Connections Can Change the World

College Station is a small town. We've lived here for just under seven years, and already I rarely meet anyone to whom we weren't already connected by one - or two, at most - degrees of separation. I consider this level of community intimacy a good thing, primarily because 1) as my kids get older and spend more time away from me, I know there's always someone watching them who can report back to me if necessary, and 2) it offers opportunities for connection and collaboration we might not otherwise have.

Back at the beginning of February, Hallie and her dance company performed at their studio's Night of Worship. They danced twice, first to a song called Mountain Top, and then to a song - now one of my favorites - called King of My Heart.

In our community lives an 11-year-old little girl named Jada, who after reading The Little Match Girl, went in search of a way to help girls whose real lives play out with heartbreaking similarity to that of the story's main character. With the support and under the guidance of her mom, Jada decided to combine her talents as a singer, pianist, and worship leader to create The Matchstick Project.

Jada recorded an album of worship songs, including King of My Heart, which is now available for purchase. All of the money raised funnels from The Matchstick Project through Compassion International to support, educate, and empower young girls who live in poverty and/or dangerous situations around the world. Read and watch more about Jada's story and The Matchstick Project here.

And now to connect all of these girls...

Jada recorded King of My Heart. Hallie's dance company performs to King of My Heart. Jada's mom has a relationship with the dance studio and its owners. So at Night of Worship, Hallie's dance company performed their dance to a live version of the song, sung and played on the piano by Jada.

Dancing with a live musician is hard. Singing while others dance is hard. Consider the ages of these girls - the dancers range from seven to nine and Jada is 11 - and the fact that they pulled this off with only one rehearsal and one run-through is amazing.

My apologies for the quality of the video. The sound is off and too quiet, and 

Will had trouble maneuvering around the head of the woman in front of him.

So today I'm grateful the small town in which we live. Grateful for the connections made possible by a smaller population. Grateful for the opportunities these connections provide. Grateful for kids who - because of these opportunities - believe they can and will change the world, one song at a time.