Texas Tour, Part 1

March 24-28, 2010

Our next destination was Vidor, Texas near Beaumont. On a lengthy drive like that we'd rather leave in the late evening and put the kids to bed in the van. We left at 11:30. The children and I went to sleep immediately and Bobby drove until 4:00, getting us as far as central Mississippi. From there I drove for the next 4 to 5 hours and I had a great time with my headphones on hooked up to the i-Pod first listening to Rush, the previous days' broadcast minus the commercials, followed by the first 2 sermons by Keith Moore in the series, “Receiving and Ministering Healing.” I got us to the same Waffle House in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana where we had breakfast back in January on our way to Broussard. While the rest of the family went to get a table and place our orders, I put bedding away, made the bed back into a couch and then joined the family.

We arrived in Vidor by early afternoon and settled into the La Quinta. We found Faith Baptist Church and Pastor Joe Reed a few hours later and got ready for a rousing Wednesday night service. Four year old Faith, who isn't shy and makes herself at home where ever we are, saw other children and youth entering another building and figured she belonged there too. Of course, a few minutes later, I'm looking for her and was told that she had been seen in the next building. When I reached her, the adult in the room told me that she had walked in, told them her name and asked where she should go. It tickled me that she was happy to join them so quickly and I hated to pull her away, but I had to break it to her that she had to sing in “big church.” She was fine with that and we found our usual places on the front row. Several people came to meet us at the front of the church before the service started and one of those people was Mrs. Alice. Alice introduced herself and her friend she had brought and simply welcomed us.

After the service, Alice came up to me again and told me we'd be seeing her on Friday night as she enjoyed the concert so much that she wished to join us at New Covenant Full Gospel Church where we were scheduled to sing 48 hours later.

We enjoyed our day off on Thursday by doing a lot of shopping. I had pulled out all of the spring and summer clothes for the kids before we left home and had some really cute Easter outfits for the girls but was missing some pieces, a pair of gold shoes for Faith, a black camisole for Hope and a pair of white pants for Grace among other things. I love days like that when we don't have to be anywhere that evening and can take our time shopping, eating, finding our hotel to settle in for the evening, and of course, going to bed early.

On Friday, Pastor Wendy Underwood met us at the Cracker Barrel near our hotel for lunch and then we met her a few hours later at the church, New Covenant Full Gospel Fellowship. Because this was our second visit with this congregation in 7 months, I wanted to share something different when it came to testimony time. So I told the folks about how I blamed myself for what happened to Grace because I had rebelled against my pastor just before she was born. Even after a couple of preachers spoke into my life about this and referred me to John 9:3, I still held onto my opinion that I was to blame. But God patiently and lovingly, yet very sternly, showed me one afternoon while I was making cornbread for dinner that I was wrong. I repented of holding my opinion above the Word of God (2 Corinthians 10:5) and now He is using this story to touch the hearts of the people that I share it with.

Mrs. Alice came again this evening and brought another friend with her. She couldn't get her camera to work after the service and I assured her that I would send her this picture. But wouldn't you know it? I lost her email address! “Mrs. Alice, if you happen to read my blog, please contact my husband through his website, www.bobbybowen.com and send him your email address for me so I can send you your pictures.” (smile)

On Saturday at check out time we headed northwest toward Conroe, north of Houston, for our third visit with our friends at Whispering Pines Baptist Church. Sister Felicia greeted us in the parking lot and welcomed us in to have some delicious BBQ. We always have a great time with these people. Fred and Felicia are so dear to us and after 3 visits with them we feel like we've known each other for a long time and can't wait to see them the next time. In an email after our visit, Felicia assured us that the feeling was mutual.

Another “third visit” was to The Anchor Fellowship in Houston. Some friends that go way back with Bobby are Pastor Larry and Robin Sopchak, except back 25 years ago it wasn't “Pastor” Larry. It was “Larry-that-played-bass-and-sang-with-his-group,” Larry. It was a 40 mile drive (not the longest Sunday morning drive by any stretch of the imagination) and the children get pretty worn out on the weekends. After the girls had risen, dressed, ate their breakfast and made themselves comfy in the van, they enjoyed an early siesta and I couldn't help but snap a pic.

We had a great Palm Sunday service and we rejoiced that 3 people raised their hands for salvation and several more for a desire to recommit their lives to Christ. Pastor Larry did a wonderful job of allowing the Holy Spirit to work through him to spur the hearts of the people in that altar call. After the service we enjoyed a BBQ lunch with the church.

