 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: they had an opportunity to spend ten days in South 8 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 2: Africa leading and taking part in various worship services. What 9 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 2: began as a routine trip for this group of experienced 10 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 2: musicians quickly became a life changing, powerful experience for the team. 11 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 2: To learn more about the Salvation Armies music ministries, visit 12 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: USS Music and darts dot org. 13 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: So we land in South Africa and when I say we, 14 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: I mean you all and what happens next. 15 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 3: We stayed in a hotel and it felt very western, 16 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 3: you know, the highways are similar to what we're used 17 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 3: to here, and there was billboards and ads and businesses 18 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 3: all along the way. And so we're in this charter 19 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 3: bus because there's thirty six of us or so driving 20 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 3: in with all of our equipment, and it just feels 21 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:14,519 Speaker 3: kind of like home. You know, you're going, You're going 22 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 3: and going. And then they take this turn, and all 23 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 3: of a sudden, things start looking very different. The houses 24 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 3: are smaller and smaller and smaller, and there's gates and 25 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 3: glass stuck to the top of all of the gates, 26 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 3: and you can just tell that you're suddenly moving into 27 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 3: this community that is struggling in a lot of ways, 28 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 3: where there's not as much money, where there's more crime, 29 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 3: there's safety issues, and you can just see it and 30 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 3: how the infrastructure is built. But when we pull up 31 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 3: to the core, which is right in the heart of 32 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 3: this community, there's I mean hundreds of people I think 33 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 3: at that point, and we were early and there's already 34 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 3: hundreds of people there, and they're all wearing their Salvation 35 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 3: Army uniforms with these huge smiles on their faces, anything 36 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 3: from teeny tiny little kids with their cute little when 37 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 3: your soldier ties all the way up to some of 38 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 3: the older people with walkers and canes and they're just 39 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 3: smiling and joyful and like waving at the bus in 40 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 3: the middle like because I don't know about you, but 41 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 3: I was feeling okay, did it? But as soon as 42 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 3: we turned into those neighborhoods, my heart kind of sank 43 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 3: a little to see the reality of where we were. 44 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 3: To then pull up on this joy filled space was 45 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 3: such a powerful moment for me and to know that 46 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 3: I was stepping into something that was so beautiful. 47 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 2: Hey, you're listening to the Salvation Armies where it's of life. 48 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 2: We're going to take a quick ad break and we'll 49 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 2: be right back. 50 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 4: The first thing we did was play this outdoor dedication ceremony. Essentially, 51 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 4: they were building and not have moved into a new 52 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 4: Core church building there. It sounds better coming from people 53 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 4: that live there, but it's the piert Orial Core we 54 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 4: were at in outside Johannesburg. It was also the seventy 55 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 4: fifth anniversary celebration of the Core itself, and I think 56 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 4: that probably helped us. It definitely helped me. We were outside, 57 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 4: it was it was a nice day. The energy level 58 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 4: was immediate. This will be a theme. I'm sure they 59 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 4: were singing from the first moment we were there. 60 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: And wait, you mean people were people. 61 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 5: Were singing Like we pulled up and got off the 62 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 5: bus and people were already singing. Wow, with no accompaniment, 63 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 5: Like they literally were singing while we were setting up things. 64 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 6: People were singing outside. It was like a small group 65 00:04:40,080 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 6: of kids. I remember singing or rehearsing or something, Brad. 66 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: When I heard you talk about it, it was SPUs. 67 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 4: It is very often, I would say most of the 68 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 4: time spontaneous, and there are clearly choruses that are ingrained, 69 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 4: and we were. It was explained to us a few 70 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 4: times what some of the words were, and it's not 71 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 4: it's not in English when they're singing the vast majority 72 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 4: of the time. But Bethine, you just mentioned it like 73 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 4: the atmosphere. I've gone back and forth on the on 74 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 4: the word to describe the vibe overall, but even that 75 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 4: first it was kind of a celebration. That was the 76 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 4: whole theme of that first weekend. At the core was 77 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 4: that I believe the weekend actual themeless, a celebration of 78 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 4: God's faithfulness. It was festive, vibrant, like it really was 79 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 4: a party, and I mean that in the best possible way, 80 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 4: but it was a party focused on the right things, 81 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 4: celebrating what God has done and what He's going to do. 82 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 4: Maybe the number one takeaway for me the entire time 83 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 4: we were there is just the joy that comes from 84 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 4: the way that they approach worship and just there every 85 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 4: day life. It's not even just in worship. It's outside 86 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 4: of worships when being lunch and they might start singing 87 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 4: like it's there's not there are no barriers to it whatsoever, 88 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 4: And I think that's beautiful. It's not always the same 89 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 4: as what we do here, but it is. It's moving, 90 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 4: and it snapped us all I think into place that 91 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 4: first day, like, oh, this is going to be how 92 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 4: this is going to be. And it was powerful to 93 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 4: be there, like be transported there and kind of help 94 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 4: forget all the things that we talked about before about 95 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 4: like any reservations about being there, what we might be missing. 