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"The coolest part was that they sang for us," Baca said. "We were tying to think of a way to connect with them, so we sang 'His Eye Is on the Sparrow' a cappella style. As we were singing, one of the women actually had a tear in her eye. I believe that she could feel the spirit of God coming from us."

Phil Keaggy (left) invited Moroccan musicians to join him on stage

Keaggy said that inviting seven Moroccan musicians onstage with him and his band was the biggest testimony: "When they saw us connect with Moroccan musicians, that spoke volumes to them."

Even back at the hotel, Keaggy found some connections, jamming with a Moroccan band in the lobby.

"We're Bob Marley, Tower of Power, and Hendrix fans, while these are Elvis, James Brown, Frank Sinatra type people," he said. "We must have played for two hours together. We did a little medley of Beatles songs. It was just so cool. We didn't isolate ourselves. We were in the streets, in the clubs. Everywhere we experienced goodwill."

Prior to the event, all artists and their crews were instructed on how to act and what to expect.

"They did brief us to clue us in as to how to behave and show respect," said Keaggy. "The way you dress, your actions, your manners. When you shake hands, you use your right hand. Which hand to use when you accept change. Everyone had to keep those things in mind.

"I've never played in an Islamic country before," he added. "There's a call to prayer several times a day. You could hear it in the streets."

Some of the musicians had done their homework beforehand.

Joy Williams sings to the crowd

"I had several phone conversations with the promoter prior to going," said Williams. "I read up on the culture, the status of gender relations. I found out I'm not allowed to make eye contact with men. I read up on the language. Once we got over there, they noticed we had studied up on their culture, and they felt respected in that."

Morocco is one of the most progressive—and culturally "Western"—nations in the Muslim world. Of 18 Arab countries, it's the top-rated for democracy, according to The Economist. Morocco was also the first country to recognize the independent United States, with an unbroken Treaty of Friendship with the U.S. since 1786.

Still, some of the Christian musicians were concerned about security, and some even turned down invitations because of those concerns.

"I continually asked what the security would be like," said Thomas, one of the organizers. "The Moroccans graciously assured me that security would be fine. And it was more than fine. They had truckloads of military men, dogs sniffing for explosives. Not because they expected anything, but more as a courtesy for us. They were looking out for us."

Friendship Fest was supported by the Moroccan government, which helped offset the cost of the event. Other costs were covered by a combination of local government funds, corporate sponsorship, and private donations. All artists and producers donated their time and labor, and the event was presented free of charge to all attendees.

Thomas, a music promoter and co-founder of Creation Festivals, Inc., says Friendship Fest wasn't his idea. It all began when Thomas and a group of others visited Morocco in 2004, and Abdelali Doumou, regional president for the Marrakech area, was moved by Thomas' commitment to God and religious freedom. Doumou subsequently invited Thomas back to stage a music event.

Friendship Fest was an event for all ages

"I asked, 'Are you talking about a little concert?'" Thomas says. "And they said, 'No, a festival.' Then I said, 'But they all sing about Jesus.' And they replied, 'That's not a problem. We like Jesus.'"

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