It's true--we really can't do this without your generosity, but we also have very specific needs, so we're giving you a needs list that will give you lots of options for helping our ministry.  Thank you so much for all you do.

We've struck through a few items we are (thankfully!) current on, but check back, because we keep giving away instruments and always need more!

 

• Small (61-key), touch sensitve keyboards
• Acoustic guitars
• Electric guitars
• Small electric guitar amplifiers
• A bass guitar
• A bass guitar amp
• Practice electronic mesh head drum pad

 

• Ink for an HP 7600 printer
• Paper
• Stamps
• High quality two pocket folders

 

• Gasoline cards from Love's
• Hotel points
• Grocery cards from Walmart
• We'll also happily accept care packages!

 

• And as always, funding to make this thing work!

 

 

 

April 2010

Greetings prayer warriors!   I hope you're having a good Lent season as we come to Easter to celebrate the gift of forgiveness that Jesus bought for us on the cross!

This month's prayer focus is: musical progress!  And it's a good month for it.  Over the past few weeks we've had four students pass their initial keyboard proficiency tests, which means they received loaner-to-owner instruments for them to take home and use for practice.  We have one set of students getting ready to work together as a band.  They're really making progress and doing well musically, which we like to see heading into the end of the school year.

Oh, and as a side note, the prayer page on the website should be updated with this content and be kept more current in the future, so remember you can check there too.

please join us in praying for:

• focus & true learning in our classrooms
• AICM: attrition has filtered out some students but those remaining are really dedicated
• Red Sands: praise for a new playground! 
• Majestic Music: lots of lessons here with non Hope in Transit students, who are nonetheless in need of God's love (and who help pay the bills!)
• Former students: possible opportunity to meet up with former student in Phoenix next month to look at his ministry
• Administration: year-end rush, fundraising, newsletter, concerts, logistics
• Fundraising plans for summer: our booking is complete, between VBS, camps, and a potential tour with Mitch McVicker!  Please keep the tour booking in prayer, as there are still some things that need to fall into place for it to happen.
• Physical and spiritual protection for students, staff, families, volunteers, and ourselves.
• Pray for each other as prayer supporters
   

and specifically pray for:

• more prayers for the former student getting ready to finish his discipleship program and needing to make decisions about his future, this is a very important transitional time in his life and he's worried
• the student who passed his test and is now having post-goal fatigue!
• the former student who has asked for unspoken prayers for her brother

Thank you so much for your prayers.

- Lisa Sprinkle

We're often lost.  There.  I said it.  It is routine for us to need to go somewhere and not know how to get there.  So we stop and ask someone, but in the desert they don't usually say "You go up here to 42nd and Main, and make a left at the light."  There is no 42nd.  There is no Main.  And there certainly is no light.

Directions are given by markers, not by things like roads and lights.  Directions are more general than that, and certainly based on what you've stumbled upon and not on GPS style directions.  We've asked how far to get somewhere and had the person tell us, "It's a looooong way!"  We've been told, "You go up the shiny building and then keep going."  We've been told, "Go to where the tire is on the fence post then turn left."   We've told others, "You go past where the bicycle is on top of the house."  Seriously.  I could take you there and show it to you right now.

So I got to thinking about this and how it applies to our spiritual lives.  We often make a big deal about the do's and don't's of scripture and put way too fine a point on it for survival in this desert that is being human and on earth.  I got to thinking about the generalities, if there are any, that Jesus gave us as a way to navigate this thing called life.  I came up with two:

Love God

Love Others

An oversimplification?  Perhaps.  But if you generally follow those two directions, you will specifically be doing what he put you here to do.  Try to think of situation where loving God and loving Others won't either reinforce what you are already doing or make you realize you're doing it wrong.  I've been thinking through my life, and just how lost I am, and I've realized that when I'm lost most, I'm the furthest from those two directions.  I think you'll find the same in your life.

We see some crazy stuff sometimes like two cowboys chasing a bull down the highway, but we also hear some crazy stuff sometimes!  From time to time, we'll be posting these deep (or at least funny) quotes from the kids in the program.  Stop back often to check for more!

"I'm too itchy to do music theory!"

I hadn't shaved in a couple of weeks, and looked pretty beat up and bedraggled.  One student saw me, looked a little concerned and said,

"What happened?  You got old!"

They could reliably identify the number of beats (holding up two fingers) when shown a half note, but couldn't remember the name half note. "Okay," we said, "But what's the note's name? What's he called?" There was the predictable flurry of incomprehensible kid answers. Then Dave says, "Wait, did you just say, 'Dude?' Did you just call the half note, 'dude?'" Hee. I don't think he did, I think he was saying "Two" but still. I think there's a short story there, a half note named dude.

When you drive over some of the dirt roads on the reservation at night, there is a curious phenomenon that occurs.  I call it "the Chevy and the Hare" syndrome.  What happens is that the rabbits, for some unknown reason, come hopping into the road just as cars drive through.  This is exceedingly dangerous for the rabbits and the cars, as both end up abruptly swerving, braking, and otherwise trying to avoid each other on roads that are already winding, bumpy and completely unlit.  The rabbits have hundreds or thousands of acres with good cover where they could run, hide, and nest but they are for some reason drawn to the danger.  I'm not making an argument for infrastructure development, though that would be good, but rather for obedience--just stay with me.

 

I think that we are much like the rabbits in our spiritual lives.  We have a very big area where we could run but we are drawn to the dangerous places.  When I say "area where we could run" I mean that we have been given a very wide berth in our lives.  We have an amazing amount of "good stuff" that we can do.  We can share our favorite meal with someone, love, play, pray, serve, entertain or be entertained, worship, give, be a good spouse, go to the national park, be a good parent, go to a movie, be a good citizen, do something creative, learn a language, well, you get the idea.  

 

But instead we often find ourselves slipping toward the things in life that we know present a certain amount of danger.  Maybe it's that one sin (against God or man) that we secretly rather enjoy.  Or maybe instead of participating in bad stuff it is abusing some of the good stuff available, like eating too much of our favorite meal (even if we are sharing it) or spending so much time serving others that we forget about our own families.  We've been given the world, but we have to play in the road.

 

I'm challenging myself to spend more time in the good areas and less time on the edge of danger.  The first time I witnessed the Chevy and the hare syndrome I muttered something about "stupid rabbits," so it is fitting that I quit doing the same thing.

