We are back.
In the previous episode it was revealed that after leaving WOLBI I got a job at my hometown department store and purchased my first vehicle, a 1964 Ford Falcon Econoline van which I loved. It was only in my possession a few months before I cracked it up and replaced it with an inferior Rambler American. I thought I would never own another van but I did and here's the story.
I had almost forgotten this element in my life until Greg Laurie, a So. California pastor put out the Jesus Revolution film a few months back. What I saw happening on the previews of the film reminded me of my own life at that time. While working at Ames, I was at my church in Eastford, CT. The post high school gang there (Jack, Bruce, Steve and myself) began thinking about a ministry to that day's youth. One of the guy's father worked at the only Christian bookstore in our area. It was in Woodstock, CT. Just north of Woodstock over the Massachusetts border was Webster. Their high school, Bartlett was our fierce rival at my school, Southbridge High. Apparently a similar group of late teen post HS guys and girls had started a ministry there and bought ministry materials at the bookstore. So we all got connected. A lot of the details are sketchy but I remember we gathered in an upper room of a barn or garage in Webster to study Scripture and pray. We talked about getting the Gospel out to our generation. It was exactly what we felt called to. They gave us some of their materials and one way stickers (from Arthur Blessit's ministry). Of course their tracts and pamphlets had their name and address stamped on them. That motivated us to get some made for our own ministry. We called ourselves Fishermen for Christ. We announced our plans to folk in our church. I wanted to produce a radio program similar to Songtime that I used to listen to before school right after I got saved but our focus would be our generation so the music would have to be Jesus rock music. We recorded our first offering and gave copies to church folk who jumped on board with financing. We bought materials, rubber stamps and ink, stickers and began seeking radio stations that might air the new FFC Jesus Music radio show. We even visited our closest Christian radio station in Hartford CT which didn't even reach our area. Unfortunately the radio broadcast was way too amateur for air play so the idea never took. But our efforts to bring the Gospel to youth in our area became our priority. When finances began to pour in we started a bank account and appointed a treasurer. By default I became FFC's director. The other guys were voting members. We started with some Bible study and prayer times but we had no real place to gather like the Webster group. I was in Southbridge, Mass. The treasurer was in Woodstock, CT. A couple of members were in Eastford and another in the Willimantic, CT area. We were just too scattered but didn't see that as a deterrent. We made plans for discipling new believers. We needed Bibles to give away. The Christian bookstore was small in Woodstock and couldn't provide what we needed at a good cost. So one of the guys and I took off in the Rambler during a huge snow storm to go to my Bible Institute in NY to haggle a deal with them. Ken Taylor from Tyndale publishers just completed his "Living" series of the New Testament. Some of you may remember "Living Letters", Paul's epistles in a real up to date English language Bible. It was more of a paraphrase than a translation. The new paperback version of the "Living New Testament" had real mod looking covers. That would of been what we wanted but Word of Life Bible Institute bookstore couldn't price those as affordably as the basic green cover NT's. So we went with that. We were able to purchase a number of cases from the Fishermen's account. It was just a months after my leaving WOLBI and my praying for snow for snow camp, which already had concluded but on this day the Lord was still answering my prayers as the snow was coming down. We were on the highway heading home when we hit untreated piles of snow and began to skid out just outside the Lake George exit on the Northway. Slipping and sliding on the fresh snow even with the new snow tires and posi-traction on the Rambler, we flew off the highway and into a ditch. It was 1972 or 73 and cell phones were not available. But right near our car was a call box for emergencies! So we called for help and in a matter of minutes the tow truck arrived and winched us out. We followed him back the the garage which was located just across the street where the Open Air meetings occured two or three years earlier when I was a dishwasher at WOL Inn. We had no money only a credit card which the garage didn't take. But another local garage did and billed the card gave his competitor the cash and we were back on the Northway (I-87) traveling in better conditions as the snow had stopped.
It was at this time we met some teens in Southbridge and we began ministering to them. One young boy we began to disciple. His name was David and I believe he was the first recipient of the FFC Living NT! Our treasury grew and we needed to think about how we should grow. When we traveled we had to take multiple vehicles so my mind floated back to my days in the '64 Falcon van. A van like that could transport us all and others around. The Webster gang contacted me about a '66 Econoline extended body in their community so the treasurer and I drove there to see it. Wow! It had extra rows of seats to carry people plus more room behind the seats to carry equipment. Just what we needed. So we bought it. The nose looked exactly the the van I crashed but the extension stuck out another 3-4 feet. Ahhhh. A van! I loved it. But it was the ministry van.
Episode nine needs to conclude here for a number of reasons. First, the Treasurer was about to enter college. The road trip member who was with me when we drove off the Northway was about to get married. Others began to become involved in other interests. And the summer that I first saw my future wife was coming up. But the biggest reason was this: I don't remember. I don't know what happened to FFC Ford van. I don't know what happened to our ministry materials. I just don't remember. It also seems that the Webster gang was phasing out as well. So, episode 10 will be a wrap up of the Listen to this series.
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