News & Notes

NEWS AND NOTES

POSTED 11/27/07

It was a busy few months for Harmony Sound Quartet. We have been in Missouri, Illinois, Texas and Oklahoma the last few months. God blessed us with safety and wonderful worship experiences. We made new friends and had opportunity to catch up with some old friends too. We even had a couple “days off” when we took in some sight seeing in St. Louis, enjoyed hours of fun on the backs of four-wheelers in Southeastern Oklahoma, and even did a little fishing! Check out the photo gallery!

~ Donna

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POSTED 8/29/07

Last Sunday, Jeff and I took a day of R&R in Ocean City, New Jersey. We attended the morning worship service at Ocean City Tabernacle and heard a challenging message by Rev. Dr. Paul Kirbas, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton, IL. If you are ever visiting Ocean City, make sure to stop by the Tabernacle at 550 Wesley Avenue – what a wonderful place of worship and Christian fellowship (www.octabernacle.org). Our true reason for choosing that particular Sunday to make the drive to Ocean City was because Allison Durham Speer was the guest musical artist at the Tabernacle. Allison and her husband, Brian, have been great friends to me as well as a source of encouragement and support for my music ministry. We enjoyed having time to visit with them that afternoon. Then we heard a great concert by Allison that evening! To learn more about Allison’s exciting ministry, go to www.allisondurhamspeer.com.

~ Donna

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POSTED 8/16/07

I took a whirlwind trip to one of my favorite places at the end of July – Nashville, Tennessee! Check out the photo gallery for pictures from the trip! Harmony Sound Quartet did several concerts in and around Nashville and while there I spent a few days at Ben Speer’s Stamps-Baxter School of Music.The school is dedicated to the furtherance of Southern Gospel Music and to raising the standard of musical excellence. I have been a student at the music school each summer for the past eight summers. I missed not being able to participate in the full two weeks this year due to scheduling conflicts, but was glad for a few days to catch up with old friends and sit in on some classes. I attended several music theory classes, performance and communication seminars led by Allison Durham Speer and had a great time singing with Harmony Sound Quartet. If you or someone you know has interest in attending this prestigious school run by Ben Speer, go to www.stampsbaxterschool.com for more information. Or contact me and I can give you more details.

~ Donna

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POSTED 07/29/07

At the end of June, I had the privilege of participating in Transport For Christ’s Truck Rally held in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. What an exciting event held at the Lebanon Valley Fairgrounds and the weather was perfect! The rally included lots of different events during the day on Saturday – including a parade of over 300 spit-shined tractor trailers – a chicken barbeque dinner and concert Saturday night and then a worship service Sunday morning. They brought a flatbed tractor trailer into the Expo Center for a platform – now that’s a stage!! Saturday night, I opened the concert for Kevin Spencer and Friends. Kevin’s parents, Barbara and J.B. Spencer “came out” of retirement to also sing a few songs during the concert. That was a treat for everyone! On Sunday morning, the worship service included my concert as well as an update on TFC’s ministry. Check the Photo Gallery for more pictures.

If you’re not familiar with Transport For Christ (TFC), you need to find out about them – they have an incredible ministry leading truck drivers and the trucking community to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. Mobile chapels across North America and in Russia take the message of the Good News of Jesus to truckers where they work and spend a large part of their lives – the truck stops and the road. These chapels are open every day of the week, some of them 24 hours a day. Most folks do not realize that over-the-road drivers average 300 nights away from home per year! You can image the challenges this presents to families, marriages, and the spiritual life of the driver. The TFC chapels offer truckers a place where they can find fellowship, encouragement, a listening ear, prayer in time of need, and at all times the message of redemption in Jesus Christ. Please keep this ministry in your prayers and especially the chaplains who spend many hours ministering to drivers in these mobile chapels! To find out more about Transport for Christ and ways you can support this ministry, go to www.transportforchrist.org or you can contact their international office at Transport For Christ, 1525 River Road, Marietta, PA 17547.

~ Donna