Sept 18-Oct 23
My latest road venture began in Little Rock, CA where I did
a program for my good friends, Kurt and Peggy Freeman. Kurt was the guy who
helped get me into Acton Rehabilitation Center in 1990 when he was the
Executive Director. They have a ranch where they often invite special speakers
to minister to people from the surrounding communities. It was a great time and
I was privileged to meet the Principal Chief of the Cree Nation of Alberta,
Canada, along with his wife and son. They purchased a few of my CD’s (even though
I offered them as gifts) and we had a great time of fellowship. There was a
decent crowd that gathered for the event, and I was well received. Two pastors
who were there expressed interest in having me do a concert for them next year.
After returning to Phoenix to take care of some personal
business, I then traveled to San Diego where I was featured in 4 Sunday morning
services at Mission Valley Christian Fellowship to promote an evening concert.
The worship team, led by my good friend, Joe Sabolick, accompanied me on two
songs that morning and I went solo in the evening. Pastor Leo Giovinetti is a
cool guy with a great sense of humor, not to mention an excellent musician. My
evening concert was well attended and even though there were no new decisions,
many approached me afterward, expressing how much they were moved by the
testimony. On my way back to Arizona the next morning, I stopped at the home of
my friends, Dennis and Victoria Agajanian, who treated me to a great lunch.
Before going to New Mexico, I spent a couple of days
emptying out my storage…donating all of my furniture to a friend who was in
need…then loading up what was left in my new cargo trailer I had purchased. Now,
with everything I own in my trailer, I headed for Pinetop, Arizona, to spend
some time with my good friends, Joe and Connie Halley. We had a great time and
I was able to bring them up to date on my ministry travels. Joe and Connie have
been faithful donors since the ministry began in 2004. Finally, it was time to
move on. The event was to be in Tse Benito, New Mexico, which borders the city
of Window Rock, Arizona. The people of the Western Indian Mission (Navajos) had
invited me to participate in their Camp Meeting that weekend. Nelson Beetoney
was my host whom I made contact with through Kurt Freeman. It was a very unique experience as most
introductions to a new culture can be. My involvement was minimal, but
effective with many showing their appreciation afterward. One thing I learned
about the Navajo preachers…they preach for a long time. The pastor mentioned he
would like to bring me back for a full concert since I was only featured for a
short segment. The Navajo band did a
great job and I was privileged to join with them on a few songs.
I was scheduled to travel next to Cushing, Oklahoma, where I
would begin a 4-day stint there. I drove to my brother’s home in Okmulgee,
Oklahoma, to spend a couple of nights before going on to Cushing. Doug and Jayn
Carson had invited me to stay in their guest house and I arrived around 2PM. After
settling in to the guest house, I drove to the First Baptist Church to set up
my sound system for the night’s concert. The service included the Awana youth
and teen-age groups who were brought in lieu of their normal Wednesday night
meeting. Having a diversified audience, I did a modified version of my
testimony, but hit heavy on the issue of drugs and drinking. I believe seeds
were planted in many hearts that night.
The following day I had no events scheduled, but Doug asked
if I would be willing to do a program for his office staff during lunch. We had
a good time. I discovered later that there was a Hindu and a Buddhist that
attended. I was glad I shared the gospel and did what I thought was a good
program.
Friday was the day I was to do a concert at the Cimarron
Correctional Facility. Chaplain Arthur Fox escorted me to the hall where the
program was to take place. About 75 men attended and 6 of those men responded
to the invitation. Two others came for prayer. One of those was approached by
the Mexican Mafia to join and he refused. He was threatened and asked for a
prayer of protection. Chaplain Fox is trying to get him transferred out of that
yard.
Saturday, October 8th, I spent the morning playing a round of golf
with Chaplain Fox. We discussed me applying for a CCA badge as well as an
Oklahoma Department of Corrections badge. After the round, I drove to the city
park for my program at the Festival. I followed a very good blues band out of
Tulsa and the local newspaper had promoted me as if I were a superstar. It
affected me and I struggled to get through the hour-long set. I presented the
gospel, but felt I wasn’t as effective as I should have been. I don’t know how
else to put it. That night I went to the Lord with my issues and the next day
would see me back on track.
