Mourning to Joy

Mourning to Joy

Worship Changes You

I lost my birth mother to a car accident when I was a baby, and more recently, our family lost my dad’s wife, Naomi, to cancer. This past 1.5 years has been very overwhelming and challenging for me. It’s so hard to lose my mom so young. Losing another maternal figure felt so unfair to my family. I had no idea if I would ever recover and be joyful again.

Only God could bring me out of that place of sorrow to where I am. I have a lot of questions, but I deeply know that God is good and His mercy is new every morning. God really brings joy in the mourning (Jeremiah 31:13), and He is doing new things in our darkness.

My name is Hannah, and I’m 20 years old. I live in Ashdod, Israel, and am a part of the Beit Hallel Congregation. Worship is a big part of my life. I play the keyboard for both the main service and youth worship teams. I’m also a Youth Team leader, and I have been a part of worship since I was 15. It has been amazing! It all began with a sincere desire to serve.

Over the past 1.5 years, I’ve learned a lot about the purpose of the worship team, the intention of worship, how to lead people, and how to worship even when it is just too difficult. One day, I came to the rehearsal right before our youth meeting. The day had been a particularly difficult one for me, and I thought, “I just can’t worship right now. It would be better for me just to be alone.” However, God changed my thoughts as I turned my mind to focus on Him and began to worship and play.

God moves mightily through our worship teams. When we spend time together in prayer, we see how big God is. He reveals Himself to the people who sincerely seek him. We see the freedom, love, and joy that only come from Him. He truly blesses us each time, even in our hard times and we are overwhelmed by difficult circumstances. God hears us, sees us, and loves us when we worship Him daily.

I love it when we pray together and proclaim God’s promises over our church! True worship is more than playing during a service. Worship is how we honor God each day, especially when there are some big storms. God calms every trial in His way so we should rest in Him and know that He loves us.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 23:4

Please support the Beit Hallel Congregation team by praying and partnering financially to continue to do the work of the Father to further the kingdom in Israel. Thank you for your gifts and prayers. We are effective because of YOU.