Day Three of Filming

Yesterday went well. The show was smooth. However, I had to run back and forth between the sound board and the stage. Since we lost our road manager, I must control the sound in order that it is done properly. It was very stressful! Not only did I have to do a live show, but a live show being recorded by the Discovery Channel.

Therefore, it pleased me when I didn't have to be in the shoot yesterday afternoon. I had to go and pick up our dirtbike from the shop. We must have it for the show this weekend. It took about two hours after going to borrow a guy's pick-up truck, driving all the way down there, loading up the bike, and bringing it back. I'm still tired.

This morning, we have to drive an hour to the airport and fly to Dallas. Then, I don't know what is on the agenda.

Keep praying for the insurance. It's a big deal, and we might not be able to do the big escape that we've had built and prepared just for this. So, please pray, pray, pray.

Day Two of Filming

Yesterday went really well. They filmed an interview with a professor at Florida State University in the morning, and Brock was interviewed in the afternoon. Then, they discussed production for the show this morning.

Last night, we were able to get away and eat at our favorite restuarant in the whole world...Marina Cafe in Destin, FL. Brock's parents joined us for dinner. They flew here from Dallas because they will be driving our truck to Dallas as we fly there tomorrow.

This morning, we are performing at Big Stuff camp again. The film crew will be taping the show. I'm extremely nervous again. The taping so far has not been so bad because it has not been live. However, today will be a live show and will be filmed. Also, I still have that fever blister. Just what I needed...my one chance on TV and I have this big blister on my face!

Day One of Filming

The filming went extremely well yesterday. We accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. We did two illusions out on the beach and some close-up. Most of it was done in one take. Every single trick we filmed yesterday was new and they all went fabulous. Thanks for the prayers. Brock was blown away by how well it went!

The only problem I had was that I think that I got a mild case of heat exhaustion. We practiced one of the new illusions a few times before we actually taped it. The illusion consisted of an illuminum box with limited space in the hot sun. It was incredibly hot. I instently got a fever blister when I got into the box. After getting in the hot box, I was so drained that I could barely move. I also bruised my head very badly from another illusion that I had to do.

So, this morning, I have a killer headache and I'm still exhausted. If this is anything like a hangover, I don't want any part of it!

Filming TV Show

Today, we begin filming more of the show for the Discovery Channel in the U.S. They will mostly be filming Brock performing magic. He will be doing stage illusions, stunts, and close-up magic on the streets. We will be here in Panama City for a few days and then in Dallas, TX this weekend. Then, Brock and the crew will fly to Pheonix next Monday to finish up the taping.

I'm so nervous. Unlike Brock, I don't know quite what to expect. I also don't know exactly what my role is going to be. I know that I have to perform a couple of illusions. That will be easy. However, television is new to me.

Of course when the crew arrived last night, their luggage was lost including lots of camera equipment. Everytime we start filming for this television show things go really wrong. Satan does not want this show to happen!

Pray for us this week. Pray that the filming goes extremely well and that the crew will see Jesus in all of us working with them.

Linda and Larry

My first day off in about 15 days was yesterday. Poor Brock had to fly out to perform at a Livin It in Virginia, but Kristin and I stayed in Panama City.

The last thing that I wanted to do was spend my day off at the laundry mat. However, I needed to wash clothes. Usually when I don't feel like washing clothes, I just go buy us more underwear at Walmart, but I was actually out of t-shirts as well. So, I decided to drop my clothes off at a place that would wash it for me. You paid by the pound and they would wash and fold your laundry. Guess how many pounds of clothes I needed washed. We've been gone 20 days with two of us...30 POUNDS! Can you believe that I had that much to wash?

Kristin only needed 4 pounds of clothes washed, so the lady said that she wouldn't charge her. I explained that I would give her a good tip because of her kindness. The lady at the counter said that the clothes would be ready in the morning, but she would not be working then. There was a guy helping her. He said, "Well, Linda, we'll be here tonight. Let's just wash it tonight!" Linda washed, dried, and folded all 34 pounds of our clothes in less than two hours. I gave her a good tip!

For lunch, we went to the "Awful Waffle." We sat at the counter. There was lots of drama going on at the Waffle House! Kristin who has never met a stranger, struck up a conversation with the man who was washing dishes in front of us. He moved here from Minnesota in order to see his daughter. He was trying to save up some money so that he could go and visit her in Tennessee more often. In just the few minutes that we sat there, the other workers were so rude and downright hateful to him. My heart broke for Larry who is just trying to make some money so that he can simply visit his daughter. Kristin and I decided to take Linda and Larry one of our dvd's Monday.

Back in Civilization

We're finally back to civilization. We've been in the sticks of Oklahoma. It was very boring. However, the first night of camp a tornado came through. The auditorium was outdoor. During the middle of the service, all of the students began fleeing from the worship service. I asked one of the guys as he sped by me if there was a tornado. He said, "Yes, we are all gonna die!" We received a lot of rain, thunder, and lightening, yet the tornado bypassed our little campground.

We have a girl named Kristin that is travelling with us some this summer. She is just as crazy as Brock. In fact, Brock refers to her as "Crackhead." You place two crazy people in the middle of nowhere with no action going on, and things just get plain silly. Our rental car was from Minnesota and said "10,000 lakes" on the license plate. Brock used a northern accent all around the tiny town of Talihina, OK. One day, we went to a local lake. Brock told the park rangers in his best Minnesota accent that we had found 10,000 lakes and we were looking for one more.

At the airport, Brock put on his straight jacket. He just stood there all strapped up. One lady was trying not to look, but she couldn't help herself. The crazy thing was that some people actually asked Brock about flights and stuff. How can Brock still be so approachable while wearing a straight jacket? On the way to Oklahoma, a guy had offered Brock some of his prescription drugs at the airport. Anyway, this topic of Brock being approached by all sorts is another blog.

Eminem

I pray for Eminem almost daily. Besides the fact that he is so passionate and honest in his music and if his passion turned to focus on the Lord it would be so effective, one of his t-shirts is hanging in my prayer closet. Therefore, it's there reminding me to pray.

Why do I have an Eminem t-shirt in my prayer closet? I'll tell you the story...We were doing a show in some small town Georgia. The venue was the gym of the church. A variety of ages of people attended. There were families, youth, and several grey hairs. Usually, Brock invites anyone who wants to pray to begin following Christ. Then, he has anyone who made this decision to walk to the back and talk with some loving church people who want to answer questions and pray for them. This night was no exception. However, one guy hit the aisle and instead of going to the back, he headed to the front. As he moved toward Brock, he took off his shirt. He handed Brock the shirt and fell to his knees right there in front of the stage. It was rather funny because this dude was in a church with no shirt. However, this was how he expressed his changed life. He was ready to leave this life behind and follow Christ in a new life.

The shirt he handed Brock had Eminem holding a bloody chainsaw on it. This shirt went to my prayer closet so that I could remember the guy in Georgia who made a very visual commitment to the Lord. Not only do I pray for this young guy, I pray for Eminem as well. He needs the hope of Jesus too.

Ephesians 4:20-21

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever!"

Prayer Request

It seems that every opportunity we have to film for the Discovery Channel's show "Miracles of Jesus" is met with complications and setbacks. The dates they originally wanted to film would not work with Brock's schedule; when we did set the dates, he lost his passport and was sick. Now, as they are planning to meet us in Dallas to film some of Brock's illusions and shadow us during the Texas YEC, a new story unfolds. The insurance company for the BBC wants Brock to be covered for $10 million before they begin filming. A representative from our office has attempted to do this but he has found that the most many insurance companies will cover is $2 million dollars. In fact, some have laughed at the idea that he would even think of asking for $10 million. It seems impossible to get this coverage. Our lives prove that God chooses to work through impossible circumstances. Please pray that this situation will work out so that we can continue filming.

What Would You Learn About Me in 24 Hours?

I saw this commercial where ladies kept saying what you would learn about them if you spent 24 hours with them. I think that it is a lotion commercial or something. It got me thinking, what would someone learn about me if they were with me for 24 hours?

I think that you would learn that I am clumsy. No, not just clumsy...like the clumsiest girl I know. You are thinking that is because you are with yourself all of the time, but it's not just me. Other people close to me think that I'm the clumsiest girl they know too.

Everytime we do a show, Brock says he can hear a big commotion backstage. I fall over illusions and drop props all the time. Every show I add new bruises to my legs, feet, whatever.

One time when we were on the Winter Jam tour with Reliant K, Audio Adrenaline, Newsong, and Todd Agnew, I managed to bring down two keyboards. As I was bringing out a rather large illusion, the backside of the prop caught the corner of the keyboard stand. The whole stand and keyboards came crashing to the ground. It was loud and very noticible to the crowd of 8,000 people. Luckily, the illusion had a huge curtain around it, so I just ducked behind the curtain as stage hands came to the stage and frantically put the keyboards back together. I handed them a couple of pieces of the keyboard stand. Brock cracked jokes the whole time. Then, we just proceeded with our portion of the show. We sold more merchandise and Brock signed more autographs that night than any other time. I don't know if it's because the audience got to hear more of Brock's sense of humor or if they just like to see the artist mess up.

Have I convinced you about my clumsiness yet? Spend a day with me. You'll come to the conclusion that I am the clumsiest girl you know. What would someone learn about you if they were to spend a full 24 hours with you?

Another Camp in Oklahoma

Today, we start another camp out in the sticks of Oklahoma. We flew from Panama City to Oklahoma City and will be driving about 3 hours out to this camp this afternoon. This time, Brock will not be the speaker. He will perform some illusions and give a short message using one of the illusions as an illustration during the morning and night services.