The First Presbyterian Church of Cushing was the only church
in town with no one in their parking lot at 9:30 AM on Sunday morning, Oct 9th,
2011. As I set up my sound system, I was a little discouraged. I couldn’t
figure out what God was trying to show me. Or was He trying to show me anything
at all? I felt I had let Him down the day before, and now was there going to be
another failure? Then, after breathing a prayer, I suddenly felt at peace. Right
before the service was to begin, a few people began to appear. When the time
had come, there were around 20 people. It was just what I needed. When I began
I was relaxed and comfortable. It was one of the best programs I had done in a
while. I believe God was trying to show me that this tour was more for me than
for Him. I had focused on my testimony more than the Lord, Himself. He wanted
me to nurture my relationship with Him in order to see more fruit. This would
come to light several days later when I would return to Cushing on my way to
Missouri.
Before leaving Cushing, I had some quality time Doug and
some of his family. I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. Doug
Carson Associates is the global tech supporter for such software companies as
Microsoft, Sony, and Philips…having helped develop digital optical imaging for
the CD-ROM, the Blu-Ray Dis, and the X-Box. Doug and Jayn travel the world and
are currently establishing Victorious Christian Living groups in Russia. Dave
Ritzenthaler,(my good friend, mentor, and board member) has known the Carsons
for years and was kind enough to put me in contact with them.
It was back to Okmulgee to stay a few nights with my brother
before traveling on to my next event in Oklahoma City at The Crown Center
Church. While in Okmulgee, I had lunch with Chaplain Pete Bernard of the City
Jail. We discussed some of the issues I had been dealing with, and Pete prayed
with me. We also talked about me doing more programs in the jail on my next
visit. Chaplain Pete lost a leg in a motorcycle accident and gets around in a
wheel-chair. He is very well liked by the inmates and has a positive attitude.
He truly is a godly man.
I left on Thursday, the 13th, for the home of my
friend, Tim Hahn. Tim and his wife, Shelly, along with three children, live in
Tuttle, Oklahoma, about 20 miles southwest of OKC. Tim, a former drummer in my
band in the early 80’s, is struggling with cancer. In one of my earlier posts,
he had come to Weatherford, Oklahoma, when I did a program there. We discussed
at that time, the possibility of me coming to his church, and this trip was a
result of that discussion. On the day I arrived in the OKC area, I had dinner
with some friends who were fans from my days at Shotgun Sam’s Pizza Palace in
the early to mid 1980’s. The Staten brothers, Gene, James, George, and Kenneth,
along with their wives, gathered together to have dinner with me on that Thursday
evening after I settled in at the Hahn residence. It was great to see them and reminisce
about those days. After dinner with the
Statens, I met Tim and his band at the Crown Center to rehearse on some songs.
He had wanted to play drums with me once again, so I agreed to work with him
and his band on a few songs. We put three songs together and agreed to meet
again on Saturday morning. On Friday Tim and I spent some time together driving
around, checking out old places we had played, that were no longer there…having
been replaced with shopping centers and/or apartment housing. A house I had
helped to build and once owned was no longer there either.
After rehearsal on Saturday, we were ready.
Then came Sunday, the 16th, and I was allowed to
sing one song during the morning service. The people were blessed with great
worship by the band, and the response to my song was good. I was approached by many who said they would
return for the evening concert. One man shook my hand and introduced himself as
William Munds, a possible relative. He gave me some contacts of other “Munds”
men who were in ministry in Louisiana and Mississippi. He also gave me a
contact in Munds Park, Arizona, near Flagstaff.
The concert went very well and it was fun to sing with a
band behind me again. There was a good crowd and the Pastor was pleased with my
testimony. The church gave me a nice offering and once again, God supplied my
needs. Pastor John Youell gave a call for prayer at the end and many came
forward.
