A groundskeeper gets saved

On June 10th, Doc and Mrs. Cowlings’ anniversary, we stopped a very well-kept park to allow them to eat a romantic picnic lunch alone. After eating we were getting ready to go and met several guys who were the groundskeepers for the park and rest area. We talked to them and sang them a song, and before we left one of the men accepted Christ as His Savior!

Playing games with the campers

We had a great service Monday night at the Fort Faith Baptist Camp. Pastor Steve Finn was there in charge of the camp, and there was a great number of junior age campers. Two of the campers received Christ as their Savior during the service! Afterward we played games and had fun with them in the dining hall that evening.

Services at the campground chapel

Mr. and Mrs. Fitch, who attend Calvary Baptist Church in Hillsdale, MI (pastored by Brian Nutter), own and operate a beautiful, summer campground. They both went to Hyles-Anderson, and Mr. Fitch knew Allison Vignere’s dad Scott very well. We walked around and saw the campground. The small chapel in the picture is used for campers to have a place to go to church. Mr. Fitch has guest speakers come in and preach, and sometimes he preaches himself. We sang a few songs inside the chapel and enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship.

Taking a tour of Bearing Precious Seed

We had the privilege of visiting the Bearing Precious Seed ministries location. They are responsible for printing and binding countless thousands of tracts and copies of the Word of God, and sending them to missionaries around the world. Bro. Caudill, one of the original founders of the organization, gave us a wonderful tour of the entire building. Dr. Schaap had been there earlier this year, and Bro. Caudill laughingly talked of how they couldn’t keep Bro. Schaap’s hands and head out of the equipment, wanting to know how everything worked. Just as they were impressed with Bro. Schaap’s diligent attention, we were greatly impressed with the production of this great ministry.

The Songs of Praise meet Al Fisher

We met Al Fisher outside of the hotel at which we were staying. Al was a guard for the Kent State Golden Flashes. We found out he was saved, and he was entering the pros. We sang him a song and wished him well in his future.

Taco Bell Revival

After a service in Missouri, we went to Taco Bell for a late night snack. There were several young people there in the restaurant, and a couple of us witnessed to them. Four of them received Christ as Savior. Then after we ate, there were some more young people just arriving. We again stopped to witness, and two more got saved! Then one of the young men who trusted Christ took the tract he was given and went inside and started talking to his friends about the verses. God is so good.

Waitress Witnessing

We went to Cracker Barrel for dinner with Pastor and Mrs. Crumly. The waitress there was a nice girl, and at a free moment Mrs. Cowling was able to share the gospel with her. She accepted Christ as her Savior!

The girls sing to the construction workers. (Please excuse the poor quality of this picture. It was taken from a cell phone.)

After our service at Boeke Road Baptist Church, Pastor Ed Russ took us over to our hotel. In the parking lot, there were about eight construction men just “hanging out.” Dr. Cowling asked us to go over and sing them a song and then he told the story of how Mrs. Cowling led him to Christ on a date. We then talked to them individually, and four of them trusted Christ as their Savior!

Pastor LaFountain and the Songs of Praise

We had a great service at Hyles-Anderson College graduate Pastor Michael LaFountain’s church. Several years ago, a tornado swept through and knocked down the walls of the church that they were in the process of building. But through God’s goodness and their perseverance, the church and school are up and running and many souls have been saved and lives changed by their ministry. We had a nice breakfast with the LaFountain family at the Clifty Inn and Lodge. We heard Pastor and Mrs. LaFountain’s “romantic love story” and were challenged to maintain the right motives in the ministry.

The Songs of Praise pose with their visitors.

We arrived in Xenia, Ohio, and met with Pastor and Mrs. McCellan. We went to a nearby nursing home to sing to the residents. While singing, I noticed that there were two men and a young boy that had come to the balcony of the second floor to listen to us. We met them afterword and invited them to come for the service that evening. They said they hoped to, and we told them “not hopefully, for sure!” The service had started, and we were already singing our first set of songs when to our slight surprise and great delight, David, his brother Darren, and Darren’s son Nathan came walking through the doors! It is amazing how God orchestrates events and circumstances in our lives with perfect timing. We were encouraged that they came, and God did a great work in the service. I hope and pray that we can be even a fraction of an encouragement and blessing to others as God and others are to us. Praise the Lord!