Testimonials

Dear Praises Unlimited,

Road to the Cross was a grand hit at Sunrise of West Hills! Your professional and personable presentation was enjoyed by all and we are still talking about it! The music, narration and visual effects brought the experience of 2000 years ago directly into our community and more importantly into our hearts. Our population are from various faiths and your audience reflected this variety of beliefs. We found ourselves talking with each other and encouraging each other to nurture our spirits; this is one of the principles of Sunrise service and Praises Unlimited provided a wonderful platform on which to dialog with each other about the importance of faith in our daily lives.

There are many good stories to share however one amazing moment stands out that I know your performers in Praises Unlimited will enjoy. Sunrise’s Reminiscence community is designed for families whose members have Alzheimer’s or advancing dementia. As you may know, there are varying degrees and stages ranging from mild to very severe. Our residents in this neighborhood may not be able to converse in the casual way that we all take for granted every day. On Saturday, one of our reminiscence residents came to life during the singing of "How Great Thou Art". Even though her normal day consists of a few repetitive phrases or greetings, while we were singing she began to sing too! The lyrics were in place, verse after verse, as if she had turned a blank page of her mind and there, on the next page, was her soul filled with the words and music of her once familiar life. Instantly she was in the moment and she reached for my hand and we sang together! As she sang the phrase “then sings my soul” her eyes lit up and she placed her hand over her heart and said “that’s me, that’s me”. If anyone wonders just how important and deeply valuable the expression of our faith life is, stories like this can help erase the doubt.

Your generosity and talents were more deeply appreciated than we can even imagine. Everyone here at Sunrise would like to thank you so much for the wonderful experience. We hope to see you again!

Sincerely,

Deb Cargo

Community Relations Assistant

Sunrise Assisted Living

West Hills

Although Praises Unlimited has been together for 17 years, it was just a year ago (Jan 09) that we became an independent Praise Team. We served for 10 years as the "House" Praise Team for Our Savior's First Lutheran in Granada Hills CA and then for 6 years at Canoga Park Lutheran in Canoga Park CA. After 16 years we felt God put it on our hearts to get out of the Church building and serve those who can't get to the church. So here we are, looking for venues that might find our music and our outreach a blessing! That does not mean we won't still play at a church, but it does mean that we are not currently looking to become the "House" Praise Team for any particular church at this time. We don't know what God has planned for our future, but we are excited to go where He leads us! We are hoping that folks at the venues we go to will have positive things to say about the experience and our performance. If you want to share a testimonial regarding your experience with Praises Unlimited please send it to mike@PraisesUnlimited.com . You just might see it posted right here! We post these in the hopes that your words might encourage others to allow us to serve them. Please pray for our outreach ministry!
On April 4, 2009 Praises Unlimited brought Road to the Cross to Evergreen Retirement Residence in Burbank. Here is what the Director, Homa Poosti had to say about it.	Thank you for choosing our facility in which to perform your program. Here is the feedback I received from everyone: “SPECTACULAR “! They really, really loved your performance and rated the entire group as professional and multi-talented. Since our budget is limited for entertainment, when we do get a treat of this magnitude free of charge, we naturally are thrilled, thankful and appreciative. We would absolutely love to have you back whenever you can. Again thank you and also express our gratitude to the rest of your wonderful group. God bless.
On March 28, 2009 Praises Unlimited opened our Road to the Cross tour at Sunrise Assisted Living of West Hills! Here is what our host, Deb Cargo had to say about the experience!	Dear Praises Unlimited, Road to the Cross was a grand hit at Sunrise of West Hills! Your professional and personable presentation was enjoyed by all and we are still talking about it! The music, narration and visual effects brought the experience of 2000 years ago directly into our community and more importantly into our hearts. Our population are from various faiths and your audience reflected this variety of beliefs. We found ourselves talking with each other and encouraging each other to nurture our spirits; this is one of the principles of Sunrise service and Praises Unlimited provided a wonderful platform on which to dialog with each other about the importance of faith in our daily lives. There are many good stories to share however one amazing moment stands out that I know your performers in Praises Unlimited will enjoy. Sunrise’s Reminiscence community is designed for families whose members have Alzheimer’s or advancing dementia. As you may know, there are varying degrees and stages ranging from mild to very severe. Our residents in this neighborhood may not be able to converse in the casual way that we all take for granted every day. On Saturday, one of our reminiscence residents came to life during the singing of "How Great Thou Art". Even though her normal day consists of a few repetitive phrases or greetings, while we were singing she began to sing too! The lyrics were in place, verse after verse, as if she had turned a blank page of her mind and there, on the next page, was her soul filled with the words and music of her once familiar life. Instantly she was in the moment and she reached for my hand and we sang together! As she sang the phrase “then sings my soul” her eyes lit up and she placed her hand over her heart and said “that’s me, that’s me”. If anyone wonders just how important and deeply valuable the expression of our faith life is, stories like this can help erase the doubt. Your generosity and talents were more deeply appreciated than we can even imagine. Everyone here at Sunrise would like to thank you so much for the wonderful experience. We hope to see you again! Sincerely, Deb Cargo Community Relations Assistant *Sunrise Assisted Living* West Hills
	"You will definitely be blessed by the music ministry offered through the talents of Praises Unlimited. They came to our rescue in a pinch when our current praise band leader was unable to lead our group. The services were a joy to lead and everything was done in a professional, worshipful spirit. These folks are easy to work with as they are entirely self-contained. You are in for a treat with Praises Unlimited." *Craig Boehlke* *Pastor of Our Savior's First Lutheran Church, Granada Hills, CA.*