I hope that it will be good. I also hope that we will not be bored out of our minds. We will have a rental car, so we could go to the nearest town if we so choose. However, we will not have our truck. Whenever we go into unknown situations, I like having our truck. It's comforting to me, because it feels like home. We'll see how this week goes!

Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Earthquakes

Yesterday, we drove from Mississippi to Panama City, FL. We ended up driving right through Tropical Storm Arlene. Brock was able to do something that he has always wanted to do. He experienced the eye of the storm. Driving on I-10, wind was heavy coming from the north. Then, it was calm for about 20-30 miles. The storm picked up again only the winds were coming from the south this time. It was cool!

We've seen our fare share of storms. The day that Allison came through Houston a few years ago was the same day that my sister was getting married in Houston. That was interesting!

Right before we got married, I was in Houston and Brock was in Marshall, TX. Seven tornadoes came through the Marshall area three days before we were getting married. I thought, "This is it! Brock's going to die and I'm never going to get married."

We've been in two earthquakes. One in Wyoming and one in Nevada. I woke up abruptly because of the quakes, but Brock slept through both of them!

Camp Food

I enjoyed camp, but there is one thing that I'm glad to be absent of...CAMP FOOD. You've got to love camp food. It's so...what's the word?...PROCESSED. They will have these little patties of chicken. What part of the chicken forms this patty? The burgers are perfectly shaped so that it's obvious a machine created these circles of meat or soy or whatever it is.

It reminds me of my college days. I was required to have a meal plan and eat several of my meals in the cafeteria. I was also on the student council. We suggested that they post the fat grams and nutritional value of all of the food up in a visisble place. The administrators adhered to our request and the cafeteria workers were ordered to post the nutritional value of the food they were serving. After a while, we asked them to stop showing us the nutritional value. There was no "nutritional value" to anything they served. The fat grams were so atrotious that we stopped eating the food. We decided that we would rather not know what we were putting into our bodies. Can you believe this processed junk is what we are feeding our kids?

Camp Wrap Up

The last night of camp went well. A dozen or so more people gave their lives to Christ for the first time. Brock ended with riding his motorcycle blindfolded through the crowd. The students loved it!

There was some heavy stuff going on during the service. One of the leaders felt a heavy burden for a certain teenager. Last night, he pulled the guy aside and began to talk with him. Come to find out, his dad has been beating him farely regularly. They brought his sister into the room to ask her about it. At first, it seemed that she was getting defensive about her father, but then she broke down. She said, "I thought that I was the only one." Who knows the lives some of these children lead?

I will always remember Camp Wow in Oklahoma. It was a special experience where God did a great work. Also, I will continue to pray that these students grow in Christ and that they are trully changed forever. I will especially remember Arora and Crissy in my prayers.

God is on the Move at Camp Wow

The second night of camp, Brock gave an invitation. The invitation was really difficult. Brock told them that becoming a Christian doesn't just take all of your problems away. Also, he explained that it doesn't make you more popular. In fact, it probably does the opposite. However, when he had the people who wanted to follow Jesus stand up boldly in front of everyone else, at least 50 stood up to become a Christian! As Brock had all of the people making a decision for Christ go to the back, the rest of the students stood up and faced the back giving the new Christians a standing ovation. It was soooo moving.

I watched as Arora sat in her seat while people left to receive Christ. I began to pray that somehow she would realize that the Lord loved her. Just then, Brock began to speak again and say something that he normally doesn't say after the invitation...He said that the Lord loves each one of you. He explained that some people in the crowd had never experienced true love, but the Lord wants to give you unconditional love. At that point, Arora left and she became a true follower of Jesus that night.

Last night, Brock spoke about growing up and getting off of the milk (Hebrews 5). He told them that if they are a Christian, they are ministers. Then, the worship leader came up and led them in a time of praying for each other. Ministry happened! The Holy Spirit was thick in the room as middle schoolers ministered to each other.

I watched as girls surrounded Crissy and Arora and prayed for them. Arora and Crissy were very emotional. Later, I found out that Arora grabbed Crissy and told her that she needed to get saved. Crissy went outside and prayed this prayer..."God, I hated You, but now I love You."

Arora

Pray for Arora. As she passed by me this morning, I really felt the urgency to pray for her. I also felt as if I should talk to her, but I didn't. Later, the camp leader said that there were a couple of girls from a girls' home here. They were probably ordered to come to this camp. He said that when he shook her hand, she grabbed it really hard and released it agressively. He could tell that she is very hard. Then, I saw her and her friend who was from the girls' home sitting at dinner alone. I joined them for dinner. Arora and her friend, Crissy, have had a difficult life. My heart just broke for them. They don't click with anyone at this camp. When I asked Arora how she liked camp, she replied, "It's okay." Pray for these two girls. Pray that they will be saved and experience the love of Jesus. Also, pray that they will find some friends here at camp that can love on them. Pray that they will be able to accept the love...Arora and Crissy.

First Night of Camp

As soon as I came on the grounds of the camp, I didn't want to do anything productive. This is the perfect place to get away and alone with God. However, studying the word and spending hours in prayer was the last thing that I wanted to do. I wished to play and go to a movie or a restuarant. Either one of those things are miles and miles away.

In the service last night, Brock didn't really speak. Normally, a speaker wants to give his best messages at camp especially the first night. However, Brock felt like the Lord wanted him to conduct a prayer time instead. (To be really honest, I was nervous about him not really speaking, because it was the first night and he is the "speaker.") He read from Acts 1 about when the disciples were expectantly waiting for the Holy Spirit. Brock wanted us to expect God to move. He instructed us to use this time to "detox" and "deprogram" in order to get ready for camp this week.

During the prayer time, I looked around the room and realized that I was not the only one who was having this lack of interest in spiritual things. I could sense that everyone wanted to play, but they weren't ready for the Lord to work. During that time of prayer, the walls were broken down and that spirit of complacency left the building. It was incredible how the atmosphere changed and the Lord began to move across the place.

After the service, one of the guys in charge of this camp told Brock that he had been praying that exact scripture in Acts 1 for this camp. He also explained that these kids are church kids. They know how to open their Bibles and listen to a 1,2,3 sermon, but it rarely changes them once they leave the service. In other words, they need someone to come in and shake things up. Brock is just the guy to do that! He is never the norm. I'm excited to see what the Lord is going to do this week!

Camp Speaker

Today, we begin a camp where Brock is the speaker. We do not do this very often, but I enjoy it when we do. Brock is a great speaker! It also stretches him some to speak at a week long camp. He will speak morning and night. I'm excited to see what happens. The camp is in Gerty, OK. Pray that the students will be inspired to experience a deeper relationship with the Lord and those that need to become a follower of Christ wil do so. Pray that lives will be changed in Oklahoma this week.

Movies and Cops

Friday night, we went to see Star Wars. After the movie, I walked out into the parking lot feeling like I could fight anyone...feeling invincible. My courage came to a halt when we noticed someone messing with our truck. We had parked in the vacant parking lot next to the theater since there was no room for our truck in front of the cinema. Now, across the parking lot, we could see a guy in a little old sporty car circling our truck. He walked all the way up to our driver's door.

Brock immediately called the police. After all of the theft we had experienced, we suspected he was stealing our truck. Should we stand here and watch him take our truck? I knew that if he actually attempted to steal it, Brock would try and stop him. I didn't want that because what if this guy was armed?

Then, the guy drove off in a hurry. Brock stayed on the line with the police as we walked across the dark parking lot to our truck. Their was an orange sticker on the driver's side window. It said that we would be towed if we parked here too long. By this time, 6 or 7 cop cars showed up surrounding our truck. Then, I got nervous that they might give us a ticket for parking in this vacant lot. However, there were no signs about not parking there.

Brock had a long conversation with one of the cops. He was nice. They were glad we called. They did not really like the owner of the property. They called him a few choice words and said that he does this kind of thing all of the time.

It was an interesting night! My heart rate definately went up! However, it was funny how quickly my courageousness thoughts disappeared. I'll leave all of that fighting to the guys in the movies!

Beaches

Yesterday, we found this kosher deli in Panama City. Brock said that the Israeli food was not fabulous, but he sorta craves it now. So, when we found this deli, he got his pannini and falafel fix, and I got to experience some of the food that he enjoyed over there. Last night, we ate at one of our favorite seafood places called Old Bay Steamer in Ft. Walton.

Today, on our way to Oklahoma, we are going to stop by our favorite beach in the whole world...Pensacola Beach, FL. You have to take advantage of the road or else you will start to resent it. Therefore, we stop off at cool tourist attractions, restuarants, and see the sites. Being the beach bums we are, we freguent beaches all across America. This one is our favorite! However, it may not be the same because the hurricane came right through there.

We used to stay at Ft. Pickens National Seashore on Pensacola Beach, but it's not there anymore. That's a shame because it was so beautiful. This area was at the end of the island. The drive alone was incredible. Only pure white sand dunes and emerald ocean are on either side of the road. It's crazy how one storm can whipe out our favorite vacation spot!

Psalm 46:10

"Be still and know that I am God."

The Ghost Writer

I talked with the "ghost writer" that I met on the plane. I was really having doubts about my writing ability. The thought of actually writing a book was overwhelming. That's why the idea of a ghost writer was appealing!

I only spoke with the writer, Jan, for a few minutes. However, she gave me advice straight from the Lord. You know that feeling when the Lord is speaking right to you? The Lord spoke to me through Jan.

She told me that writing a book can be overwhelming. I needed to start out by writing a letter to someone. Keep a certain person in mind when I write the letter. As I'm writing, I can think about questions this receiver of the letter might have and answer them. Also, I can think about what I want to tell this person.

Jan closed the conversation by confirming that the Lord ordained our meeting and she wanted to hear from me in about six months. She said that she really felt like the Lord placed us on that plane together.

That was just the encouragement I needed to continue writing the book. She gave me direction. I hope to have something for her to read in six months!

