Monday, August 9, 2010

Videos from MSSGM

Clark Hagy - a really good friend to the staff at MSSGM, and a 2009 student of the school, was at the Closing Program with his camera in hand. Last week he started uploading videos from the Closing Program on to youtube. Visit www.youtube.com/user/pianogospel05 to see some of the videos. Clark also attended the WV School of Music, which was held the week after MSSGM in Kenna, WV, and you can see videos from their closing program on his youtube site a well.

The CDs and DVDs are currently in production, and we expect to be shipping them in the next few weeks. Thanks to Donna Leaptrot (Brendon, Katie and Andrew's mom) for taking on that project!

Monday, August 2, 2010


On Wednesday, July 21, I was in a bit of a pickle prior to the evening music school. The man that I had previously asked to do devotions for the evening had to back out at the last minute, due to some personal matters that needed to be tended. So, I prayed and asked God to help me make a decision - did He want me to lead the evening devotion or did He have someone else in mind? I felt that God wanted me to ask one of the men from Union Mission to share their testimony with the student body that evening; and so I did.


Joe was one of the men who had impressed the facutly with his previous musical background - he had even competed at band competitions in high school against one of our faculty members. He also was a great anchor of our bass section. Joe gladly agreed, and shared his testimony. The student body was quiet that night - and listened, hanging on to every word that Joe shared. He told of how he grew up in church and had been saved at an early age. But he grew up and made poor decisions - that included drugs and alcohol. About 11 months ago, he went to Union Mission and turned his life back over to the Lord. He's enrolled at Word of Life Bible Institute and will begin classes this Fall.


There were about 12 men who came to the music school from the Foundations program at Union Mission and we LOVED them! The first day of classes, they were hesitant. It was obvious that those men did not really, truly want to be at a "music school". Even after the first evening I was thinking that the men didn't really have a good time, and was "hoping" they would choose to give the school another night, another chance. They did. On Tuesday night they were more comfortable, their mouths were opening a little wider and they were smiling!


This past Sunday night, the men came to Cobbs Creek (my home church) along with Rex Whiteman (of Union Mission). They sang three songs ("Hand In Hand with Jesus", "Where Could I Go" and "Victory in Jesus"). Seth Gregory surprised the men (and me too, I didn't know he was planning on attending the service) and accompanied the men as they sang.
It was such a blessing! I wish you all could have been there!