A Weekend with Friends

 A story of something that happened to me in 2009:

 

A weekend with friends

Romans 13:9

Dear Reader: Here is an accounting of a weekend I recently spent in North Carolina with friends in Christ. I try to visit these people at least once a year. These people are true friends and have stayed with me in my struggles over the past two and a half years.
Normally these letters are of my trips to England but I thought I would write about something that happened here in America.
Sometime ago I had asked when would be a good time to visit and it was finally decided the weekend starting the 17^th of July 2009. I was asked if I could help teach a Sunday School Class that Sunday to my friend’s first grade class. I consented and he sent me some material I had to learn because I was the one who would be reading it to the class.

 Finally Friday the 17th rolled around and I was off at 05:30 in the morning. I know this sounds like a rather early departure but please remember I had to go through Baltimore and Washington D.C. and I really didn’t want to get jacked up in the horrendous traffic in that area on I-95.

 I arrived at about three thirty in the afternoon and after I unpacked and freshened up a bit, we went to his church. They were having activities and a sleepover for those who are going to be in the first grade in their Sunday school. This is a sort of “rite of passage” for these youngsters. I was very flattered and honoured that I as an outsider would be allowed to participate in an event like this with five to seven year olds. There were some older kids but this was actually open to all grade schoolers. Earlier in the day the group had gone to a pottery mill to learn how clay pottery is made. The place where they went makes all of their goods by hand and has been in business since the late 1700's. After a lunch in the mill’s picnic grove, they returned to the church. They had activities planned by a young lady who is working on a degree for teaching. This young lady not only developed the curriculum but executed it as well. When we arrived, she was in the middle of reading a Dr. Seuss story to them. The story was Bartholomew and the Oobleck (1959), which the kids seemed to enjoy very much. Afterwards, the kids went to tables that were set up out side with some kitchen utensils and bowls on them. There was water, cornstarch and green food coloring provided. The kids were instructed on how to mix the ingredients and went to it. The idea here was to make an Oobleck like substance as well as teach the kids the differences between solids, semi solids and liquids. I feel the most important thing taught here was teamwork. This is perhaps one of the most important lessons that can be taught a child and in my humble opinion; this is an excellent age to do it.

After they were done with the Oobleck, they went back inside to a critique of what they had learned and then went to supper. Supper consisted of Pizza, Pop Corn and “Bug Juice” 

When  supper was over, we had arts and crafts like activities as well as a game of “Bible Jingo”. The arts activities consisted of making our own “stained glass” figures of the fish symbol with a cross inside it [Icthus]. Some of the results were very nice as you can see.

No, I am not going to tell you which one is mine . There was another thing the kids were supposed to paint but by that time most had lost interest in painting. This is when the Minister of Education took over and held a game of “Bible Jingo”. The game is something like bingo only the prizes are not monetary. The game works like this.

The answers are on the boards that are given out. The caller asks a question and if the answer is on your board, you get to place a marker on it. The rest of Bingo rules apply for winning.

After this, it was time to get the kids ready for bed. This is where I had to leave. Since I am not a member of this church, the rules say this is one function I cannot participate in. This church, like most others has a “Safe Church” policy in effect. I returned to my host home for the night and enjoyed a quiet evening with his wife and son.

The next morning I went back to the church to have breakfast with my host and the kids. However breakfast was late in arriving and we had to get going, as we had to be in Raleigh for a show at the I MAX Theater. We stopped at Mc Donald’s and picked up Egg Mc Muffins and Hash Browns and went to his home for breakfast.

We arrived in Raleigh and went to the I MAX for a show that was one of their own productions. I had never been in an I MAX before so this was a real treat for me. I will say the realism is terrific and there is no comparison to the original 3 D movies we had when I was a kid. Afterwards we went to an “Olive Garden” for lunch. This is one of the nicer ones I have been in. The service was very prompt and courteous and the portions generous, generous enough for us to take part of our meals home with us .

We arrived home after a Cooks tour of Raleigh and just kicked back for the rest of the day. I went out and did some shopping and afterwards helped my host with some of the preparation for his Sunday school class the next day.

Sunday dawned mostly sunny and cool for the time of year. After we had a big cooked breakfast, my host had to get going early to set up the classroom and I soon followed to help with this. I also had to mind the room for kids coming in since all of the teachers had an emergency meeting. This classroom is equipped with a computer and the kids can take turns playing interactive Bible games. The favourite seems to be puzzles of different kinds.

