By Lillian Sopera Keneqa – EMTV News, Port Moresby
Hundreds showed up for P2-UIF’s final concert last night,(Friday, December 14), at the Sir John Guise Indoor Stadium.
The two-day event, is a grand finale, in celebrating 25 years of the band’s togetherness since its formation in 1993.
The evening took the audience through a lyrical, musical journey of the band’s history from the past to the present.
Families, friends, and fans of the much loved PNG Gospel band, P2-UIF, showed up in numbers to celebrate the final concert with the band.
EMTV News had a chance to chat with two members of the band before the concert, Ps Peter Bogembo, and Ps Benjamin Hakalitz, who said it has been an incredible journey for the band over the last 25 years.
“Regardless of our struggles, whatever we’ve gone through but I think we stuck as a band together for the last 25 years is an evidence of God’s grace and favor and mercy that we are partakers of. So, we’re just grateful and tonight just the night of celebrating and saying thank you to the Lord,” Ps Peter Bogembo said.
Pastor Hakalitz stressed that after this chapter, they want to focus more on the gospel at heart.
“God is a God of set up, I know that and he set it all up, so that we can get to this stage right now. And then from there, He’s gonna take us… who knows.. only He knows,’ Ps Benjamin Hakalitz said.
It has taken a lot of work and prayers to see the band come to this incredible level.
The concert kicked off with an audience favorite, Forever Loved, which then followed with songs in which John Warabut, the band’s amazing lead guitarist played a number of solos which got numerous ovations.
The band took the audience through a surreal lyrical journey with a special appearance by Australian country gospel singer, Steve Grace.
In between the different songs, the band’s message was the same to those present and that was we’ve got a limited time on earth, and we need to invest in something eternal.
All their songs had God’s love and the gospel at heart.
They took the audience on a melodic, sentimental journey from their past to the present, which included a brass ensemble, and string quartet, added to their songs.
The band has given 25 years to the people of PNG and would like to now continue its outreach internationally.
