Indo-American Outreach

On December 14th, three of our trainees, Rachel, Kristie, and Rebecca (myself) performed in Albany, New York as part of an annual Christmas celebration at a local church. We were generously welcomed by everyone at the church, and were delighted to enjoy some beautiful music and dance performances, including a traditional Indian dance and a short drama put on by the children of the church during the interim when we were not performing ourselves. We performed two Christmas dances and greatly enjoyed being able to participate in a celebration of our Savior’s birth with the congregation there! Many members of the church are of Indian ethnicity, and it was a joy to experience some their culture with them. Many of the women were dressed beautifully in brightly colored saris, and after the performance we were invited to share a traditional Indian meal along with all the members of the audience. The food was delicious! It was a wonderful experience for us, and a great way to continue celebrating the Christmas season.

Coshocton Church of the Nazarene

On December 13th we performed Living Hope and our Christmas Celebration at Coshocton Church of the Nazarene. One aspect of this performance that I found rather fun is the crossover we had backstage. Church of the Nazarene does several dramatic presentations throughout the year. Their crossover is much like a tunnel. It was a feature I found to be quite unique in the facility. During the performance, Ashley gave her testimony. After the performance, Ashley spoke to a young lady who was touched by her testimony and could relate. They talked for a while and prayed together. The Lord was definitely touching the hearts of the people. This performance was special to me because my best friend and some of her family were able come! It was so good to see her and her five-week-old baby boy!  It is such a blessing to be a part of Light of the World and be able to come and minister to people who are very dear to me so close to my hometown! I pray we will be able to come to Ohio again soon! Warmly, Abi

Fresno Bible Church OH

December 17th, 2012 Fresno Bible Church, OH After performing in the morning in the Cleveland area, we drove a few hours to the Coshocton, OH to perform at Karissa’s home church. We arrived early and put the time to good use by working on a new Christmas dance! It was our ‘warm up’ for the performance and helped keep us awake and alert! We performed Living Hope and Christmas Celebration at the Fresno Bible church. Karissa shared her testimony in her home church and the people were very blessed to see her dance. We were blessed to shared the joy of the Lord and celebration of His birth through dance! Alyssa

Great Northern Mall

Thursday, December 13th the LWB Trainee 1's had the privilege of performing with Mission Syracuse at Great Northern Mall in Clay, New York (right outside of Syracuse). We performed four pieces from our Christmas repertoire. Two of the dances, Gloria and Welcome to Our World, were performed to live music performed by Mission Syracuse. It was really awesome to work with live musicians. There was a little girl who kept coming to talk to us. She would ask us when we were performing next and which costumes we would be wearing. Once, she even brought two of her friends with her. They were so sweet! It was a lot of fun having them around! It was great to see how God could use the music and message given by Mission Syracuse combined with the dances we presented to encourage and bless those who passed by. The event spread Christmas cheer and reminded people that Jesus Christ is what Christmas is really all about. It was a blessing to be a part of it. All of the glory to Christ! Many blessings to you and your home this holiday season! - Rachel

Panko Church

In December 12th, Light of the World performed at Panko Church in Kentucky. Panko Church is very deep into the country area of Kentucky, so in many ways there was a different culture there that most of us have never experienced. The people of the church there are pretty far into the hills, so some of them are not able to get things we consider so accustomed to: internet, running water, and electricity. However, God is using the pastor at Panko church to make an impact on these precious lives, and they have been able to build a beautiful church using materials donated by the church body. It is the kind of place you step into, and feel like you are being welcomed into someone’s home. We performed “The Crown” and “Christmas Celebration” for them, and these friendly people were so responsive. We finished the night with “Healing is in His Hands”, and I think we all felt how God was moving in that place. I was several people wiping away tears, and I think God used that night to touch them in a personal way that I believe they will remember for a long time. I pray that God continues to use Panko church in this community, and that He will continue to deepen His relationship with these people. God bless! ~Cayla

Coshocton Christian Tabernacle

On December 15th Light of the World Ballet performed “The Crown” and “Joy to the World” at Coshocton Christian Tabernacle in Coshocton, Ohio. We were very blessed with a large stage and a welcoming pastor. Although in human terms it was a very small audience, I do not think that size made any difference to God. It was clear that the Spirit was present and at work. When Mr. Rollinson gave the gospel message, two little girls and the adult with them raised their hands to receive Jesus. It was an especially exciting day for my parents because they are neighbors to the newly saved people and have been showing them the love of Jesus for quite some time. It was an exciting day for me because two families from my home dance studio came to this performance. I keep praying that the Holy Spirit will show these girls that they can use their abilities to glorify His name. Praise the Lord that He is breaking through barriers and continuing to affect the people of Coshocton.

