Volume 1 Issue 1 Summer/Fall 1999
SUMMER TOUR 1999
When we got to the city, we stopped for a picnic lunch by the Potomac River. Handing out flyers the whole way, we adventured to the site of Sylvan Theater. At three PM, we dressed for our performance. The sound man didn't show and the audience never came. Standing in full costume with flags in hand the team went out and practiced their first number. After a couple of hours of no one coming to turn on the power at the stage, we decided to pack up and leave. Waiting at Sylvan Theater showed us how patience and faithfulness would have to get us through the rest of the trip. We prayed for the city, for God to break through the darkness and for blinded people to see the light. The next day we headed for the F.D.R. Memorial for our next performance. It was at least 95 degrees out and the pavement was very hot. A couple of the girls got dehydrated and didn't do the whole performance. Right afterwards, we changed, filled our water bottles, packed the vans and left Washington for North Carolina.
-Sarah Dyroff
When we reached Supply, it was 1 AM. By the time we all got our house assignments, and everything was organized and settled, it was 1:30. We finally left the church. The next morning we all got up around 6:00 to get ready to go to church, the church service started at 8. The people at the church were really nice. After worship, Dr. Seaman preached on being brought out of captivity, and then we danced. When we were done dancing we prayed over the young people of the church. When the service finished we joined them in a Southern pot luck lunch. When we finished cleaning and reloading the cars, we said our good-byes, and we were on our way.
-Anna Seaman
Flexibility and kindness are two words that come to mind when we think of Southern Hospitality in Thomasville, NC. After the performance we were able to pray for and talk to a lot of people. We believe that there were many brought 'Out of Captivity'. The pastor of the church invited us to perform again the following Sunday, unfortunately we were going to be in Georgia on Sunday, so it wasn't going to work. After dinner and spending time getting to know the people, we got ready for bed and slept in various Sunday school rooms in the church's basement. It was 11:30 PM before everyone was in bed, and we had to get up at 4 AM to get to Florida on time. 4 AM rolled around and we dragged ourselves out to the cars and headed to Florida!
-Lindsey Houck
By the day of the Epcot performance, almost everyone was fighting sleep, sickness, and allergies. These were just some of the ways Satan tried to keep us from taking back his stronghold. When we arrived at Epcot, we walked to the "Future World Stage". Our performance was going to be at 5 PM, until then, the team went on some rides. When it was time to go back stage, we went to meet our stage manager and get ready for the show. We got our costumes and our make-up on and took as much time as we could to do our final prayer preparation. Only the dancers and Mrs. Seaman (a chaperone) could be back stage, so the others went to the stage seating to pray. With three minutes until show time, we got our things set up back stage and continued to pray. We soon found ourselves standing on the large stage in the heat of the bright lights, flags in hand, waiting for the music to start. The presence of God was strongly there as we danced.
Afterwards, the sound and stage crew said that they really enjoyed it, and that they had never seen anything like it. The leaders watching mentioned that they had never seen us dance better. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring people "Out of Captivity" and we thank God for the seeds of salvation He planted there.
-Laren Houck
While on our trip to Washington, Florida and other points south, we had the opportunity to spend time in each place praying. 'Prayer Walking,' as it is sometimes called, is nothing more than praying on the site for the people and places you can see at the time. In Washington D.C., we prayed for the many government workers and our elected officials. The Lord gave Larry Houck (our soundman/chaperone) a vision of individual believers in the various office buildings as small points of light surrounded by darkness. As they prayed (and as we prayed for them) and stood firm in their testimony for the Lord, they became a strong beacon that overcame the darkness (see John 1:5) and drew many others to the Lord. We were encouraged by our host in the Washington area, himself working in the government offices, who reported of many prayer groups forming and flourishing in the Capitol, White House and other offices. We are joining with many across the nation who are believing God will send a tremendous outpouring of His Spirit in revival in our nation's Capitol.
In each city or town we traveled to, there were different needs we discerned based on the history, economic, social, political and spiritual conditions. This gave a lot of opportunity to intercede for each place and laid the foundation for the ministry in each presentation by the dancers. We were blessed to be a small part of what God is doing in each of these places
-Dr. & Mrs. Seaman
During our stay in Florida, besides performing in Disney World, we also had a chance to minister at the Word of Life Christian Church on Merrit Island. Before performing our show, we worshipped together with the congregation. People were dancing, jumping, and praising God. Some of the dancers from our group were so filled with the joy of the Lord that they spontaneously went to the front and were able to freely dance. It was an awesome service right from the start!
Afterwards people talking to us thought that we were a 'professional company'. They even asked where to audition. We responded with a laugh and again were able to witness to them how God's anointing covers all flesh (and mistakes). Again, evidence of a faithful God to a dance troupe whose cry is "God you be Glorified"!
