I wanted to write a
detailed update about the Life Tour from which Jill and I just returned. I
didn’t send this lengthy version out to everyone on our email list, as
long emails usually don’t get read.
First I would like
to set the stage by sharing some of the miracles that brought the trip
about. Last fall we learned about the National Religious Broadcasters
Convention (NRB). The announcement said there would be over 150 exhibitors
from all over the country and they expected 5,000 visitors. Jill and I had
committed to make 2002 the year we would focus on getting the Choose Life
license plate into other states. This seemed like the ideal opportunity to
kick off this effort. Shortly thereafter we got notification about the
bi-annual Crisis Pregnancy Center Director’s Conference at Focus on the
Family and it was two weeks after the NRB in Nashville. We began to think
and pray about attending these events, but we knew the application fees
and travel expenses would be substantial and Choose Life, Inc. could not
cover the expenses.
We inquired about
attending and obtained the necessary application forms and soon realized
the cost would be about $5,000.00. I didn’t believe we could raise that
much money and was beginning to get discouraged. However after praying
about our decision I got the idea of asking our Florida supporters to fund
the effort and I asked the Florida Crisis Pregnancy Centers and Maternity
Homes to consider giving Choose Life, Inc. some or all of one of their
monthly tithes, if it was not already pledged elsewhere. We started making
plans and to be honest, I still did not have the faith to believe the
money would come in. As He always does, God began to teach me to move
forward as He leads and let Him deal with the resources. Needless to say,
we have now received over $4,650.00 and a CPC in Tallahassee has pledged
the rest.
In an effort to
keep the costs down, we had arranged to stay with friends and supporters
all along the road and as a result we were only required to stay in motels
for about 8 nights out of the 30 we were traveling. We had invitations
from supporters in Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana
to visit with them and they had set up meetings with various legislators
and other interested parties in their area.
We did not know
what vehicle we were going to take, as our old station wagon would not
make the trip, nor would it carry all the items we would need. We had
checked into renting a vehicle, but the cheapest one would cost $1150 for
a month. However, God had a better idea. About three weeks before we were
due to leave a young friend who had moved in with us for a while offered
to give us his van (a second vehicle he had been unable to sell) in
exchange for us letting him stay with us. It was a 1993 Chevy Astro
extended van and had 136,000 miles on it, but it ran good and as we now
know, it made the entire trip without a single problem. We cleaned it up
and added the vinyl lettering and it looks like a million dollars. We have
named our van “Tess” from “Touched by an Angel” She is old and has lots of
miles on her just like the van does.
(Click on any of the
pictures below for a larger view.)
We left on February 12th
and went to Tennessee and toured the factory that makes the Choose Life
promotional plates. This is my wife Jill and Don, the owner of the
company.
After that our
first event was the NRB in Nashville. It was held at the Opryland Hotel
Convention Center. We had a booth set up there and made contact with many
individuals and companies interested in working on a Choose Life license
plate.
I sent an update to
all of you about that event and all the great contacts we were able to
make while there. I forgot to mention that we made a contact with USA
Radio News, the organization that does news for many Christian radio
stations and they will be doing a news item on the Choose Life license
plate.
Our next stop was
Topeka, KS where Kansans for Life are working to get the Choose Life
license plate approved. We testified before the Senate Transportation
Committee and the bill passed there unanimously and the following week, it
passed the full Senate. It should pass in the House next month and the
governor is expected to sign the bill. This picture is of Joan Hawkins and
Lowell Ramsey with Kansans for Life.
Then we went on to
Colorado Springs for the CPC Director’s Conference.
We had a great
booth right outside the main conference hall and many attendees came
through.
We made many great
contacts and let them know about how well the Choose Life license plate is
working in Florida and encouraged them to try to get an effort going in
their state. Dr. Dobson addressed the attendees and gave us a chance to
talk back to him. It was just the opportunity I had prayed for, as I was
able to let all 800 of the attendees know about what is happening in
Florida and our offer to help them get a similar plate for their state.
After I finished, Dr. Dobson told the editor of their Citizen Magazine to
do an article about the Choose Life license plate and he was told they had
already done two stories. Dr. Dobson said, “You know, I need to read more
of what you write.” He was very gracious and it was a great privilege to
get to talk to him.
While we were in
Colorado Springs, we were able to attend services at both the Catholic and
Protestant services at their lovely USAF Academy Church.
On the last day of
the CPC conference we received word that my daughter’s father-in-law had
passed away and my son-in-law wanted to fly us home for the funeral. We
left immediately at the end of the conference and drove to our next
engagement in Oklahoma City. We went through the northern part of Texas
and in Pampa, TX we passed the largest cross in the western hemisphere. It
is 195 feet tall and surrounded by the Stations of the Cross. Although it
was bitterly cold, we had to stop and see it.
When we got to our
host family in Oklahoma, they took us to the airport where we caught a
plane home for the funeral and flew back two days later, in time for our
first meeting with the state representative working on a Choose Life
license plate bill for Oklahoma. We were able to help him re-write the
bill and it has now passed the House and heads for the Senate, where it
will face a hard time. We were invited to attend a CPC fund raising
banquet where the Lt. Governor was guest speaker. We had a chance to talk
to her about the Choose Life license plate and she expressed her support
for the bill.
Bill sponsor Rep. Thad
Balkman, Oklahoma Lt. Governor Mary Fallin and our lay person working to
get the Oklahoma Choose Life tag approved, Lori Sowers.
From Oklahoma, we
headed to Little Rock, AR to meet with three legislators, the Governor’s
Administrative Assistant and the President of Arkansas Right to Life. They
decided to introduce the Choose Life license plate bill in January 2003,
where they believe it will pass with very little opposition.
Attendees State
Representative Marvin Parks (not shown) (Left to Right around table) State
Representative Jim Magnus; Governors Director of Family Policy, Chris
Pyle; CPC Board Member Kathy Archer; State Senator Gilbert Baker;
Executive Director of Arkansas Right to Life, Rose Mimm. (Click on
picture for larger view.)
Our next stop was
Jackson, MS where they have a bill that has passed both the House and
Senate in slightly different versions. They anticipate being able to get a
compromise bill approved before the session ends.
From Mississippi we
headed down to Baton Rouge, LA where we met with all the participants in
the Choose Life license plate effort for LA. The assistant Attorney
General Roy Montague meet with us and explained the current status of the
lawsuit. He said he expects a favorable ruling very soon. The local
television news interviewed us and took pictures of the Choose Life van.
We were also interviewed on a local secular Talk Radio show.
We had planned to
be gone for 5 weeks, but we finished up a week early and came home March
14th. It was a great trip and it will take us months to follow
up on all the contacts we made.
Right now it look
like a sure thing that Kansas will pass the Choose Life bill, Mississippi
is a pretty sure thing also, but Oklahoma is about 50/50. If the suit is
resolved in Louisiana, the tags could be on the road very soon there also.
Alabama is still pre-selling their 1,000 tags and if no suit is filed
there, they will get their tag also.
Thank you for your
prayers and interest in our efforts. Keep praying for the success of the
Choose Life license plate bills now working their way through these state
legislatures.