Don't panic! We know that scales aren't much fun and can be intimidating but to truly understand what is happening musically you need to know them. The cool thing about bass is this--Once you know any scale of each type (major, minor, blues, etc.), you know all the scales of that type because they are movable!

Mute your strings with your left hand to play through these rhythm exercises. This will help your timing and your right hand technique.

Don't panic! We know that scales aren't much fun and can be intimidating but to truly understand what is happening musically you need to know them. The cool thing about bass is this--Once you know any scale of each type (major, minor, blues, etc.), you know all the scales of that type because they are movable!

Don't panic! We know that scales aren't much fun and can be intimidating but to truly understand what is happening musically you need to know them. The cool thing about bass is this--Once you know any scale of each type (major, minor, blues, etc.), you know all the scales of that type because they are movable!

January 29, 2011

White MountainHouse of Prayer

 

I.     Introduction

A.   Dave and Lisa Sprinkle—Dave is a teacher, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and sound engineer who plays once in a while with the worship band at the church.  Lisa is a vocalist and music teacher, who sings once in a while with the worship band at the church.

 

B.   Spices—what we’ll talk about today is like a spice…you don’t have to use this spice, and might not even like it, but we offer it to you hoping to make your band’s music better.  DON’T throw out all of your current spices because we give you this one!

 

II.   Roles of the Instruments

A.   First, these are general and aren’t necessarily in every song.

 

B.    Drums—rhythm, the groove, drive, and color

 

C.   Bass—“gluing” the drums to the guitars and keys, the groove, rhythm

 

D.   Rhythm Guitar—chord structure, rhythm, drive

 

E.   Lead Guitar—soloing and riff-based playing

 

F.    Keys—chord structure, rhythm, color

 

G.  BGV’s—leading, harmony, call and answer, color

 

H.   Lead Vocals—leading, directing the flow

 

 

III.   Tightening the drum and bass groove

A.   How the foundation fits together

 

1.     The drummer needs to keep a steady groove!  Too many drummers try to change what they are playing every two measures or try to fill every four measures.  Did you know that you are probably the only one in the band changing your rhythm so often?  You are the one anchoring the song and you have to be willing to fill that role!

 

2.     Bass should somewhat follow the kick drum—don’t chain yourself to it, but definitely be aware of what the kick is doing.

 

3.     The key to a solid and clean foundation is open space!  Don’t fear the rests.

 

4.     Some practical exercises

 

a)    Play with a click!

 

b)    Trading Transitions Exercise.  The bass player sets up a groove with a metronome.  The drummer listens and then starts playing along.  After the bass player feels like the groove is good, he changes the groove just slightly.  The drummer adjusts again, then you keep repeating this cycle.  Then do it again, switching is so the drummer sets up the groove and makes the initial changes that the bass player has to adjust to.

 

c)     Bass players—Work on individual rhythms with right hand isolation.

 

d)    Drummers—work on beats, grooves and fills so you have a “tool box” of things to go to and aren’t searching during the gig!  

B.   How the rest of us fit over the foundation

 

1.     Experiment in chaos.  What would happen if everyone played their own thing in the band context, not paying attention to each other?  It would be a train wreck!  So isn’t “hyper listening” likely to make us really good and much, much better together?

 

2.     Everyone needs to key off of the drums and bass for groove!  Some practical exercises:

 

a)    Learn to play with a click or even better with a groove by yourself—if your backline is playing great time and groove you want to be able to help that, not hurt it!

 

b)    In rehearsal have just your drummer and bass player the beginning of each song so you can hear what they are doing before you start playing on top of it.  P.S.  This is a good idea in sound check too!  The drummer and bass player are usually the “trouble makers” during the sound check, so check them first and get it grooving then everything else should fit much nicer.

 

3.     Range considerations—Traffic trouble.  Many instruments play in the same frequency range which can lead to clutter.  Be careful to pay attention and not step on each other’s toes.  How can I change my playing to clear up the traffic?

 

a)    Limit my range not by where I can play, but by where I should play.

 

b)    Use alternate voicings—capos are a great way to do this without having to learn too many new tricks!  Check out the capo page coming soon!

 

c)     Use open space—don’t be afraid of resting!

 

d)    Limit the number of players.  If you wouldn’t use three drummers, don’t be so quick to use three guitarists in the same range.  If you have more than one rhythm guitar and your situation is sensitive, try out playing with a capo or having that player play only in the “big” sections.

 

IV.           Arrangement—To ‘B’ or not to ‘B’, or to ‘C’, or back to ‘A’?

 

A.   Don’t give me this Holy Spirit nonsense! 

 

1.     First, the Holy Spirit available on Thursday evening during your rehearsal just like He is on Sunday morning!  Make sure to ask Him to come and help you with your plan, but definitely make a plan!

 

2.     I’m always amazed by the number of people who won’t plan because they want the Holy Spirit to guide them, and then claim that they can’t change how they play or lay out for a section because it would throw them off.  Is it possible that the Holy Spirit could lead you to plan differently, could inspire you to practice more and be better, or to rest during sections?  Ask for it and see what happens!

 

3.     “Plan like God is not going to show up, and then actually play as if you don’t have a plan and only God can tell you what is next!” 

 

B.   What is an arrangement?

 

1.     Intro/Transition

 

2.     Song form

 

3.     Outro/Transition

 

4.     Which instruments play or rest during each section?  Yes, it is ok for you not to play every note of every song.

 

5.     Orchestration--What does each instrument play during each section?

 

C.   Pitfalls

 

1.     Don’t let the band or the leader have “our arrangement”.  For example, you might have a song where it goes Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bass and Drums in for Verse, Chorus, Bass and Drums out for the last Chorus and Outro.  Don’t fall into the trap of doing this for every song!  Surprise everyone and have the whole band hit hard on the Chorus to start things out one time.  Or have an entire song that is just keys.

 

2.     Don’t let a song “go stale”—change the arrangements up on each song once in a while, if only for rehearsal.

 

3.     Don’t just “do what Tomlin does”.

 

4.     Don’t get bogged down trying to rearrange all of your music this week!  Take your time and implement slowly.  Kaizen.

