Marshall-Grant Ministries
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Volume 3 - Number 3

The Road Continues...

November 2004 

NEW PROGRAM!

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Find the article about your church!

River Of Life MCC, Pasco, WA

Rainbow Cathedral MCC, Yakima, WA

MCC Portland, OR

Valley Ministries MCC, Stockton, CA

Christ Chapel MCC, Santa Ana, CA

Aloha MCC, Maui, HI

Closing Thoughts

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Schedule

Prayer Requests

New CD Project

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Booking Information

Press Kit - Everything you need to promo a concert

See this eNews on our website!
eNews - November 2004  Issue

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See our latest schedule below!

There are still open dates in December!

Contact ASAP to book a Christmas Concert with Pat and Carolyn!

When we left you in the last issue of eNews, it was October 2003...  we were home for only a few days when we set out for the state of Washington.  We allotted 5 days to make the 3000 mile journey.  The weather was perfect, cool and sunny.  We loved our new van and we packed food for our trip to save our cash.  The western sunsets were spectacular!  We were traveling in some new parts of the country for us and we had never been that far west this late in the year.  All was great until the fourth day into our travels when we opened the door to our motel room and were greeted by several inches of snow on the ground and more coming down.  Now I know that most of you probably live in areas of the country where it snows all winter long, but in our home town of Atlanta, GA it snows maybe once a year and we all stay home until it melts.  But we have traveled in snow before and I figured we'd just give them a couple hours to clear the roads and we'd be on our way.  No such luck.  It was coming down too fast and the snow plows couldn't keep up with it.  We started out across the mountain pass and the roads got worse and worse.  There were trucks and cars on the shoulders, most looked like they had slid off the road and were in the ditches.  We inched along and 4 hours later we had traveled 100 miles and just north of Salt Lake City we were out of the snow.  The rest of the trip was uneventful, other than new sites and landscapes.  

On day five we reached the Tri-cities area of Washington state and followed our directions to the home of Rev Janet Pierce, her spouse Cindy and their 4 children.  We arrived around 4:00 p.m. on Halloween and the kids were decked out in their costumes.  Pat and I gave out candy at the door while Rev Janet, Cindy and the kids walked the neighborhood trick-or-treating.  It was a bustle of activity!  Things settled down after the costumes came off and we all settled in for the night.  The next day, Rev Janet took Pat and I to River Of Life MCC, Pasco, WA to set up for the concert that evening.  The concert went well and we enjoyed visiting with the folks afterward.  Then we packed up and went back to Rev Janet's home for the night.  

Sunday morning we drove to Rainbow Cathedral MCC, Yakima, WA.  We were to stay with Rev Jane Newell, her partner and their two children Orion and Anais.  When we arrived a gentle snow was beginning to fall and little Orion was building a 10 inch tall snowman on a table in the back yard (with a little help of course).  After a brief time at the house and Rev Jane took us over to the church for set-up.  Deb, Mary and Susan, were among the a great crew to help with set-up.    We did a concert during service that evening and had a wonderful time.  Rev Jane and her partner were not only kind enough to let us stay the week with them but they even gave us their room for a few extra days.  They had two cats and you know us, any room with a cat is home!  :-)  We had a great time getting to know them and then we headed south to toward Oregon.

