I grew up in First Baptist Church Killeen attending Sunday School and church, as well as our annual VBS and summer church camps at Highland Lakes Baptist Encampment. I loved my church, but I had never gotten involved in the Youth and Music ministry until our new Youth and Music Directors, Linda and David Anderson, came to town.

Linda and David were both accomplished musicians and they were directing our Youth Choir in a contemporary Christian Musical that summer and still needed a flute player to complete the band for the group. Someone told them I played flute and guitar so they gave me a call and invited me to join. David explained that the group was about to head out for a tour on their way to Glorietta, New Mexico, to perform during Youth Camp week there. The Youth Choir would also be performing at several other churches on the way to Glorietta and we would be gone for almost two weeks.

I wasn’t sure I had time to learn the musical before they left for Glorietta, but with David and Linda’s help and encouragement I decided to give it a try. It was truly the beginning of my love for contemporary Christian music and a time in my life when my faith began to grow.

Over the next several years, our youth group did so many fun things together and all of it revolved around music. Our Youth Choir had a blast touring to Natchez, Louisiana, and to St. Louis, Missouri.

David and Linda Anderson encouraged me to go into music when I went away to college and were always checking up on me to see how I was doing. They became my dear friends and I will forever be thankful to God for their influence in my life.