Jesus, Orphans, and OHS
Let me start off by saying that if you haven’t read by blog from a couple of months ago, “100 dresses”, please go back and read it because that is the introduction to the story I’m about to tell.
What do Jesus, orphans and Opelousas High School have in common? Well, last week they were all in one auditorium together!
Through a series of God appointed circumstances, the Watoto Children’s choir heard the story of OHS sewing dresses for their orphans. The choir was in town performing at our women’s conference, Arise and contacted the school saying they wanted to come do a performance for the OHS students to say “thank you”. So last week, they came and performed and what a performance it was!!
If you were at the Arise conference, you’ll remember some of the songs they sang: "I am not forgotten, God knows my name” and “Affaya = Hallelujah”. The choir performed those same songs at Opelousas High School, a public high school, also known as the “urban jungle”, and unapologetically, lifted high the name of JESUS!
When the choir came to the part of the song saying “hallelujah”, the leader of the choir asked the student body to stand to their feet and sing along. Much to our amazement, the ENTIRE student body, stood up, waved their hands in the air and sang with all their heart, “Hallelujah"! Chills went down our spines as we heard the voices of the high school students sing praise to God!
After the performance, the teachers told me that there were two huge concerns they had before the performance:
They were concerned about the behavior of the students during the performance. Whether or not they would be quite and respectful to the choir or be disruptive and unruly, as was their reputation.
Much to the teachers and faculty’s surprise, the students of Opelousas High School were on exemplary behavior! In fact, my husband was in the back of the auditorium and watched the demeanor of several boys go from bad attitudes and not wanting to be there to sitting up, taking pictures of the choir and participating in the songs. We were all stunned at the awesome behavior of the students!
The second concern of the teachers and faculty was whether or not they would be able to settle down the students after the performance was over.
That concerned vanished as Mrs. Cosgrove (the teacher responsible for the idea of the 100 dresses and leader of that day’s performances) told me, “Heidi, in 20 years of my being at OHS, I have NEVER sensed the peace, calm, and tranquility in the halls of Opelousas High School like I did following the performances of the Watoto Children’s choir.” My response to her was this, “What you felt in the halls of OHS was the presence of God. The choir ushered in God’s presence through their songs and the students welcomed God into their school by the praises they were singing to Him!”
Teachers, faculty, administrators, parents and students alike were in awe that day at how well received and well accepted the orphan choir was by the students of OHS.
Jesus, orphans and the students of OHS made a pretty big impression on EVERYONE there that day, including me!
The newspaper came and did a front page story on the good news coming out of Opelousas High School once AGAIN. I have a funny feeling it won’t be the last positive story they do. Jesus now resides in the halls of OHS and in many of the hearts of the students and staff.
Jesus…orphans…and Opelousas High School. WHO KNEW what God had planned?!