Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Back in the summer of 2004 the Lord put it into my heart to take the little bit of
talent he'd given me of singing with the guitar and put it to work for him full time
in the form of singing those old classic gospel hymns in nursing homes.
I received useful advice from a number of people I respect. Jimmy & Jaquita
(Pastors of Jubilee Christian Center) had some insightful things to say from their
years of experience as traveling evangelists. The final advice was simply to go
test the waters.
So I used the personal funds I possessed at the time to buy a thousand dollar
mini-van and some camping gear. Then I headed out from Texas, going through
Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and West Virginia. I was on the road for 10 weeks
and played in 20 nursing homes and 8 churches. Two times I stopped and did
some home repair/maintenance type work to make ends meet.
I received quite a bit of encouragement and advice from pastors I'd met along the
way. One lesson I learned was that all that time and effort trying to find a place to
pitch a tent every night took away from what I could do in the nursing homes.
So when I got back to Texas for the holidays, I rigged the mini-van out like a little
camper. And in March of 2005, I headed out again. I was on the road for 34 weeks
traveling from Texas to Georgia to Lake Superior to the Pacific Northwest and
back. I would sleep in the van pulling into church parking lots, Wal-Marts, rest
areas, etc. I was able to minister in 208 nursing homes and 25 churches. It's so
beautiful to see these folks light up and sing along with the old songs they grew
up with.
Somehow this old mini-van held up -- the engine smoking all the way. Financially,
folks helped out here and there. Never too much, but always enough -- to the
point that I never had to stop and was able to minister on a daily basis. The truly
amazing thing is that I left Texas in March with 200 dollars and returned in
November with about the same.
At the beginning of 2006, folks from Jubilee Christian Center as well as The
Dream Center Austin held fund raising benefits for the ministry which turned out
to be much needed as gas prices climbed high throughout most of the year.
Following a path similar to the year before, I headed up to Oklahoma, Arkansas,
down to Louisiana, across to Georgia, up through the Carolinas and Virginias,
across Ohio and Indiana to Iowa and back down to Texas in May to touch base
for a couple of weeks. Then I headed north-northwest through Kansas, Nebraska,
Wyoming, Idaho and into Oregon and Washington. I returned to my home base by
journeying through Montana and South Dakota to Iowa and back to Texas. I was
able to share the gospel in song with nursing homes and churches in numbers
comparable to the previous year. This old van just keeps going much like the
children of Israel whose sandals did not wear out while they wandered the desert
for 40 years.
During the holidays, with the help of a Sister In Christ (Sarah) I was able to learn
to manage this website and produce a CD. Then just after Christmas a Brother In
Christ (Terrence) donated his laptop computer which allows me to continue this
work while on the road. May God Bless Them Both!
2007 started off with a BANG. In January I looped through New Mexico and
Arizona. On the way back, in New Mexico during February, a Family In Christ
(Kenny, Laurie & their children) donated their minivan. The same make & model
as the previous one, only 6 years newer and in much better shape. Then back in
Texas in March a Brother In Christ (Anonymous) donated his Martin guitar. An
expensive and valuable instrument. In the summertime up in Oregon a dear sister
in Christ donated a cell phone with calling plan to the ministry. May God Bless
Them All!
Also, while in Oregon I was able to record and produce a third CD. And during the
Holidays down in Texas, recorded tracts for a fourth. Thank You Lord.
In performing this ministry, the Lord has given me a joy and peace that passeth
all understanding. I'm hooked! I hope to be doing this for quite some time to
come.
Yours in Christ, Larry
Back in the summer of 2004 the Lord put it into my heart to take the little bit of
talent he'd given me of singing with the guitar and put it to work for him full time
in the form of singing those old classic gospel hymns in nursing homes.
I received useful advice from a number of people I respect. Jimmy & Jaquita
(Pastors of Jubilee Christian Center) had some insightful things to say from their
years of experience as traveling evangelists. The final advice was simply to go
test the waters.
So I used the personal funds I possessed at the time to buy a thousand dollar
mini-van and some camping gear. Then I headed out from Texas, going through
Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and West Virginia. I was on the road for 10 weeks
and played in 20 nursing homes and 8 churches. Two times I stopped and did
some home repair/maintenance type work to make ends meet.
I received quite a bit of encouragement and advice from pastors I'd met along the
way. One lesson I learned was that all that time and effort trying to find a place to
pitch a tent every night took away from what I could do in the nursing homes.
So when I got back to Texas for the holidays, I rigged the mini-van out like a little
camper. And in March of 2005, I headed out again. I was on the road for 34 weeks
traveling from Texas to Georgia to Lake Superior to the Pacific Northwest and
back. I would sleep in the van pulling into church parking lots, Wal-Marts, rest
areas, etc. I was able to minister in 208 nursing homes and 25 churches. It's so
beautiful to see these folks light up and sing along with the old songs they grew
up with.
Somehow this old mini-van held up -- the engine smoking all the way. Financially,
folks helped out here and there. Never too much, but always enough -- to the
point that I never had to stop and was able to minister on a daily basis. The truly
amazing thing is that I left Texas in March with 200 dollars and returned in
November with about the same.
At the beginning of 2006, folks from Jubilee Christian Center as well as The
Dream Center Austin held fund raising benefits for the ministry which turned out
to be much needed as gas prices climbed high throughout most of the year.
Following a path similar to the year before, I headed up to Oklahoma, Arkansas,
down to Louisiana, across to Georgia, up through the Carolinas and Virginias,
across Ohio and Indiana to Iowa and back down to Texas in May to touch base
for a couple of weeks. Then I headed north-northwest through Kansas, Nebraska,
Wyoming, Idaho and into Oregon and Washington. I returned to my home base by
journeying through Montana and South Dakota to Iowa and back to Texas. I was
able to share the gospel in song with nursing homes and churches in numbers
comparable to the previous year. This old van just keeps going much like the
children of Israel whose sandals did not wear out while they wandered the desert
for 40 years.
During the holidays, with the help of a Sister In Christ (Sarah) I was able to learn
to manage this website and produce a CD. Then just after Christmas a Brother In
Christ (Terrence) donated his laptop computer which allows me to continue this
work while on the road. May God Bless Them Both!
2007 started off with a BANG. In January I looped through New Mexico and
Arizona. On the way back, in New Mexico during February, a Family In Christ
(Kenny, Laurie & their children) donated their minivan. The same make & model
as the previous one, only 6 years newer and in much better shape. Then back in
Texas in March a Brother In Christ (Anonymous) donated his Martin guitar. An
expensive and valuable instrument. In the summertime up in Oregon a dear sister
in Christ donated a cell phone with calling plan to the ministry. May God Bless
Them All!
Also, while in Oregon I was able to record and produce a third CD. And during the
Holidays down in Texas, recorded tracts for a fourth. Thank You Lord.
In performing this ministry, the Lord has given me a joy and peace that passeth
all understanding. I'm hooked! I hope to be doing this for quite some time to
come.
Yours in Christ, Larry
Nursing Home Music Ministry
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