Great Western Southern Gospel FanFest

Greater Vision

Booth Brothers

Kingsmen

Kim Hopper

Legacy Five

Liberty

Triumphant

The Hoppers

Friday we took a day trip to Fresno. It's a three hour drive from where we live. It had been a while since we had heard some of our favorite Southern Gospel groups, so this was our perfect opportunity. Southern Gospel FanFest is a three day event filled with music, comedy, special speakers and all that fun stuff. There was music from noon until 10:30 pm. We were able to hear Greater Vision, Legacy Five, Liberty, Triumphant, The Hoppers, The Kingsmen, Ben Speer, Booth Brothers, Roy Webb and several others. Dennis Swanberg was also there so he kept everyone laughing. It was a fun filled day for all of us. I wasn't sure how the girls would like sitting and listening to music all day but they loved it. They were listening to everyone and then deciding who their favorite groups were. Kaitlyn chose The Hoppers for her favorite (she loved Kim Hopper) and Karissa chose Triumphant Quartet (she said she liked the little guy..David Sutton). My favorite groups were Legacy Five, Triumphant, The Hoppers and Liberty.

A couple of weeks ago while at IHC, we found out that an old friend of Paul's lives in an assisted living medical center in Fresno. Paul decided he wanted to pay him a visit while we were there for FanFest. When Paul was 8 years old, David, was a young guy in the Navy and he would take Paul fishing on the Navy piers. Seven years ago, David fell out of a tree while he and a crew were cutting it down. Today he is a quadriplegic and can only move his head and shoulders a little. He drives his wheelchair by pushing his tongue against a control that is attached to his headrest and comes around in from of him on a little arm. We sat and talked to him for quite some time and then he asked if we wanted to go for lunch down at a little Mexican restaurant. I think he was looking forward to being able to get out for a little while. Paul signed him out and pushed him down to the restaurant. Of course since he can't move any of his body, he has to be fed. I was so proud of Paul. He sat right down beside him and fed him his food and drink. We walked him back down to the place where he lives and had to say goodbye. I must admit, in just the short time I had known him, he touched my heart. I wanted to cry when we had to leave. If I lived closer, I would be there every week to see him...if not more. How can family members and friends neglect someone like this and not go visit them regularly? As we drove away, Paul and I talked about how quickly a person can go from being a normal, healthy human being to being like David. Even though it's a three hour drive, we plan to go back to visit him some more before we move from here.