Last fall, Landis asked Bobby and I if he could fast and we told him no. We didn't ask him why he wanted to fast, we just figured that he didn't understand fasting and was too young to do it. Again, in January, Landis asked us if he could fast. I almost refused him again but stopped myself and asked him why. His reply was that he wanted to pray for people to be saved in our concerts! I was moved and after Bobby and I discussed it, we decided that we would allow him to do a 24-hour fast and we'd fast with him. He did very well and we continued in the days following, to pray for people to get saved in our concerts. Personally, I set a goal that I wanted to see at least 1 person come to Jesus each month. So when we saw a man get saved the last weekend of January and the first weekend of February, we had expectant hearts to see someone get saved in March. God is so good and on that last Sunday of March in Houston, Texas, 3 more lives were changed. Praise God!

That evening we drove back to the east to sing at Grace Church of the Nazarene in Port Arthur. Young Pastor Mark Snodgrass and his beautiful wife, Lauren are doing a great job of leading this church. Their youth group was raising money so they combined a BBQ with a concert by Bobby Bowen and called it something like, “Bobby and BBQ” and we ate BBQ for the 3^rd time that weekend! I'm glad we like it.

Spittin' Snow in Mississippi

March 21, 2010

We attended our first weekend service in 2010 at Cornerstone, our home church, on Saturday evening, March 20. It's difficult to describe the good feeling I have when the music starts and we all stand, the curtains open and there's that big old choir, (who I miss singing with VERY much) and we all begin to sing together and focus our thoughts on Jesus Christ. We're challenged to abandon the distractions that tend to bombard us, our worries and weariness, bring every thought captive and worship the King of Kings. The good feeling I have is a feeling of being home and I think it's just a tiny taste of that “home” feeling I'll have when all the saints are gathered together at last at the Throne of God.

Pastor Davis gave a great word regarding the antichrist. We walked away feeling more educated and full of hope and expectancy. Unfortunately we couldn't stay for classes because we had to hurry home and get to bed as quickly as possible.

We rose at 3:00 AM the following morning to drive to Union Grove Family Worship Center in Mooreville, Mississippi near Tupelo. Another morning of getting everyone, including myself ready in the van. Not easy but the best we can do. What's most difficult, of course is getting Grace ready, but once I can get her ready and her and her chair out of the van, there's more room in the van for the other girls to get dressed. Landis always changes his clothes first in the back behind the back seat. That way he can get out right away and help his daddy load in and we can have more privacy. I need to find a big mirror that folds so I can do my hair in the van because I always end up trying to do my hair from the middle of the van, looking up to the front to the driver's tiny rear view mirror crouched low so as not to be seen by those passing by. The main problem with this is I can't see the back of my head! You ladies know that you can't go out in public until you're sure there are no holes, flips or bumps in the back of your 'do. Then there's that huge chance I take when I allow Hope and Faith loose into the church with tooth paste and brushes in hand in search of the ladies room. I always give them strict orders to go straight to the bathroom and to PLEASE not fight! I can just imagine the early birds raising their eyebrows as screams from the ladies room reverberate through the entire building. Then two little girls emerge moments later with tooth paste still in the corners of their mouths, and tears in their eyes and moments after that they realize these are our little guest ministers. Oh well. We're only human and we're just like everybody else, right? We're not perfect. We fight and pout and indulge in selfish ambitions. That doesn't mean God made a mistake and didn't mean to call us into ministry. It just means God's grace works through us in spite of our weaknesses. Of course it also means it's absolutely vital that we always prepare ourselves for ministry by making sure our hearts are surrendered and submitted to God after we've “selfishly indulged.”

We met a very young Pastor Ryan Napalo, who seemed shy and quiet until the service started. At that point I don't know if he came out of or in to his comfort zone. I'm not sure which it was but the title, “pastor” suited him well. I particularly enjoyed the music at Union Grove. They didn't have one worship leader, but a trio. This trio didn't sing in unison like so many do. This trio of ladies, which included Pastor Ryan's wife, Jennifer, sang in three-part harmony and it was beautiful! And I didn't feel like I was just supposed to listen to them sing. They weren't performing, they were leading us in worship and it was easy to join them.

