School of Music & Adoration Inaguration

Dear Readers,

I went to the school with Morgan to meet with Brother Pixley yesterday, which had come from San Jose (a three hour bus ride) for the Inauguration of “Escuela de Musica y Albanza”, or in English “The School of Music and Adoration.” The service was on Wednesday August 27th, @ 5:00pm at Faith Moravian church. Brother Rodolfo Allen was the one to deliver the message. Oddly it seemed as though he would just sit behind the pulpit and tell the congregation what was coming next. Kind of like a master of cerimonies. Anyways, the service started by me accompanying Morgan on Schubert’s “Ave Maria”. Then brother Pixley shared a few words about what EMA is and what we hope to accomplish, followed by two liturgies and three hymns and a benediction.

Funny story about one of those hymns though. One of the hymns for the service was “Joyful, Joyful, We adore thee.” It was not a difficult hymn, but it calls for the left hand to play and Octave and a third about eight times. Morgan’s fingers can comfortably reach an octave, so she asked me to play and I said “sure.” I sat down to go over the hymn and realized the keyboard we were playing on had a record function. So instead of me slaughtering the hymn because the lack of practice time, I recorded the left hand and then the right and then when it came time for us to sing the hymn in the service we just faked it and pushed play. No one attending the service knew because they were all trying to figure out how to read the music and try not to make mistakes. It was just funny how it turned out. God has a since of humor to you know.

Well anyway you can get the music recorded or live, we want every church in Limon to be filled with music once again. This situation kind of reminds me of a Zits comic strip I once saw. It was depicting a marching band standing on the football field in four out of the five pictures, not playing at all. The fifth picture was the director saying over a megaphone “this is the sound you will hear if they cut music in our schools.” Though it was not the government cutting the music, the 7.7 earthquake of 1991 drove the musicians out of Limon. We want the people of vivacious culture to once again have music in worship. Could you imagine walking into church on Sunday morning and not a single musician there? Even if the message was one of the best you have ever heard, would it be the same without the music? This is the part of the culture that Morgan and I are here to restore.

The following article is something we have sent to be published in the onward newsletter, but since some of the readers don’t receive the onward newsletter I selected to post it here as well.

Hola from Puerto Limon Costa Rica!

The school year is off to a wonderful start with 35 regularly attending musicians enrolled in our fledgling program at Escuela de Musica y Alabanza, or School of Music and Adoration. Our first trimester of class is proving that the students are quick and able learners. This creates much anticipation for the second trimester which starts in October. In fact, the excitement is so great that many people have already registered.

At our inauguration we were asked to share a few words about our calling to Costa Rica. We could include everything we said but instead we would simply like to share the heart of our sentiments: We’re here for the money.

All joking aside we are here to worship, serve, and witness through music. Most of all we are here because in the midst of our busy lives we heard a call and trusted in God. We believe that there are great things in store for the people of Limon and we hope to share in the revitalization of this home away home. After all, in Proverbs 3:6 it says “if you trust in God, he will clear the road for you to follow.”’

In this time of growth we bring to you several prayer requests:

- Pray for our continuing transition into life in Limon as well as our health as we adjust to the culture.

- For our families as they realize how far away we are and our prolonged absence over the course of the year.

- For the development team as they plan for the construction of our new building.

