Nursing Home Music Ministry
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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.
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, Wall-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 Virginia's, 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.
2008---Another wonderful year. Of course there were a few trials and tribulations.
However, with your help and our Lords guidance we were able to share the gospel in
song in another 201 nursing homes and 46 churches. To God Be The Glory!
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
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, Wall-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 Virginia's, 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.
2008---Another wonderful year. Of course there were a few trials and tribulations.
However, with your help and our Lords guidance we were able to share the gospel in
song in another 201 nursing homes and 46 churches. To God Be The Glory!
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