Let us come together, praise the name of Jesus
All ye people of the earth, come and see
Let us come together, praise the name of Jesus
All ye people of the earth, come and hear... Fifteen beautiful children began the finale of their special presentation in front of the Sanctuary. Counted among the faces beaming back at them were their parents who were taking part in "Unlocking the Mysteries", a series presented by Finish the Work Ministries, a dedicated group of young adults led by Michael Tuazon. From February 6 to 21, Michael and his band of young people, The Misfits, presided over the meetings which shed light on God's Word from a practical standpoint. They sang, preached and praised, and every night, a committed group of people braved the cold and the elements to listen, sing and praise with them. I was one of those people. I came reluctantly at first, finagled into joining the Children's Program upstairs, which to me was the worst possible place they could fit me in. Unlike my husband, Lorenzo, I was not a natural when it came to kids. Even though I had four of my own, I found the prospect of taking care of other people's children daunting at the very least. I told them so when they first asked me: "Can’t you put me anywhere else? I'm not fond of children! I might even make them cry." I knew my kids could be disciplined by a single look or by the tone of my voice, but other little ones might find these tactics intimidating. Teri Johnson calmed my fears. All I had to worry about, she said, was teaching the children songs, so I doubtfully relented. I enlisted the help of my children, Lance, Troy and Reanna, and together, we came up with a few tunes to teach the kids. Teri came up with a couple of gems herself. By the first meeting, we had a solid lineup of songs and an eager group of youngsters to learn them. We even taught them the hand motions to the music, thanks to our teenage assistants who were better versed at sign language.
As the days progressed, the children became more proficient at singing and signing. They learned more about Jesus through hands-on activities like crafts and games. There were Bible movies and Q&A sessions after, and when their spiritual tummies were full, they were given snacks. My personal favorite was the Creation trail mix, which the kids made from foods representing the first six days of Creation. 
Ironically, it didn't even take me six days to realize I was enjoying myself. With Lorenzo's help, I started to relax and pretty soon, I, who at first felt like a misfit upstairs, found my niche in the Children's Program. And it felt good knowing we were part of something big. Because in God's Family, there is no such thing as a misfit. Just as Romans 12:4 says: "We have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function," ...this Evangelistic Series could not have happened without the door-to-door outreach teams, the parking and security people, the reception hosts, the prayer team, the refreshment committee, the light and sound people upstairs, the church members who generously offered their homes and tables to Michael and his Misfits, and yes, even the Children's Program. Last February 18, fifteen beautiful children began the finale of their special presentation in front of the Sanctuary. Less than two weeks before, many of them did not know each other. Some of them did not even know Jesus. But on that night, as they sang before the assembled group, their shining faces were united in joy. Joy is like the sunshine And it’s raining down upon us
Joy is like a golden crown
Let us come together, praise the name of Jesus
Halleluiah, halleluiah... (This article was originally titled "Blessed Are The Misfits". It was featured in the March 2009 edition of the "Central Clarion", the monthly newsletter of the Modesto Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church.)
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