My next scheduled event was in Amarillo, Texas, for a Bill
Glass Weekend of Champions. Time allowed me to stop in Weatherford, Oklahoma,
to spend two nights with my friends, Don and Sharon Blagg. The Blaggs are
always fun and gracious hosts. Matt Blagg, their son, is a favorite of the Bill
Glass Platform Guests. Matt is a very talented singer and musician. Don is no
slouch on guitar, and he and I visited and did some songs for a friend
bed-ridden with a brain tumor while I was in Weatherford. Don and Sharon have 2
dogs, Sassy and Happy Feet. They also enjoy my Savvy when we stay there and
Sharon cooks great meals!
On Thursday morning, the 20th of October, I left
for Texas. In the little town of Groom, Texas, I stopped to visit a sick
friend, Jim James. Jim has prostate cancer and I wanted to spend some time with
him and pray for his healing. We had a nice visit and I prayed for him before I
went on to Amarillo. Jim is Catholic and has a small café in Groom called the
Blessed Mary. He always tells me…”it’s all about Jesus anyway!” His café is
currently closed due to his health. I met Jim back in 2002 on The Great Amerithon
mission with Kenn Kemper.
When I arrived in Amarillo, I was teamed up with Big Al
Cheves from California who started the Monguls, a notorious motorcycle gang,
often in battle with the Hells Angels. God has miraculously transformed Him and
now he has established a recovery ranch in Southern California. Al and I did
programs in the William P. Clements Unit and the Neal Unit before moving to the
Potter County Jail. There were 70+ teammates who came along with around 12
platform guests. I haven’t received word yet on the number of decisions that
were counted, but I know there will be many.
I left Amarillo to travel back to my brothers’ home where I
had mail waiting. It was his birthday (68th) and we celebrated at a
fine little restaurant in Checotah, Oklahoma. When I pulled in his driveway, he
heard a shot. It was his son, Tony, shooting a deer from a stand down on his
property! It was a small one (9pt 100 lbs) but he was mighty proud. I was never
a hunter but my most of my family enjoy the hunting season.
Chaplain Arthur Fox had some paperwork for me back in
Cushing, and Doug Carson had invited me to come stay another night in the guest
house. So, on Tuesday, the 25th, I drove back to Cushing. Doug was
having a VCL study that evening at his office so I went along. If you have
never attended a VCL class, I highly recommend you do so. My friend and mentor,
Dave Ritzenthaler, started the ministry and wrote most of the curriculum
manual. Contact me if you’d be interested in getting one. We had a great lesson
from Doug and afterward, I had some quality time with my friend at his home
while he cooked us up some pasta.
The next day I drove to Springfield, Missouri, and contacted
Midnight Dolan who operates a hair salon there. Midnight is also a Platform
Guest with Bill Glass and I see him often on the Weekend events. I needed a
haircut and even though he was recovering from surgery on his shoulder, he
agreed to try. His salon has been closed since his operation and yet he opened
it up long enough to make me look better. My hair had gotten awfully long. It’s
much shorter now and many say I look younger. Whatever… That evening we went to
Hope Church for the Wednesday evening service.
After spending the night in Springfield, I drove to Osage
Beach to stay with my friends, Kerry and Nancy Frampton, through the weekend
and the Sunday concert at the Potter’s House. We had a great time of fellowship
and I even got to play a round of golf with Kerry.
On Sunday, we went to the morning service at The Potter’s
House. I had been invited to minister with a concert following the main
service. It was Celebrate Recovery Day and the whole emphasis was on that
program and the service was really a big CR meeting. The music was great and
the testimonies were very moving. I was touched along with many others. I did
my concert after the service while the people were being fed by the CR people.
They have a great sound system and Nancy and Kerry said it sounded very good.
