Sunday, April 30, 2006

The long and winding road...


Well, April is almost over...and I’m off the road for a bit. And what a road it was! 25 out of 30 days found me on the road (or in the air) for a total of just over 11,000 miles!! Looking back, it’s hard to believe that we were able to go so many places in such a short time.

What’s even more incredible is what transpired during these journeys. It’s not ‘evangelistic exaggeration’ to say that literally hundreds of people heard about Christ...through word, song, and actions. From playing in pubs and venues in Ireland, storm ravaged schools and churches on the Gulf Coast, to helping other ministries with recording projects and events here close to home, the Good News was made clear. Many of the folks we met are now great friends...others we saw made important decisions about their spiritual condition. In any event, we were able to be an influence through our music. Me and the band were also able to help a Birmingham mental health agency raise over $10,000 in support for their programs...all through this gift of music!

And I have to thank many of you for all this. Your support through prayer and giving made this possible. From keeping us in eats and diapers on the home-front to covering travel costs to far-flung lands (and parts of Mississippi, too!), all of it mattered greatly in this effort. Thank you...thank you, thank you, thank you!!

But we’re not stopping here. Plans are already underway to return (with the band) to Ireland next April. We’re also working on doing some events down on the Gulf Coast. I saw firsthand how powerful and encouraging music can be in the lives of people dealing with disaster. And this year we hope to return to the studio for a follow-up to “Spheres of Influence” (many of you have already helped us determine what this project should look and sound like). Lastly, we want to help local churches too. We love leading worship and are planning a series of ‘house concerts’...if you want to host one of these, let me know!

Let me close by asking you to once again pray for us. I have been challenged greatly of late to go even farther beyond the walls of the church than ever before. I’m praying that God will open the right doors at the right time to take our music into places we as a ministry have never been. I honestly don’t know or understand exactly what this means...that’s why I need your prayers, so that our path will be made absolutely clear!

And please remember Project Onefifty in your financial giving. More than ever we need your help to help us continue to have months like this past April. I can honestly say that we don’t care where we go...we simply want to be used to help spread the Good News. By the grace of God, we will...

God bless you!!

GV

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Gulf Coast Tour wrap-up


It’s Sunday night around 11:15pm Eastern time and I just checked into my hotel for the next two nights in beautiful Asheville, NC. And while the Gulf Coast tour with Reveal, the student choir of the Biltmore Baptist Church was over for me on Friday night, my work with Biltmore is not quite finished. The next two days will find me playing guitar on a recording project for their worship ministry.

Let me get you up to speed on the tour. Wednesday night we played to a packed house at the First Baptist Church of Biloxi, MS, where five different youth groups came together for an incredible event. Kevin and I and the band started the evening off with worship...the energy and excitement in the room was palpable.

Reveal came up and continued to lead us, and our speaker Gary Permenter tied all the lyrical threads together and delivered a powerful message. There were several decisions to follow Christ...to be honest, the room was so packed that it was difficult to see all that was taking place. But to say that God showed up and showed off would be an accurate statement.

The next two days were pretty much the same (school event in the morning for the band, work projects for the choir, and an evening concert for the entire group). I don’t want to overlook what God did in these events, but I don’t want this message to stretch into novel length either...lol. Our final concert on Friday took place in Bogalusa, Louisiana (about 2 hours north of the coast). Our contact there, John, told us some pretty hair-raising stories about his contact with Katrina. But it was a comment he made to Kevin afterward that I’d like to share. John said that the last 6 months or so have been the most depressing period in his life...and not only for him, but the entire community. This small town is virtually abandoned due to the devastation caused by the storm. But our concert that night brought new life and energy to the people there...dare I say that our music and vibrant relationships with Christ as expressed in our music has literally inspired the people to have hope.

That pretty much sums up the entire tour. It has also confirmed to me that my desire to bring the Project Onefifty band down to the coast is not just something that would be nice, but would be a huge benefit. I’ll be sharing more in the weeks and months to come about these plans.

For now, let me sign off. My day starts early tomorrow and I’m pretty wiped from all the recent travel. On a personal note, thank you for praying for Audra; she had her CAT scan this past Friday and Carol is meeting with the doctors tomorrow for the results. Please continue to pray...

Love you guys!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Midweek 'mystery'...


Hi everyone!

Sorry for no update yesterday, but boy...it was a busy day! Call was at 6:00am and we hit the ground running! We played 3 events yesterday (yes...at different venues). Two of them were for Christian clubs at two different schools (one in the morning before classes and the other after school). The last was our evening concert featuring Kevin and the band, the choir, and our speaker Gary Permenter. I must say that David Gaines knows how to keep folks busy!