 

D.   Tricks and Tips for Arranging

 

1.     Do a random song order—sure it’s ridiculous and might crash and burn, but you might be surprised how well it goes.  Make flash cards that say “Verse”, “Chorus” and “Bridge” on them.  Shuffle them and then play through the order that comes up.

 

2.     Put in a solo section or an “open praise” section.  You can usually play through the chorus chords or some variation and have someone take a solo over this section.  (By the way, solo sections are ok…people can worship with an instrument.  Also, solo sections demand that the band thin out!  Be still and know that that guy over there is your lead guitarist.)  You can also just play through the chorus with no solo to give people time and space to clap, shout their praises, sing a new song, or whatever.  Or, repeat the first line of the chorus with each chord change (careful of your melodies—learn your scales and chords!!)

 

3.     Write a bridge.

 

4.     Write your own chorus for an old hymn.

 

5.     Take the arrangement of one song (Tomlin or whoever) and lay it over another song.  (Bebop history…)

 

6.     Be open to suggestions from your band.

 

7.     If your band has multi-instrumentalists, switch instruments for one run through of a song and see if any new ideas blossom

 

 

V.  A Word on Mixing

 

A.   Monitoring

 

1.     You MUST EQ your wedge monitors.  This is called “ringing out” the monitors.  You need a 31-band EQ for each monitor.  This will cost you about $100 per monitor and will immediately clear up your on-stage sound and lower your on-stage volume.  Once you get your EQ’s you can hire someone to ring out your system for you if you do not know how to do it.

 

2.     Monitors are a life boat, not a 200 foot yacht.  Do not think that you need your monitors to be a beautiful mix.  The reason people don’t have wedge monitors in their home theaters is because they don’t sound that great—know what your role is, and know what the role of your wedge monitor is!

 

3.     Try lowering other instruments before boosting your own instrument.

 

B.   Mains

 

1.     EQ settings

 

a)    Every instrument, voice, and room has frequencies that are good and frequencies that are bad.  You only want to amplify the good sounds, so learn these.  You can balance your room with EQ, but you must know what you are doing to do this properly—don’t just set the EQ settings so they look cool, or based on what you think is needed, or certainly not on how you have set an EQ up in a different place or a different system!

 

b)    Try cutting bad EQ frequencies first, before boosting good frequencies.

 

2.     Panning--If you are in a fairly big room and are mixing in stereo, good for you!  Panning thins the traffic by spreading the sound stage.

 

3.     Reverb

 

a)    The purpose of Reverb is to add spaciousness.  Most rooms are lively enough without adding reverb.  If you must use reverb, use an amount appropriate to the actual room size!  For example if your room seats 200 don’t use a reverb that sounds like a football stadium—this sounds fake and cartoonish!  A good rule of thumb is to put it to where you can just hear it, then turn it down a touch—you want the spaciousness to be sensed not necessarily heard.

 

b)    The downside of reverb is that it decreases intelligibility.

 

c)     Never add reverb to your monitors!  Reverb makes it harder to sing or play well even though it might make you feel more confident.

 

4.     Volume--The myth.  It is my opinion that we have a completely out of whack philosophy on volume.

 

(a)  Church people and leadership often think something is too loud based on a drum set being on stage, not on what they actually hear.  They convince themselves and then sort of “hallucinate” the volume each week.

 

(b)  Musicians and sound men often think volume is what they are lacking when it is really fullness and punchiness that is lacking.  Consider playing better, EQ settings, and compression before simply turning up the volume.

 

VI.   Education and Resources

 

A.   Listening List for bands who are great at each person playing their role and at arranging.

 

1.    Future of Forestry

 

2.    Herbie Hancock “Maiden Voyage”

 

3.     Miles Davis “Kind of Blue”

 

4.    John Mellencamp “Rain on the Scarecrow”

 

5.     Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

 

6.     Lost Dogs

 

7.    Steely Dan

 

8.    R.E.M. “Document (no.5)”

 

9.      Bruce Hornsby

 

10.   Sheryl Crow “C’mon, C’mon”

 

11.    Over the Rhine

 

12.    Infradig

 

13.    Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin Band “The Jesus Record” Demo and CD versions--a great study in arranging and orchestration is to listen to both of these CDs!

 

B.   Education Materials

 

1.     Berklee Press’s “The Practice Method” for getting the groove—this is something your whole band can do together

 

2.     Dave’s Drum Pack--coming to this website soon!

 

3.     Dave’s Guitar Pack--coming to this website soon!

 

4.     Dave’s Bass Pack--coming to this website soon!

 

5.     Norm Stockton’s DVD’s

 

C.   Websites

 

1.     http://www.good-ear.com/servlet/EarTrainer

 

2.     http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/guitar_scales.php

 

3.     http://logue.net/chords/index.htm

 

4.     http://www.normstockton.com/

 

5.     http://www.freedrumlessons.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember...scales are the foundation of all music.  If you want to know your way through almost any music, scales are the key.  Don't try to learn them all at once!  A few at a time and you'll be through them in no time.

Major

Minor

Harmonic Minor

Blues

Mixolydian

Dorian

These exercises will help with your timing and rhythm.  Work these exercises with a metronome, with the playable webpages, or with your favorite music to make sure you aren't speeding up or slowing down.

Rhythm Exercises, Part I

Greetings from I-40 West in the high desert of north central Arizona! 

Through the wonders of technology, I’m writing this as we travel west toward our work place for today.  And don’t worry…I’m not driving while I type!  Lisa is driving and providing me with an 8 window rolling office that has an amazing view.

We are heading to Dine’ Bikeyah (Navajo for “The People’s Land”) today, otherwise known as the Navajo Reservation to those who exist outside of it.  As we push westward two large snow covered peaks reach into heaven directly in front of us.  Outside of the peaks, the 360 degree view is a stark tapestry—tan and red earth and muted greens which look more like gray to most of the tourists and truckers who journey this way.  There are very few trees—none taller than 15 feet—and even fewer buildings.  There are a number of large rock formations that look like the rocks were piled in one place with a purpose now unknown to anyone except for God the Creator.  The sky is a nearly cloudless expanse—wide open and deep blue and it goes on forever, conspiring with the desert landscape to make everything and everyone here seem small.  Miles in the distance in all directions there are mesas and buttes in muted blue and gray tones that give me the feeling of being on an island, lonely and protected by the natural upon first reaction, but in close contact with God and protected only by He who never sleeps upon further reflection.

