Happy New Year from the Wanda Mountain Boys!  We are looking forward to a busy 2010 so keep watching our schedule as it is changing regularly.

We ended 2009 on a very high note as we joined Pastor Carl Hester and his congregation at the Odin Assembly of God for a great watch night service.  Brother Hester has been friends with Claude and Rod since childhood so the stories they shared made the night enjoyable.  We were treated to some old fashioned tag team preaching which is something to see if you've never experienced it.  One preacher starts out with a ten minute time limit.  At the end of his time he turns it over to the next preacher.  It's amazing how God works it all out in the end.  Good Stuff!

We had some time off in January to recover from the holidays and make plans for our trip to Florida.  We had to leave a couple of days early trying to beat an ice storm that hit Tennessee but we made if fine and had a great time with our old friend, Bruce McEwan and his new congregation.  Bruce managed the Nazarene Community Center in Roxana, IL for many years and has recently moved to Palmetto to pastor the Church of the Nazarene.  These folks treated us like royalty and we look forward to traveling back south again to see the McEwan's and the folks in Palmetto. 

While in the Palmetto area, we had the chance to go to the Red Barn Flea Market in Bradenton.  To show you how small the world really is, while enjoying lunch, a man approached Rod and asked him if he was the tenor singer for the Wanda Mountain Boys.  This gentleman was from the Belleville area and had heard us at St. Matthews United Methodist.  Needless to say, Rod was quite surprised that someone in Florida recognized him.  Claude and I were wearing disquises so we went unscathed. LOL

Sunday evening found us in Ocala, FL at the Christ Church of Ocala.  This was the first sunday in the church's new facility.  What a beautiful building and an exciting crowd to sing for.  Betty Emert was responsible for booking us in Ocala.  Betty is a snowbird from Edwardsville, IL and books us at her church quite often.  In attendance that night was Contemporary Christian artist Zandra Brown.

From Ocala, it was off to Jacksonville to board the Carnival Fascination for the Magnify Ministries Cruise.  We were joined by Bill Schell, YoungSong, the Colonial City Quartet and the Lumber River Qt.  along with Pastor David Garcia.  We had five fun filled days of great singing and preaching.  When the final count was taken, 13 people came to Christ on the cruise.  Praise the Lord that he can work through Southern Gospel Music to reach lives for the kingdom.

This cruise was extra special as I was able to take my wife and three children.  Claude and Shirley celebrated 48 years of marriage on the ship and my daughter, Leah, celebrated her 6th birthday the following day.  The folks in the Bahamas sure thought she was cute as she sang Happy Birthday to herself as we went from booth to booth at the straw market.  She wound up with 8 free gifts from the nice people on Freeport and Nassau.  Daddy's wallet let out a sigh of relief.

Thanks to all of our friends who went on the cruise with us.  Your attendance made it extra special.  We hope to visit with you all soon.