Today we played another school event and then I had the day 'off'. I'm sitting in the student auditorium of FBC Biloxi where tonight's event is happening. It's the usual story of 'hurry up and wait' while the crew gets everything ready. But I know it's going to be a great concert, as we are expecting not only the usual crowd at this church, but all the folks we've invited from the various school events. We are praying that it's an SRO crowd...not for the sake of numbers, but for as many people to have the chance to hear the Good News about the difference Christ has made in our lives.

During my free time today, I drove into Mobile and then around the area, just observing the damage, the clean-up efforts, etc. To be honest, I was very pre-occupied about some personal issues...Audra is having some tests done Friday; while that is nerve-wracking enough, the fact that I can't be there is hard. But I know that God has both Audra and my fears and concerns well in hand. I can go ahead and thank you for praying, because I know you will!

But even with my thoughts of family and home, I couldn't help but be affected by the sights of the area. Everywhere you turn, you see evidence of a storm long past...blue tarps are everywhere. Some places are simply empty lots...you can tell that some home or other structure used to be there, but now is simply gone.

But even with the devastation, you see signs of hope. Relief teams are in plain sight, working hard and selflessly to repair homes and to bring normalcy to the lives of the people in this region. The students from Biltmore are working no less hard than any of the other teams and it makes you proud that students (grades 6-12) are doing their part to be Christ in such a physical way. I'm proud to have even a small part in this trip.

Ok...the crew is done and the band is jamming...the choir is about to sound check and soon the doors will open. In a few hours, we'll reveal in a variety of ways the love of Christ, and the mystery that is the work of Holy Spirit will be evident as people will be drawn to make eternal decisions.

Thanks for praying and for helping me be here this week. God bless!

GV

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

New week...new adventure!

The wonderful thing about being a musician (or one that gets to travel) is getting to go to interesting places. So far this month, I've logged trips to Asheville, NC, Ireland (both the Republic Of and the Northern one), Birmingham, AL, and now this week's tour on the Gulf Coast.

I'm down in Gulfport, MS working with some of my best friends in the world. David Gaines (keyboard wiz) is on staff with the Biltmore Baptist Church in Asheville, NC, and his student choir is touring down here. Another great friend and great player down here with us is my longtime partner in musical crime, Kevin Williams. Kevin and I go way back...I played on his 2 recording projects, have served together on a church staff, and I play guitar in his road band. Kevin and I have been tasked with fronting the choir's student band (some decent players, too).

Our mission this week is multi-faceted. This entire region is still dealing with the effects of Hurricane Katrina (seven months after the fact), and the students will be helping in various relief projects (building, painting, cleaning, etc). The choir will be playing in area churches at night, and we'll be opening and closing the concerts. Our good friend Gary Permenter will be speaking...he is hilarious! But he really drives home the message of truth in a way unlike any other youth speaker (and I've heard a bunch of 'em!).

During the day, the band will be playing in school assemblies as a teaser for our nighttime concerts. Tonight we all rolled into town around 7pm, checked into our hotel and then went to a local church for a rehearsal. Tomorrow we hit the ground running at 6am for our first event; an assembly before school for a Christian club. Then it's off to another school where we'll do basically the same deal. Somewhere in between those two events will be a radio interview, hopefully some lunch and some rest before our evening concert.

So welcome to the Biltmore Student Choir Tour! Be praying that we can positively affect the lives of the people in this area and be Christ in a multitude of ways. Rest assured that while we'll lending our hands in a physical fashion, we'll do all this in the spirit of Christ and be looking for ways to share truth wherever we can.

Oh yeah...we'll play some music too!

Be praying! Love you guys!

GV

Friday, April 14, 2006

Easter and beyond

Ok...I think my body knows what day and time it’s supposed to be since my Irish tour. Our church in Franklin, TN has a Saturday night service which my family and I will be attending (as I’m helping my friend Kellee McCoy down at Dawson in Birmingham, AL on Easter Sunday).
 
After that, it’s back home for the night and then I head out for a weeks’ tour in Gulfport, MS. My friend Kevin Williams and I will be helping the Biltmore Baptist Church (Asheville, NC) student choir with their tour down there. It’s gonna be a blast!
 
Please remember Christ’s sacrifice and especially the difference between Him and all other ‘paths’ to God...He’s the only one who predicted He’d rise from the dead (and then did so!).
 