96 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 4: It stats you into place right away. 97 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 2: We pray that you're enjoying and being blessed by this conversation. 98 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 2: We're going to take one more advate and we'll be 99 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:48,799 Speaker 2: right back. 100 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 5: In breaking the barriers of like of worship. For us, yeah, 101 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 5: Western wise, it's like being in the coolest Baptist church 102 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 5: you've ever been to, where like they literally are going 103 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 5: from song to song with somebody playing a bass drum randomly, 104 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 5: not necessarily in time, but very strongly. But also just 105 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 5: like just freedom of worship like which we have here 106 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 5: in the States, but like the way that they worshiped. 107 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 6: It was just something to behold. 108 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 5: Like it literally was like, all right, if this is 109 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 5: how heaven is supposed to be, I'm with it. Like 110 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 5: that's like it was. It was amazing, And in those 111 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 5: moments you just felt like, what have I been doing 112 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 5: with my worship my whole life? At least that's how 113 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 5: I felt, like, Have I been that free? 114 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 4: Have I been that open? 115 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 5: Have I given back to God with everything that I am? 116 00:07:47,240 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 7: In that way, the hospitality was also mentionable, I think 117 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 7: because from the minute we stepped off the bus, like 118 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 7: we have tea, we have cakes. 119 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 3: We have you know, all these things. They wanted to 120 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 3: just pour into us and share with us, which was 121 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 3: something that continued throughout the entire week. And the reason 122 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 3: we were at that core, as Brad mentioned, was because 123 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 3: this was the celebration. And I believe that the Southern 124 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 3: Territory was a significant donor into the building of this 125 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 3: new chapel, and they used the old chapel as a 126 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 3: space now for refreshments and for meals. And I mean 127 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 3: it was what a quarter of the size of the 128 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 3: new space, But the new space is already filled, so 129 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 3: I can't imagine how the week's prior. 130 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:25,959 Speaker 2: They did not build it big enough. 131 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 5: I'm not going to tell you that right now. 132 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 3: Can you imagine what it looked like just two months 133 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 3: ago or before all of the construction was done and 134 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 3: all those people crammed into that tiny building. But I 135 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 3: feel like the joy was always going to be there. 136 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 3: It was always there, right. It was just beautiful to 137 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 3: see them so proud of this new space and excited 138 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 3: to be there. The reason we were playing outside to 139 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 3: begin with was because they were doing a ribbon cutting, 140 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 3: and the first people that they let into that space 141 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:56,320 Speaker 3: as a part of the ceremony was their junior soldiers, 142 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 3: the youngest members of their church, as a way of saying, 143 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 3: this is your future, right like, you're going to be 144 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 3: the ones in this space the longest, and we want 145 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,199 Speaker 3: you to step foot into it first. They were just 146 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 3: so proud and so thankful for what had happened in 147 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 3: that space and for what God gave them, and we 148 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 3: were just so glad to be a part of that celebration. 149 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 6: S not. 150 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 1: The Salvation Army's mission. Doing the most good means helping 151 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: people with material and spiritual needs. You become a part 152 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 1: of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army. 153 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: Visit Salvation Army USA dot org to offer your support. 154 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: You can subscribe to Words of Life on your favorite 155 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: podcast store or visit Salvation armiesoundcast dot org. Join us 156 00:13:49,040 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: next time for the Salvation Armies. Words of Life are 157 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: the words of life. 158 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 2: These are the words of life. These are the words 159 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 2: of life. Thanks so much for listening to Words of Life. 160 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 2: We want to thank the team that Life Audio for 161 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 2: their partnership with us on the show. Visit lifeaudio dot com, 162 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 2: where you'll find dozens of other faith centered podcasts in 163 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 2: their network. They have shows about prayer, Bible studying, parenting, 164 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 2: and more. Thanks again for listening. We'll see you next time.