High Stress and No Stress

This camp in Panama City is ending up being the easiest one all summer. The guy in charge didn't want a lot of big illusions. He said that he was relying on Brock's personality and wit to carry the show and not some big props. He's got Brock pegged. Those are his biggest assets. Therefore, we only have to set up one illusion.

After we loaded in and decided how to go about the show, we got back to our room at about 12:30am. Our air conditioner didn't work and the hotel was sold out! So, we didn't get to bed until 1:30am and I had to get up early this morning to go to a production meeting. Of course, my shower was COLD.

I'm still trying to learn how to handle the stress of this carreer. The problem with us is that we experience such high stress and then back down to zero stress in just a few minutes. For example, we will perform in front of thousands of people this morning who are thinking "Show me what you got!" The intensity of live show is indescribable. I will man our sound and literally push play on a song and run up on stage and perform our one illusion and then, run back to the sound board. Plus, magic is a perfect art. In other words, if you mess up, you expose a trick. So, we will go from that stress to later this afternoon sitting on the beach. There is no in between.

I guess every job has its good points and its bad points. I just need to learn how to handle the up and down stress levels.

Panama City

Today, we must drive from Louisiana to Panama City, FL. Tonight, we load in for tomorrow's show. I'm slightly nervous about the show tomorrow. We're going to be doing this particular camp several times this summer, but the first one makes me anxious. We will kick off the camp every week with a show at 11am. I usually don't enjoy morning shows because people act so differently in the morning than they do at night. However, camp is different. Everybody is excited at all times. We'll see how it goes!

Stories About Israel

Brock has so many stories from Israel. He said that the culture is so different. Everyone, guys and girls, must join the military from ages 18 to 21. So, you see these young girls, sometimes in their street clothes, carrying around a machete (that is the gun I saw in my dream...I'm not a gun expert, but I knew that it was longer than a shotgun and shorter than a pistol). When they are on duty, they wear khaki or green uniforms (they wore the green colored in my dream). Because of this, the girls are rather tough...everyone is tough with not much emotion expressed.

They took Brock to the location where Jesus fed the five thousand. They didn't know the exact spot where Jesus stood. Brock began to walk around. He said if it were me, and I was speaking to more like twenty thousand people counting women and children without a sound system, I would stand here. He found a place that was sorta like a natural amphitheater. Brock clapped and you could hear it all throughout the hills. Brock said that it was amazing to try and place himself in Jesus' shoes or sandals or whatever.

One of my favorite stories was this one. All throughout the days of taping, they kept running into people with the same names. The names were Mur and Nissam. They had waiters with one of these names and guides with these names. The drivers for the van and boat were one of these two names. The sound guy got sick and had to be replaced. The guy's name that replaced him was Mur. Even the Israeli crew was wierded out by this, because those names were not very common in Israel. Mur means "enlightenment" and Nissam means "miracles." This is exactly what this television show is trying to do...enlighten the viewers about the miracles of Jesus. I think that the Lord has His hand all over this television special!

Old Friends and Family

We performed in Shreveport yesterday morning and had several old friends come to the show. We keep up with most of our college friends and old friends because we travel so much. When we are in a certain area, our friends that live in that area come out to see the show. It's great!

Then, we went to stay at Brock's parents' house in Louisiana for a couple of days. Some of our very dear friends that now live in the Beaumont, TX area, Brian and Stephanie, are staying here as well. Brian and Brock were in the youth group together. They also went to college together which was where I met Brian and Stephanie. We go on vacation together and try to see each other as often as possible.

Brock's brother is coming here tomorrow. We haven't seen him since Christmas! Also, Brock's grandpa is in the hospital and we are able to go visit him this afternoon. So, our next couple of days will be feeled with sharing time and stories. It's so good to know and be known. Brock will also finally able to rest a little these next couple of days. He hasn't really been able to catch a breath since he got back from Israel.

Psalm 5:3

"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

On the Road Again

We leave this morning and return July 28th. That is a long time. However, I'm ready to go. We lived in our rig on the road for two years. So, even though I love our house, our truck is home as well. Plus, we had a light spring as far as travel goes. I'm ready to take off! I'm going to have to remember this when I'm whining about going home in a couple of months. I'm sure that Brock will remind me. Now, it's in writing!

We have a HUGE summer in front of us. Not only do we have 12 camps, a Livin It, a couple of youth conferences, and a mission trip to Mexico, but we will be filming for the Discovery Channel television show as well. Also,we will be performing new material for tv, so we must get that ready within the next few weeks. It's going to be crazy!! Our shows are in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Mexico, New Mexico, and Virginia. Pray that our summer will be very successful for the Lord and that we will have the strength to endure.

Flight Troubles is the Theme

This is a long one, but I think that it's worth it. This week, I've been writing a chapter in my book about spiritual warfare. I was just talking with my dad about how Satan seems to attack in themes. He does the same type of thing to you over and over so that it will push your buttons. You can be strong the first and second time, but when you get to the fourth or fifth time, you've had it! Then, you are weak and do not depend on the Lord, and you might even make some bad decisions.

Our theme recently is airport troubles. Brock lost his passport. Then, he almost wasn't allowed to get on the plane to Israel. He also had difficulty coming back to the U.S. He looked so suspicious travelling alone to and from Israel with a fresh passport in his hand. The only reason he was able to come back to the states was because he did magic for the crew at the airport. Then, they lost his luggage. We fly all the time and have NEVER had any luggage lost.

Yesterday, the saga continued. I had been staying in Houston with my parents while Brock was away. I was so excited to get home to see Brock. When I arrived at the airport, I found out that I had my days mixed up and I was supposed to have flown out the day before! I NEVER do that sort of thing. I called the customer care and she told me that all of the flights were booked until the following day. I asked if there was anyway I could go on standby. After some coercing and lots of tears, she agreed to allow me to go through security with a standby ticket. Everyone in the Continental department were so nice to me.

Standby is crazy! The flight was totally booked and there were 3 other people on standby before me. I watched as passengers boarded the plane and my chances of getting to spend the day with Brock kept decreasing by the minute. Somewhere in all of this, the calming presence of the Lord came over me. I felt Him reassuring me that no matter what Satan hurls at me, He is ultimately in control. Also, if I wasn't able to get on this flight, He would give me the strength to endure until the next flight, or the next one.

I had been thinking about my book that I was writing and wondering if I should get some help maybe from a ghost writer or someone who actually had written a book before. A ghost writer takes your stories and actually puts them in the book. They help with the actual writing of the book because they are so experienced in writing. The lady who was on standby in front of me and I struck up a conversation about the Lord. She was a believer as well. She made the statement that she only wanted to be on this plane if the Lord wanted her to be on that plane. Right before we were sent down the jetway, she told me what she does for a living....she's a ghost writer!

We went down the jetway and two others on standby behind me were about to board the plane. I heard some commotion behind me. They stopped the two behind me because two passengers had made it to the plane. I was literally the last person on the flight. I got home 10 minutes before I intended.

During flight, I just knew that I needed to at least ask the lady if she could help me. So, I sent her a note via the flight attendent that just explained that even though I'm only 29, I feel as if the Lord wants me to write a book about my adventures in prayer. In the note, I asked her to help me or maybe put me in touch with someone who could help me. I figured that she would never contact me, because I got the feeling that she was big time. However, after the flight, she waited for me. She gave me her card and told me to call her next week and she would love to help me out.

Maybe this was the reason for her to be on this particular flight...maybe this was the reason that I was to be on this flight. We'll see if anything comes out of this new relationship. In the end, the Lord always wins. If we stick with Him through the thick and the thin, we will be victors!

Together Again

I fly in today at 12:30pm, and Brock and I are going to spend the whole day together. Today is definately going to be a Happy Fun Day! We'll probably talk and catch up all day. It doesn't matter what we do as long as we can just be together. We haven't been apart this long ever since we've been married...10 DAYS! Also, we have only been able to communicate via e-mail. That doesn't cut it when you are in love. Keeping up with your college friends or relatives...yes, but you want to hear your husband's voice!

Last E-mail from Isreal

This is the last of the e-mails from Brock:

we have been filming 12 or more hours a day .. things are going good .. i am super tired . i have been in front of the cameras the whole time i have been here ... the crew is good . nice and helpful . that makes it easier . i barely have time to take pics . i have been trying to sneak away as they set the camera and take a few shots .. i have to run tho .. its very hot .. over 100 degrees here .. so they tell me .. it feels like august in texas .. i am learning alot .. discovery said yes to the money for illusions...$15000...yes...so lets go shopping .. we have lots of work to do ..

i had another 12 plus hour shoot . we started at 430am and went all day . i am back at the hotel early . but i have a meeting to go to .. then eat then practice for tomorrow . then go to bed .. very early start again tomorrow . long day ahead . tomorrow is the last day of filming . then i get on a plane for the u.s...
the crew is getting an education on Jesus . they arent believers yet but i have made some progress . they are all atheists . and jews except one guy .. but the director and producer are believers , thats all that matters when it comes to the show .. the show is gonna be good . we have gotten great stuff . today i swam in the sea of galillee .. it was for the film . i met some americans today , they came by to watch us as we were filming .. well gotta go back to work...

Nightmares and Bombs

I didn't hear from Brock all day Thursday. I was in the car driving to Alabama the entire day. As soon as I could get access to internet, I checked my e-mail to find no new message from Brock. That night I had a very vivid dream. I dreamed that Brock and I were at this hotel. Lots of men with guns came in and raided the lobby. They searched everyone and every bag. They stuck guns in people's faces. No one was hurt, but it was scary. (I used those exact words, "no one was hurt," when I was telling my friends about the nightmare.) I just knew that we were in Isreal. I was rather worried on Friday about Brock. Then, at the end of the e-mail I received from Brock the next night, he said this...

