3ABN Radio

By Sveta

September 1, 2017November 20, 2017

Radio Reaches Out in Michigan

We are convinced that God has ordained every broadcast medium to be used in proclaiming the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 to the world, and the exciting reports coming from a large 3ABN Radio affiliate network in Michigan prove that radio works!

Strong Tower Radio operates both a television station and eleven radio stations, broadcasting a combination of 3ABN and local programming to a huge audience throughout Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.

Tom Mejeur works for them in production and marketing, and recently sent us these reports. “Pastor Jed Genson of the Manistique, McMillan Northwoods, and Sault Ste. Marie Seventh-day Adventist churches, sent us a first-person report. He told us that of the eight baptisms they had in 2016, seven were as a direct result of Strong Tower Radio. Pastor Genson wrote, ‘Our contacts were well grounded in the truth of the Scriptures after listening to the powerful preaching… and when we studied with them, each candidate was already prepared to make a full commitment and follow Christ in baptism. Thank you for your vision and dedication! Radio waves have enabled the gospel to be shared in areas we cannot reach, and lives have been touched for eternity.’

“Then there’s Diane Kobor, in Gaylord, Michigan, who wrote us, saying, ‘Michelle walked in ten minutes before Sabbath School started, and said, “The Lord sent me here to this church!” Evidently she’s been listening to Amazing Facts, and has already decided to stop her business on Sabbath and let work be done on Sunday! Another Strong Tower listener, who was baptized in 2015, signed her up for Bible studies on the spot, and Michelle plans to be back for Thursday’s study in Revelation!’ ”

Yes, the Lord is using every means possible to reach His children, and we are thrilled to work with ministries like Strong Tower Radio. God’s blessing and favor have been poured out abundantly, and their ministry has undergone tremendous expansion. Please pray for both 3ABN Radio and Strong Tower Radio as we seek to reach a lost and dying world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

By Sveta

August 1, 2017November 20, 2017

Charlie’s Request

Among the many areas where 3ABN ministers, one of the most amazing is our prisoner correspondence—through our pastoral ministries department. Each week, volunteers and workers read and answer dozens of letters from inmates who watch or listen to 3ABN, and write us, seeking prayer, spiritual guidance, and literature. We recently received a letter from Charlie, who shared a marvelous story of redemption.

He says, “I am writing you today to see if you can find it in your hearts to bless me with a Study Bible. I was in a very dark place in my life before I got locked up. I cried out to the Lord, our God, repented for my sins, for letting Him down again, and for running away from Him.

“I asked Him once again to save me from the fiery pits of the realm of darkness before it was too late.

“Praise God for what a kind and loving Father He is, for He picked me up and cared for me, as always. He opened my eyes to His Glory! I told our Father, I am ready this time, one-hundred percent committed to picking up my cross, letting my old self die, and letting You raise me up from the gross darkness to be reborn again for Your Glory.

“God is good all the time, and as the Holy Spirit was with me, God told me to let His words stick like grease this time and grow.

“Once again, I was hoping you can bless me with a Study Bible so I can feed on everything I read and put it into practice—not for my glory, but for the glory of God. Please, and thank you. I hope all of you and your family’s spirits stay strong in love and hope. God’s peace be with you, and faith always in God.

“I have a hard time understanding, at times, and some Christian literature to read will help me to always have faith in God.”

Charlie, and thousands like him have sought answers from our small staff, and we’re delighted to help them. Your generous gifts provide Remnant Study Bibles to those who would never have the opportunity to acquire them. Surely God is blessing all our efforts, as we unite with you to bring salvation and real freedom to those who are so desperate for truth and hope.

By Bobby Davis

February 1, 2016April 9, 2026

Like Coming Home – Eric Dryden

By Bobby Davis

Religion can be confusing to some children, but it was downright baffling to Eric Dryden. “I grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, along the banks of the Mississippi River,” he says, “and my mother was a staunch Roman Catholic, while my father was a member of the Aaronic priesthood in the Mormon faith. Since they both believed strongly in their religions, we attended the Catholic church one Sunday, and the Mormon church the next. I remember being scared as a kid, because both religions seemed focused on sin, and both preached fire and damnation!

“But that all came to a complete halt when I was about nine years old,” he recalls. “Very suddenly, my parents decided that instead of going back and forth, we would all go to a Pentecostal church. We went from church rituals to speaking in tongues, and it all seemed very strange to me. My brothers just tuned it all out, but I was the observant child who paid very special attention to details, so it was really hard for me to switch gears. They talked about God and read the Bible, and that was a good thing. However, by the time I was 15 or 16, I’d decided that there were so many different churches and beliefs that no one could figure it out. I had started growing my hair out and playing heavy metal rock because they sang about stuff I felt, and I was done with religion. I believed in God, but I didn’t want anyone telling me if I was good or bad.

“At that point everything became a struggle,” he admits, “and my parents had to all but drag me to church.”

Work

While he was still in high school, Eric landed a job with the Top 40 station, KGRC, and was surprised to see his musical taste change. “Instead of music that talked about death and killing, I began listening to music that made me feel happy and alive,” he says. “Then, a friend suggested that I apply for a job at a restaurant, and that eventually led me to the chef position at the Hannibal Country Club.”

