We were sitting in the tribal believers' meeting the other day. Miyun, a young tribal man, was up front singing and playing his guitar. We hadn't heard him sing before.
For the folks here, singing songs of worship was still fairly new. We hadn't pushed it, but simply waited for them to be ready.
As they started writing their own worship songs we delighted to hear them singing praises to their Heavenly Father.
Midway through Miyun's song, he stopped and hung his head low, hiding it behind one hand. Then he continued a little.
I wondered if he'd forgotten the words …
Miyun paused again, and when he looked up, his face was streaked with tears.
I was surprised. The Banwaon are a beautifully natured people, but generally don't show their deepest emotions publicly.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I can't go on. It's just that my breath really hurts."
"Everything I'm singing about how God's forgiven my sins is so, so true …"
His heart was deeply moved.
Miyun sat back down, amid nods of agreement and shared feeling and a few misty eyes.
Albert and Lynne Castelijn minister among the Banwaon people of the Philippines.
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