What a savior!!

GV

Monday, April 10, 2006

Last night in Ireland

Well, its hard to believe it, but our Ireland trip is drawing to a close. Jason and I are at our lodging for the night in Blackrock, a suburb of Dublin...its around 11:30pm and call time in the morning is 6am!

Im not sure where to begin! We had a pretty early call this morning, as Mike Mullins drove us down from Buncrana to Derry in order to catch the bus to Dublin. I didnt realize it, but Derry is right across the border in Northern Ireland and was the sight of the Bloody Sunday massacre. Most of us think of this as just a U2 song, but Mike took us through town to the actual site where the Catholic protesters were marching. History tells us that a shot rang out, and then the British troops opened fire on the marchers. Derry reminded me of Belfast, with slogans and murals decorating the various buildings. Even the curbs are marked with colors denoting the different neighborhoods (and factions). While the peace is thankfully still in effect (even with the recent assassination of a former British agent in the IRA), there are reminders everywhere of the Troubles that have plagued this country for so long. Both Mike Mullins and my friend up in Belfast, Fr. Martin Curley agree that the only thing that will ever bring peace to this island is the love of Jesus Christ.


Let me tell you about our final gig here. We played in the Irish Cultural Center (I cannot even begin to spell the Irish name for it!); this is a beautiful building in a grand old neighborhood, and this facility is a treasure trove of Irish music. If you want to learn about the history of this incredible music (and learn how to play it), then this is the place! And boy...I got a crash course, too! At the end of the night, our host, Cormac Shaw and a friend (also named Cormac) invited me to play along with them on a couple of traditional Irish melodies (these guys play the fiddle and the flute). I got thrown to the wolves! The two Cormacs are great players and I was struggling to keep up...I had never heard these jigs before, but it was a blast to play. What an incredible honor!



Tonight was another of our songwriting seminars. After playing a few opening songs, we launched into our session, with some great interaction with the participants. We played a few more of our tunes and then we turned the evening into an open mic night. There is a friend of Laura Robinson (Durand's 17 year old daughter who is on the tour with us)...a girl named Lisa who played and sang one of her songs...wow! This place is teeming with incredible talent.



We took a quick break to talk to the folks in the crowd, who were so very gracious to us. When we came back, we played a few more tunes, and ended (as always) with Amazing Grace. I had the opportunity to introduce the song, where I shared with the crowd (a mix of believers and non-believers alike) how the grace of this hymn/folk song has been so very real and important in my own life. It was a small seed we planted, but a seed nonetheless that our contacts here will cultivate.

And that is pretty much our mission; to use our music to help the local church reach into their communities and cultivate friendships with seekers. And while this was really a scouting trip for a future tour with the whole band, it was far more successful in that ministries in Newbridge, Buncrana, and Dublin were able to meet new friends and to minister to people who would never come to just another church service.

Jason is fast asleep as I type this, and Im trying not to weep aloud as I think about the people just this week weve met and ministered to; Sinead at the restaurant in Newbridge, and the wedding party at the pub...Seamus and Mary at the Drift Inn at Buncrana...some lads who chatted with us on the street in Buncrana after our first pub date up north (I gave them a CD)...and the many faces of the people I talked to tonight. The names are running together, but God knows each and every one of them and I pray that our friends here will be able to be Christ to them in the days and months ahead.

I just cant believe that God would use me and this music in such a way, but I am so thankful He has. Thank you for making this trip possible and especially for all your prayers. You are all special people in my life and Im glad to be in this journey with you.

Ok...to bed and then to the airport! Until our next trip, keep praying!

God bless you all...

GV

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Buncrana (part 3) final night


Whew...our time in Buncrana is almost over (its been a whirlwind day or two). We definitely ramped up into the events for our final weekend on the Emerald Isle. Tonight we played a concert for all the folks who heard us in the various places around town. As always with a tour like this, by the time you finish you are tight and ready to go on the road...lol! It was really amazing seeing how the three of us from completely differing musical backgrounds worked so well together. There literally was something for everyone! We did record the event and Jason's "Love Song For The Curse" was simply fantastic! Tony and I had talked earlier in the week about getting some of Jasons songs recorded so the rest of you can learn what a talented artist he is.


Before the concert, Mike Mullins drove us around the area and took us to the place on Loch Swilley where Amazing Grace author John Newton made landfall and gave his heart to Christ after being heavily involved in the African slave trade. This is an amazing story (pun intended) that needs to be told. I encourage you to pick up a book by Rolling Stone writer Steve Turner called Amazing Grace. Its written in two sections, the first of which is Newtons biography; the second half is a biography of sorts of the hymn itself, which has been recorded by literally thousands of artists (including yours truly).