We arrived in Portland, OR around 5:00 p.m. at the home of Donna and her cat Picasso.  We had our own room with a bath and since I was coming down with a nasty cough, I was glad to have a private place to hibernate.  The cough continued to get worse as we prepared for the concert at MCC Portland that weekend.  The next few days were tough.  We did set-up and sound-check with the help of our friend and former pastor, Rev Glenna Shepherd who is now the pastor of MCC Portland.  Sunday we did a couple of songs during the morning service.  Then we rested up for the evening concert.  My cough was getting worse and I was, to say the least, concerned that I might not be able to sing.  We re-vamped the concert so that I didn't have TOO many songs in a row without a break and I drank LOTS of herbal teas.  We had a small but appreciate crowd for the concert and my voice was not anywhere near 100% but I think we did a good concert in spite of my vocal limitations.  After packing up, we went back to Donna home and snuggled in for a few days to heal.  Donna had mentioned an herbal remedy that she used whenever she felt a cold coming on and by the end of the day Tuesday, I was ready to try anything!  SO we went to the store for "Wellness Formula Herbal Defense Complex" made by Source Naturals.  I started a regimen of 3 tablets every three hours and an herbal cough remedy the store clerk recommended and in 36 hours I was remarkably better!  I now swear by that herbal formula and carry it everywhere we go!!  And I'm sure the rest and little Picasso were a big help, too!  Picasso is a great little cat that looks just like our cat, Ripley did.  Thank you SO much, Donna for putting up with sick house guests and being so helpful!

We left there headed for Valley Ministries MCC, Stockton, CA and the home of Pastor Terri Miller and her partner Marilyn.  They were great!  They cooked for us and even planned a dinner with some folks from the church.  We laughed until we cried playing games that night.  I was feeling much better by the weekend.  Pastor Terri and Marilyn took us around town to see the sites on Saturday.  They were wonderful hosts!  The church had recently purchased a building that was still being renovated so they held morning services in a nearby motel.  They had church in a box down to an art!  There was a crew waiting on us to help unload and set up and then they left us to do sound-check.  The concert that morning was great!  They were a wonderful group to sing for and I was feeling so much better!  After the concert, everybody helped pack up and we all drove to the new church building for a pizza lunch!  They were so excited about the new building and we couldn't help but be excited for them.  People were trimming back the roses and shrubbery around the building as others worked inside.   I can't wait to see what God has in store for this group.  Thank you Pastor Terri, Marilyn, Princess and everyone at Valley Ministries MCC!

We left there on Monday and headed to the home of our long-time friends, Bob and Jim in Rancho Mirage, CA. They are usually our home base when we travel in the southwestern US.   We had a lot to do that week because after the coming weekend, we were scheduled to fly to Maui, HI.  And as exciting as that was, we had to repack everything for air travel and it needed to fit in a suitcase rather than something the size of the van.  Bob and Jim are always so good to us.  We also enjoy their company so it was a good week!

On Friday we drove to Santa Ana, CA and the home of Naomi and Chris.  Chris had just had surgery on his shoulder and even though he was in a good bit of pain, was a gracious host.  He greeted us at the door with a bag of frozen peas (as an ice pack) on his shoulder and entertained us until his wife, Naomi got home.  That evening Naomi, Pat and I went to Pastor Robin White's home for dinner.  We met Pastor's boyfriend, Barry and talked over dinner.  After dinner, we went back to the house and got ready for bed.  The next day, after a wonderful home-cooked breakfast, we headed over to Christ Chapel MCC, Santa Ana, CA  to met Pastor Robin for set-up.  Attendance at the concert was small but a good group.  Then Sunday morning we were back at the church for Sunday morning services.  They were having their Thanksgiving celebration feast after service and the house was packed!  We had a great time and left there stuffed with Thanksgiving goodies!  A big THANK YOU to Naomi, Chris, Pastor Robin and the entire Christ Chapel congregation!

Sunday afternoon we loaded up and drove back to our friends Bob and Jim's home in Rancho Mirage, CA.  We finalized our repacking and on Monday morning, leaving our equipment and van with Bob and Jim, we flew to Maui!  

When we arrived at the Maui airport we were greeted by Becky, Rene' and their daughter, Marley!  They helped us get our luggage and we loaded up the jeep.  Both Pat and I were so excited to finally be on the island of Maui.  Becky and Rene' told us all about the island as we drove through the sugar cane fields and then started up the mountain (well actually it is a dormant volcano) to their home which they share with two cats, the first cat's name escapes me and the kitten, PooPooKai (that's Hawaiian for cat)!  The island was beautiful and was exactly as Becky said, "we live in paradise!".  The sun was beginning to set as they drove us up the "scenic route" to their house.  We could see the beach from the hillside and it was glorious!

