Dee: We have a guest today who has a fascinating story to share with us.

Harv: Yes, I'm looking forward to this interview, as our guest is a friend of my brother, who recommended Don's outstanding testimony. Thank you, Don, for obliging us today.

Don: My pleasure.

Dee: Have you been a Christian long?

Don: I was "born again" only a couple of years ago; however, I've gone to church all my life.

Dee: What caused the change?

Don: Our church had a visiting evangelist come for a week and my wife and I offered to house her while she ministered at our church. About the third morning at breakfast, she thanked us for housing her. Then she wanted to know if she could ask me a personal question. "Sure, why not," I mused.

"Are you a born again Christian," she asked.

"Well, I've never really thought about that," I answered slowly.

"Have you asked Jesus to be YOUR Savior and really made Him the Lord of your life?"

I was temporarily speechless. I'd never really thought about that, I mean, I knew he was Savior, but no, I had never consciously asked Him into my heart and life. Somehow, I became aware of my need now. So then and there I asked for forgiveness for my sins and for Christ to come into my life to lead, guide, and strengthen me.

Harv: My brother said you were a great guy before, and yet the change in you after asking Christ in was still profound. You soon established a new ministry at your church. Can you tell us about it?

Don: I was changed. Serving the Lord was now a desire. I felt called to provide tapes of sermons and the like for shut-in's or whoever felt a need or interest in tapes on a specific subject matter. So I made the tapes, categorized them and established a tape library for the church.

Dee: That's great! I'm sure those tapes are a blessing for many.

Harv: There was another ministry you established at the church to help the hard of hearing.

Don: Yes, I put earphones in some pews for the hard of hearing.

Dee: Wonderful. I'm sure there are many who thank God for the provisions you've created for them. You are retired now, but your last several months in the navy were almost unbelievable.

Don: You're right. It all started when I got orders to ship out to the Mediterranean just before retiring.

Dee: Not what you'd been dreaming of.

Don: No siree. It was not wartime then, and I shouldn't have been required to ship out for those last few months. I went to the local authorities, but they said I had to go. I even drove to the Pentagon outside DC to plead my case.

Dee: Did that help?

Don: No. I prayed and prayed that I not have to go.

Dee: What happened?

Don: I was sent to the Mediterranean dragging my feet all the way.

Dee: And that was before you knew how exhausting this tour would be.

Don: Right. Once on board the ship, I was assigned to be in charge of the galley. They were so short-handed that I needed to be on duty some portion of each shift. My duty hours were overwhelmingly long. Sleep and personal time became a challenge. When I did have a few minutes, I'd pull out my pocket Bible and read a verse or two and meditate on them.

One day a young sailor said, "Pops, are you a Christian?"

"Sure am," I responded.

"Oh, wow!" he continued. "A bunch of us guys have been praying that God would send a Christian to lead us."

Dee: I agree with that young man. Wow! You had the head knowledge of the scriptures from attending a Bible-preaching church all your life, and after giving your life to Jesus, you had a heart love and commitment to the Lord and for people. It sounds like you were God's answer to the prayers of those on board the ship.

Don: Not only that, the fact that I needed to oversee each shift actually made my presence available to most anyone who felt they needed counsel or Biblical guidance.

Harv: How did you feel about this tour of duty now?

Don: I was exhausted physically, but radiantly happy in the Lord, and even glad to be there.

Dee: Praise God. I understand the group of sailors wanting to study the Word of God grew.

Don: It sure did. There were 6 fellows when I arrived and many more when we docked back in Norfolk at the end of the tour.

Dee: We praise the Lord for your ministry, Don. May God continue to bless you and each of those young men.