Finally it was time to pack up and hit the road again. Savvy
and I drove back to Oklahoma and stayed a night at my brother’s house. On
Tuesday, November 2nd, we drove through Oklahoma City and stopped
off at the Hahn’s to pick up my trailer I had left there before going to
Amarillo. After a brief visit with Tim and his family, I hooked up the trailer
and headed south to stay the night with my niece and her family in Ardmore,
Oklahoma.
The next night we stayed in Corinth, Texas, with more
family, before arriving in Arlington and the Dallas (Bill Glass) Weekend of
Champions.
Once again I was teamed up with Big AL Acheves and sent to
the Federal Corrections Institution in Ft. Worth. We did a program in the jail
that is harbored inside the prison. At first we couldn’t get the sound system
to work, so I just started without it. It finally came on and I finished up
before turning it over to AL. My job in this ministry (Bill Glass) is to
entertain the prisoners and set up the speaker who I’m teamed with. Most music
artists are teamed with a speaker. There are times when I get to do my whole
program. Still, even the speakers who follow me are to set up the inmates with
the teammates who actually pray with the men (women) and lead them to Christ.
Al went on to another facility and I stayed at the FCI to do an afternoon
program in the big recreation yard. Devon Wyman, a former New England Patriot,
was to be the speaker. I set it up for Devon, and then was taken over to the
Medical Unit to sing to some guys in wheelchairs. After our programs we all met
back at Pantego Baptist Church for a banquet and to hear testimonies about the
events of the day.
After the banquet, some of my musician friends, namely Jimmy
Jack Whitaker (an award-winning song-writer), and a few others gathered for a jam
session up in the control room. It was fun and I am fortunate to be a part of a
great fellowship.
Saturday I traveled to Bridgeport, Texas, to sing at the
women’s facility. I loaded up my van (I also used it in Amarillo to transport
teammates and platform guests) with the guys I was teamed with which included
Jack (Murf the Surf) Murphy. We did a good program for the women and many of
them remembered me from the year before. I was told later that one of the
Lesbian girls was moved to accept Jesus! She had been cold toward the team all
weekend until our program melted her. Of course, everyone who came before us,
planted and watered the seed, we were just there to harvest it. The Holy Spirit
does the work through us.
I left my van with Murphy and was picked up by Tully
Blanchard to travel to Jacksboro, Texas, where we were scheduled to minister at
the Lindsay State Jail. The gym was packed with over 200 men and the atmosphere
was thick with the presence of the Lord. I did an exceptional program (for me)
and had captured their attention, setting it up for Tully. Tully told of his
wrestling days in the WWF and gave a great invitation. At the end, every man in
that gym was gathered around a teammate. It was a great day.
Over the weekend we recorded 3,673 total responses with 1623
new decisions! There were over 1100 teammates that made it happen, along with
about 40 Platform Guests.
One of the highlights of my stay in Dallas was reuniting
with an old friend from my drinking days in San Diego…Dale Allen. Dale drove up
from Houston just to spend a few hours with me. We had a great reunion and sat
and played guitars, singing and talking about our days in California. The next
morning we had breakfast and after having prayer together, I left for Granbury,
Texas, and The Warriors for Christ Biker Fellowship.
I was greeted by a biker brother who called himself
“Orangutan”. Pastor David wasn’t there, but at some rally near Corpus Christi.
I was shown the stage and met a few folks along the way. I was told I could two
songs to promote the evening concert. The band helped me through the songs but
managed to drown me out. It was fun, but I prefer to work alone. Savvy was
allowed to run free around the church and had a great time. She never took her
eyes off me for very long though. Jack Meeks (my friend who had set this gig up
for me) came in the afternoon and was a little upset that the pastor wasn’t
going to be there. We were supposed to spend the night with him. Just a lack of
communication I guess. The turnout was very small for the evening concert, but
I played as if it was a packed house. The Lord was glorified and my ego took a
hit. That’s necessary for me sometimes. Jack and I drove to Abilene where I
would stay at his home for two days.