After the meeting and a good many of the kids had arrived [some of whom remembered me from previous visits], we started the class. The day’s lesson was on Romans 13:9. There were a number of interactive games devised by my host as well as a monologue done by me. I was dressed in some stage props to look like the Roman Centurion Cornelius. I read the story to the kids of how Cornelius met Peter [Acts 10] and then answered some questions afterwards. In all it was a very successful class with 12 students being in attendance.

After the class, I had gone out into the hallway to talk to the Minister of Education and ran into a 10 year old boy who has sent shock waves through the church. I had met this boy last year and in a way, I helped my host mentor him. The real shock to the congregation came when this past spring, he came forward at an alter call during a revival meeting and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour. The shock here is he has been the youngest to ever do this with out parental support!

This boy saw and greeted me with “Hello Mr. Terry, how are you” coupled with a handshake and a very surprising but modest hug. Needless to say, I was very touched by this act.

Afterwards, we went to the sanctuary for service and while we were waiting for the service to start, this very same boy had taken a piece of paper and made a paper boat out of it. He then turned to me and said, “here Mr. Terry, I made this for you”. I tell you truly, this is one of the most precious gifts I have ever been given by anybody and I have it at a place of honour on my computer monitor where it will serve as a reminder of just how awesome God is.

After the service we went home for lunch and just plain chilled for a while. It was a lazy afternoon and that was fine with me. I’m not one of those people that need some kind of constant activity, I am perfectly happy to just kick back and relax .

After a bit, we went back to the church for the evening activities. This church doesn’t have any organised activities as such during the summer vacation season but it has things like movies for the kids in the evenings. This night we were treated to a movie complete with munchies like popcorn, cake and bug juice. I also took this time to take some photos of the new Sunday school wing.

After the movie it was time to say farewell to my friends there. I met the boy from that morning in the hallway, shook his hand and wished him a goodbye, he in turn did the same to me then he hugged me again and said, “Mr. Terry, Please come back as soon as you can”. In all honesty, I almost lost it right there. I went outside and said my farewell to the adults that were kibitzing in the parking lot and went back to my host home. We had some supper and before I went to bed, I bade his wife and son goodbye as I knew by the time they got up I would be long gone. The next morning I was up and gone by 06:10 and drove a rather uneventful 500 mile trip home.

Some things I wish to point out here. Before meals, grace is always said. Each person in the circle [yes, we hold hands and make a circle] offers the prayer at least once. I usually offer the prayer on Saturday evenings. Also, I have for two years gone to the alter call and have renewed my dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ. This may seem like a lot to some, but it never hurts to let Jesus know you’re still committed to him. Also, I was very blessed this past trip. I was allowed to participate in a children’s Sunday school class even though I am not a member of that church. The trust here came from my host say so. I was also very blessed by the presence of a ten-year-old boy who opened his heart to me and allowed the light of Christ to shine through him. Not only did he give me a precious physical gift, also, more importantly, he freely gave me his unsolicited love. I was very humbled by this act. This is a good example of Romans 13:9 “Love one another as yourself” ; I am a very rich man for what has been given me.

As always, you are in my prayers.

Terry

I might point out the children shown here are now adults in their early 20's.

 

How the Holy Spirit uses the power of music

 Dear All:

I am presenting my story of how my Spiritual Journey began in October of 2005. 

There a few things I should make clear to avoid any confusion. 

Firstly, Putfile.com was a precursor to YouTube. You Tube had bought them out. 

Secondly, at the time, my one British friend had a private email server which I had used for foreign communication. 

Thirdly, as in the story "The Holy Spirit using Music" , the child in question did nothing physical outside of singing. In this case, the music written by the late Robert Prizeman, the founder and director of "Libera". I honestly believe, to this day, the Holy Sprit has used music and young people to speak to me and encourage me to think more critically of my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The choir that is spoken of is Libera which is still alive and well.

The Story

How the Holy Spirit uses the power of music

1 Corinthians 13

Dear reader: 

My real name is Terry Tschopp. I was born 23 April 1943, a Good Friday.

I have always been a member in a church of Jesus Christ. Like most people, my relationship with the lord has never been constant. This story is one that will demonstrate to you how the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways. All I ask of you, is when you read this, please do so with an open heart and mind.

Don't let the e-mail address fool you; I am really an American who lives outside the Philadelphia, Pa. USA area. A very close friend of mine in the UK has consented to allow me an e-mail account on his private server for all of my foreign correspondence.

