CODE Odessa, TX

Just finished CODE Odessa and even though it is a smaller conference the students were really hungry to learn and put into action what they learned. Thursday night was a good mix of sign, drama, comedy and monologue. The night opened with Shake the Foundation and I ended the evening with Letting Go. Had a great altar call time and worship. Friday night started off with Hallelu Anyhow. The local church performed Terry Vik's piece, "My Son and My God". He performed, "The Centurion and I followed with, "Someday Came Today" and local drama team ended the evening with "Let the Vail Down". If you have not learned this piece yet, you really need to teach your team this song. It is one of the most worshipful songs ever. You can order it at www.howitiller.com/misc.htm on the CODE West DVD. The DVD has 10 other sign songs on it that you'll want to do.

Next up: CODE Indiana. We are planning to video tape this conference. Check our site in a week for an update. If you are not our mail out list yet...send us an email at howitiller@aol.com saying you want to be added to our update list.

We Speak to Nations

Wow what a great week in Alexandria, LA. I taught a group of young people to do the song by Judy Jacobs, "We Speak to Nations" to sign and media and flags. This is a high impact song that speaks boldly to evangelize the nations of the earth. I foam sculpted five continents out of 4 foot by 8 foot x 2 inch styrofoam, wrapped the continents in chain (It was actually plastic chain spray painted metalic so it would look real) at which in a certain point in the song the chains fall off.

Anyway...we may be doing the song for CODE Louisiana later in August...if so it will be on a DVD...will let you all know as soon as it's ready.

BTW...CODE West will be available soon. Our editor is working on it and it will have 11 new sign songs on it that your youth will want to do.

Watch for it on the website in a couple of weeks at www.howitiller.com.

Up next CODE Odessa, TX

Stockton, CA

After Lake Tahoe I traveled back to Stockton and had a rehearsal with the youth from Life Church and Centro Vida. Sunday morning was two services...one service was in English and the other was in Spanish. It so amazing to see God moving in every language and nationalities.

The youth drama opened with Shake the Foundation With Praise and ended with Let the Veil Down. A visiting pastor from Houston, Joe Rios ministered to the youth so powerfully.

Next up - Louisiana Camp

Lake Tahoe

We'll I've been ministering with drama under the pines of Lake Tahoe. What a beautiful setting for a drama/camp event. All the kids are from the Stockton, CA area and mostly espanic, but english speaking.

I'm teaching their drama team all the new sign language and dowel rod songs that we've been using the last months.

We were rehearsing out side in a parking lot when a family stopped and watched us for about 20 minutes. They are coming to our service tonight. We'll see what happens.

I know it's Lake Tahoe....but hey, somebodies got to do it.

The Opening of the Hand

I left Hanford,CA Monday morning and took Amtrak to Stockton, CA, rented a van and drove to Lake Tahoe to meet 70 teens for youth camp.

While on the train I began writing a new play called, "The Opening of the Hand". It's a concept and thought that's been on my mind for a month or so. I had been writing a few thoughts as they came to me, but something clicked while on that 2 hour train ride. The writing moved forward very quickly and the first scene is rough drafted and I'm screaming toward scene two. We'll keep you abreast of the script and when it will be available.

The concept is centered around how that we close our hand when we don't want to reach out or we don't want others reaching out to us. I'm taking poetic license in writing some Biblical characters into the play...mixing in real characters from the Bible...so we'll see what happens.

CODE West

I finished CODE West last Saturday. It was the most spiritual CODE we've had so far. The drama was wonderful and drama teams did an awesome job, but God visited us in a very strong way. This year we invited Lisa Davis to teach her sign language classes and perform each night..she did a great job as always. The Signs and Wonders drama team really out did themselves this year.

Friday night we performed Time...when the ticking is done. It was best yet. The audience responded as well as anyone could have hoped for, but God again blessed us beyond measure. You should have been there. If you can attend a CODE sometime, you'll wish you would had come to an earlier one.

A video will be coming out of the CODE West 2008 soon. Watch the website at www.howitiller.com.

Columbia, MS

Just finished a music conference at Woodlawn Church in Columbia, Mississippi with a variety of artists...one imparticular...Mark Condon who has written many songs that churches all over the world are singing, including the Tabernacle Choir, and more.

I taught drama classes Friday and Saturday...did "Someday, Came Today" and segued into the song interpretation called, "What Sin."

More and more churches are venturing into the drama ministry. Pastors everywhere are looking at the opportunity of incorporating anointed drama into the church service. Divine drama can bring a powerful move of the Lord into the atmosphere. I'm not talking about entertainment...it does need to be attention getting, but anointed is the goal. It's not our ability that God blesses but our worship. When your drama teams do a human video or song interpretation, strive to make it worshipful...not just movement.

I've been vacationing in Destin, Fl with my wife, Terri and youngest daughter, Hayli. Terri's dad lives here. So, we've been trying to rest a little. With the website...there really isn't any down time and that's okay.

Next up CODE West in Hanford, CA.