When we arrived, they told us that Pastor Rodney and his partner Andrew had left his jeep for us to use while on the island as they helped us get our luggage into the "O'hana" that was to be our home for the next two weeks.  The air was cool, crisp and clean and as Pat and I excitedly freshened up for dinner (Becky is a gourmet cook) we almost felt like we had just arrived in heaven!

The following day we got up early (Our bodies were still on Pacific Time) and started looking around at what there was to do.  Rene' and Becky loaned us a wonderful tour book with great descriptions of the island and we were off!  We didn't know where to start!

On Wednesday they took us over to the church, Aloha MCC, Maui, HI, to check out the sound, etc.  There we met Larry and Rick and planned what we would need for the concert on Friday.  

Thursday was Thanksgiving 2003 and we enjoyed a tremendous feast prepared by Becky with Rene, Becky, Marley, Andrew and several other friends.  The only words I can think of to describe it was glorious!!

Friday we were off to the church to prepare for the concert.  The concert went well and afterward Pastor Rodney invited us to sing on Sunday morning.

On Sunday morning, Pastor Rodney, presented us leis and he was even kind enough to consider our allergies so they were made of nuts and leaves.  

During our stay on Maui, we drove the tropical "road to Hana", visited the gorgeous Iao Valley (where parts of the movie South Pacific were filmed), went on a whale watching trip (we saw a mother and baby whale breach!), went snorkeling with sea turtles (Carolyn's first time snorkeling), attended an authentic Luau and experienced sunrise at the very chilly 10,000 foot peak of Haleakala!  We covered every inch of that island we could get to!  Thank you to Becky, Rene, Marley, Rev Rodney Staples, Andrew and Aloha MCC for an incredible trip!

When we arrived back in Palm Desert, Bob and Jim welcomed us back and we shared our stories of the island.  After a day or two there, we returned to the road and headed for Reno, NV.  

This seems like as good a place as any to stop this issue of eNews.  Look for more of our adventures from the road in our next issue.

 Closing Thoughts:

I read the news headlines and see photos of bombings and hostages, downed planes, soldiers killed, innocent citizens murdered…  The one that hit hard in September was in Russia…  Killing innocent children for what?  For a cause?  What cause can be so great that deliberately sacrificing children is justified?  Isn’t the plea for political independence supposedly for the children or at least current and future generations?

A photograph of a Russian father carrying his son away from a hostage situation brings tears to my eyes.  And it reminds me of the pictures of our own firefighters carrying children away from the Oklahoma City bombings and images of 9/11 as well.  Islamic extremists pay families when their adolescents blow themselves up “as long as you take some of those infidels with you”.  The Iraqis seem to hate us even after we freed them.  Nothing makes sense; especially disturbing is the fact that so many of these acts of hate and violence are done in the name of God. 

Everything I know by faith, read, and experience about God is Love.  Where did anyone get the idea that killing someone for any reason is Godly?  How is it that we humans intentionally scar the face of love with such hatred?  Most religions I know, if they do not consider Christ to be God incarnate, at least consider him a great prophet.  How can any religion that considers Christ a prophet or even God say they are following God’s call and slit the throat of another human being at the same time? 

The distortion happens just like so many other human political issues…  when we become more interested in the letter of the law and the power that it gives, rather than the intent of the laws.  We get so distracted by greed, envy, fear of the unknown, hunger for power, even violence itself… the list goes on and on.  A few of the issues that inspire these feelings in the US would include:  abortion, racism, sexism and those we know all too well as homosexuals. 

How can we combat such strong feelings?

I’m not sure what the answer is on a worldwide scale, but I do know that Christ taught us to love, have mercy and turn the other cheek.  Those are hard words to follow when you are facing someone that would rather kill you than teach or explain to you what they believe.  But that’s what we are told by Christ’s life, teachings and example. 