From Mooreville, we drove south toward Carthage. Naturally, we were hungry and ready for lunch but Bobby got in his “guy” mode and drove for 2 hours before finally stopping for lunch. Every now and then I have to remind our fearless leader that he's not traveling with a bunch of guys who can go for hours without eating and tinkling. He's traveling with the short people who have itty biddy bladders and are picky eaters or rather, “grazers.” Actually, the kids and I do really good. They're good eaters and they don't have to go but every couple of hours. Even after a couple of hours Bobby sometimes just stops without being asked and we make the children all go whether they say they need to or not. It's usually Hope that will say 30 minutes after we've stopped, tinkled and eaten lunch, “I gotta go.” It's like she's on a schedule.

I always look at the weather forecast for the city we're traveling to and the forecast for Carthage, Mississippi that day was supposed to be in the high 60's, so I packed accordingly. I should know by now that you should always be prepared with jackets, socks, etc., because the forecast is not to be trusted. It felt like the wind was laughing one of those wicked, haunting laughs on Sunday afternoon when we'd get out of the van and shiver. As Grace, Faith and I sat in the van waiting while Bobby unloaded and set up in the sanctuary at Free Trade Church of God, the wind giggled at me as the sky spit some snowflakes. I know it's fashionably acceptable but it just feels wrong to wear sandals on bare feet in the snow. I think that comes from being raised in Michigan.

Pastor Mark and Gayla Gill greeted us and we instantly fell in love with this couple, their daughters and their church family. Only a few minutes into conversation we discovered we had a mutual friend. Our one and only Chele Sterban had sung at Free Trade several times and as a matter of fact, this was where she sang her final solo concert (for now) in 2005. The Gills spoke highly of Chele and expressed words of love and appreciation regarding her. When I sent a text to Chele to let her know where I was she replied with the same kind words.

We enjoyed a great service at Free Trade. Pastor Mark and Gayla treated us to a Mexican dinner after the service and our conversation around the table came easily. Following dinner Pastor Mark saw us to our rooms which were just down the street and offered to treat us to breakfast the following morning since our hotel didn't offer any. At first we told him that wouldn't be necessary but Gayla quickly said we should take him up on the offer since it was extended. So we met Pastor Mark and the girls again the following morning and visited another 2 hours. Unfortunately, Gayla couldn't join us as she was called to substitute teach Monday morning. Again, the time flew by as the conversation flowed and I'll share with the reader what Pastor Mark shared with me. He told me about the hundreds of free down loadable sermons by Keith Moore and referred me to one sermon series in particular called “Receiving and Ministering Healing.” Bobby put the series on his i-Pod so I could listen to it when we do the all-night drives. I'm so looking forward to getting into it.

Of course our farewell with Pastor Mark and his girls was long and drawn out and it was sealed with a prayer that he led. As we drove away, Bobby and I agreed that if everyone treated us like Pastor Mark and his family, we'd be spoiled rotten.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

March 10, 13 & 14, 2010

We made it to western Pennsylvania in plenty of time for the midweek service at Living Waters Church of God in Washington Wednesday night. Pastor Mike Singo was so precious in his desire to accommodate us with room to change clothes, drinking water, etc., and I wanted to assure him we were there to serve him and not be served. After a good service, he approached me about the Amish. The reason the Amish come up a lot is because Bobby usually mentions in our concerts that my parents were raised Amish mainly because it's a topic of interest for most people. People usually find the Amish fascinating. I understand why, yet there's a huge element of familiarity on my part; I know a lot of Amish people and have grown up around them. I know that what seems to be quaint and pure is actually common and sometimes confused in their way of living. What seems to be holy because of appearance and lifestyle is actually a person born into sin just like me that wears different clothing and lives without modern conveniences...with the exception of cell phones. All Amish have cell phones now.

Anyway, Pastor Mike told me that his great (x 7) grandfather was an Amish man named Jacob Hochstetler from eastern Pennsylvania, whose family was attacked by Indians in 1757. His wife was brutally tortured and killed and Jacob and his sons were taken captive. The Hochstetler's owned guns but Jacob wouldn't allow his sons to shoot at the Indians because he didn't believe in taking a life. His story is testimony to loving your enemies and turning the other cheek. Now I had never heard of this story until I read it to Grace in her 5^th grade Mennonite-published History book, and it came to life just a little more upon meeting one of Jacob's grandsons. Pastor Mike added that NFL player Jeff Hostetler was also a descendant of the Hochstetler legacy.