Santa Sitter

On December 8th Light of the World Ballet held the Santa Sitter fundraiser at its studio. It was a fundraiser where parents could leave their kids with us while they go Christmas shopping or out on a date. To our surprise and delight, fifteen kids showed up ready for some Christmas fun. They played “Pin the Star on the Christmas Tree”, a relay game of dressing up as one of the Wise Men or an angel, and posed as the nativity scene. After Miss Ashley told them the Christmas story and the real meaning of Christmas, the kids enjoyed some pizza for dinner. Light of the World Company, Trainees, and Youth Ballet performed “Christmas Celebration” for the kids after which we taught them a Christmas dance of their own. Toward the end of the evening, Miss Ashley showed the kids “the bridge” salvation illustration and talked about how Jesus brings us close to God the Father. Three precious children eagerly raised their hands and said a prayer of salvation. One little boy said, “I want lots of Jesus!” . God was greatly glorified that night through those sweet kids that we had the privilege to spend time with. -Karissa

Destiny USA

On December 15th, LWB Trainee 1’s and LWB Youth Ballet performed with Mission Syracuse at Destiny USA. The Youth Ballet was with us for our first of two performances and the Trainee 1’s were there for both performances. The halls of the mall were filled with Christmas cheer as Mission Syracuse played various Christmas songs and melodies. We performed our traditional Christmas repertoire and we had the privilege of performing two of our dances to live music by the musicians with Mission Syracuse. Mission Syracuse is a group of people from a local Church in Syracuse that get together and perform Christmas songs and share the gospel of Jesus Christ at various locations around Syracuse. It was an honor to be able to be a part of this outreach with Mission Syracuse and we hope that many were blessed by it. God bless! -Kristie

Church on the North Coast

On Sunday, December 16th we performed The Crown and Christmas for Church on the North Coast. They have two different locations in Ohio and we performed for both back to back. The people were extremely welcoming and a great audience. They would participate by clapping during certain dances and laughing at the comical parts which was so encouraging. We did Healing is in His Hands with them at the end. The first one was filmed and was streamed live online. We were able to see ourselves perform on a big screen. They gave us a standing ovation and many hugs. ~Krystalan

Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center

The Light of the World Ballet Company and Trainee Company recently performed at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Syracuse. We had a wonderful time performing for them, and we enjoyed an eager and enthusiastic audience. As they joined us after the performance for “Healing in His Hands,” I could see that the Lord was reaching out to some of the members of our audience. I saw joy mixed with tears in many eyes, and a slight nod as though in agreement with the words of the song. Since I have come to be a part of LWB, it has been amazing to see how God can use music and ballet to touch people with his love and hope. Rebecca

Oneida Baptist Institute

We had the privilege of performing for the students and some of the staff of Oneida Baptist Institute in Oneida, KY. I (Breanne) worked as a tutor at OBI several years ago, and it was such a pleasure to be able to go there again! We performed "The Crown" during the chapel time. Unfortunately, we didn't have very much time to interact with the students after the performance since they had to leave for classes. The stage was wonderful, and it was so fun to see students from all over the world sitting out in the audience. I pray that the story has a lasting impact on each of them, and that they are drawn closer to the Lord through it! We also did get to spend some time with the students during their lunch break and taught dance for one of the PE classes. I know that all of us really enjoyed the time that we had to connect with them! They are such precious students! I'm excited for all that God has in store for their lives! ~Breanne

Jennings Center, OH

On Monday, December 10th we performed the Crown and Christmas Celebration at the Jennings Center, an adult home in Ohio. They were a sweet and very attentive audience. Kids from the daycare watched for a while. It was great that they were able to come too! Mr. Rollinson gave an impromptu salvation message and some raised their hands to receive Jesus! ~Krystalan

