January 3, 2010

A long drive westward landed us in Duncan, Oklahoma on Saturday, January 2, where we rested well that night and rose early for services at Parkview Baptist Church. Pastor Steven Gillispie greeted us and made us feel welcome. After a good Sunday School class and service, we joined the rest of the church for a delicious barbeque meal in the fellowship hall. Pastor Steven, his wife, Tracie and their teenage twin boys, prepare a meal and serve their congregation the first Sunday of each year. It's a gift to the church that the Gillispie Family enjoys giving and of course the congregation enjoys receiving.

We drove to Purcell, Oklahoma and found Ruby's Motor Inn. It was a rough and tough place but the corner room they reserved for us had 3 beds. That sure was nice.

Last May when we were supposed to sing at the Kolache Festival in Prague, Oklahoma, but instead got rained out, we were impressed with Jason Hughey's calm and dependable disposition. He didn't stress about the rain but seemed to always be at peace and in control. Jason was the music minister at First Baptist Church of Prague at that time but the Kolache weekend was his last as he was moving to Purcell to serve in music at First Baptist Church there.

We didn't get to see Jason on January 3 because he was on vacation. However, we did get to meet his pastor, Mike Butler, a great guy with a love for people and missions. Pastor Mike learned the names of the children very quickly just before the service started and even introduced them individually. As he did so, he invited Faith to stand with him but she moved very hesitantly. I think she was afraid she might be in trouble.

We enjoyed a great service with the folks of First Baptist Church in Purcell and I, personally, had some good conversation with a mother, and her two daughters who now have their own children and are home schooling. They made it a point to talk with me after the service because they heard Bobby say we also home schooled and when I was on stage speaking, they saw that Faith had pulled a big wooden spoon out of my purse. They recognized that as being “the spankin' spoon” and figured we probably had a lot in common. Indeed we did, including a love for Ricky Skaggs...now that can really cause people to bond together.

After purchasing some soup from Ruby's cafe, we ate it in our huge motel room and then got a good night's rest.

Following a very large breakfast at Ruby's the next morning, where Faith got a Mickey Mouse pancake, we drove home to be there most of the week. We'd leave again on Saturday morning for Florida.