"i am safe...the bombs were on the other side of town .. no one was hurt .. i left jerusalem so dont worry .. i am in tiberious .. tell my parents to quit worrying..."

It made me feel better to hear from him, but it didn't ease my worrying. I guess that I will not really sleep well until he returns home safe and sound. What would it be like to live in a place like that? "The bombs were on the other side of town." What is that about?

The Pact

The girls and I made a pact this weekend. We would help each other accomplish something we want to do before we die by the time we are 50. Amber wants to take an Alaskian cruise. Gin wants to record her own cd. Biz wants to make a quilt. I want to visit all 50 states. We are going to encourage each other to work toward these goals. I've been to 42 states, so I'm getting there. I'm going to try to make Alaska my last one and maybe we could all go on the cruise together to complete mine and Amber's goal. Hopefully, we are going to be listening to Gin's cd and sharing the warmth of Biz's friendship quilt while on the Alaskian cruise. What is one attainable thing that you want to do before you die? Tell someone and work to achieve it!

Friends for a Lifetime

I've been spending the weekend with my friends that I met at camp in the summer of 1998. We only spent two and a half months together, but we became friends for a lifetime. Everytime we see each other, it's as if time has never separated us.

Biz is a woman with a tender heart. Her puppy eyes make it hard to ever tell her no. She and her husband manage a Christian camp in Alabama. While we were staying at the camp with her this weekend, she found a baby bunny and wanted to keep it. As we were purchasing food for it, Amber asked her if she really thought that it was a good idea to keep a wild rabbit.

Enter Amber...she lives in the sticks of Florida with her husband and two children. Although she is the youngest of the group, she usually is the leader. She has a funny way of expressing herself. As Biz was debating on whether or not to keep the bunny, Amber was getting anxious to go get some dinner. She said, "Biz is off chasing rabbits and it's time to go." So, Amber tried to convince Biz to buy a tame rabbit from the pet store instead. Gin suggested that we buy her a new bunny.

Enter Gin...she is the reserved one of the bunch who sits back and adds witty comments or bits of encouragement every now and then. She and her husband are yuppy Texans. After we decided that we didn't have any time to get a new bunny while we were here, Gin promised that she would send Biz a bunny. Biz said, "You can't ship a bunny!"

In the end, Biz did the right thing and let the bunny go free. Tomorrow, we will all go back to our different worlds until we meet together again...

Girl Trip

While Brock is in Isreal, a few of us girls decided to take a trip together. My best friend from college, Gin, and I are driving to Alabama where our other friend, Biz, lives at a Christian camp. One of our other friends from Florida, Amber, will be joining us. With the exception of Gin and me, we all met in the summer of 1998 when we all worked at Ridgecrest in North Carolina. We've been able to see each other almost every year because one of us was getting married. Now that we are all married, we planned this trip to see each other.

I am so excited! I'm so glad that Gin and I get to ride together. It will be just like old times. We took many road trips together. However, most of those were spontaneous. One semester, we took some kind of "excursion" every Wednesday afternoon. We had a blast! Our adventures have taken us to San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Nashville, Oklahoma, Galveston, South Padre Island, North Carolina, and various lakes and beaches.

However, this trip, I don't think that we'll take the scenic route. When we were sophomores in college, we took a trip to Nashville. Both of us are outdoorsy, so on the way home, we took the Natchez Trace Parkway all the way from Nashville to Mississippi. Plus, we stopped at almost every lookout spot. Some of you that have been on the trace know how stupid this was. It took us over 20 hours to get from Nashville to Houston! My dad was not too happy with me since this was before cell phones. I'm surprised my parents didn't have a heart attack while trying to raise me!

Another E-mail From Brock

Here is the only word I received from Brock yesterday and it looks as if I might not hear from him for a few days because they don't have internet where he is going. This is the brief update he sent:

i have been filming for 11 hours .. long day .. now we drive to gallilee . . a 3 hour drive . . i am leaving jerusalem . . safer place . . i am feeling much better but not quite 100% .. i ate a meal today .. gotta go .. hurry .. talk in a few days .

E-mail from Palestine

This is the e-mail I received from Brock yesterday:

i am actually in palestine .. the safe side .. the hotel is great . winston churchill stayed here .. not today tho .. i saw a girl carrying an m-16 walking down the street .. it is just like you see on tv .. remindes me of when i was younger and watched kids throwing rocks at each other on the streets here .. i didnt know why they were fighting .. still dont .. but the cab driver tried to explain .. i dont have a clue what he said .. evrything is in hebrew here .. many speak english but not as well as i need .. a stranger at the airport lent me his phone .. he knew i was lost .. the driver was late for pick up .. i had not exchanged money yet .. i didnt read hebrew . or speak it . some of the english words i saw made no sense .. so i did not know how to contact anyone .. ya know i was in a fix and i was feeling very sick .. i am tired .

talked to the medic again he says i am looking better .. he gave me water and toast. the toast is supposed to neutralize the acid..? ok i am disappointed i am missing out on a great hotel restuarant...the bbc people said this is their favorite hotel in the world...we will see bout that .. it is nice tho .. i just dont think i can eat..

tomorrow we leave at 630am . to see jesus tomb and where he was believed to be executed .. and something else .. i forgot .. well .. i am very tired it is hard to see the screen on the computer . so i will go .. not sure when i will email again .. we will film all day tomorrow .

Safe Arrival

Brock is in Isreal. He's still very sick though. His stomach and neck hurt. There is a medic there that is looking after him. Pray that he feels better as he will be taping all day tomorrow.

Still in Flight to Isreal

Yesterday, right after I posted the last blog, Brock said that he started feeling much better, so thanks for the prayer. His stomach is still aching a little.

He flew out of JFK at about midnight last night. He will arrive in Tel Aviv at 9:45am our time and 5:45pm their time. I'll let you know when I hear from him. Last time, they began filming immediately, so it took him a while to be able to e-mail me.

He said that at the airport, he went through so many security checks. They took his bags from him for a few hours. He was also just about stripped searched. They questioned him several times. I guess he looked a little fishy travelling to Isreal by himself and with a passport that was only a few hours old. He had an escort until he was on the plane. Isn't that funny? They had him guarded the entire time.

Passport Update

Brock has a passport in his hand. The company came through and got it to him within a few hours. However, he is still feeling very badly. His stomach hurts. He's achy and his neck is stiff. His sinuses are acting up as well. He's just being hit with everything! Pray that he will feel better.

Brock's Flight to Isreal

Pray for Brock today. He leaves the house at 4am, flies to Newark, NY, and then drives to Manhatten. He has an apointment with "It's Easy" to get him a new passport. It seems a little strange, because he has to bypass the front desk in the passport building and go to this office and call a cell phone number. However, we have no choice. This company has guaranteed a new passport in one day. Then, if all goes well, he will leave for Tel Aviv at midnight. Pray that he gets that passport. The producers of the show were somehow able to change Brock's nonrefundable tickets to leave later that night without penalty.

Also, Brock is feeling very sick. He has battled fever all weekend. We don't know if the sickness is due to exhaustion or a virus. Just pray that he will feel just fine and get ample sleep on the plane.

FX Results

Over the last two nights of FX, there were about 1,700 people in attendence and over 260 people made decisions for Christ! That equals over 400 lives were changed here in Illinois during our visit. Everything worked out. For our lights, we needed 2 six foot pieces of metal tubing. Jeremiah, from Chaos on Wheels, had a couple of the exact sized pieces we needed sitting on the floor. They were "extra," so we were able borrow them to hang our lights. Last night, both the bus and our truck were running. We turned everything off in the whole school and were able to draw enough power to run the show. The decision to move the event inside proved wise, because it was cold the first night, raining the second, and very windy the last. Brock said that these three things are his worst nightmare when it comes to outdoor events. It was a great Freedom Experience!

The Frangrance of Rain

I'm sitting in our trailer as the rain is coming down. I feel as if the sweet fragrance and the gentle drops are a reminder to me of God's sovereinty. You see, we were praying for rain. We were supposed to do our event outside at a festival. Since the forecast called for rain, we decided to move it indoors all three nights. However, yesterday and today, we have not had a drop of rain until now. We wanted rain so that the people who set up everything outside wouldn't feel slighted and that students would choose our event over the festival.

A lot of things went wrong today. The band's bus will not start. Our battery on our truck keeps dying. Brock lost his passpot which he needs to fly to Isreal Sunday morning. The building didn't contain enough power for our equipment, and we lost the peices which hang up our stage lights.

Brock stopped everyone who was helping set up the show and gathered us around to pray. After the prayer, one guy said that we must place it completely in His hands. My mom had just told me on the phone that I place too much on my shoulders. After I pray, I need to turn it over to Him which means not worrying about it anymore.

He hears our prayers. It may not always be a smooth ride and may not be exactly the way we want it, but He is always in control. I need to give Him that control.

When I came out after we finished praying and saw the rain which was an answer to prayer from yesterday, I felt the Lord. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Best First Night of FX

Your prayers worked. I began feeling more and more positive as the day went on. The school assemblies were easy. Illinois youth are very mature and polite. We always enjoy an Illinois crowd.

The set up was the smoothest I've ever seen. There were zero problems. Normally, there are numerous difficulties. Brock and I even had a little time to spare where we were able to go in the truck and take a nap....a two hour nap!

There is a young girl from our home church that joined us this trip to help out. She took a nap in the afternoon as well. When asked what she thought about the first day, she said that it was tiresome! She actually took my place in assisting Brock in a couple of the school shows. She has been a big help as well as the regulars that came to help from our office. They are becoming pros at the Freedom Experience.

