Billy Graham team in TT Tuesday, September 23 2008
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Local gospel artistes Winsie-Ann Cuffie (centre) with Mark Millan (left) and Dion Collins of the Billy Graham Organisation....
A TEAM of young people from the US-based organisation of world-renowned Evangelist Billy Graham, recently came to TT on a mission to “join hands with the young people and other NGOs to share the love of God with everyone, and offer assistance in any way we can”.
This, according to Youth Ministry Manager, Dion Collins and Youth Project Manager Mark Millan, was the primary thrust of the group comprising some 40 persons.
The talented young people used their music, dancing and drama skills to create a blend of music and ministry on the Brian Lara Promenade in Port-of-Spain, where they set up a large stage.
Three of TT’s top Gospel artistes, Jadee, Winsie-Ann Cuffie and Koen Duncan, joined with the visitors in providing a rich programme of entertainment for the weekend Port-of-Spain crowd. Jadee and Koen skilfully mixed some of their well-known hits with a bit of traditional gospel, while Winsie thrilled the mixed crowd with hits like “Most High” and “Fired Up”, pausing at intervals to give sobering counsel to the attentive audience.
The visiting youths, who mingled freely with the crowd chatting, distributing literature and “sharing the good news”, expressed their concern for “the bit of social challenges which your nation is facing”. One member remarked that “it’s pretty much the same” in many nations of the world so they have “learnt to empathise” and offer assistance.
Members of the crowd seemed pleased with the initiative. Carl Leon, of Morvant , said he is “always telling the youth men in town the same thing the brethren trying to communicate”.
Shirley Colville, of St James, said she particularly admired how “our local boys and girls” (the gospel artistes) blended “so well” with the visiting group and “made us so proud”. She said she found the tourists “very friendly and down-to-earth” adding: “This place needs God and the more goodwill messages we can have for the youths, the better for everybody”. Jadee, Winsie-Ann and Koen said they considered it an honour working with the famous team, noting that all three of them had considerable experience on the international stage “so it was not really difficult to gel” with their foreign counterparts.
The team plans to revisit.