Next year will be the 200th anniversary of the writing of the hymn, and the town council of Buncrana is planning to open a visitors center, as well as commissioning a status commemorating Newton and the hymn and Buncranas role in the story. I am praying about what Project Onefifty can do to be part of this event. People dont know that Newton was integral in the abolition of slavery in England...and Gods grace was at the heart of Newtons transformation from slaver to hymn writer. And when you think of how many of us have adopted his hymn as our song of testimony to Gods grace in our lives...it really is amazing!

Tomorrow morning is an early call as we travel by bus down to Dublin for our final event, a mini-concert and song writing workshop at the Irish Cultural Center. And then...home!

Its been an interesting trip and not without a few bumps...but I know that God has had us well in hand, and that you were all praying for us. Thank you again for joining me in this journey of guitars and grace!

Love you guys!

GV

Buncrana (part 2)


Ok...where did I leave off? What a great day (so far). This morning,
Durand and I helped lead worship
at the church here. I gave an oh-so-brief version of my testimony.
After the music, we shared
communion and Durand challenged us to find new ways for the church to
be good neighbors to the community.

After a great Irish lunch of fish and chips, we played at the Drift
Inn. Another beautiful pub/restaurant
(it was the old train station). Arsenal was playing Manchester, so as
to not offend the fans, we played
with the telly left on (but the sound down). Manchester did win, but we
had a great time. Jason's song
"Love Song For The Curse" went down very well.

The bartender (Paul) loved us and wants to know when we'll be back.
There was a great couple
(Seamus and Mary) that I had a wonderful conversation with. Seems that Seamus is
a bit of a guitarist himself
and he bought my CD (as did Paul); they both asked me to sign their copies. Very
sweet folks; It's difficult not to
fall in love with these people and this island.

Ok...this update will be in three parts, as it's time for a traditional
dinner of spaghetti (traditional at the
Vinson home anyway...lol). Tonight we have a concert and we hope that
many of the folks we've met
at the two pubs will be there.

Love you gang!!

GV

First night in Buncrana (part 1)


Good morning!!

Well, the first half of our journey is over and now we get busy! Yesterday we said our tearful farewells to our new friends in Newbridge and headed into Dublin. Our contact up north, Mike Mullin, was in town for a meeting so we larked about town until he finished.

There is an old saying in Ireland...if you dont like the weather, just wait a few moments. And this couldnt have been closer to the truth! We were hanging in the really cool Temple Bar area and after a great lunch, we continued our sightseeing. It was a bit cold, but very sunny. While we were eating, a hard rain blew in and out as fast as that. Durand and I were visiting the Irish Film Institute when out of nowhere, hail starting falling hard and fast; yes, hail! After about 10 minutes, they came Fat Old Sun acting as if nothing had happened. Way cool!

We had a grand journey traveling up to Buncrana. If you ever get the chance to come to this beautiful island, you simply must! I dont have the vocabulary to describe the glory of it...Ill just say its grand!

Mike Mullen heads a ministry up here called Operation Mobilization (OM), and he lined up another pub for us to play. And if I thought the Newbridge pub was cool, then Roddens was incredible! Its the kind of place where you stepped back in time...very quaint. I fully expected to see Frodo and Sam at a table, and Strider lurking in the corner...lol!

The three of us played about 2 hours to a packed room. They were great! Today we lead worship at Mikes church, this afternoon we play a restaurant, with a full concert at a local venue tonight. I think they were going easy on us down south, as we are slamming up here!

Well, Ill have to finish this update later, as we have to head to the service. By the way, wish Carol a happy birthday...yes, today is her birthday!!

Later, my friends!!

GV

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Final night in Newbridge

Hey guys,

We literally just finished our final concert in Newbridge just moments before. As I type, a crowd of about 60 folks are milling about in the main room of the Open Arms Community Church. It was a different night than we had planned, as Tony had to unexpectedly fly home this morning. And while we missed him greatly (Tony has won many fans here...no surprise there!), Durand, Jason, and I turned the night into more of a group effort. I had the wonderful privilege of playing on songs by both guys...and what great songs! Jason has one called Porcelain that talks about how breakable we all are. And Durand ended the night with a song of his called Only Plea which runs from one chorus that says ...were guilty, to the final chorus that declares that were ...forgiven.