We sat with Pastor Mike and his wife, Tammy for an hour after church just talking – not something we usually do – but we were able to learn a little more of the history of the church and from where God has brought them. Pastor Mike shared with us that the 7 pastors that preceded him were all adulterous and one of them was homosexual. Naturally, financial problems tagged along and this church, that had been built around 1970, still owed a little less than ten thousand on their mortgage. However, they had built a very nice two-story parsonage adjacent to the church. When Pastor Mike agreed to serve the congregation of Living Waters, he was not told any of the history of the pastors that preceded him. Instead, after 3 years his overseer asked him why he hadn't turned the books around and fixed everything. Fortunately, his church board was informed of this (not by Pastor Mike) and very quickly nipped it in the bud and went over the overseer's head. Apparently, the overseer was keeping those in authority over him in the dark as much as possible. “Be sure, your sins will find you out.”

We arrived home the following evening in time to unload the van and trailer, unhook the trailer from the van and go to bed. I set the alarm for 4:40 a.m. as we were going to 6:00 prayer meeting at our church. It's not easy getting the kids up and ready at that hour but after we're there and we've sung mightily for 20 minutes, followed Pastor Davis' lead in praying for our country, state, city, church and families and ended our hour of power with calling souls out of darkness and into light from the north, south, east and west, I'm sure glad we did it. Sacrificing the sleep and forsaking the warmth of our beds is worth it to see full altars and a growing church.

Our next date was at New Vision Worship Center in Baldwin, Georgia the following Saturday night, March 13. It was a rather long evening because many of the church folks took turns singing too. It was all good but when we finally got back to the hotel room I hurried as quickly as I could to get everyone in bed so that I could get myself tucked in. We drove into the Eastern Time Zone that day and on top of that we were springing forward another hour. The clock beside the bed said it was 11:00 when I got into bed and I had to get up at 6:00. Here's the interesting thing: I've read enough to understand now that the earlier you go to bed, the better and healthier your rest will be. In other words, sleeping from 9:00 until 4:00 is much healthier than sleeping from 11:00 until 6:00, even though it's the same amount of hours, the quality of rest is better. Although the bedside clock read 11:00, my body clock still thought it was 9:00 p.m. I rose at 6:00 (new time) but my body clock thought it was 4:00 a.m. At the end of the day, after singing at Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church in Greenwood, South Carolina, followed by a long drive back to Dalton, Georgia to sing at McFarland Hill Baptist Church, another 2 hour drive home and arriving home around 11:00, I realized I wasn't tired and I felt great! If I had waited to go to bed like I normally do, I would have been extremely drowsy on the 4 hour drive that afternoon between Greenwood and Dalton. Because I went to bed so much earlier, I was wide awake, cutting coupons and even reading to the kids! This was a life-changing experience for me. I'm totally convinced now that the more sleep you get before midnight, the better off you are. It's not something I can do faithfully with the lifestyle we have. For example I tried to sleep in the van Saturday night while going over the mountains of West Virginia, feeling lots of bumps and Faith flip-flopping beside me. And as I write this post it's almost 11:00 and we're not home yet. However, tomorrow night I'll be home and bedtime will come early.

West Tennessee and East Pennsylvania

March 6, 7 & 9, 2010

Saturday, March 6^th was a beautiful pre-Spring day and we drove to west Tennessee to Community Grove Methodist Church where Jo Nell Copeland pastors the congregation. It was a fun evening, including the moment when, Faith, who was sitting with a couple of grandmas a couple of rows behind me, began screaming during one of her daddy's songs. When Bobby finished his song he asked what the commotion was about. We told him Faith had encountered a lady bug in her seat and when it began to fly around her it scared her. Bobby came back with, “You know, if God can use a squirrel in Pascagoula, Mississippi to start a revival, He can more than likely use a ladybug in McKenzie, Tennessee. I don't think a revival started but I think it did wake some folks up.

We drove home that night to sleep and we were up early the next morning ready to drive to White Bluff, Tennessee where pastor Gary Riley pastors Cross Roads Church of God of Prophecy. This young and thriving congregation meets in a beautiful new building and they are a delightful and loving group of people. We had a great worship service and continued in worship when Bobby began singing. The interesting thing I learned after the service was that Pastor Gary is a brother to one of our very own Cornerstone ushers, Glen Riley!

Following the church service we found a great mom and pop restaurant just a couple of miles down the road called Abednego's. Then it was on to Trenton, Tennessee for the evening service.

