20 YEARS AGO…
…we collected our last paychecks from Olingers and Mountain West Printing in Denver, on June 12, 1987, and began serving the Lord on a full time basis, using music, teaching, and preaching to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The next day, George and I, and our almost 14 year old daughter, Sarah, headed out in a Winnebago Motorhome for Grand Island, NE. Our first assignment was Sunday services at the Grand Island Baptist Temple with Pastor Bill and Claire Jividen, followed by a week of youth camp hosted by that church. It has been nonstop ever since.

At least a million miles later–driving and flying–approximately 3,000 services in scores of churches, camps, retreat centers, schools, homes, all over the USA, and in St. Lucia, and the United Kingdom,13 recordings, 2 choral arrangements, a packet of 10 notated songs, 2 poetry books, we travel on “business as usual.”

We continue to hone our skills writing & arranging music, playing the piano, trumpet, guitar, and learning music programs like Finale. George continues to learn new technology in the music arena. We’ve gone from doing everything acoustic, to using taped accompaniments. From tapes we started using the computer for backup, to mini disks, to the iPOD, which is the best by far. The accompaniments became necessary when Sarah went to college. We had to have backup for our trumpet arrangements, plus the backup adds a nice dimension to the acoustic instruments on given songs.

We’ve seen God’s faithful hand directing our steps all along the trail. Hebrews 11:6 continues to ring in our ears and minds. It is a no- nonsense verse. It is mysterious and wonderful, yet, flat scary sometimes. When we’ve faced sickness, very low checkbook balances, daunting schedules to fill, vehicle breakdowns, and so on, the “adventure” of serving the LORD seemed quite discouraging at times. But then, we’d see God provide encouragement during those dark times and we’d get back up, smile, sing a song or two, and go on. The “cycle” of Roman 5:3-5 proves itself over and over: “…but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

One of the great joys of the ministry is being able to share the gospel and see someone accept it. God brought a lady into our lives who was totally disenchanted with how she saw Christianity portrayed. She basically wanted nothing to do with it. She came to one of our concerts only because her parents wanted to go and they asked her to bring them. A friendship developed because she was a trumpet player. She was curious about our little pocket trumpets. Over a couple of years of emails, phone calls, and occasional visits (she lived in New York), we had the joy one beautiful summer day, at the Montrose Bible Conference Center in Montrose, PA, of leading this dear friend to the LORD. She’ll never be the same!

As we travel on we know we are totally dependent on the Lord to accomplish what He wants to do with our lives. Psalm 90:17 is one of our prayers: “And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us; and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.”

FUNERAL IN SCANDIA, MN, JUNE 15
My Aunt Myrle Bruette passed over into glory June 6 while George and I were in Albuquerque taking care of our 4 grandchildren. Her brother, Uncle Bert Arkman, asked us to provide the music for the memorial service in Scandia, MN. Airfare was exorbitant, so we drove. My brother Jim Koch, and sisters Sharon Koch, and Sue Debee, traveled with us as we blitzed it on Thursday to Scandia.
After the service on Friday, we gathered with family and friends through the day and evening, then packed it all up and arrived back in Denver Saturday evening. We compared notes on Monday and found out that we ALL took Sunday afternoon naps! That was a 2,000 mile weekend, folks, plus, we traveled another 500 miles driving home from Albuquerque earlier that week. It’s a good thing that gas is cheap!

We celebrated Father’s Day at our home church and were able to go out for dinner with Dad and Mom Abbas.

LADIES LUNCHEON JUNE 23
This Saturday our home church is hosting a luncheon. I am speaking on “Friendship” based on Proverbs 18:24. The verse has an interesting twist. If you’re curious about it email me and I’ll tell send you what I learned about it from my pastor and my husband.

After the luncheon we will drive to Torrington, WY, for Sunday morning services at the EAST GATE BAPTIST CHURCH with Pastor Tim & Jessie Sparks. Then…we’re off Hillsdale, WY, for:

YOUTH CAMP JUNE 24-28
Besides doing the music, George presents the morning devotions. We’ve also been asked to each present a session on “Prayer” and one on “Dating.” I’ll speak to the gals and George to the guys. Please pray for us. The first few days are always tough. The kids come in from so many distractions that it takes a while to truly get their attention. It is amazing, and a relief, to watch their hearts soften. As the week goes on they become more friendly, attentive, thoughtful, responsive, and even willing to sing! We so want to be used of the LORD to influence these young, beautiful, lives for God.
Please say a prayer for us and the campers. Thank you!

THE MONTH OF MAY WAS A BLURRRR…
especially Mother’s Day Weekend!

In 8 Days we did: 3 Ladies Banquets:
Littleton, CO, Saturday, May 5
Lakeland, FL, Friday, May 11
Winter Haven, FL, Saturday, May 12

We drove: 2,000 mile drive from CO to FL

We ministered in: 4 Church Services:
Columbine Baptist Church, Littleton, CO, May 6 AM & PM
Highlands Baptist Church, Lakeland, FL, May 13 AM
Winter Haven Baptist Temple, Winter Haven, FL, May 13 PM

God gave us: 3 Divine Appointments:
With Granddaughter, Autumn Kelly, Age 8, May 6
With our waiter at Red Lobster in McDonough, GA, May 9
With our waitress at Sonny’s BBQ in Lakeland, FL, May 13

En route to FL, we were blessed to spend Monday night near Nashville, TN, with our college friends, Denny & Linda Zimmerman. Denny is VP of Dollar General and a fine trumpet player. Linda is incredibly talented with computers and shares her skills with the staff at their church.

We experienced some of the impact of the forest fires in GA when we arrived at I-10 & I-75. It was like night in the middle of the afternoon. The smell of burning trees was strong though we didn’t see any of the fires. Our throats felt raspy while we were in Florida.

We ministered in Jacksonville, FL on Sunday, May 20, then off to HOUSTON. THANKS TO PASTOR RICH KLEIN, we ministered Wednesday evening in Richmond, TX, where he pastors, on Thursday evening in Houston, at the College of Biblical Studies, where he teaches, and then on Friday evening at a coffee house in Lake Jackson, TX. What great experiences!

All work and no play makes for a dull travelers, so…Tanya McGillis,
a longtime friend of our family who went to school with our daughter, gave us a tour of NASA that would be the envy of any one who is interested in space. We met several astronauts, sat in two simulators,(George flew the T-38! He’s still grinnin’) stood in awe in the Apollo 13 Command Center where the movie was filmed and the actual drama took place. We also tried to gain some understanding of what Tanya does when she trains astronauts. We’re still clueless. No fault of Tanya’s. It is just to “out there” for us to grasp!

CANYON LAKE, TX, MAY 26-27
En Route to Canyon Lake we had the pleasure of stopping in Moulton, TX, to have lunch with our dear friends, Ray & Velma Slack, who are members of our home church in Littleton, CO. This is their winter home.

Memorial Day weekend we ministered at the Grace Bible Fellowship Church with Pastor Bill and Anita Cooley. What a wonderful group of Christians. Tanya McGillis,(aforementioned) and 3 of her friends flew up in a 4 passenger plane to be part of the services! Every time we go to Canyon Lake we have the privilege and joy of staying in the guest house of our friends, Ed and Sue Tennyson. It is a pole house that overlooks the lake. We regretted being able to stay only one night! We told them we were going to tell all our friends about their “bungalow.”