And that sums up our lives...we are born guilty, but thanks to Christ's sacrifice, we can be forgiven. I had the chance to play one of my favorite hymns called The Fountain, which talk about His sacrifice and how we can be washed clean.

All in all, a great end to a great week! Tomorrow we travel up to Buncrana. Keep praying and youll hear from us again (and soon!).

Love you guys!

GV

Friday, April 07, 2006

Bridging the gap in Newbridge

Great news!!

I forgot to mention that the two ladies we played our 'private' concert for at Ross Morgans were at the concert tonight!

The mission of Project Onefifty is to use music as a tool to reach people outside the walls of the church. That's a great goal in and of itself, but unless the local church is involved, then it's all for naught. P150 works as the musical extention of the local ministry, and it's a wonderful answer to prayer to see that we've helped bridge the gap in Newbridge.

It was only two people...but worth every moment! Again, none of this could have been possible without the prayers and support of you (the folks who make this ministry happen). Open Arms Community Church thanks you...and I thank you!

It's not over yet! Keep praying...

GV

My Big Green Irish Wedding

Well...it's never a dull moment on this trip! Tonight we had a great session at the Open Arms Community Church. Not only did we have a songwriting 'mini-workshop', but we tweaked the church sound system, and helped their worship band work through a number. These are really great folks who are making a difference in their community. As you can see, I'm a fan!

Afterwards, Tony and I (joined by Jason, Durand, and his daughter Laura) went to a couple of pubs until we found one that would let us play. And boy...what a pub! Imagine your quintessential Irish pub, crowded to the rafters...it was great! We went to a little nook in the place and I grabbed my acoustic and Tony started singing.

Little did we know, but we were playing to a big wedding party right in front of us! They loved our music and I remarked that we were the cheapest band they ever hired...lol! We did get free chips and sausages (and Diet Coke too!).

Tony sang until he could sing no more. I don't how we got there, but we ended up doing the last 3 songs in the big medley on the Beatles 'Abbey Road' album. Tony 'played' Ringo's drum solo on his legs and we even sang all the guitar solos...hilarious!

We had a couple of guys come up when we finished and asked what we were about, so you never know how God will use all this.

Tomorrow we go into Dublin for the day and finish up here in Newbridge tomorrow night. After that we head north to Buncrana.

More to come!

GV

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Ireland Day Two...Newbridge


Top of the morning!

Ok...Im in Ireland...Im entitled to one cliche, right? We just got home from hanging with our Irish host Shawn after our first concert event. This was held at Open Arms Community Church here in Newbridge. This is a small, store-front church, but is a dynamic body of believers with a great home group outreach. We were gathered in their upstairs coffee shop area, the musicians set up against a huge plate glass window where we saw a beautiful sunset over the town.

And what a varied mix of music. The idea was to give the folks at Open Arms a taste of what were trying to do this week in our outreach events. Tonight was based loosely on a songwriters night. They served tea and coffee, along with biscuits (what wed call crackers). We started the night by hearing a few songs from a young guy named Jason Howell. Wow! What a talent...and hes barely 17! I know he has a website so Ill get the link for you. His music is introspective but with highly charged and thought-provoking lyrics. I know well all be hearing more from Jason in the years to come.

After a quick break for folks to chat and get more tea, our Greater Europe Mission contact, Durand Robinson took the stage. He is more of a James Taylor singer-songwriter guy; his songs are wonderfully melodic and you find yourself really relating to characters he sings about. By songs end, youre left with a great image of Gods truth and how it applies to your life.

Then Tony and I got a chance to have some fun. We opened with U2s When Love Came To Town (pretty cheeky as they say over here). Tony was rippin it up! He is such an amazing singer and had the audience (and me!) cheering along. We plowed straight into People Get Ready which the small but enthusiastic crowd enjoyed.

You know me; next up...a song by the Beatles! In this case it was Things We Said Today. This was a last minute change on my part, I feel led by Holy Spirit to tie into the next song, I Will Trust In You. I spoke about the idea in the Fab Four song about how powerful an emotion regret can be. What do you do or say when youve lost a loved one with whom you had unfinished business? How do you deal with this? Where is the trust that you can move on and allow forgiveness to take hold and healing to begin? We then moved into I Will Trust and shared briefly how this song was a gift from God at a time when I needed His comfort; this song was our gift to them. Man, it was powerful to see the tears in the eyes of Irish brothers and sisters.