Nov 8
I had breakfast with Jack and Billie Meeks and one of their
friends named John before leaving toward Sunsites, AZ. A few miles down the
interstate, I had an scary experience that I suspected might be a heart attack.
I experienced chest pain and cold sweat along with shortness of breath. As I
pulled over to call 911, the pain started going away and soon I was back to
normal. I notified my doctor in AZ and made an appointment to see him. He told
me it sounded more like heartburn or a reaction to a big breakfast.
Nov 11
This night I did a patriotic program along with Frank and
Annie Keivitt, and Linda Olson, at the Rancho Resort in Green Valley, AZ, near
Tucson. The Keivitts own Klass-Act Entertainment and do karaoke tunes of
different entertainers. Linda Olson is just a great gospel, blues, you name it
singer. We had a good time and were able to bring a message of God and country
and I closed with “Wake up America.” There were a few whose feathers were
ruffled by that song. It is indeed time to “Wake Up” our country or we’ll lose
it to those who despise Christian values and teachings.
Nov 12
I drove to Scottsdale where I did an anniversary program for
a couple I had met while singing for Hearty Souls of Scottsdale Bible Church. Chuck
and Christena Parrish were celebrating 10 wonderful years of marriage. The room
was small and the crowd was festive. The food was excellent and we had a great
time. I mostly just played soft music while they ate their meal, but was able
to share some of my testimony with them also. After the program, I headed back
to Sierra Vista, Arizona, to be there for a Sunday concert at First Christian
Church.
Nov 13
I did a song for two services Sunday morning and a full
concert in the evening. I did “Good Intentions” in the first service and the
“Jesus Loves Me” story in the second. Johnny Jones, my friend and great Elvis
impersonator, was there for the first service and he and I enjoyed a hearty
breakfast before second service began. Pastor Jeff Anselmi was extremely
gracious and his leadership is reflected in the friendliness of his flock.
Another good friend, Rachel Allee, opened the church early for me to set up for
the evening program. Several men helped me load my equipment afterward. There
were three decisions and I enjoyed great hospitality and warmth from a great
church.
Nov 18
My friend, Ken Schroth, at the Heart of Mesa Church, invited
me to do another program for his Celebrate Recovery group that meets every
Friday night. There was a good turnout and I was given an hour to give my
testimony. At the end, I gave an invitation and had prayer with several people.
My friend, Scott Campagna…a convert from my Maricopa County jail ministry, introduced
me to the crowd and it was great to see him again. He has been doing great
ministry since he established a working relationship with Jesus. I’m honored to
have played a role in harvesting him.
Nov 19
I was given the opportunity to speak and sing to my home
church at the Phoenix Dream Center. My Pastor, Walt Rattray, had invited me and
I, in turn, invited my friend, Dennis Rice to split the time with me. Dennis
and I have done many programs together as Platform Guests with the Bill Glass
Champions for Life Prison Ministry. The church was packed and I did a few songs
and set it up for Dennis, just like we do in Champions. Dennis, a former member
of the Charles Manson Family, gave a tremendous message and when he asked for
hands to accept Christ, 16 responded! When he asked for hands for re-dedication,
almost the whole room of 90 or more responded. It was a great night! Pastor
Walt wants me to come back soon to do a full concert. Dennis and I plan on
doing some more programs together in the Arizona State Prison Complexes at
Florence and Perryville.
Nov 20
I had appeared twice before at the First Baptist Church of
Imperial, California, and it was great to be invited back. I did one song in
their special Thanksgiving service in the morning, and after we had a great
turkey meal, I did an hour and 15 minute program. It was indeed a service where
many were moved by the songs. I was approached by several people (men and
women) afterward, thanking me for coming and for ministering to their needs. CD
sales went very well and I was put up in a very nice motel for the night.
Pastor Jeff Moody was exceptionally pleased and even helped me load my trailer!
From there, I drove to San Bernardino, CA, to spend Thanksgiving with my son
and grandchildren.