To clear up one point, my original taste in music has been and still is " Classical Organ " With the works of Bach and Buxtehuda

My story began in September of 2005, when one night, I came across the video version of " Salve me " that was posted on www.putfile.com. I was very impressed by this video and as a result, I went looking for more of Libera's music. I had found quite a bit of it on fan sites and other places as well. I had also joined the Yahoo Group, " Angel Voices ". There I met a very kind man who was to eventually become my host for a week in the UK. He will remain nameless for now as I do not have permission to use his name. If we get to know each other better I will give you more private information. This man also gave me a large number of the older Libera videos and this was the start of my transformation.

I had been listening to the music CD’s and watching the music video’s a lot. I found that it is largely " Sacred Music ". Even though it is not presented as “Evangelical” music, I'm not complaining for it was this music that inspired me to start taking a long hard look at myself and I didn’t like what I saw. It was the music video of “I Will Sing Forever” that motivated me. As I recall, it was the song " Locus Iste " which I really didn't care for at first. But, it is one of those songs that grows on you. Then one night, I sat down and played the video again [along with others] with an English translation in my hand. The tears started streaming down my cheeks, I guess it was a lot of anguish coming to the top, and when the final " Sanctus " was sweetly sung, a bomb went off inside me. The tears became a torrent. It was at this time I realized, that numerically the odds are against me. I am 63 years old and a cancer survivor. I also realized the most important thing I must do is have my heart right with Christ. It was at this time I made the decision to invite the Lord Jesus Christ back into my life, a decision I have not regretted one bit.

Shortly after this, I became acquainted with the Vicar of St. Philips [Libera’s home church] by e-mail; I had offered a prayer of safe travel for the choir when they went to Japan in October of 2005.

The one thing I regret is that I will never be able to thank the choir for their unwitting act. I doubt they will understand what they have done at their present age and to be honest with you, I am still trying to make sense of it myself. I still believe, to this day, with all my heart, it was the Holy Spirit working thru a group of South London schoolboys who can sing and their music, that gave me the kick in the head I needed to get off dead center spiritually.

It soon became a burning ambition with me to go to the UK and find out first hand about Libera. After much hassle, getting the money, passport and plane ticket together, I finally arrived at Heathrow Airport on Sunday, the 20th of November 2005. Not knowing the British Rail system proved to be a real pain; However, I did get to Wimbledon and from there I hired a cab to take me to Norbury. I was very fortunate to have missed only about 20 min. of the service. I was told that the day’s sermon was on welcoming strangers. So here I am, late for the service, charging into the church with a suitcase in each hand, making quite a racket in so doing. The man who hosted me for the week greeted me. We then sat and finished the service without incident. It was nice to shake a choir members hand at the " Passing of the Peace ".

In many English and European church’s, The Boys/Men’s Choirs provide the music that is used in the liturgy. Many of the denominations use a ritualistic form of worship that calls for the use of music. Much of it is in Latin for the Protestant and Catholic Church.

I felt very honored and privileged to take communion with the congregation and the choir. It was a spiritually uplifting event for me. After the service, they have a social where I was able to meet more of the choir and Robert Prizeman. After the social, we went to the Vicarage where my host and his wife had lunch with the Vicar and his wife, an excellent cook, I might add. After some rest it was time to go to Evensong where I was able to hear the choir sing again. After Evensong, I went with my host to his home for the week.

My host was very kind in allowing me access to his computer where I was able to stay in contact with my wife. My wife can no longer travel because of physical problems. My host took me to see a Heritage Railway where he is both a steam and diesel driver and I was also able to see Canterbury Cathedral [AWSOME and humbling at the same time] as well as Rochester Cathedral. He also took me to Bluewater where I was able to buy my copy of " VISIONS ". I also toured London on my own for a day, but as you might expect, one cannot see all of the sights in one day.

The following Saturday, the church had its annual Christmas Fayre [Bazaar]. It was at this event I was able to hear the choir perform Christmas music. Their sound is wonderful. It became obvious to me, what I was hearing was Robert Prizeman’s own faith being professed thru the choir. I also took note of the love and devotion between Robert and the choir and the choir members towards each other. It is very deep, indeed. To me, they appeared to be a large, happy, functional family.

Robert is known for keeping in close contact with the parents regarding the choir members school work. He would rather see a member miss practice to study than fail a test or otherwise get an unsatisfactory mark in their schoolwork. Not only do the members learn to sing and read music, they are taught many other valuable lessons that will help them succeed when they grow up. This is most commendable of Robert.

