By Anthony and Lea Edgmon, IM missionaries in Spain
The weather forecast—an extreme heat advisory with highs near 100 degrees—made everyone nervous. The fact that Spain was playing a World Cup match at the same time didn’t help. Would anyone show up for the Roca Eterna Gospel Choir’s participation in a local outdoor choir festival?
Faced with these obstacles, our choir members did what God’s children do when circumstances seem impossible: we prayed. Throughout the week, organizers adjusted plans as the forecast remained discouraging. Finally, they decided to delay the festival by an hour and a half to avoid the hottest part of the day.
Our choir was scheduled to sing first, immediately after the match. As we warmed up our voices and instruments, we watched friends and neighbors begin to fill the plaza. Spain had defeated its rival 4–0, and the excitement was contagious. Then we noticed something else. A gentle breeze began to blow, and by the time we stepped onto the stage, the temperature had dropped to a comfortable 84 degrees.
The blazing sun that had baked the stone pavement slowly disappeared behind the surrounding buildings, leaving the entire plaza in the shade. Once again, God was in the details.
People who had been cheering for their national team only minutes earlier soon found themselves clapping along to gospel music. They were invited to “praise the Lord,” and many enthusiastically joined in. We followed with a lively arrangement of the familiar hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” proclaiming the greatness of our Creator. Then the atmosphere quieted as we sang, “Oh Lord, You are magnificent. There is none like You. How excellent is Your name in all the earth.” We concluded with a song of personal surrender: “Only Your love has captured my heart… So I will run, forever I will run, unto You, O God.”
This concert was a gift—an opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel beyond the walls of our church. That has been the vision for the Roca Eterna Gospel Choir from the very beginning. Several years ago, leaders in our congregation recognized the abundance of musical talent God had entrusted to us. They asked how those gifts could be used to communicate God’s truth in a way that would connect with our community. Together, they formed a Gospel choir made up of singers and musicians from the Alpedrete and Galapagar churches. Since then, the choir has ministered in churches, municipal auditoriums, and community events throughout our region.
That evening in the plaza reminded us why this ministry exists. Music opened doors that a sermon alone may never have opened. As familiar melodies echoed through the square, neighbors who might never enter a church heard songs filled with biblical truth. We are grateful that God continues to use ordinary voices, willing hearts, and even changing weather to draw people to Himself. Please pray that the seeds planted through these concerts will continue to bear fruit for His glory.