I’m so impressed by the 1,000 year old ruins just north of here that I used the same method in the site plan for our house that the builders of those ruins used.  When the sun falls across our new house in exactly the same way that it fell across the houses of the ancient ones, I feel another connection to the people we serve.

And even though we’ve been on the road for about an hour and a half to get to the Navajo children we’ll be working with today I feel like I’m going “home” for a few hours, and I have a deep sense of peace that is beyond my understanding.  The truth is that the people and land are so close to my heart that I’m rarely exactly 100% at ease when I’m away, and I’m never really 100% away from these people in my heart and soul.

I think of the cowboys we often see on horseback, the shepherds and dogs working and moving their sheep, and how ridiculous their sheep look with the peculiar Navajo way of “branding” the sheep—to spray paint a large purple, green or other brightly colored spot on the side of the sheep so that the sheep can be known from a distance in these stretches of endless open range.  I’m thankful my Shepherd marked me.

I’m warmed by the sun and by the memories of being fed, cared for, taught and loved by my Navajo brothers and sisters.  I think of the “First Laugh” party held for Navajo babies when they laugh for the first time.  This tradition is to make the baby generous, and there must be something to it given all the extraordinarily generous people here.  I think of the many times when I’ve butchered the language and how the people held back their laughter, and how they held back their laughter at the expression on my face when they butchered a cow right in front of me, a city boy.

We are moving on into the seemingly endless desert, a “wilderness” that must look strikingly similar to the one the Israelites occupied for 40 years after 400 years of captivity.  My thoughts turn to all the bruised and broken kids we try to serve and love. The Israelite people longed for their captivity once they were free.  I pray that God will free these people with the freedom that comes from Him, and that they’ll never look back.

The reality is this—God created an absolutely beautiful people.  He gave them a rich and meaningful culture.  The land where they’ve ended up, through some bad actions by others, still has a beauty of its own.  He didn’t mean for life to be like it is for so many today.  The desperation and hopelessness is always nearby.  Even when it’s not obvious and attacking the people in a full frontal assault, it seems to be creeping up on those who have forgotten that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy—to devour any hope they have.  But I know there is hope.  I know there is promise.  I will not give up.  I will not back down.  I may fail, and how I demonstrate my love to this people may change, but I will not go away quietly.

I have two friends I’d like to tell you about this issue, in order to make a point.  And, yes, these are two real, specific, walking, talking people who I consider to be friends.

The first friend approaches everyone as if he’s got it all together.  If you asked this guy if he had his ducks in a row, he’d tell you they were not only in a row but also in lock-step.  He’s a neat guy, but don’t let him fool you—he doesn’t have his ducks in step, and not even in a row.  None of us do.  He’s just as screwed up as the rest of us, but either doesn’t know it or won’t admit it.  And he’s approaches the world from that point of view—like he has his life together and the rest of us are screwed up.  Without going into too much detail, I’ll just say it this way—his “all together” attitude causes him to not approach the world with very much love and to be very quick to judge others.

Many people I know avoid this first friend because of how he approaches the world.  Don’t read this wrong—I love this friend and write this with great sadness for him, and hope that he eventually realizes why he doesn’t have many friends.  People don’t want to be around him, not because he’s a bad guy but because it’s no fun to constantly be corrected.  This also seriously limits his ability to reach anyone for Jesus.  He’s so busy fixing other people that he can’t be broken himself—broken is where we all need to be before Jesus.  If we are not broken, we take away the power of the gospel in our own lives.  You just can’t break he who is fixing.

The second friend approaches everyone as an equal and puts others before himself.  He’s careful to say nice things, and when he has to say something not so nice, he does so in love, with NO pretense of his own “better-than-you” righteousness.  He’s quick to help if he knows anything about the subject, and quick to say “I don’t know” and listen and learn if he doesn’t know anything about it.

Everyone knows him in his town.  Bunches of people love him.  He has many opportunities to reach people from all sorts of different backgrounds.  He’s got many friends that he can “love toward Jesus.”  Oh…I almost forgot to mention—he doesn’t pretend to have his ducks in a row.

Never mind which friend is happier….which do you think has a better chance to impact his world?

Question:  How passionate is passionate enough when it comes to helping the world find (capital H) Hope?

Answer:     600 per day, 800 on a busy day.

That answer doesn’t make any sense right now, but I’m about to explain.  My brother works for a casket company.  I recently visited him and he showed me one of the warehouses of the company.  Imagine a huge warehouse with 24 racks.  Each rack is 24 to 40 spaces long and 7 shelves high.  In every single space, on every single shelf, on every single rack there’s a casket.  That’s a pretty creepy image if you are anything like me.  We saw every style, size, quality, and price possible—from very plain and inexpensive to solid oak with all the frills—the hunting theme, the golf theme, the military caskets which I found particularly poignant, and even the music theme (this one was particularly creepy to me).  We even saw the same model that Gerald Ford was buried in.

After seeing this massive warehouse (did I mention that it was creepy?) I asked my brother how many were shipped per day thinking the number would be 50, or 60, or maybe even 100.  His answer was an average of 600 per day, but 800 on a busy day.  And that particular warehouse serves a relatively small region of the country where many of you live.  They ship 600 caskets per day, every day, except for when the need is greater.  Check my math if you like, but that’s 219,000 per year, in that region alone, assuming there are no busy days.  That’s one every 2 minutes and 24 seconds.

Two things jump out at me regarding this number, and neither of them is an original thought.  First, there are people in our neighborhoods (yours as well as mine) who are dying hopeless.  We need to get out and find them ("Go into all the world..."), serve them ("Feed my sheep..."), and love them ("...the least of these") like there’s no tomorrow because there might not be.  Second, “The time for talk is over.”  That was a very wealthy man’s answer for why he was moving from his mansion in Montreal to a leper colony in Africa.  He’d had enough of sitting around and talking about what could be done and decided to go do it instead.

I’m not saying that you should pack your bags and move to Africa or the reservation—where cross cultural missions are concerned some need to pray, some need to pay and some need to go.  Everyone needs to be doing something or someone will be doing everything.  We are extremely thankful to our prayer partners and financial partners for allowing us to go—keep up the good work.  We apologize for taking the part of the job that has the window with the great view!