We moved the event indoors due to rainy weather. The crowd was big for a first night. The gym was 80% full (probably about 650). The audience was very attentive. The show went on without a hitch. It was probably the smoothest performance we've ever had on the first night of FX. 154 people made decisions for Christ! What an awesome night!

Discouraged

Pray for us. Both of us are rather discouraged. We begin an FX today that is outside. It stormed all day yesterday, so who knows what will happen? We leave at 6:45 this morning to do school assemblies and then set up, do the show, tear down, and return to our hotel at around midnight. Tomorrow, it's the same thing. Then, I thought that Brock flies to Isreal Monday, but I just found out that he might have to leave on Sunday. This means that we have to leave after our show Saturday night and drive all night long in order to make his flight.

The spiritual opposition has already begun. Remember how I told you that several of the Livin It team were in car accidents last week? Well, I had a little fender bender while Brock was gone for Livin It last week. Then, yesterday, the side of the trailer got scraped up. Neither one of us has ever had anything like that happen. All in one week is not fun.

I was also looking at our summer schedule and it is rough. Since our road manager didn't work out, we will be going it mostly alone. The girl that was supposed to travel with us the entire summer will only be able to be with us for a couple of weeks.

I know that this is negative, but I feel defeated before we even start. I'm tired. I'm getting too old to work all day and drive all night only to work again. Please pray.

Music Showcase

Last night, we did something a little different for us. Brock hosted a music showcase. This particular showcase was introducing Fervent Record's artists to Word Records. It was fun because we knew alot of people that were participating. Jupiter Project was there filming and the bands performing included Inhabited, By the Tree, Big Daddy Weave, and Barlow Girl.

Brock performed some fun, volunteer tricks in between acts. The crowd really had fun. Also, since Brock knew the bands, he included some extra little tidbits about each band during his introduction. For Inhabited, he talked about how we have performed together and we've placed them on some stages with really tough audiences yet they handled it like pros. Brock informed the crowd that By the Tree shares his love for motorcycles. Before Big Daddy Weave took the stage, he told the story about when we first met them at a student conference. Super Chic and Phat Chance were at the conference as well. Brock explained that I actually called them Big Fat Chic! Brock hinted at Barlow Girl's excellent double performance at the GMA Awards as he introduced them.

At the reception following, they had a chocolate fountain. It was a great night!

Answered Prayer

Friday, I spent the day praying and fasting. My main prayer was for Brock's meeting with the producers of the television show. When Brock gave me a positive update on the meeting, he made the comment that we needed to get everything taken care of at home because we were about to get extremely busy. So, I began praying about that. Who could I pay to cut the lawn that I trusted and where would I get the money? Who could pick up the mail and pay some bills that cannot be taken care of on the road? These questions turned into worry and later...stress!

At church, we are going through a study by Rick Warren called 40 Days of Community. Sunday during our small group time, we were talking about being a servant to people within our church. At the close of the class, our teacher directed us to take on a project of service for somebody in the church. They placed a few ideas on the board and one of them was to help us out in some way. Brock said that the way we needed help was in upkeep of our house while we were gone for the summer. To my surprise, this is the project that the group decided to do. I listened as they talked about how they would take turns mowing the lawn and getting the mail. One friend is a CPA and said that she could handle the bills with no problem. One couple decided to be the leader of the project. I was so overcome by relief and gratitude that I began to cry. The whole group prayed for us as we leave to do a lot of ministry in a lot of places. By the end of the prayer, lots of people were crying. They were touched because I was touched. It may have seemed like a small task for them, but it was a huge service to me.

Friday, I prayed for two things...the meeting and the upkeep of our house while we were gone. The Lord answered both of those prayers. However, the one that moved me to tears was the smaller of the two. Why? I think that it is great that the Lord totally has a hand in this TV show and this shows His power by making His name famous on the Discovery Channel. But, the fact that He cares enough to work out the small details of my life shows His love for me. He displayed this beautiful love through my wonderful small group.

Peas and Carrots

Yesterday was our six year wedding anniversary. Last year, Brock surprised me with a trip to an all-inclusive resort in Cozumel. It was amazing! This year, we went to 6th Avenue skatepark and ate at the Melting Pot...not quite as exciting as last year, but easier on the pocketbook and less time consuming.

Brock and I have been on so many adventures in our six years. We've lived in five different houses as well as on the road for two years. We've been to 41 states, Australia, Canada, the Bahamas, and Mexico. We've had 17 different vehicles or trailers of some sort. We've performed over 1,000 shows together.

There has been some bad experiences as well (especially theft related) but we will not talk about that today. I wouldn't want to do life with anyone else. It's almost as if Brock and I were made for each other. We are both so different from everyone we know, yet we are so much like each other. We're like peas and carrots...

My Mom

I heard Dr. James Dobson on the radio the other day talking about raising a stubborn child. He said that people are born stubborn and you cannot change it. The only way he suggested to deal with it is to focus on the good qualities about being strong willed. I think that my mom did a great job steering my stubborness in a more positive direction. She encouraged me to be independent and driven without allowing me to run over her. She was so patient with me. You've got to understand! I'm really strong willed. One day, my mom actually pinned a note on me when I was in pre-kindergarten that said "I dressed myself."

She never let me use the phrase "I'm bored." She beleived that you should find something to do with your time, not rely on others to keep you entertained. This is so helpful to me today because in this career, there are many occassions where I have time on my hands.

My mom is never bored. She is always the life of the party and is up for fun every time. One of my mom's gifts is hospitality. Sometimes, my friends would stop by my house even though I was off at college. I'd call home and my friends were eating dinner with my parents.

Mom has so many wonderful qualities that it would take me all day to talk about it. However, the most exceptional trait about mom is her love for the Lord and people. I can remember her serving homeless men food out on our front porch. I've seen her lead people to the Lord on more than one occasion. I watched as she demonstrated how to be an awesome helpmate to a Godly husband. Thanks mom for everything.

An Update on Livin It and the Meeting for the TV Show

Livin It went very well. Seventy one people made decisions to follow Jesus! Brock will be at another Livin It show today in Savannah, GA.

The meeting with the producers of the TV show went extremely well. The executive from the Discovery Channel really liked Brock. Brock told her and the other producers about some of his ideas for new illusions. She liked the ideas so much that the Discovery Channel might possibly buy the illusions for us and use them in the show. Pray that this actually happens. The illusions they spoke of purchasing would equal about $20,000. This would really bless our ministry.

Lately, Brock has been talking with this organization called Christian Blind Mission International. It's a cool ministry that collects money to cure blindness in third world countries. There is a surgery costing only $35 that helps cure the blindness that is inevitable in these countries due to malnutrition and poor health care. When Brock told the producers that he knew how to heal the blind, they were very excited. They might fly to India and film one of these surgeries. This would help CBMI get so much publicity! Pray that this happens as well.

Fasting

Today, I am fasting for Brock's meeting with the producers of the television show about the miracles of Jesus. I know that I don't fast enough. I'm reading the book "Prayer, The Key to Revival" by Paul Cho for the second time. Paul Cho is the pastor of the largest church in the world. They had 500,000 members when he wrote this book in 1984. He loves Americans because we are the ones who initially brought the gospel to Korea. However, he does hint that we are not very disciplined in our prayer life. His accusations must be true. He spends hours daily in prayer. We have trouble having a daily 30 minute quiet time.

I think that one of the disciplines of prayer that we, as Americans, have the most trouble with is fasting. We love to eat (myself included)! We've got such great food here! However, many Godly people have fasted from Moses to Jesus to Paul to Paul Cho to P.O.D. (I read in a secular magazine that P.O.D. fasted for their album "Satellite" to be a success.) It should be part of our prayer life in some way.

I never really thought about fasting until I met Brock. He went on several fasts as he was beginning this ministry trying to seek direction from the Father. The long fast he did in 1998 not only led him in how to develop this ministry but changed his life as well. It seems like you can hear God more clearly during a fast.

Paul Cho says this about fasting in his book: "If we can combine this intense natural desire [to eat] with our natural spiritual desire for communion with our spiritual source, then what results is a much greater intensity: this is the purpose of prayer and fasting."

Prayer

Brock said that while he was in Malta, he could feel our prayers. When I first started blogging, I didn't really know why I was doing it. I simply felt like the Lord wanted me to blog (that sounds funny when you put it into words). Now, I realize that this blog has created a prayer community. The Lord has really been working intensely in our lives. I believe that power comes from prayer. Thank you so much for the prayers. We can feel them.

If you have a prayer need, feel free to ask us. We would love to be praying for you as well. You can always e-mail me or comment.

We need more prayer right now. Tomorrow, Brock is meeting with all of the producers for the show about the miracles of Jesus. They are ironing out the script. It is a big deal because one of the executives of the Discovery Channel will be involved. Two of the guys from our office, Gresham and David, will be there as well. Pray for wisdom for Brock, Gresham, and David. Also, pray that the script will still claim that Jesus was the Son of God. Thank you so much for praying.

Livin It Tour

Brock will be leaving tomorrow to speak on the Livin It tour. Livin It is a dvd put out by the Louis Palou Association which combines skateboarding and born again actor Stephen Baldwin with the gospel message of Jesus Christ. The dvd has received such great success that they have decided to take it on tour. We are very excited to be a part of it.

We had the whole Livin It team come to Nashville back in February as Brock and the other Livin It speaker lead in training. These young athletes have a great heart for the Lord and are eager to spread His name to this generation. Stephen Baldwin, Tim Byrne, the King of Kings skateboard team, Chaos on Wheels, as well as Brock will be involved in the tour.

Like FX, they have already experienced spiritual warfare. Last week, Stephen Baldwin, King of Kings, and the director of the tour all were in car accidents. They were in totally different places in the country, but it happened all on the same day. I don't think this was a coincidence. Also, there is probably more warfare to come.