We ended with Amazing Grace and it simply was! Before the song, I shared how Project Onefiftys mission is to reach beyond the walls of the church, to plant lines of hope in the lives of spiritual seekers, trusting Holy Spirit to lead in His timing. I told the audience about an idea that I had seen lately, a bumper sticker that said all roads lead to Truth. I took that to mean all roads lead to God. I may have shocked them when I said that I agreed with this idea. All our religions do lead to the same truth...the truth that on our own, we cant reach Him!! So what can leap the chasm between us and God? Only Gods amazing grace!

So let me end this update by once again thanking you for praying for us. Tomorrow we play a lunchtime set at a local restaurant, after which were heading into Dublin to see the sights. I hope to send some pics on my next update.

Love you all!!

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Lunch concert...sorted!


Just a quick update about today's event. It was supposed to be playing some music for the lunch crowd at a very posh place...but somehow things got a bit out of sorts (basically good old-fashion communication mix up). But we ended up playing (very softly) for 2 ladies who wanted to hear more. Come to find out, the folks at Open Arms have been talking separately with these 2 ladies...and they both showed up today completely unaware that we were playing (or had anything to do with Open Arms, for that matter!). They sat and talked with us, and Jason played a couple of songs for them (I couldn't resist and had to join in).

Tonight, Tony and I were out and about and gave an impromptu performance at a local venue...well, Tony sang and I listened, since my guitar was back at our lodging. The long and short of it is that we're playing at set at this place tomorrow night after our workshop event at the church.

I guess I'd better bring my guitar!

Love and prayers,

GV

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

We made it!

Hi everyone!

Well...we made it! Tony Wachter and I arrived in Dublin a couple of hours
ago, and we're unpacking
and getting ready for our first event tonight. I'll try not to drive you
crazy with e-mail, but I will be
sending some updates (hopefully with some pics, too). We're six hours ahead
of most of you, so you
are blissfully sleeping while I'm typing (I'm envious!).

Before I go, I do need to share a prayer request with you. This past
weekend I was up in Asheville,
NC, doing some work with David Gaines (one of my best friends on this
planet!). Friday night we did
some recording work for their upcoming student choir tour; Saturday we
(Kevin Williams and David
and I) did a workshop with their student band, and Sunday found me playing
'The Fountain' as the
opener in all three of their worship services. All that stuff went very
well.

But something strange happened Friday night. When I got to town, I
immediately went to David's and
bagn recording. We got finished pretty late, so it was close to midnight
when I finally made it to the
hotel. When I was checking in, the girl behind the counter (her name is
Deborah) engaged me in one
of the strangest conversations I've ever had. I'm not really sure how it all
happened, but she began
telling me about some strange dreams and visions she's been having.

You must know that for whatever reason, Asheville seems to be the center
for a lot of 'New Age'
activity. When the Bible says that we are in 'spiritual warfare', I believe
it, especially after talking with
Deborah.

She is having recurring dreams about some strange figure that is attacking
her; her very words is
that she feels 'very oppressed'.

When Deborah asked me if all that meant anything to me, I responded that
if it were me, I'd be
praying for the Lord to either take away these dreams or at least give some
kind of insight as to their
meaning. She gave me the strangest look...she then said that '...I believe
in the Lord Jesus', but my
sense was that her belief was not that of a commited follower.

I told Deborah that I would pray specifically to the Lord for her (which I
have been doing). All the next
day I kept thinking about her and what I could do (if anything) to encourage
her. David found a small
New Testament and a document about spiritual warfare and what Scriptures to
read concerning all
this. I was delighted and determined to take these to her that evening when
she came to work (3rd
shift...11pm-7am).

I went to the lobby around 11:30pm...but no Deborah. I was wondering if
she was ok, etc., and
determined to somehow get these materials to her. I was also going to give
her a CD, but had told me
that she has no way to play CDs.

I had to be at the church by 7am Sunday morning, so I went to check
out...and there she was! There
were several people checking out as well, so all I could was to give her the
New Testament and the
pamphlet and commit to her that I would to continue to pray. David said that
he and his church would
follow up on her as well.

So, can I ask to add Deborah in Asheville, NC to the growing list of
people who need our prayers?
How many other 'Deborahs' are out there, spiritually seeking and oppressed
by our enemy?

Thank you for helping me to be on the road where the Lord is putting
people in my path. Please pray
for Tony and I this week especially as we use our music to plant seeds, and
to help local ministries
reach out to their communities. I literally could not be here without you!!

Sorry for the long message but I really wanted you to hear this story so
you can know how to pray!

Love you, guys!!

GV