But where same culture ministry is concerned you have to make a choice in your neighborhood and at your work place or school—Are you passionate enough to keep up with the need?

Spiritual                Human   

Human Beings Having a Spiritual Experience

It’s been said that we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience.  I really like that and think that it is true.

Lisa and I were recently in the van and she said one of the deepest things I’ve heard regarding the world view of being spiritual beings.  She said, “Bad things happen to everyone, and those are human experiences, but how we react to it is spiritual.”

The point is this—the economy is tough right now.  And, depending on your personal views, you might not be too happy with the political picture right now.  We hear more and more often about younger people experiencing serious illnesses.  We see how older folks who have done nothing but try to honor God their whole lives are facing terrible situations as they age. 

The world, friends, is a mess in a lot of ways.  It feels like we’re human beings who have spiritual experiences once in a while instead of the other way around.  I don’t know about you, but I get discouraged.  But here are some words of wisdom for you, not from me but from the most reliable source you’ll ever meet:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light.  For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.  Authority rests on his shoulders.  His name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  You who thirst, come to the waters!  And you who have no money, come buy and eat!  Listen carefully to me and eat the great stuff I’m telling you!  I will make with you an everlasting covenant commitment with you, the same one I made with David, built on steadfast, sure love!”

--excerpts of Isaiah 9 and 55

There’s not much I can add to that folks.  No matter what your situation, no matter how human your experience feels, you can make it spiritual by how you react to it.  Forgive someone.  Thank someone when they correct you.  Think about what you have to be thankful for.  Write down something that is troubling you and write down what you think a “spiritual” response would be to that situation.  Only you can make your response to whatever it is your facing a spiritual response.

I know I’m supposed to finish off the photo series this issue, but something has come up that I need to address.

I was recently confronted by three things that made me start to think about my own mortality.  One was the passing of my uncle Bob.  One was the terrible illness and ultimate passing (and unbelievable legacy) of my good friend Barb.  One was a situation of extended family being in a very dangerous situation oversees and being told for some time that they could not get out of the country.  As I thought through these events, even before Barb died, I was forced to imagine confronting my own mortality.  I’ve only been in a handful of situations that could have taken my life, but each time I walk away changed for a few days, or weeks, or even months but then I forget what it was that changed me.  I don’t know if I’ll ever forget the past few months, and the lessons learned.  I wrote a few things down.

• Faith in God is not faith that He will do what you think is best, but that He will do what is best.

• I found myself telling Lisa after uncle Bob died that he was one of my favorites.  I should have told him rather than her, but I hadn’t talked to him in several years.  Tell people that you love them while you still can.  Sure, it’s awkward and your “uncle Bob” will look at you like you’ve gone all flakey, but you’ll be glad you did it.

• The world is broken.  There’s a great amount of good that goes on here, but a great amount that’s not-so-good too.  The question for each of us is, “Which side of that equation are you on?”  Be on the good side, even if it is “just” something that you think is of no consequence.  That’s what Barb did and Jesus just poured from her because of it.

• (To myself, not necessarily to you)--There’s a cost, sometimes a very large cost, of service.  If there weren’t, it wouldn’t be called service.  Get busy serving and stop worrying about whether or not it will cost you—it will.  Then you’ll be sad, bruised, sick, hurt, dead or whatever.  And then you’ll get over it.  (Yes, even if you’re dead.)   Now that we’ve got that taken care of you can serve without worrying.

When I was a kid we lived about two blocks from my maternal grandparents.  We called them “Mom and Pop” and it seems like we spent more than half the summer at their house. 

My mother, my brother, my sister, and me would walk down to “Mom and Pop’s house” and hang out there all day.  If the day was rainy, we’d hang out inside, playing games or just listening to the grown-ups talk.  When the weather was good is when the fun really started.

Often dodge ball, or apple fights, or other regulated violence was part of the fun, but it was all harmless—we’d get sore or even bruised, but not really injured playing in their yard.

There were also games that didn’t lead to any bumps or bruises except for maybe my ego being bruised.  My brother was a far better athlete than I was, so he would often win any game we played “going away”.  I couldn’t coordinate my right and left hands to play our Atari so I just wasn’t going to compete with him.

One day we were playing “Whiffle ball”, the “baseball” game that uses the balls with holes in it.  It was a hot day, and I mean Indiana hot.  We played a number of innings, “pitcher’s hand” and with “ghost runners”.  I was a little guy, probably six years old, and was beginning to grow tired.

As I grew tired, I got hot so I took my shirt off.  I was pitching and my fatigue was preventing me from pitching very well.  He was getting frustrated at my bad pitching, so he told me to move up which I obediently did.  After three or four more bad pitches (we didn’t have walks in the Mom and Pop’s house league) he moved me up one more time.

The next pitch was perfect, and my brother got a perfect swing at it.  It was a line drive right back at me.  The entire universe seemed to go silent, and before I could react the ball hit me right in the middle of my chest.  I began to fall in what seemed like slow motion, a tree felled by the fatal, final swing of a lumberjack’s axe.

Obedience sometimes hurts.  It often is outside of what we think is comfortable.  Otherwise we’d do it naturally and it wouldn’t be obedience.   But so often Christ’s teaching on obedience was more about helping other people than about living pious lives.  I don’t know if helping your brother drive a plastic ball into your chest is what Jesus had in mind, but I know that we will all have fuller lives and make the world a better place if we are obedient to Him and live in His will.

A long time ago, there was a group of men on the northeastern coast of the United States who were concerned about the number of merchant ships that were going down in that area, and the lives being lost in those wrecks.  So they built a little rough-cut building in one of the most treacherous spots along the coast, and they stockpiled some medical supplies and food and water in there.  They chipped in and bought a little row boat, and they started taking shifts watching for ships in trouble. 

As time passed they saved many lives, and those who were saved were very thankful and wanted to volunteer in the rescue house so that they might save others.  But after they started taking shifts, they started to notice how uncomfortable the living quarters in the rescue house were, and they were very generous, being thankful for being saved themselves, and they chipped in to make things nicer.  Nicer furniture, better supplies, and just a better standard of living for the volunteers there.

After a while, they started to notice something—the men being rescued would often come in soaked, bleeding, dirty, and smelling like the sea.  They decided that the best thing to do would be to build a make-shift shower outdoors so that the men being rescued could be cleaned up before coming into the rescue house.