Please remember Brock and the whole team this week. Tomorrow, their show is in Atlanta and Saturday in Augusta, GA.

Learning That I May Be Part of the Answer II

While I was standing outside of the mall Sunday afternoon, I saw a young girl crying rather hysterically. Usually, I would just pray for her, but after hearing my dad's sermon and Brock's words, I decided to approach her. "Are you okay?" I asked. "No, I need to use a phone," she replied. So, I handed her my cell phone.

I listened as she and her boyfriend had it out on the phone. After she finally hung up, she told me briefly what was going on. She was from another state visiting her boyfriend and they had an argument. He left her at the mall with no car, money, or phone. Danielle was her name. Danielle did not know what to do.

After she told me her story, he drove up in a fancy convertible. She was probably no older than 21 and he was at least 50 years old. It was so sad to me. However, I acted and helped her by offering my phone. Who knows what she would have done if I had not. I'm learning that I need to not only listen to God, but I might need to act as well. Sometimes, their need is something physical like a hug or a phone. It was so easy to allow the girl to borrow my phone. It also was not difficult to simply ask what was wrong. Now, I can still pray for Danielle's spiritual life.

Tell me about some of your experiences where you were part of the answer. You can e-mail me or comment below.

Learning That I May Be Part of the Answer I

My dad preached a sermon the other night about prayer. He stated that most Christians have a problem with listening to God. He also said that after you listen, you may be part of the answer. This made me think. The majority of the time, I just pray for the person and that is the extent of it.

Yesterday, during the service, I came in a little late. I had to slip by a lady in order to sit by my friends. As I passed by her, I felt as if she had a need. She did not look needy. She was a well dressed lady probably in her 50's. The only odd thing about her was that she was by herself. She looked like she should have friends and family surrounding her. I began to pray that the Lord would show me her need. At one point, in order to display the importance of affection, our pastor had all of us stand up and hug each other. I hugged my friends as we all were laughing and hugging. Then, I glanced over at the lady and she was just standing there by herself. I ran over to her and threw my arms around her...not one of those side hugs with the two pats on the back but a full on embrace. She said, "Thank you." When I sat back down, I just knew that a hug was what she needed. I don't know why. After the service, I walked by her to leave and she said, "Thank you again for that hug. That made my day!" I told her, "Ah, you are welcome."

Later, as I was telling Brock, I told him that I was part of the answer! However, I could have done more. I was so awkward when she thanked me. I felt as if I should have said more. My close friends and family would not agree with this, but I'm not a good talker (the disagreement would be because I can talk a lot!). Brock said that I know what to say. I wanted to know why she needed that hug. He said to just say it! It will only be awkward the first few times.

So, yesterday afternoon, I was at the mall and I saw a girl just crying her eyes out. This is getting too long. I'll continue it tomorrow...

Flights

I flew back yesterday, so we are both home now. The flight got a little bumpy. I actually got some air at one point. It was sorta fun. However, a lady did throw up.

The worst flight we've had was on our way back from Australia. We were flying from LA to Denver on the largest commercial airplane in existence and it was completely full. In fact, we had to wait an extra 2 hours before taking off because we were too heavy.

During the flight, we started smelling something burning and began to see smoke right across the row from us. Brock rings for the flight attendent and she comes over with a big smile. "May I help you?" Brock asked what all of the commotion was. She didn't know what he was talking about. He pointed in the direction of the smoke. The lady let out a gasp and ran over toward the smoke.

A few minutes later, three young flight attendents stood around the smoke one holding a fire extinguisher. "You do it," one said. "No, you do it," said another as she thrust the extinguisher in her direction. About that time, Brock said that we were landing. The plane completely turned around. The captain came on the intercom and stated that we had a "slieght fire" in the cabin so we were making an emergency landing in Las Vegas.

A passenger on the plane went to the flight attendents and said that he works on heaters for a living and he could fix it. Apparently, a heater in the cabin was acting up. The passenger ended up fixing the heater and we continued on to Denver.

The whole plane gave a standing ovation when we landed. You know it's a bad flight when everyone claps and cheers as you land!

Matthew 21:22

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
-Matthew 21:22

Family and Cookie's Cantina

While Brock's been in Malta, I have been staying at my parents' house in a small town outside of Houston. It's been great! When you go back home after you are married, it is so different. Suddenly, this house that used to have guidelines and responsibilities becomes a place of fun and relaxation only. Everything is optional and carefree because it's home yet you are still a guest.

A couple of nights ago, mom and I drove to a town right off of I-45 to meet my sister, Kay half way. Kay lives in Fort Worth. We stayed at a Holiday Express and had a pajama party. It was so fun! The three of us are so different yet think a lot alike. We always seem to understand and appreciate the other person's point of view.

Normally, you cannot go wrong with a mexican restuarant in Texas. However, Cookie's Cantina left much more to be desired. (I should have known something was up with a name like "Cookie.") I asked the little waitress if the queso was white or yellow (I like the white colored). She said that it was just velveta melted down. She grabbed a plate with a half eaten burrito and with a look of disgust, pointed to the cheese and said, "It looks like this." Then, later another lady who we came to find out was Cookie came to take our order. I asked her if the beef in the chimichanga was ground beef of steak. She said, "I'll be honest. I get them frozen from Sam's." I ordered the enchilados. They were not the best I've ever had. They were tough. I've never had tough enchilados before. Kay said those were probably frozen too!

Blue Toenail Polish

The other night at the show, I really gave my toes a beating! The backstage area was rather limited and I ran over my toes with props weighing over 100 pounds. One of my toes is black and blue with bruising. I do not wear shoes in the show. Therefore, I do not have any shoes on backstage either.

So, I repainted my toenails today. I always use dark blue toenail polish. I think that I like the blue because it matches one of the beads on my toe ring my sister-in-law bought for me in Africa.

I did not think anything of my blue toenail polish until I went to get a pedicure one time and they did not have any blue polish. They only had numerous shades of reds and pinks. You know when you find out that you are wierd about something but you didn't know it? This was one of those moments for me.

More News from Malta

Here is another e-mail from Brock:

hey . . the filming is going great . . i havent done much . . this is bigger than i thought . . they are doing a thing called time slice . . . its the matrix thing . . it is really expensive . . it is time consuming . . i am not in the time slice i dont think . . tonight i will still the storm . . this place is amazing . . its so legit . . the actor playing Jesus is in some big movies like james bond and band of brothers . . i am wearing my travel clothes and the red hoodie . . as soon as i got off the plane they said stand here and started shooting . . then they said wear the same thing everytime we shoot . . i was disappointed but oh well . it is very windy and kinda cold so im glad i had the hoodie for the shoot . . now i get to wear it the whole time . . tonight i will be wearing a wet suit . . i will be in the water for the shoot . . i had to go to a fitting for it . . it was kinda funny.

He's responding to my questions about the filming and what he is wearing for the shoot. We didn't know if he would wear his own clothes or if they would have wardrobe. So, I packed him so many different outfits. He has every shirt he owns that doesn't sport some sort of logo. If you want to see the studio where he is filming right now go to www.mfsstudios.com.

E-mail from Malta

I finally heard from Brock. I think that yesterday was the first day that I have not corresponded with Brock at all since we've been together. It was tough. I was tense and worried all day. I often thought about Brock's cousin whose husband went to Afghanistan on 9/11. He was a member of the "Special Ops." She was unable to communicate with him for two weeks! She must be a very strong women.

Anyway, here is the e-mail Brock sent:
hey . . i finally figured out how to get online . it is great here . . i love it . . it is beautiful . i am going to film all night long . . i finish at like 8 am . tonight then straight to the airport . . i guess i will sleep on the plane . the food is good . . weird though . you might like something . i am alone . alot . . went into the city today . man i was lost . . had no money, phone, car, nothing . . i finally figured out how to exchange some money so i could buy something to drink . . i have no idea how much money i spent . . i took $40 and exchanged it for the lira . . .????? ok whatever, i dont know how much anything is or the exchange rate . . most people here can speak english . . that is nice . although all i here is arabic unless i talk english to them . . people are nice . . the film studio is amazing . . incredible experience . . be back soon . . i have quick meeting

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Weather Changes and International Flights

Yesterday morning we started out in Jacksonville, FL with lots of blue skies and great temperatures. It grew colder every mile closer to approaching Nashville. When we finally got home, there was ice on the windshield!

We stopped in Cordele, GA to do a show at an outdoor festival. It was fun! The wind was crazy though. I had to hold every prop so that it would not fly away. Wind is usually not our friend when it comes to an illusion show. However, I think we pulled it off.

Then, we took Brock to the airport in Atlanta so that he could fly to Malta. It would be an eight hour flight to England and another two hour flight to Malta. Then, he was supposed to go to the studio to start filming. Communication is going to be difficult. Therefore, I have not heard from him yet, but I'm praying that his flight and everything went well. I'll keep you posted.

Show in Florida

Our school show yesterday was not good. It was so bad that we decided not to do school shows on Friday afternoon anymore. It is counter productive.

The show last night went well. Chaos On Wheels did a demo outside. After the guys were finished, Brock rode out on one of the bikes and said into the mic, "Do you want to see some more? Follow me." He rode inside the building as everyone followed. Surprisingly, we did not lose the crowd. Many made a decision to follow Christ.

Outside Show

Last night, we performed in a parking lot. Chaos on Wheels had there quarter pipe and jump box set up. The quater pipe is about 15 feet tall but is off to the side. The jump box is a platform with ramps on either side and stands only 5 or 6 feet off of the ground but is placed right in the center of the "stage" area. Bleachers were on all four sides of the jump box. Our stage was in front of the 6 foot jump box. Therefore, the people sitting behind the box would not be able to see. So, Brock used the entire area between the bleachers as a stage. He did an illusion on top of the quarter pipe. He escaped from the straight jacket on top of the jump box. As he was still in the straight jacket, he got on his skateboard and road down the ramp. He rode his dirtbike blindfolded into the crowd and between some of the bleachers. It was a challenging show, but Brock made it work!

