Midwestern Tour, Part I
Here are the highlights from our last Tour in the month of May. Forgive us for the delay in posting about it.
Thursday, May 13...
We left a few days early for our trip to Rolla, Missouri. The car was once again jammed full with instruments, luggage, and other necessities. Dad took a picture of us right before leaving. We looked like we had been through the mill already, but that's just part of the process. We made it to Louisville, KY, that night--where we had already planned to stop and tried to locate a suitable hotel. The rates we checked out were outrageous, so we kept on going. Just when we thought we'd reached the end of the proverbial rope, we found a decent place to lay our heads just across the river into Indiana. Definitely had to be of God, because the three of us were about done!
Saturday-Sunday AM, May 15-16: We finally arrived at our destination on Friday, May 14. Landmark Baptist Church was gearing up for their Ladies Meeting. It was going to be more like workshops, where various classes on home management, sewing, and cooking, child rearing, and more were offered. We were told that one of the ladies who was to have a session that weekend was unable to come and so we were asked to take her place.
On Saturday, the Workshops began. Our session was called "Harmony in the Home" and we shared what we have learned over the years, along with some of the worksheets we had given out at the Mini-Music Seminar we had had in PA the December before. It was a unique meeting, but one that encouraged lost ones in the area to come. We enjoyed getting to know the ladies of Landmark. We stayed with a family from the church and were able to rest after our long trip.
We sang for services on Sunday morning at Landmark. Pastor Darren Myers asked us to sing "Heaven", a song that he wrote and we recorded on the CD, "I'd Do It All Again". We attempted to sing it sans our sister, Sharon. The Myers family made a delicious meal for us at their home after services, and we then hit the trail again.
Sunday PM, May 16: We arrived at the Victory Baptist Temple this PM, a bit weary and worn. The church family was very welcoming and helped us to get set up. Pastor Elmo Parker and the members of Victory were such a joy to be with tonight. It's not every time that we are at a new church that we feel a special kinship to the people and the pastor. The service was one of great refreshment.
During the testimony time, one man mentioned that he knew our family from years ago and used to listen to the song sung by Dad and three of our sisters, "Did You Think to Pray?". He said he knew that Dad lived what he was singing. When he heard that we were coming to Victory, he was curious to know if we had changed at all over the years. Was our stand on music still the same? He attested to the fact that it was and that he was encouraged by seeing us once again. It is testimonies like these that show us God is still working even when we don't see the fruit for years.
Pastor Parker and his family were such a blessing to us. We had a wonderful time with them after the services, and then again on Monday when they had us over for dinner. We had never heard of their church before, but they are an amazing family doing an amazing work for God in a small town in Missouri.
Tuesday, May 18: The next four days were absolute insanity as we had services every night. Tonight we were at the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Emporia, KS. We had some time before the services to eat with Pastor James Scott and most of his family. The church is meeting in a former nursing home. There was a good crowd tonight, including quite a few visitors.
Wednesday, May 19: It was time to move on to Cherryvale, KS. The First Baptist Church is without a pastor at this time, but the members were very receptive. Bro. Tim Holloway was in charge tonight. We sang for about 40 minutes or so and then there was a time of refreshments.
After the service, several couples in the church led us over to our accommodations for the evening: an old hotel near the railroad. We waited for a while for a train that was slowed almost to a complete stop in front of us. Here in Cherryvale, the railroad goes right through the center of town, and the Leatherock Hotel (where we were to stay) sits right next to the tracks and used to house passengers on their way to various Kansas stops. However, this night we sat on one side of the tracks with the Leatherock on the other side of the tracks--there was no sign of the train leaving anytime soon. Lightning flashed all around us as we waited for ten...fifteen...minutes. Finally, Bro. Holloway took us another way around the train and we made it to our rooms. The Leatherock was a pretty neat little place to stay.
Thursday, May 20: Pastor Richard Haley and the Riverside Baptist Church was our next stop this week. We were able to spend a little bit of time in fellowship with the pastor and his family at their home prior to the service. Then it was another wonderful night of ministering, fellowship, and refreshments.
Friday, May 21: We made good time getting to Dodge City, KS today. This was our furthest point West, and we actually were in the West at this stop! It was a very warm day, but we arrived at Bible Baptist Church in fair condition. Pastor Albert Schrock and family were so much fun to be with. We have known Mrs. Schrock for many years as she used to attend the Cleveland Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. We enjoyed sharing memories with her. We also squeezed in a little bit of time down the street a ways, just scouting out a bit of the West in Dodge City before the service.
The service tonight went very well and we sang for a good bit. We fellowshipped with the Schrocks for some time afterwards. Not many make their way out this far, and so we hoped to be a spiritual uplift while we were here.
The next day we took the oldest Schrock, Gracie, with us to see Front Street and tour a bit of Boot Hill and more. It was fun to pretend we were really a bunch of old cowhands for a little while. And my, it's windy here in Dodge City! We reluctantly packed up to leave for the next meeting.
To Be Continued...