After some time they started to just sort of hang out there, and not to be so interested in doing the rescue runs.  They noticed that no matter how much they cleaned those saved up, they still messed things up when they came in to the building.  So they decided to keep this building as their own club, and to send those who were really wanted to save wrecked sailors to start another rescue house.  Those who still wanted to rescue people were very disappointed, but they had no choice, so they left.

They started another rescue house, and they saved many lives.  Those they saved wanted to help, but they couldn’t help but notice how uncomfortable the living quarters were in the rescue house.  And so they….

Well, you can probably see where this is going.  The cycle repeated over and over, and now there are country clubs all up and down the east coast.

The question for us is this—How important is our comfort, and how does that compare to the real need of reaching out to help people?  We were all lost, but now we’re found!  Our primary concern needs to be reaching others.  God forgive us when we haven’t lived up to this, and give us the courage and strength to be better in the future!

One of my favorite episodes of “Northern Exposure” is called “Our Tribe”.  It’s about a local doctor being adopted into the tribe and given the name “Heals with Tools”.  I would love to be adopted into a tribe and named “Heals with Instruments” but I only know one person, in real life, who has been adopted into a tribe.

I’d like to talk about the tribe that we’ve all already been adopted into—the tribe of Christ.  Most tribes are defined by language, attire, diet, cultural behavioral patterns, world-view, and things like this.  The next tribe down the river might have only a few, or even no similarities with the tribe you are comparing them too.

Our tribe in Christ breaks all the rules.  We’ve got preachers in three piece suits preaching hell-fire sermons and dreadlocked food bank workers comparing the Gospel to the movie “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles”.  We’ve got Navajo churches meeting in pole barns and $7,000,000 buildings with jumbo-trons and a Starbucks in the lobby.   We’ve got Christian Music Day at the amusement park with the most mainstream artists you can find, and Celtic punk bands with didgeridoos pleading with the church to follow what Jesus said, or even what James said.  We’ve got Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and “Biker Sunday” and we’re sometimes guilty of worrying more about the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November than we do about making a HUGE celebration, with bagpipes and fire, of the Sunday when Jesus got up and left the tomb.  We’ve got a free clinic run by a mega-church on Indy’s “upper west side” and AIDS workers in South Africa because they both love the least of these.  We’ve got modern day heroes (unknown as they are) drilling for water in Thailand and anesthesiologists traveling to India to knock people out for the Gospel.  We’ve got people inventing machines to get clean water to would-be dying people and film makers making movies about conversational Christian authors out of Portland.  We’ve got people in canoes taking the Jesus Film up the Amazon with a small solar powered projector.  We’ve got people in Tucson translating the Jesus film, live time, into new languages.  We’ve got Bible Translators in Guinea, Bible churches in New Mexico, and Bible distribution in our hotel rooms.  There are painters painting 3-minute, 5 foot by six foot portraits of Jesus, and painters painting houses on the Apache reservation (not knowing they were wearing gang colors) as a way to love.

I’ve personally seen the things or met the people on that list folks.  Those of you who have met me in person know that I don’t look much like a missionary, which reminds me that I have a hair appointment this afternoon. 

If God can be served, the Gospel spread, and people loved in the name of Christ with the things on the above list, how can anyone say that they’ve got no way to serve?  Our tribe should have only one main feature—sharing the love of Christ as our one singular cultural behavior pattern.  Do that in a way that fits the culture in Kalamazoo, Katmandu, or where ever you are, and you will have a mission.

For the past few months I’ve been playing with a worship band that does an outreach service on Saturday nights.  As I started looking through this week’s music to get ready for next Saturday I noticed there was a new song that was called “All About Love”.

The lyrics start out with talking about how we have seminars and conferences and books and search engines but if we forget about Love, we’ve lost track of what is most important.

I’m sitting here by our bookshelf and looking at the Christian section.  We’ve got the Bible in about 8 or 9 versions/languages and a couple of shelves full of devotionals, Christian stories, inspirational stories, and even some Christian fiction.  This week I’ll help lead worship at a chapel service on Tuesday, have worship rehearsal on Thursday, help lead worship on Saturday night and go to worship on Sunday.  There’s a radio pastor I sometimes like listening to in the mornings over XM radio.  I can download sermons from my friend Steve all the way in Kansas not too long after he preaches them.  Today, while on my way to the rez, I listened to Christian music ranging from Ashley Cleveland, a fantastic and passionate vocalist in the styling of Janis Joplin, all the way to Christian sitar music and worship songs sung in the Hindi language by the band Aradhna.  There are so many Christian and Bible colleges that they roll out the red carpet and leather chairs, literally, at conventions to compete with each other for prospective students.

There’s almost no limit to the Christian information I have access to.  I can learn about God in many, many ways.  I live in a country where I am still free to listen to and read this material that was once, and probably still should be, thought of as revolutionary.  But in order for the revolutionary message of Jesus on the cross to impact us we must get our heads, or rather our hearts, around the idea of Love.  In order for the church to have any real, lasting impact on the people around us we must let that Love shine through us.

John 3:16 doesn’t say “For God so wanted the world to be educated that He sent His only begotten Son…”  It says He loved us.

Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t pursue knowledge—if you truly learn about God you will learn that He is Love.  That said don’t let the education stand in the way of the experience of that Love, and by no means let your efforts to educate others stand in the way of loving them!  Amen.

We're now offering music education resources here.  You'll get better...trust us!

The pages will be updated often with new material, so make sure you are checking bac.

Bass Guitar

 

Guitar

 

Keys

 

Drums

 

 

 

 

It looks like it, but I can't upload the Sibelius file to make it happen:

 

One of my favorite episodes of “Northern Exposure” is called “Our Tribe”.  It’s about a local doctor being adopted into the tribe and given the name “Heals with Tools”.  Read more

For the past few months I’ve been playing with a worship band that does an outreach service on Saturday nights.  As I started looking through this week’s music to get ready for next Saturday I noticed there was a new song that was called “All About Love”.  Read more

A long time ago, there was a group of men on the northeastern coast of the United States who were concerned about the number of merchant ships that were going down in that area, and the lives being lost in those wrecks.  Read More

When I was a kid we lived about two blocks from my maternal grandparents.  My mother, my brother, my sister, and I would walk down to “Mom and Pop’s house” and hang out there all day.  If the day was rainy, we’d hang out inside, playing games or just listening to the grown-ups talk.  When the weather was good is when the fun really started.  Read more

I was recently confronted by three things that made me start to think about my own mortality.   Read more

It’s been said that we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience.  I really like that and think that it is true.  Read more

Question:  How passionate is passionate enough when it comes to helping the world find (capital H) Hope?