Cancelled School Show

We arrived here in Jacksonville, FL last night because we were supposed to do a school show today. The school cancelled. Therefore, we get to hang out here all day. It's rather nice to stop and breath a little. Having been a part of FX, GMA, and the fundraiser these last few weeks, this is the first chance we've had to relax. Realize, it will not be total relaxation because we have to do a show tonight.

Chaos On Wheels is with us at this show again. They are performing at the middle schools today and tomorrow and we are at the high schools. Since our school show cancelled today, the bmx team is gone and we are back here at this fun hotel.

I just discovered that if someone is working harder than me at an event, I feel guilty. I need to get over that. We've been travelling hard for 6 years. If we don't slow down, we will not be doing this very much longer. This is the whole point in hiring Duane to go on the road with us. He's here to take some of the load off of us.

You know how people say, "It's a crazy time for me right now"? It seems that it's always a crazy time for us. Therefore, I need to take advantage of the time to rest.

Packing

Today, I am packing us up to go out of town. It usually only takes me a few minutes because I've had so much practice. In fact, a portion of my things stay packed. However, this trip is a little tricky because Brock is leaving to go out of the country. Tomorrow and Friday, we perform in Florida. Saturday afternoon, our show is in Georgia. Then, Brock catches an evening flight to Malta. It's an island in the Mediterranean. I fly out Sunday morning to stay with my parents while Brock is overseas.

You may be wondering why Brock is going to Malta. Well, I'll tell you. He has the lead role in a mini-series called "The Miracles of Jesus" that will be aired on the Discovery Channel. The first shoot takes place in Malta. I am very excited! The objective of the show is to prove that Jesus actually performed miracles and not illusions. Can you believe that the most watched cable network is playing a documentary that is pro-Jesus?

I have confidence in Brock as he is a natural in front of the camera. However, this is very new territory for us. Keep this project in your prayers because the message will ring out to so many ears.

The Dessert Theater/Fundraiser

The fundraiser was a huge success! Our needs amount to $200,000. That's a lot of money! Last night, we made a more realistic goal of raising $10,000. In his show at the fundraiser, Brock spoke about how we learned to pray specifically and the Lord met our needs. After counting all the ticket sales and donations given last night alone, it came out to exactly $10,000.

Fundraiser

Whenever we had to sell candy bars in middle school as a fundraiser, I'd always buy a bunch and hand them out because I didn't want to sell them. I'm a horrible sales person. However, sometimes you just need money. Brock is teaching me that it is not a bad thing to ask. Some people are blessed financially and want to know how they can give.

Unfortunately, our ministry requires lots of funds. Illusions are very pricey. An average illusion ranges anywhere between $5,000 to $10,000. However, in order to take it up a notch, we need to spend even more. We also have so many other financial needs. Therefore, tonight we are having a fundraising dessert theater. I actually think that it will be fun. We will get to perform for several of our friends and share with them more about our ministry. Also, we are trying to build more prayer support. A chef from Seattle is cooking some gourmet cheesecakes so the food should be excellent!

If you would like to give but cannot attend the show, you can send a check or money order to:
Vertical Ministries
P.O. Box 55952
Birmingham, AL 35255
Make sure you write "Brock Gill" on the memo line. If you are not able to support us financially, please pray for our ministry. We need the prayers!

Shows and Hard Work

The last entry I told about attending an award ceremony and a party. Our job can be so fun and exciting. However, it can be stressful and hard as well. This weekend was just plain hard work. We rose early Friday morning and drove 6 hours to a town outside of Indianapolis. We set up all day and performed at around 10pm. After tearing down and getting back to the hotel, we were able to get to bed around 2am. We left at 7am the next morning to drive to Decatur, AL in time to set up at 3pm. After another day of setup, we performed two 90 minute shows back to back! Yes, it was another late night. Then, we had to be at the church this morning by 8am in order to do a trick in the early service. We did a show during Sunday School for the youth and then performed again in the late service.

It has been said that 30 minutes onstage is equivalent to an 8 hour work day as far as fatigue goes. I believe it because onstage, every muscle gets tense. Plus, with our job, it's physical as well as mental. Magic is a perfect art. In other words, if we mess up, the crowd knows it! That's why we must be on top of our game at all times.

Needless to say, I'm tired. It was all worth it though. The first night was difficult. We shared the stage with a band and we had many technical problems. Yet, many people gave their lives to Christ. The shows last night went much more smoothly and 105 people made decisions to follow Christ! It was incredible!

The GMA Awards

Yesterday, we spent the entire day participating in GMA events. Brock had a couple of TV interviews in the morning. They went fairly well. For one TV program called REACHOUT TV, Brock performed some tricks in the lobby of the hotel hosting GMA. He drew quite a crowd. The guy who produces the television show went to one of our shows in Conneticut. His daughter gave her life to Christ that night at our show, so he was a big fan of Brock's.

Around noon, we went to a luncheon where artists of the Greg Oliver Association put on a concert. With only an artist pass as opposed to a media pass, we were not supposed to eat the catered food. However, Greg Oliver spotted Brock and invited us to join him for lunch. We knew most of the performers personally and think they are great people. The artists consisted of BarlowGirl, By The Tree, Inhabited, Todd Agnew, NewSong, Big Daddy Weave, and a few others.

We scored tickets to the GMA Awards (formerly known as the Dove Awards) and the Word Records after party. There are benefits to having an outgoing, well liked husband. It was fun! The artists that won awards were very humble and gave all of the credit to the Lord. Switchfoot won several awards but were not present. Everybody was daring Brock to go up and accept the Dove Award because people say that he looks so much like the lead singer John Foreman. You don't dare Brock. He'll do anything. I was literally pulling down his arm to keep him in his seat. He spared me the embarrassment and did not act on the dare even though he wanted to. The party had great food and company.

Run! Run! Run!

The other day, I was at Jupiter Project's office working on our new DVD. There office is a house in an older part of town. This area is improving but still is rather rough. I needed a diet coke, so I walked to the corner store that was just a few yards from the office. On my way back, a car drove by with its music blaring. The driver honked at me. Picking up the pace, I ignored him and continued back to the house. I retrieved my cell phone and pretended to be talking with someone. Sometimes, I feel that if you are confident, perpetrators will leave you alone.

Then, I heard tires screeching and the music get louder and louder. The guy had backed up and almost driven on the sidewalk where I was walking. I caught a glimpse of him as he waved me to come over. He was a big, cut, black guy who looked as if he could have scooped me up with one hand. I took off! I didn't just run; I sprinted as if I was approaching the finish line in a race and wanted to pass that one guy that I'd been following the entire race. The verse that I posted Sunday came to mind..."Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings." Psalm 17:8. I recited it over and over until I reached the office safely and shut the door.

Lesson #1: Ladies, don't be afraid to run. I didn't see a gun, but if I had my actions would not have differed. Do whatever you can to not get in the car with anyone.

Lesson #2: Just because it's daylight does not mean that someone cannot grab you. Always be aware of your surroundings. Avoid bad areas of town no matter what time of day it is.

Lesson #3: Pray for the Lord's protection. If you have the Lord on your side, your chances of survival are greater. If I ever actually get taken against my will, I plan to sing praise songs to the Lord. That just might scare the snot out of the guy!

Best Corporate Worship Experience

Gospel Music Association (GMA) week just began. GMA is a time when Christian artists, radio affiliates, record labels, management, and the whole industry get together in Nashville for a few days leading up to the Dove Awards which take place Wednesday night. Interviews of all kinds are conducted. Concerts are presented in order to showcase new as well as experienced talent. Several other meetings are held during GMA.

Last night, I went to the worship service. I thought that it would be difficult to really worship God with all of these great top Christian performers. Michael W. Smith led most of the time. Amy Grant was just a choir member. About 100 artists were in the choir including Clay Crosse, Point of Grace, Todd Agnew, Avalon, BarlowGirl, and many other big name musicians. At first, people were snapping pictures right and left. Video cameras were coming out. I thought, "Here we go." However, by the end of the night, every single person looked as if they were into it. It being worshiping our Lord. Here were all of these talented singers, yet I felt as if we were all just children of God.

As the night drew on, the line between the audience and the stage became blurred and we were all one huge choir praising the Lord with all of our might. At one point, a portion of the audience began to sing the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy." Michael W. Smith and the magnificent "choir" joined in.

The most powerful times during the night seemed to be when Peter Furler from The Newsboys led in the song "He Reigns," Darlene Zscech with "Shout to the Lord," and Micheal W. Smith directed "Healing Rain." I think that they were the most exuberant because it was almost a testimony since they are the authors of the songs. I wish you could have been there. The Holy Spirit was thick in the auditorium and He was leaping for joy inside my heart.

Psalms 17:6-8

"I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

Wildlife

Living out in the country is great...lots of land beautiful land, privacy, and wildlife. Well, the wildlife has its disadvantages. You heard about my sleep deprevation due to a beautiful cardinal. It enjoys ramming into our window at about 5:30am. Now, there is not one, not two, but three birds that take turns trying to fly into the window over and over again until I feel like screaming!

We have some wasps that have built a nest in the attic of the garage. They linger right at the entrance of the garage, so we've been avoiding going into it because of the plethera of wasps waiting to attack. Brock waited until night to go and spray the nest. He said that they don't fly or sting at night. I don't know if this is accurate, but it seemed to work.

Our road manager left his shoes out on the porch. Several hours later, only one shoe remained. We assume some sort of animal took off with one. What kind of person would steal only one shoe? I'm guessing one of the neighbor's dogs is the culprit.