I have such mixed emotions when I see the violence and think about the offenders.  My feelings are so contrary to what my God commands.  “Thou Shalt Not Kill”, doesn’t say but only when they aren’t trying to kill you.  “Thou Shalt Not Covet” doesn’t say but if you covet the wealth of another nation with a different culture that’s ok.  “Thou Shalt Not Steal” doesn’t say but it’s ok if the victim is weak.  But I also think that God intends for us to protect and provide for those who cannot protect or provide for themselves. Jesus fed the crowds that followed him.  He took care of their needs with the loaves and fishes.  Jesus saved the woman from stoning saying, “Let those without sin cast the first stone”.  His words were strong and no one even dared say that they had never made a mistake.  The only evidence, that I recall, of Jesus using any form of violence was just toward objects when he turned over the tables in the temple, throwing the merchants and money changers out of the temple.  Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for humanity by giving his life.  So I don’t think that Christ’s example would mean that we should sit back and let it happen.  I believe that Christ expects us to stand firm and work toward what we believe in. 

I also believe that Christ cries out in agony when the children of God hurt one another.  Christ certainly cried in the garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus cried because he knew that humans would distort the sacrifice he was making for us.  He knew that and still did it because he loved us so much that it was worth the price even if only one person’s life was transformed.  God sent the Christ for you, for me, the religious right, the religious left and even for the hijackers.  So in honor of that gift, can’t we all get along?  We may not all agree, but we can respect and love each other.  Let’s leave the hatred and condemnation out of the picture and concentrate on the love of God through Christ Jesus.  Everything Christ did and said taught us to think logically and examine the law before acting in blind obedience.  I think that if we all tried to do just that we would be a lot better off.  I certainly don’t see how the logical conclusion to Christ’s sacrifice could be anything other than love.  Even as Jesus hung dying on the cross, he prayed, “Forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”  If that isn’t love, I guess I don’t have a clue.

And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8

Pat and Carolyn
Musical Evangelists

Southern Nebraska
October 2003

The view from our motel 
room in Wyoming!
October 2003

View from our Van as we crossed western Wyoming
Yes this is the expressway!
 October 2003

Pasco, WA
Rev Janet and Cindy's Children
November 2003

Orion , Yakima, WA
November 2003

Pat and her Nephew, Seth
November 2003

Sunset on Maui!
December 2003

Merry Christmas Hawaiian style!

Our kitty, Gizmo
Is he gorgeous or what?
Summer 2004

Schedule!

Contact us ASAP to add your church to the list!

September 12
MCC New Haven, CT

September 19
MCC Boston, MA

October 13
Hope MCC, Daytona Beach, FL

October 17
Spirit Of Life MCC, New Port Richey, FL

October 23-31
UpBeat! Atlanta Tour
Christ Covenant MCC
Gentle Spirit Christian Church
Our Hope MCC
First MCC Atlanta

November 7
Church Of Our Savior MCC, Boynton Beach, FL

November 21
The Rock MCC, Chattanooga, TN

December 18-19
Bethel Church, Birmingham, AL

2005 Schedule is booking now!

January 9
(Tentative)
First MCC, Atlanta, GA

Palm Sunday
March 20
New Life MCC of the Hamptons, Norfolk, VA

March 23
(Tentative)
Hope MCC, Daytona Beach, FL

Easter Sunday
March 27
FirstCoast MCC, St. Augustine, FL

July 22 thru 26
UFMCC General Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Help us to spread the Good News!
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Marshall-Grant Ministries is a 501(c)(3) organization
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This newsletter is a 
publication of: 
Marshall-Grant Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 1725
Decatur, GA  30031

Have a Wonderfully Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday!

May the Peace of God be with you always!

Your sisters in Christ’s service,

Carolyn Marshall and Pat Grant

Special Note to Church Leaders:  
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