I was just about ready to pack up the keyboards, stands, and music books for the night, when two young boys appeared at the Limberlost unit. A bit apprehensive, they warily approached the pianos and began experimenting with the various sounds. I was not sure whether they were there for a music lesson, or had just come by to check things out, so I inquired: “Would you boys like a piano lesson?” They replied with an eager “Yes!” so we began our lesson. They listened as I explained to them some basic piano techniques, and within no time they were making music. The half hour lesson was a time of excitement for them, as they realized that they could learn to play the piano. When the time was up, they asked if they could come back in two weeks for the next lesson. I told them that I would be glad to see them again, and they headed out. A couple minutes later, one of the boys came back to ask if he could take one of my piano books home with him so that he could practice before the next lesson. I gave him a book and told him that I looked forward to hearing him perform for me in two weeks time. This is just one of the many highlights of my experience teaching piano lessons at Limberlost.

When I began this ministry in the fall, I didn’t know what to expect. Although I’d had much experience teaching private music lessons, these circumstances were a lot different. It was wonderful to see the positive response to the lessons, as kids came in droves to sign up at our registration night; however, it created an extra challenge for me as I tried to figure out how I could teach twenty students on four keyboards, in an hour and half, once every two weeks. Attendance is inconsistent and I have new students showing up from week to week, but I’ve learned to take it all in stride; I’ve come to realize that there is much more value in this for them than learning to play the piano. It is a beautiful thing to see a child’s eyes light up with joy at the thought of inviting her family to see her perform in a recital; moments like this make it so worth it. Although challenging at times, the experience has been very rewarding for me and I know the children have been blessed by it.

I also feel blessed to be involved in this ministry. It is such a pleasure to be providing children with something that they may not have access to otherwise. I am overjoyed to be using the gifts that God has given me to show Christ’s love in a practical way.