Then, to top it off, our house is being invaded by ladybugs. The problem with ladybugs are that you don't want to kill them. They aren't like your average bug. They are cute and harmless. In fact, I heard that it was against the law to kill them because they eat bugs that hurt crops. Meanwhile, ladybugs are taking over my house!

A few minutes ago, as I was mowing the lawn, I spotted a big snake. This wasn't your little garden snake. It was about 5 feet long. I brought Brock over to the snake so that he could take care of it. He said that it was just a chicken snake and would not bite. In fact, it eats rats and other pests. Therefore, Brock decided not to kill it.

Mary and Taxes

Today was the dreaded day to get our taxes done. I would've waited until the very last minute, but we are going to be out of town next week. Ministers' taxes are difficult as it is. When your ministry is not affiliated with a church, taxes are almost impossible!

Mary was the lady's name who took care of us. While we waited with Mary for another worker to answer some of our extraordinary questions concerning our taxes, we had an interesting conversation. Mary is a buddhist. After she told us this, I became nervous and immediately began praying about what to say. I felt as if the Lord was saying to listen. Brock asked her lots of questions about her beliefs. She answered and we listened. Right there in the H&R Block we discussed Jesus and reincarnation.

In situations like this, I get anxious because I feel as if the person must give her/his life to Christ before I leave his/her company. In our small group at church, we studied from a book called "Finding Common Ground" by Tim Downes. I learned that you don't always need to seal the deal. Sometimes, we just need to shut up and listen. This was the case today. However, my work is not done. I will be praying that someday Mary will be ready to hear and receive the good news of Jesus Christ.

FX Report

This FX was by far the best! The people hosting and promoting this event were exceptional. They did everything we asked and then some. The green room was always loaded down with drinks and snacks. The volunteers worked hard. Everyone was pleasant to be near.

The first night, about 600 attended. The second night was around 1,100. Last night was estimated 2,500 and the people just filled the arena. The decisions made for Christ totalled 115 the first two nights and I have not received a number for last night. It had to be hundreds last night. The sea of people began to empty into the aisles. We waited for ten minutes as people just kept coming to respond to the invitation to invite Christ into their lives. It was incredible!

I wish every night on the road was like last night. It was so awesome! To start off, after we played a countdown video, Duane drove our big truck into the arena honking our big truck horn the whole way. When he stopped, I jumped out and opened the side door on the trailer. Out came all of the band, the bmx team on their bikes, and Brock on his motorcycle. Everyone ran or rode up the jump box and onto the stage. The music faded and Brock yells "Are you readdddy?" into the mic as the band kicked it.

The group that put this on covered everything in prayer. You could feel the prayers. One of the worker's mom was placed in the hospital Tuesday with chest pains. They suspected heart problems but found out it was just a little stress. Remember that Robert's bike was stolen last week? Someone in the audience donated $1,000 for him to buy a new bike. God really answered all of our prayers!

Spiritual Warfare at FX

Chaos On Wheels was short one rider for this FX, so Brock decided to ask a bmx rider from Nashville to go with us this trip. Brock knew that this guy, Robert, was the guy when he informed Brock that his bike was stolen last week. This type of thing happens often with FX team members.

The spiritual warfare is always great whenever we perform in order to reach a city for Christ. However, when an FX is involved, it's even more hightened. The warfare seems to come in themes. Once, all three vehicles broke down somehow on the way to an FX. One time after leaving an FX, all three vehicles had brake problems. Another time, every single night, something went wrong just as we were about to begin. The first night, the countdown video reached 3...2...1...0 and the amps just blew. The second night, one of the riders snapped his bike in two while warming up. Brock had to weld it together just in time for the show. The bike was still glowing red from the weld when Frank, the rider, took to the ramps. The last night, the brakers blew ten minutes before showtime.

Also, the people who attend are difficult at times. We've had people yell out profanity. Demon possessed people have caused big scenes. A girl flashed Brock as well as the crowd during our performance. Witches have been present and caused a stir. One witch in particular came with her voodoo dolls and tried to cast spells on us the entire night. She carried on until Brock began the invitation for people to choose a life with Christ. At this point, she passed out...like she was just put to sleep. Then, after the invitation was over, she woke up just like that!

The band and the bike team tease us because nothing ever goes wrong for them except when they are at an FX. However, everyone agrees that it is worth it all because individual lives are changed and cities are impacted with the message and love of Jesus.

School Shows

School assemblies are by far the most difficult shows for us. We enter as their enemy and must subtely pursuade them into changing their opinion of us. Anybody that comes into their public school assembly must be lame. It's a rule. So, basically, we must be cool.

High school is the worst. This morning was a great example. We performed for about 1,000 juniors and seniors. As soon as the announcer introduced Brock as one of the top illusionists, giggles began to break out among the crowd. They pictured an illusionist as a cheesy guy with a top hat and rabbits. So, Brock cooly approached the crowd with his skater pants and long hair. The first thing he said was, "I think that I might mess with your teachers a little bit." I noticed as the crowd began to perk up as some people began pointing at some teachers and laughing. The students enjoy this because most youth really like their teachers, they just don't want to admit it. The teachers usually don't mind because they don't get this kind of attention very often.

For the second trick, Brock brought a few volunteers on the stage. One guy had a white man's frow and was wearing an aqua and pink jogging suit from 1982 with a puffy painted t-shirt. When Brock asked for a volunteer, he shot up out of his seat and began dancing and doing jumping jacks as well as push ups. He was a trip! After Brock asked his name, Duane and I played the theme music for Napoleon Dynamite. The guy began to dance with some of the moves from Napoleon Dynamite. The crowd roared. Brock had everyone give him a hand and called him Napoleon from there on out. That was better than any illusion we could have done for that group, because after that crazy dude and the reference to Napoleon Dynamite, Brock had those high schoolers eating out of the palm of his hand.

Day One of FX

It's about 10:30pm and this is the first time that I've sat down all day. This first day of FX was the smoothest first day we've ever had. Sure, we had a five or ten minute delay in starting because the video projectors just decided not to work right when we pushed play to start the intro video. Also, the sound guy was three hours late due to car trouble. We had our vehicles in the building and the band's car alarm went off in the beginning of the night. Also, Brock's phone rang backstage during his portion of the show. That's not bad for night one.

There were somewhere around 40 decisions for Christ made tonight! The people putting on the event are simply wonderful. I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds it store for us and this community.

Freedom Experience

Life is about to get extremely busy for me and our whole staff. We are entering a Freedom Experience (www.freedomexperience.com) in Memphis, TN. The Freedom Experience involves a three day crusade featuring Brock Gill as well as a band called Inhabited, a freestyle skater named Tim Byrne, and a bmx team Chaos On Wheels. It's very exciting! FX (Freedom Experience) is housed in a nuetral venue such as a civic center or a high school theater. We target teenagers but everyone is invited. Local churches play a huge roll and provide the money allowing it to be free for the attendees. The churches also provide all of the volunteers. Their help is greatly appreciated.

No matter the amount of volunteers, it takes a lot of work for everybody involved. Our average day at FX starts out early in the morning with a school assembly. We perform an anti-drug related show at the schools and then invite them to the nightly crusades. Three assemblies a day is about average. Doing multiple shows really drains both of us especially Brock. Then, we must load in all of our equipment. Since FX is a much bigger production than all of our other shows, the setup is much more extensive. I actually run the programming of the show. Therefore, not only am I an assistant on the stage, but I'm backstage making sure everyone is out there on cue. It's very stressful! At some locations, we much set up and tear down every single night. In Memphis, we get the luxury of being able to leave our set up all three nights.

Please be praying for FX. Pray that we will not have any problems with production. Pray that we will have strength to endure. Mostly, pray that people will surrender to Christ.

April Fool's Day

Yesterday was so fun for us! So many people called us before they even read the entire blog. Some did read the entire thing but for some reason did not get it. I think that the only thing they took from it was that we were moving. They blocked out the entire last paragraph. I have a feeling that for several months acquaintances will be asking us about our move to LA. Only a couple of people didn't bite at all. Most only figured it out when they read the very last paragraph.

One of our friends was especially flabbergasted because he was over at our house the night before. He e-mailed saying, "I didn't know that your house was on the market." My mom's comment was particularly funny (under the comment section of yesterday's blog). Brock's mom called and pretended to believe it. She had him going for a little while. Maybe this is where Brock gets it from?

Some other practical jokes went on yesterday as well. Check out www.museumofhoaxes.com to read up on some April Fool's jokes from yesterday as well as the best 100 of the past. The best part about yesterday was touching base with all of you. We enjoyed the phone calls as well as e-mails. We love you guys.

Seasons Change

Since we will be on the road from now until Thanksgiving, we decided that we did not need a house. Plus, we miss living on the road in our rig like we did a couple of years ago. We lived in our freightliner with an rv conversion for almost two years. It was so exciting! Everyday we were in a new place. Life was so simple then. We did not worry about paying the rent or mortgage. It was so free and adventurous.

Therefore, last Friday, we placed our house for sale on the market. This morning we got a call from our real estate agent. Someone was desperate enough to offer us what we were asking. So, its goodbye house and hello the wide open road!

To offer even more confirmation that this was the right timing, Brock met a guy named Paul last night at a coffee shop. Paul is an artist working on our new t-shirt designs. Paul's college roommate was in from out of town visiting and came to the coffee shop. As Brock wowed them with his card magic, the guy was obviously impressed. Then, Brock learned that Paul's former roommate was now a casting agent from Hollywood. On the spot, he offered Brock a television show that will begin production in the fall. Brock is accepting it and we are moving to Las Angeles! It's a reality show that will air next year on April 1st. The show will be called "GOTCHA!"

Brock helped me write this and we want to know at what point did you realize we were fool of it. E-mail us your comments.