Burmese Church

On December 2nd, Light of the World company and trainee’s had the opportunity to perform at a Burmese church here in Syracuse. We performed A Christmas Celebration, and then performed You Are Special, translated into Burmese in preparation for our trip to Burma. It was fun to get to dance You Are Special in for a Burmese audience before we even were in Burma! Kristie shared her testimony, which the pastor translated for the congregation, and Mr. Rollinson, who was there as a guest performer for You Are Special, shared the salvation message. It is so exciting to be able to spend time with people from all over the world by just driving down the street. I am so glad Light of the World can have opportunities like this in the Syracuse area. I am praying that the people there really came away with a deeper understanding of who God is, and that those who chose to follow Jesus that day will continue to realize the depth of His love for them and desire for relationship with them. ~Cayla

Coshocton Christian School

On Friday, December 14th, we performed The Crown and some of our Christmas Celebration at the Coshocton Christian School in Coshocton, Ohio. This performance was special because Karissa, one of the trainees (and my roommate), graduated from this school! It was so much fun being able to perform on her home soil. The children were so sweet and fun to perform for! Cayla shared her testimony and the Gospel message was shared as well. We did our arm motions to Healing is in His Hands with them and while Miss Ashley was praying for them, we all went around to touch each child with God's healing in their life. We also taught them some dance steps and that, as always, was very fun :) I pray the Lord's blessing over their lives and that He continues to solidify Himself in their hearts! Love, Ashley

HIM Ministry

On Friday, December 7th, we performed Living Hope for the homeschool children of the HIM Ministry. We had set up the day before to save time for the next day, but right before the performance we discovered that an important prop, the missionary's scooter, had gone missing. We looked all around and asked people if they had seen it, but it was nowhere to be found! It was unfortunate, but as they say... "the show must go on!" We started the show and made do without it, and then about halfway through someone found it! Yay :) All was well again. The performance went well and we closed out with Joy to the World. At the end, Miss Ashley asked the kids if any of them felt that the Lord had a special calling for their life and that, if they did, to stand up and we would pray for them to receive a deposit of boldness. Several stood up and we prayed for them. One girl in particular was so ready and open to the Lord. I know that God has great plans for these precious children and I enjoyed the opportunity we had to minister to them :) Love, Ashley

Mosaic Coffee House

On December 8th, LWB Trainee 1’s traveled to Cortland New York to perform for the Mosaic Coffee House Christmas celebration. The room was filled with twinkling lights and flickering candles. It was the perfect atmosphere for us to perform our Christmas repertoire. We also did “Healing is in His Hands” and led the audience in hand and arm motions. The setting was small, which made it very easy for us to connect with the audience. After we performed, the Christian band “One Voice” led worship and sang Christmas songs. It was a very joyful evening and we looking forward to performing for them again in the future. God Bless!

St. Augustine Child Evangelism Fellowship

November 27, Light of the World Ballet Company and Trainees performed Living Hope at St. Augustine Child Evangelism Fellowship. CEF is a worldwide organization dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled and established in a local church. It was a lot of fun getting to perform for the kids as well as the staff. We didn't get the opportunity to interact with the kids, but it was such a blessing to watch their faces as they watched us perform. After we danced, Karissa shared her testimony. Everything seemed to really capture their attention. They were a great group! It was wonderful to be able to minister into their lives. I believe God used Living Hope to touch the lives of the students and teachers. Have a wonderful day! - Rachel

ARISE

On December 6th we performed our Christmas Celebration at ARISE for their special needs assistance program. We have performed there several times in the past. Everyone was so kind and welcoming! The residents were very attentive throughout the performance. Afterwards we were able to demonstrate some dance steps and have the residents try the different movements. This was a very special time! They were so excited at the smallest of triumphs, but it helped us remember to celebrate every success no matter the size! It was also neat to see how the staff interacted with the residents. It was very clear that they truly care about the people they assist. I pray that their spirits were filled with the joy of the Lord and that they were ministered to through the performance. Blessings! Abi