From the rhythmic drums that make our friends in the Dominican Republic and Haiti clap their hands with joy, to the soft, airy sounds of the marimba filling churches in Guatemala, worship in Central America and the Caribbean is full of life.

In Nicaragua, music from local churches spills out onto the street. The piano begins, and voices rise together in a long, joyful chain of songs. Cymbals crash. Feet lift off the ground. Children clap, spin and sing with happy hearts.

Outside of the city in a town called Managua, children leave their small classrooms and gather in the church’s large backyard with their families. From the youngest child to the oldest grandparent, everyone jumps and sings together.

I remember visiting a church where older children led the worship. They played the drums, the piano and the guitar. They sang with passion and joy. That day, there were visitors from the United States who didn’t speak Spanish. 

But something beautiful happened. Even though we spoke different languages, we all felt connected as we praised God together.  

No matter where we come from or the language we speak, when we lift our worship to God, he brings us closer to him — and closer to each other as one family.