Answer:     600 per day, 800 on a busy day.

That answer doesn’t make any sense right now, but I’m about to explain.  Read more

I have two friends I’d like to tell you about this issue, in order to make a point.  And, yes, these are two real, specific, walking, talking people who I consider to be friends.  Read more

Greetings from the high desert of north central Arizona! 

We are heading to Dine’ Bikeyah (Navajo for “The People’s Land”) today, otherwise known as the Navajo Reservation to those who exist outside of it.  As we push westward two large snow covered peaks reach into heaven directly in front of us.  Read more

When you drive over some of the dirt roads on the reservation at night, there is a curious phenomenon that occurs.  I call it "the Chevy and the Hare" syndrome.    Read more

We're often lost.  There.  I said it.  It is routine for us to need to go somewhere and not know how to get there.  So we stop and ask someone, but in the desert they don't usually say "You go up here to 42nd and Main, and make a left at the light."  There is no 42nd.  There is no Main.  And there certainly is no light.  Read more

Thank you for your willingness to support the work of Hope in Transit!

 

 

Thank you for contacting us. You should be hearing from us shortly.

When Rich Mullins first envisioned this ministry, he said, "I long to empower the people of the southwest to share their lives, their heart, their beauty and purpose with the rest of the world." That has become one of our passions, too.

As many of you know, Johnny B. Dennison, with help from Hope in Transit, recorded an overview of the Bible in Navajo contextual music a few years ago. The project was a huge success, and has reached many people who want to be Navajo and Christian, not either Navajo or Christian.

Johnny B. is now going back and starting to go deeper into individual passages and he recently recorded Psalm 119! We are currently mixing this project and hope to be distributing it very soon.

In addition to the Johnny B. Dennison project, we are also working on a pow wow style project for Ernie Reed.  The first files were completed on Sunday, January 30 and we expect to complete this project in the next month.  Stay posted and pray that this project will help spread the Gospel to Ernie's listeners.

We’re always happy to hear from people, and you can contact us via e-mail, US mail, or by phone.

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Dave and Lisa Sprinkle
Hope in Transit
PO Box 2096
Lakeside, AZ 85929

(317) 536-9278

Follow us on Facebook.

Arizona is a great place for a short-term mission trip. In addition to being cost effective and relatively close to home, it gives people who may be new to the whole short-term missions idea a chance to see what it is all about without needing malaria medications or fighting off spitting cobras (though we do have our share of spiders and rattlesnakes). Many people come out and work for a week and then spend their last day at the Grand Canyon, a place of worship without the walls. Come and work along side us for a week! The hours are long, the pay is non-existent, but you’ll have an office with a view and the best boss (God) ever!

We need speaking opportunities, and they almost always happen because someone in a church is speaking on our behalf and asking for opportunities for us to speak to an entire church, a Sunday School class, or small group. Speaking at churches is critically important to our mission and has led to work teams, funding, and other ways you can help us help the people here.

You can also order our free DVD and show it to others.

Is your church already funding us? You can still advocate for us, keeping our work in front of the people in your church or small group, presenting special needs we have to your missions team, and communicating to your friends and church leaders on our behalf.

Sign up to be a church advocate and be the face of Hope in Transit to your local congregation.

Over the years, a major portion of our support has been raised five cents and thirteen cents at a time, through kids at VBS and camp programs giving to us. We have spoken hundreds of times to young people, and we seem to really connect with them. We believe this is because we scale our speaking time to them—we make it really fun and interesting for the younger crowd but know how to step it up and really challenge high school age kids to get outside of their comfort zone and get involved in something bigger than themselves.

Prayer is a very important way you can help us! You can pray for the people here and for us generally, or you can sign up for our prayer partners ministry by contacting us and asking us for specific prayer requests. Please keep praying!

You can donate through Paypal, or by sending a check to:

Hope in Transit
PO Box 2096
Lakeside, AZ 85929

We are a federally recognized 501(c)3 non-profit, and because we have no buildings to maintain and no debt, a large portion of your donation goes toward helping us reach the people.
 

 

We're often asked where the vision for this ministry came from. It came from singer and songwriter Rich Mullins, through his friends and family to us. Please read the following message from Eric Hauck about the vision behind the Traveling Music School:

Rich's Vision - Thursday, September 18, 1997
(as best as I can remember anyway)

It was Thursday and we were to leave the next day for the long haul to Wichita. We had spent the morning rehearsing our new arrangements for the fall tour in the abandoned church with Rich. As we practiced, Mitch McVicker finished up the last vocal tracks of his album in the adjacent building. We were on an early afternoon break, and Rich asked me, "Wanna take a walk?" This usually meant he had something on his mind that he specifically wanted to talk to me about, so of course I joined him.

It was hot, the street smelled of overstuffed dumpsters and car exhaust in the crowded Elgin side streets. We walked slowly and Rich started:

"I have been thinking about next year, after this fall tour into next summer, and years after that. I have enjoyed having you with us and I know that you're still deciding what the future will look like for you so I want you to know what I have been thinking on and here is my dream.

"I want the Navajo nation to become a Christian nation. I want the four sacred mountains of their land to be the pillars of praise to Jesus. I have a vision of using music and camping (outdoor wilderness camping) to bring Native American kids into relationship with Jesus so that in that land and on those mountains, every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus is Lord.

"I would like to work with the kids in the schools there to teach them music during the week and maybe travel between 4-5 schools offering lessons and music classes in orchestra or band once a week at each location. We could offer them strings, piano, drums, guitars, winds, and voice instruction. As a group we, the kid brothers, could teach the kids during the week and then tour on the weekends to fly dates or short drive shows. Then as they improve and learn the skills, I could invite them to tour with us and share their heart through the gifts they have developed.

"I believe the young Native Americans have a unique voice in this country that is not being heard and what they have to share no one can replace. That voice is missed in God's kingdom here on earth so I long to empower the people of the southwest to share their lives, their heart, their beauty and purpose with the rest of the world. ALL of us need to hear them.