- For healing in a city that has long been neglected

Your Antiock Servents, Roman Brady & Morgan Smith

Dear Family and Friends, It has been an amazing beginning here. The students are great and Morgan has been great to work with. Not only does she know how to get to anything I need in the city, she also offers good conversation (not to mention she speaks English) even though my Spanish is coming along little by little (poco y poco). Originally there was going to be 68 students, but just like anywhere else in the world people say that they are interested, but once it comes time for the actual event or follow through it seems all that were interested have since invested their time elsewhere. Having said that, we only have about 30 students whom regularly attend classes. This is how our schedule has begun to unfold here in the Caribbean. Monday is our planning day with one Guitar lesson at 5:00pm with Tansy. Then Tuesday is the day Morgan and I have off in which we go to MaribuCaribe to take advantage of the pool and internet service which is only allowed if we purchase food and beverage. Also on Tuesday evening we have one Guitar lesson at 6:00pm with Pastor of New Hope Baptist church, Brother Miguel Grey. Wednesday is where our schedule starts to move a little faster. It's a day to get supplies and do the running around to get ready for class before Lessons at 4:00pm with Vivian and 4:30 with Perdita on Guitar. Perdita is the Pastor of Buenos Aires Moravian Church, which is also the church where I am very involved, but more about that later. Then we have class from 5:00pm-7:00pm. Thursday is a day to just go to the school if anyone wants to come and practice, with a lesson at 1:00pm with Latoya on Violin. Then we go to Faith Moravian Church where Morgan has a 4:00pm lesson with Miss Herta Downs who is the 79 year old pastor for Faith Moravian. Since Morgan is the choir director at Faith she has rehearsals from 4:30pm-5:30pm. Then we have a lesson with Alonzo (Hertas son) at 5:30pm. Friday is another busy day. We get to the school around 3:30pm after finishing our running around and errands, and I have a guitar lesson with Eduardo at 4:00pm then 4:30pm piano lesson with Perdita. While Morgan teaches a class from 5:00-7:00. I have a 5:00pm lesson with Arie, who is a 6 year old who wants to learn how to play the drums. Then I have his older brother Radjany who is learning to play the guitar. Then at 7:00pm I have Jerry who will be learning piano if he shows up for his lesson time. After the whole week it brings us to our biggest day. Saturday are quite busy…we start out by getting at the school around 8:30am and then start with 9:00am piano class, then another 9:30 piano class. I am not sure if I am going to allow the children students to continue to have combined lessons such as the two class piano because they don’t learn as much, but I’ll let you all know how that goes later on. Then I teach ten youth from age’s 11-14 music theory from 10:00pm-12:00pm. I don’t think these young students understand that you have to know the theory behind the music so that you can apply it to your instrument. If you don’t pay attention to the theory class then your lessons won’t be as productive. After that theory class Morgan and I step out for Lunch and then we have the adult class from 1:00pm-5:00pm. After the adult class I have a 5:00pm lesson with Fernando which is the one in the picture above with the guitar, which is his instrument of choice. Sunday is where I and Morgan barely see each other because I work with one church and she with another. So at Buenos Aires Moravian Church I am an Alternative Sunday school teacher for the adult class, Service Accompanist, Children’s choir director, and on the committee for the Bible Torch which is a youth competition between the churches. Well that is pretty much what I do and when I do it. In October when the second trimester starts I will take on all the new students which will keep me much busier than I am right now. The following picture are just a few I have taken along the way. In my next post I will show pictures of where I live and where I work. Hope you enjoy. If you have questions about anything, I am sure that someone else has had the same question. Please post comments and ask questions so I don’t feel like I’m telling useless information. Talk to you all soon and thanks for reading. Peace is with you my Brothers and Sisters in Christ. This is Margaret from the Plane ride. Who made my first Plane ride memorable This is a picture of the sanctuary of Faith Moravian Church. This is a picture of the Pulpit at Faith Moravian Church This is me at MaribuCaribe (sorry the video won't post) The pools at Maribucaribe (Moravians stay here for $30 dollars a night, if you let me know your coming....) The view from the pools

Fernando...one of my guitar students. This is me standing in Parque Vargas with my Trinity Moravian Shirt on. This is me wading in the ocean at Puerto Viejo Me and Morgan posing for a self portrait in the park. A view at Puerto Viejo.

Finally HERE!!!!