-Havilah Ford
When we first arrived at River Street, immediately a crowd started to form. There was a rather large group of Girl Scouts, and we were able to introduce ourselves and talk with them. The Lord definitely planted some seeds. We performed our set twice, with a small break in-between. This gave us enough time to catch our breath, and get a drink of water. As the night went on the breeze got stronger, and the crowd also got bigger. Since we were so close to the crowd, we were more able to look in their eyes. There are many points in the numbers that a look in someone's eyes, really hits home. There were a couple of distractions, as there would be at any Saturday night hang out area. Many people talking, yelling, other music playing, boats going down the river and blowing their horns. Although there was all the distractions, we felt that we had made an impact in the area. We went back to our host families homes, got ready for the next day where we would perform at two different services.
-Dana Chichelli
On Sunday, June 6, we ministered at Traci Hynes' church in Savannah, Georgia, for their morning service and an evening service. Traci (a former dance student of Cindy's), purchased and set up some plywood sheets for a stage. We experienced lots of "Southern Hospitality" from the entire congregation. For example, after the morning service, the pastor asked the congregation if they could make something for lunch for us and deliver it to the Hynes' house. Also, a lady had told Traci that we could come over and use her pool, which was a real blessing in the heat. For the evening service, the church had invited area church choirs and congregations to attend the service. There were about five choirs that performed in the service that night.
-Sarah Carey
It was such a privilege for Larry and I to be a part of this wonderful dance troupe on their East Coast Missions trip. To those of you who are friends and family to these girls, I just want to tell you how proud you can be of them! All these girls gave their all for Jesus. It broke my heart to watch them each in turn suffer in some way through fatigue, sickness, oppression, literally "...bearing about in the body suffering of Jesus Christ." Surely, their rewards will be great in heaven one day as they faithfully have ministered the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ through the music and motion. I was also struck by the beautiful "...unity and oneness in spirit" that each girl worked hard to maintain. Other dance troupes are often known for fostering competition and rivalry, but this dance troupe is truly "A Different Dance & Theater Company." Regardless of age or experience, each one seems to appreciate and enjoy the other. What and incredible work in their heart that is! How far it takes them into a powerful anointing! Thank you Cindy for faithfully instructing the girls in righteousness.
It was also such a blessing to serve the Lord, by serving these dancers alongside our newfound friends Cindy and Greg and the Seaman's. From a parents perspective John and Karen Seaman were an incredible asset to the group with their extensive missions experience, medical expertise and most of all their powerful anointing for discernment and intercessory prayer. Special thanks are in order to the Ford's for the many hours sacrificed to plan the trip, choreograph, rehearse and deal with all of our idiosyncrasies! God bless you for all you are giving through this beautiful, Holy Spirit-Inspired Ministry! It was such blessing to watch the Lord use all the men and knit their hearts together. They were truly soldiers for the girls; I know all of us parents were concerned about safety of our kids, but believe me they were well cared for. No matter where we went, they were surrounded by all the adults interceding in prayer.
This is only the beginning phase; God has much more to do for His Kingdom through this team. From a parents perspective, I intercede for he Lord's continued covering of protection over them, and His Anointing upon them to increase. I pray that all the families and especially the Ford's, will be enabled to support this ministry with the nurturing of each dancer, financial help and prayers. I can hardly wait to see how the Lord uses these kids for His glory in the Future!
-Lianna and Larry Houck
There was in total three vehicles being used on our trip. Through out the trip we packed and unpacked the vans 12 times. Each person had a large duffel bag, tote bag, sleeping bag, dance shoe bag, and a garment or costume bag. Times that by 18 people add on a few coolers, a stroller, a sound system, a baby seat, plus 18 persons, and you have A LOT of stuff. We spent 90% of the time in the cars sleeping, we had a few water wars to stay cool in the non-air conditioned van. In the process we drenched everything in the way, including ourselves. The adults told stories of how they met their spouses over the CB radios, while the dancers tries to decide which one was better. Another of the ways we entertained ourselves was by taking pictures. Of course now half of our pictures from the trip are of things in the van, but that is was a small cost to pay for it. But that still isn't all we did... we spent a good amount of time praying for the different places we would minister to throughout the trip. Obviously prayer is what got us through the many 10 hour drives with a performance the next day, or one on arrival... on no more than 3 hours of sleep.
-Bethany Smith
-A Different Dance & Theatre Ministry Training Center
At the Church in Thomasville N.C., they had a sign by the road that announced our performance, when they saw it the girls went crazy and were saying "Hey, look it's us... We're famous!" Thanks to the Church in Thomasville! We had our name in lights!
In S. Carolina our van broke down and while we were waiting for it to get fixed Cindy had all of us dancers practice one of our dances in the middle of a dealership's showroom! It was a sight to see, us dancing in our shorts and T-shirts and Cindy saying "one more time!" Hey, it was a good way to attract attention!...?
During the River Street Performance in Georgia, a boat went by in the back of us and blared its horn EEERRRRRRRNNNNN!!! So, naturally we all began laughing in the middle of the number...
