Meet my friend Bethany Grace. She is 8 years old but she knew from the age of 4 she wanted to play the harp. I asked to hear her story and in a letter she wrote me she said “I was 4 years old when I heard my teacher play the harp and I fell in love with the harp but it took me 2 years to convince my parents to let me play.”
Bethany is a enterprising young lady after my own heart. She set out to raise funds for a very prestigious harp seminar offered this summer in Georgia by YAHS Young Artist Harp Seminar . She made a variety of fairy gardens to sell for a donation to her educational program. There are harpists from over 40 countries coming to this program and Bethany was selected as a participant. She may very well be the youngest harpist to attend.
“My parents rented a “troubadour” harp for me to learn to play.” Having no idea what this is, I googled it to learn this harp was introduced in 1962 and is the perfect harp for both beginning and experienced harpists. There are 5 complete octaves and it allows you to easily preset to play in 8 different keys. In case you are interested, a used harp like this sells for around $4000.
Her favorite songs to play are Scarborough Fair, Amazing Grace and she just learned Beauty and the Beast “I just learned The Nightingale for mommy’s birthday. Playing the harp means the world to me and whenever I play I feel closer to God.”
The family is getting ready to move soon and of all the things a young girl could be looking forward to in a new home, Bethany is looking forward to getting a large closet! She said “I am so happy I am getting a large closet so that I can make it my prayer room like in the movie War Room. I love reading God’s word and I want to be a missionary when I grow up.” I actually think she is a missionary right now bringing the sounds of heaven to life for us here on earth.
It is Bethany’s dream to be a missionary and to play the harp for Jesus and she also wants to be a nurse (like her mommy) so she can help people when they are sick… Bethany is studying German and Spanish because she says she knows she has to learn a lot of languages to reach a lot of people for God.
Here is a link to hear Bethany playing the harp for a wedding. Another link for the Christmas program. Bethany Christmas Program Enjoy!
After reading her full page letter written like an adult, I turned the letter over to read her last paragraph and it said “I was wondering if you can pray for my sister’s hamster because I was letting him exercise in his green ball and somehow he got out. So can you pray that we find him alive and not dead.” She is a little girl and a very endearing one at that.
Contact me to make a donation to allow her to raise the funds for the harp school. polly@gpollyjordan.com or message me on Facebook Polly Riddell.
She needs the final $465 to pay for the seminar in full. Strings alone are nearly $200 and she has already raised the first half of the seminar deposit of $600 plus had enough for her strings. She will make you a custom fairy garden. Mine is perfect. It is a table for one in a flower garden. On the table is the Holy Bible.