Hickory Grove Baptist Church is set off the road at the end of a long tree-lined driveway. The building itself is nearly 150 years old and if the walls could talk, I'm sure it could tell of many revivals services, victories won and tears shed. Pastor Jason Martin is a young man with a beautiful wife and 2 small children.

After the service, we enjoyed some refreshments in the fellowship hall and then Pastor Martin stayed by our side until we had loaded equipment, changed clothes, made sure everyone had used the bathroom, loaded the wheelchair into the trailer and made beds for everyone in the van. He allowed our children to climb all over him and then just before we drove off he asked if we could join hands and pray as he knew we were planning to drive from Trenton to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. What a blessing this young man of God was.

Bobby drove to the Kentucky/West Virginia line and then I got behind the wheel. The road was rough and I couldn't use the cruise control as the hills were too high and frequent, so Bobby didn't rest long before we stopped for breakfast and the folding of the bedding ceremony.

We arrived at Chet and Anna Mary Stolzfus' house around 3:00 p.m. It had been 6 and a half years since I'd seen them. I first met Chet and Anna Mary and their 5 children back in the mid 1980's when I traveled with The Schwartz Brothers. Two of my mother's brothers and her baby sister sang together for years and when I was 16 they asked my parents if I could travel with them and play the keyboard. After a year or two my Uncle Merlin left the group and I began taking his place in the trio.

Bobby met Chet and Anna about the same time as Chet was a promoter and had many Gospel groups come to the area. It was a great place to sing back in the day. Bobby loved it when those Amish girls would scream over him. (oh boy) I found out later that Anna Mary, way back then, had the slightest notion of introducing Bobby Bowen to Becky Troyer but that never happened. We never sang at Chet's Gospel Barn at the same time or she may have succeeded in her intentions. Another time Bobby and I “almost met” was in 1990 when my sister, Mary and I had driven north to attend the Mennonite Softball Tournaments in Fort Wayne (to see the boys) and the following Saturday my Uncle Merlin and his family had planned to promote a concert in our home town of Sturgis, Michigan. When Merlin asked me if I'd be coming to the Mid South Boys Concert the following Saturday, I told him I wished we could but it wasn't feasible to drive to Michigan 2 weekends in a row. There was one other time mine and Bobby's paths nearly crossed but apparently the time wasn't right. We didn't know about each other but God knew us and He had a plan.

Chet did have a role in mine and Bobby's future. He was the one who introduced me to the music of Mid South. The Schwartz Brothers were singing at the Gospel Barn one weekend and as we all climbed into Chet's suburban, he pops a cassette into the player and said, “Hey listen to these guys!” My response was, “Wow, I like that. They're singing Christian lyrics but it's not Southern Gospel...it's COUNTRY!” And that, my friends, was the beginning of Christian Country Music.

Chet and Anna Mary's oldest daughter, Rosa, contacted Bobby last year to sing at the benefit for the Christian school her children attend, Linville Hill Christian School. So we stayed in Chet and Anna Mary's big house Monday and Tuesday night, while the concert was Tuesday night. The benefit was well-attended, the huge banquet room was full with approximately 500 in attendance and a great sum of money was raised for another year of education and ministry to the children.

Before our departure Wednesday morning, Anna Mary fed Gracie one more time and painted her

nails so she was good to go. She was such a blessing to Grace and I think Anna Mary received a blessing too. She and Grace hit it off pretty good. Just as Hope and Rosa's oldest daughter, Jasmine became fast friends. As a matter of fact, Hope went home with Jasmine and her older brother, Chad came to his grandparent's house to spend the night with Landis.

We enjoyed our time with Chet and Anna Mary so much and tried to get in as much as possible in the short time we were there. Anna Mary and I jogged around the big pond in their back yard on Tuesday morning before she went off to her cleaning jobs and then we took about an hour and a half to do a little shopping in the local Amish-owned shops in the afternoon. She and Chet and Bobby and I sat around for about an hour after the concert and talked like we used to do after our own concerts, except this time we sat in the den instead of the kitchen where we used to chow down on sweet bologna and a variety of cheeses.

I guess I was worn out because the following morning I slept in well after 9:00 and jumped out of bed shaken that I had managed to sleep through kids waking up and moving about. Anna Mary and I had planned to walk again but when Bobby realized that the Washington, Pennsylvania we were singing at that evening was 4 hours away instead of an hour and a half, I decided to fore go the walk and get packed up.

We said our goodbyes to our dear friends and high-tailed it for Western Pennsylvania.