I was also fortunate in getting many of the choir member’s autographs on the insert for the Visions album. I was also able to get Roberts, which I am told is almost unheard of. I also had the good fortune to talk with a number of the parents and older choir members as well.

The next day was my last Sunday there. The service was nice with no problems. I said goodbye to my new friends and my host took me back to his home for a farewell dinner. There was no Evensong that night, so I knew I wouldn't be coming back. On the way “home “, the emotion of the week caught up with me and I completely lost it. This is how well I was treated by all of the British people I met and it was starting to tear me in two. I realized there were many people I had grown to like and love very much in the UK.

In short, I was torn between two loves, the USA and the UK. We finally got to my host home, where he was successful in calming me down. We had a very nice supper [his wife is also an excellent cook] and I was able to get some sleep that night.

The next morning, my host took me to the local train station. I had to endure a two or so hour train ride to Heathrow Airport. Just before I boarded the train, we shook hands and I gave my host a big, tearful hug and he reciprocated. I almost broke his glasses because of our size difference. I couldn’t thank him enough for all he had done for me. I will never forget that, it was then I realized what a friend I really have there. We still talk on Yahoo I.M. almost every day and I am currently planning a trip for September of 2006.

Thanks be to God, I have had a wonderful, spiritually uplifting, blessed event occur in my life that I am very greatful to the choir for. They have unwittingly pushed me back to the Lord Jesus Christ and given me my life back in a very real sense. As a result, I was finally able to slay one dragon, the fear of flying. I still have a number of dragons to slay [but who doesn’t] and now, by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, I will be able to overcome them. I also went thru a bout of depression over Christmas, but with a lot of prayer, grace and the help of many friends, I am now in pretty good shape.

I went to the U.K. looking for answers and I found most of them. The maddening part is, there are even more questions that have come to mind. I now realize the answers I seek are not in a foreign country that happens to have a group of schoolboys who can sing, but only in the Lord Jesus Christ do we find these answers.

On that note, I think I am going to say goodnight and God bless you. I will add you to my personal prayer list.

Terry …….

 

Sadly, Robert Prizeman passed in 2021 due to Prostate Cancer. I lost a freind here. This is one of the reasons I implore others to get the PSA Test done. It can save your life. I KNOW, I am a 21 1/2 year survivour!

The members of the choir at that time are now young men in their mid 30's. I chat with some of them once in awhile. They have grown into kind loveing people which is my wish for any child.

 

The Holy Spirit using Music

 Isaiah 11:6 

 

 Dear All:

On October 30th, 2024 my wife of 43 years passed on to Glory. While I am a believer, I was still pretty much down in the dumps and feeling sorry for myself with a "Woe is me" attitude.

One night this past February, I came across a posting on Facebook about Polish Christmas music. The music was presented by a famous Polish Highland Band. I had watched quite a few of their videos that night. I came across one in particular where a youngster who was apparently a bit bored or just being playful was clowning around on stage. I will admit, the actions made me laugh a lot since in many ways, I was reminded of myself at that age. That was perhaps the best laugh I had since Ida passed away. I needed that ;) The one thing I did take note of was the energy and joy of the Polish Christmas Music. 

The next morning, after a good nights sleep which is rare for me, I was eating breakfast and it occured to me I had to stop whining abut the loss of Ida and get on with my life as I know Ida would have wanted me to. 

Fast forward. I now listen to a lot of this Polish Highland Bands music. Coupled with this, I have also studied about Poland and her people and learned of a Poland I never knew existed. I say that in a good way. While I am not fluent in Polish outside of some questionable language, I still enjoy the music. What makes it easy is I am able to download the lyrics with English translations :) I am slowly learning Polish through music. This is how I learned the Welsh [Cymraeg] I know.

Since then, I have pretty much fallen in Love with Poland and her people for indeed, they have stolen my heart. I also like the food, my waistline is showing it 😉

In summation, this makes the second time in 20 years where the Holy Spirit used the power of music and  a child to deliver a message to get me to get off dead center. I will be forever greatful for what that young person unwittingly has done for me. In this case, the child did basically nothing ouside of being a child. I think the words of Isaiah 11:6 might apply here “And a little child shall lead them” .

Terry 

 

Note: I NEVER  use names in my post, especially minors. Do not ask me for details, I will respect the privacy of all concerned and keep any information I may have private! This is not negotiable!