Music Lesson 2016

From April 16 – 23, we were privileged to have Fr. Werner Hebeisen SJ, a Jesuit priest from Austria for our music lesson. Fr. Werner taught us some basic guitar chords and we had practices every day. Most of all, he taught us the right way to sing; for instance, doing breathing exercises, listening and identifying our voice. He taught us how to play guitar and violin. Most of us enjoyed learning guitar. This was a new experience for most of us and we found it difficult but all of us were eager to learn. We were able to learn and sing about fifteen songs including the songs from the country of our origin; Spanish, Portuguese, German and Indonesian. Full of joy and energy, we sang and performed the songs in our community Brothers, Sisters and friends at Ein Kerem on Saturday night. It was really a real mini concert for us.

At the end of the song presentation, we took the opportunity to thank Fr. Werner for spending his time and gifts of music, as he would take his flight back to Austria the next day. We hope that we will be able to play the music instrument that we have learnt and to sing our songs for the service of our community and the people we serve.

In the midst of our busy music lesson, we went out for a walk to a place called St. John in the Dessert, a Franciscan monastery located on a cliff overlooking Nakhal Sorek and Ein Kerem. We walked for about two hours. This place is believed to be where St. John the Baptist spent his childhood and did his ministry. It includes the Sanctuary, the Grotto/cave, and the Tomb of Elizabeth. We spent a short time of silent prayer in the chapel and in the Grotto/cave and then visited the tomb of Elisabeth. We had a little bit of rest while having our snacks sitting and overlooking the other side of the hill and the beauty of its valley. This walk somehow made us feel or gave more sense to our imagination when we read the Scripture where St. John the Baptist went to as young men to prepare himself in silence before he startet his ministry at the Jordan river..