"I also want to start a camping program where the kids would learn outdoor camping skills such as fires, tents, tracking, etc. I'd like to teach them Biblical lessons through this. We could take them on occasional hikes, camping trips, and wilderness adventures then once a year, take four groups to the top of the four sacred mountains and, at the same time, they will all pray to God Almighty, worship, and intercede for their nation.

"I want to offer the kids what Christ offered the lame man and the blind man. He healed all who came to Him and He didn't say 'you have to follow me or I won't heal you and offer you this gift of health'. No, not at all. Jesus simply healed all who came to Him because He loved them. He truly loved them and His prayer was that the tangible gifts offered would lead them to decide to give up their lives to follow Him. It's almost as if Christ was saying, ‘I WANT you to follow me, I WANT you to know the fullness of my joy and peace in the surrender of your whole life but EVEN IF YOU DON'T CHOOSE to follow me, I will still love you and I hope you enjoy your new legs or eyes.’

“So I want to offer the Navajo young people the same grace saying ‘I want you to follow Jesus and surrender to Him as Lord and King and Friend and I hope this music and camping will lead you into the truth of His love but, even if it doesn't, I hope you enjoy the music gift we offer you for the rest your life because we love you’."

Then Rich stopped walking and looked at me. I remember the tears in his eyes more than the words he spoke. "And Eric... I long with all my heart to see this happen and to lead this but I have the feeling I am NOT the one to lead this."  With that thought he paused as a tear slid down his cheek. He wiped it with his hand and continued. "I feel like God is showing me the vision but is also showing me that I am not the one to interact with the people and run this ministry.  I don't think I have the patience or the tact." With this he chuckled. "I do know however that for some reason, I am really good at making money and doing what I do on the road."

"So, I want to ask if you would like to be a permanent part of the Kid Brothers ministry, and you could stay on the reservation and lead the music program and we will help you when we're in town. You will come on the road with us occasionally, but primarily I will make the money needed to fund it all, and you will be the director doing the work that God is not allowing me to do. I feel kind of like Moses looking at the promised land from the mountain saying 'man, that sure looks beautiful’." He smiled.

"What do you think? I also would like for Keith to stay with you on the reservation but serve as my manager & manager of the kid brothers detail stuff as he is great at that and has a great heart for people."

As we came around the block and headed back for the church, Rich finished. I told him that I would pray about it, for I knew that if I were to do this job given to me, it would have to become a passion of my heart as well as Rich's.

Well, I never got to give Rich my final answer. The next night we left for Wichita in the van and I never saw him again. Who knows what God has prepared for those who love Him? I'm glad I can trust in the Master who is weaving perfection out of all the mess I see down here.

I believe that David and Lisa Sprinkle are offering, in the name of Jesus, a very tangible skill of music and art to the Native American people of the Southwest. I see the same grace-giving spirit in them of simply offering a gift to those they love and trusting God to lead His sheep into His Kingdom. I trust and pray that God will continue to bring the Native American people to Himself through the work of the Sprinkles.
 
Blessings & Favor,
Eric & Britt Hauck

Dave and Lisa Sprinkle are the co-directors of Hope in Transit and the teachers in the Traveling Music School program. Dave grew up in Indianapolis, IN and Lisa hails from Ohio. We met in eastern Tennessee during our one year of college where Dave was a music major who was interested in missions and Lisa was a missions major who was interested in music.

The Traveling Music School was the perfect blend of music and missions where we could use both our passions and our talents. Between the two of us we can teach keyboards, bass, drums, guitar, vocals, recorder, recording technologies, and music reading and theory. We have been working in the field since October of 2001 and formed Hope in Transit together in August of 2003.

The Kid Brothers of St. Frank (the Rich Mullins family foundation) was critical at the beginning of this ministry and through our first several years. We thank Rich for the vision and his family for keeping his vision alive through ministries like Hope in Transit.

We live in Northern Arizona between the Navajo and White Mountain Apache reservations. Our primary message to the young people we work with is that there is hope, that God loves them, and that He has a plan for them. We are honored to be able to use our gifts in music as an outreach and service to the young people. We look forward to the work that is in front of us.

Brian and Leah Grover are partnering with Hope in Transit in central Asia in a place called Tuva. Brian works with Heartsong International, and is an expert in Tuvan music. They and their three children are currently serving with Jesus People in Chicago, IL, and moving toward making more trips into Tuva to share the Gospel with people who have only been exposed to the Gospel for 20-30 years.

The Grovers came to the Navajo reservation and lived with the Sprinkles in New Mexico for a time to learn and prepare their family for ministry.  Indigenous people groups in Tuva share many of the same cultural values and struggle with many of the same challenges as indigenous tribes in North America.  Brian's unique ability to connect on a musical level gives them a doorway into Tuvan hearts that would not otherwise be possible.  Their vision is to help new Tuvan Christians worship in their own culture and style, similar to the Johnny B. project in Navajo.

You may help them with their wing of Hope in Transit through donations made to Hope in Transit with a memo line “Tuva.”

Simply put, our calling is to take the hope of Jesus to Native America through music lessons and friendship. (To learn more, read about how Hope in Transit was first envisioned by Rich Mullins.) We do that through the following programs.

Hope In Transit’s primary program is a traveling music school that travels in a weekly cycle to work with Navajo and White Mountain Apache students. We teach bass, drums, keyboard, and guitar at each location, in both individual and group lessons. The Traveling Music School seeks to provide a healthy pastime to young people who are often in a position to choose between dangerous and self-destructive or healthy and productive behavioral patterns. We have seen “our” kids making better decisions, staying in school and off drugs, and ultimately moving toward Christ through our work with them.

The “In Their Own WORDs” program is a program to get native language, culturally relevant Bible songs and worship music into the hands of people who would not normally have such materials available. Our completed projects include “In The Beginning” from Johnny B Dennison and “Influence”, a Maori worship CD. We are currently working on Psalm 119 from Johnny B Dennison and a new powwow style worship project from our new friend Ernie.

Our benevolence program is critical to helping meet the physical needs of many people. We operate and fund a grocery program that helps ensure some of our students have enough to eat. We do this through wild game donations (including a bison and 50 geese) and through grocery shopping trips.