Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Swahili and Russian at Fremont

Sunday evening, we had quite a polyglottal songfest at our PSST service (stands for Prayer, Singing, Scripture, Table - lay led). We have a couple of young men from Kyrgyzstan, ESL college students, who attend the service. Only one of them was there tonight, Sanzhar (the other, Edil, came to morning worship today for the first time!). We don't have any songs in Kyrgyz, but we do have a Russian Methodist hymnal, and they are almost equally fluent in Russian and Kyrgyz, and we sang

Come, thou long-expected Jesus (English only, to Hyfrydol)
Joy to the World (Sanzhar and I sang in Russian)
The Easter Song ("Hear the bells ringing"; English only)
In Remembrance of Me ("Red") (English only)
Near the Cross (I sang in Swahili, couldn't locate it in the Russian hymnal but I know it's in there)
Fill My Cup, Lord ("Like the woman at the well"; English only)
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (English only)
All Creatures of our God and King (Sanzhar and I sang in Russian)
Marvelous Grace of our Loving Lord (Sanzhar and I sang in Swahili; he thought it was Japanese!)
The Wonder of It All (English only)
Wonderful Words of Life (I sang in Swahili, Sanzhar sang in Russian)
Amazing Grace (Sanzhar and I sang in Russian)
Battle Hymn of the Republic (English only)

Lots of fun and great praise.