Well, I am here in Puerto Limon, in Limon Costa Rica. What an amazing three days it has been so far. I will start from the beginning and tell you everything I can remember. So my plane left Greensboro at 12:50pm and arrived in Dallas around 3:30pm. This was my first flight ever, and it was definitely a new experience. God was watching out for me though because there was this amazing lady, named Margaret, who had the seat next to me and once we started talking I told her my story of where I was going and what I would be doing as well as the fact that it was my first flight. So through the duration of the whole flight she would often check on me and make sure I was doing alright and whenever we would hit turbulence she would tell me that it was normal and that there was nothing to worry about. When we first started talking I had told her how some of my family had taken me to breakfast and that I did not eat much because I was so apprehensive about the flight. So midway through the flight she insisted that I eat half of her Turkey Ranch and Swiss after we had some soda from the beverage cart. I definitely saw thank God for putting a person next to me who has flown before and was so nice and pleasant to talk to. If you’re reading this Margaret I enjoyed your company. Once I arrived in Dallas I called my family to tell them that we had landed and about the experience I had. Then I did a little shopping because the Dallas airport is like a huge mall. I went to the Starbucks and bought a couple books because there are no English books in Limon. I bought the forth Jason Borne book and Icy Dairies which is about a captain of a submarine and his crew and what they went though in the cold war. Then I had dinner at Cousins BBQ and then proceeded to wait on my plane, then wait some more and then some more. My plane was two hours late and by that time I was no longer anxious as I was impatient. But we finally boarded and got seated and took off. They showed an In-flight movie called "21" which is about counting cards in black jack. Good movie. There was also an in-flight meal which was not that great and it was really a snack and not a meal but it was ok. Finally my last destination for Wednesday night was San Jose Costa Rica. Brother Leo Pixley was not waiting on me like I hoped so as soon as I went through Immigration and Customs I went outside and was waiting on him to come and pick me up. As soon as I walked out the front doors I know there were 10 people in the matter of 1 minute to ask me if I needed a taxi. I would politely say "No, Gracias". As I stood to wait on Pixley some of the drivers would ask me "who’s coming to pick you up?" I would say "Brother Pixley but I don't know what he looks like" then they would ask "Do you have their phone number?" so I said "No, I don't have their phone number because I went swimming in the Ocean with my cell phone, so I don't have anyone’s number, But I know he is coming" then they would ask me what is my destination for the night?" I would say "I have no clue. I know I'm staying in a church but I don't know where or the name of the church" Needless to say I should have been better prepared but in the end I had been standing outside for about twenty minutes when Brother Pixley came with my name written on a sign and so finally I knew I was going to be ok. Then he dropped me off at the church and I fell right asleep. On Thursday morning Pixley came to pick me up and then we went to pick Morgan up from the bus terminal. She bused in to San Jose so that I would not have to ride the bus to Limon alone. So we walked around San Jose for a while and then went to eat at the McDonalds. Probably the nicest McDonalds I have ever been in. it was two stories with nice tile floors and flat panel TVs mounted on the walls. Not to mention it had a desert parlor where they would cut slices of cake and pie off the fresh baked items. Then Morgan and I caught a bus to Puerto Limon, which took about three hours with a five minute break at a midway station which we could get a Coke (sorry Ryan) and some fried plantain chips. They are like a sweat potato chip, very good. Once we were in Puerto Limon we took a taxi from the Bus terminal to Sara’s house. I dropped off my luggage and then went to the school to teach my first adult class. We only had five students that night because usually the classes or on Wednesdays and Fridays but since their Mothers Day in on August 15th, No one would really do anything. In fact a lot of the stores and shops closed so they could be with their families. The adult class went well the students already know quit a bit of music theory thanks to Morgan. After the class we went to the Baptist church in town to sing some gospel music. They were doing a festival where they had a group come down from Harlem, New York to teach gospel music. It was great but in a true Gospel choir there is no bass part so I was having to sing high (it stayed around Eb’s and G’s). Friday was my day to get acclimated with the City and directions and just figure out where I live, where I work, and where I play, and how to get between them all. Morgan showed me the Beaches and where I could get internet access, as well as had a great lunch at the Park Hotel which is one of the only English speaking establishments nearby besides MarabuCaribe, which is another hotel/restaurant. Saturday we taught class all day (10:00am-5:00pm) which takes place at a fellowship hall (building with some chairs) that has some musical instruments. I took the teenagers and Morgan took the younger students. I taught basic music theory which requires to be able to legibly write on the staff which some of them have some issues with, which we will definitely be working on. Yesterday was great. Morgan and I went to faith Moravian church to which we were in charge of the music for the Mothers day Service. So I played “Away from the Roll of the Sea” as Morgan played the melody on her violin. Then I played Shubert’s “Ave Maria” and Morgan sang. I also played or attempted to play all the Hymns for the service. It is hard for me to get asked at the last minute to play things but I can definitely say that my sight reading is improving. Then we went to perform with the Gospel Choir. I really felt the spirit moving in this church. If you can picture this; Morgan and I are two of the three white people out of 250, people getting out of there seats jumping up and down, a constant stream of alleluias and amens coming from the congregation and choir, a african american story teller preaching the gospel...the overall experience is something I may not have experienced in the states because of the color of my skin. I remember singing in the gospel choir at WCU and people looking at me like I was out of place. So now I feel like it is ok and that those people need to realize that I sing for God and not for them. But the service was great. If I can get the video to post I have a video after the concert was over but still people were dancing around and singing. It was a blessing from God to have something to sing the first night I was here. Today we had to go to the school to teach a lesson. After that we went out shopping to get me a real Spanish English dictionary because apparently the one I brought is for Spain and not Costa Rica (Thanks though Mark). Then we went to get some more dry erase markers so that when I’m teaching the students will have something to work on the white board with. Then we caught a cab so that I can see the Beautiful Ocean for the first time, along with getting to use the internet and post this blog from MarabuCaribe. I’m not sure how often I can post but I’m hoping that at least once maybe even twice a week. So you all be on the lookout for new and exciting post. I am missing all my Friends, Family and church family. Hope to here from you all by either posting comments or e-mail me directly bradymusic@gmail.com If God loves all.....so do I. I Love you all. ttys.