Work was exhilarating, but it soon dominated his life. Besides his job at the country club, Eric began working for the local Sheriff’s department—which led in time to another job with the federal government.

Eric, Robert, and Makayla — Eric and his 18-year old son Robert Emmanuel, and 16-year old daughter Makayla Helen. “They are the love of my life,” he says.

“All this took its toll on me,” he says, “and I now suffer from PTSD and only get a few hours of sleep each night. My work kept me away from my home, and I saw my marriage fail. However, we had two beautiful children who are the love of my life.”

A second marriage also ended with a broken heart, and Eric says he now felt a huge void in his life. “I missed having a church family, and felt I didn’t have anyone to talk to. As a last resort, I turned to prayer because no matter what was going on, I knew I could always talk to God.”

A Radio Station

While Eric worked at the military academy in Mexico, Missouri, he met his third wife. “We both changed jobs when we got married,” he says. “She began working for the State Mental Hospital, and I took a job as a representative for a high-end guitar company. Since she worked 30 miles away, I would often take her to work and then spend the day at a park. One day, the heavy metal CD I tried to play in my car wouldn’t work, so I switched to the radio. However, it seemed that the only thing I could get was KRFL-LP, a low-power FM radio station in Fulton, Missouri. The program I heard was called Your Story Hour, and it instantly brought me back to my childhood. There were those Bible stories I’d heard as a child, and they were exactly what I needed! The next program was with Pastor Doug Batchelor, and I enjoyed it so much, I just kept listening. I listened all day, before realizing it was time to pick up my wife. I’d gone through half a talk of fuel, since the engine had been running the whole time!

“I was hooked. The 3ABN Radio programs pulled me in, although my wife couldn’t stand them. I was addicted to 3ABN Radio, and I couldn’t pull away.”

Leon Makovicka stands by the KRFL-LP 107.9 FM transmitter and tower in Fulton, Missouri—the 3ABN Radio affiliate that changed Eric Dryden’s life.

Eventually, Eric heard Doug Batchelor suggest that he should look up and visit a local Seventh-day Adventist church. “KRFL Radio announced their local church services from time to time, and one day I was almost past the church when I saw it,” he says. “My law enforcement skills kicked in, and I turned my car sideways at 35 mph and pulled directly into the parking lot! It wasn’t even a second thought; it was like a magnet pulling me in. And as I walked in, I had the curious feeling that I was coming home!”

The Sabbath

Eric had never heard the word ‘Sabbath’ mentioned, except for the heavy metal band, Black Sabbath. “It was all new and strange to me, but I knew it was right. Sabbath was like breathing, and we all have to breathe, so I knew right away there was something right about it. The service started at 9:15, and when they served a vegetarian meal afterward, it was different, because I was a hunter and had always liked to hunt!

“After everything was over, though, I didn’t want it to end. I sat in my driveway and teared up. Wouldn’t it be nice to have Sabbath every single day? I thought. I know it can’t be that way right now, but someday it will be, in Heaven!”

Eric says he attended four or five Sabbaths consecutively, but then felt he needed to do some soul searching.

“I come from law enforcement, and I’ve been trained to take a step back and look at things objectively,” he explains. “I’ve dealt with people who get pulled into different things, but finally recognized that I felt much happier and safer when I was in church. That’s when I knew it was time—I wanted to be baptized and become a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church.”

An Amazing Facts series with Wyatt Alan was scheduled, and Eric says it had a great impact on his life. “I managed to talk my wife into coming to the meetings,” he says, “but she wasn’t happy, at first.”

Pastor Neil Dye, of the Fulton Church, recalls, “Eric and his wife were having some problems. She had struggled with alcohol and smoking, and we prayed for victory over these things. They attended every night, and by the end of our series, they’d both made commitments to follow the Lord. God did give her the victory, and I was thrilled to see Eric take a firm stand to support her when she told him she might have to quit her job if she couldn’t get Sabbaths off. She’s scheduled to be baptized soon,” he adds, “and they continue to soak in God’s Word.”

Eric is ecstatic. “My wife loves coming to church,” he says, “and she’s stopped smoking, too! She just received approval to have her Sabbaths off from working at the hospital, and I can’t wait to see her be baptized!”

A New Life

Eric says his own baptism was amazing. “I was baptized as a young kid, but I don’t remember that,” he says. “However, I do remember this one, because I actually cried! Two weeks later, I was driving and listening to KRFL but had to pull off the road because I was crying so hard. Something about this church has made me very emotional. And while I don’t like crying, somehow I love it, because these are tears of gratitude!

“This is the first time I’ve had a relationship with Jesus, and everything’s coming together for me. My job brings me in contact with professional musicians, and many of them are on the fence when it comes to the Lord. But they have problems, too, and whether I’m at a convention or talking one on one, I’ve been given the opportunity to share the peace I’ve found in Jesus Christ.”

Eric says his musical tastes have changed drastically, too. “One day I picked up a guitar and I tried playing a heavy metal tune, but kept stumbling over the simplest stuff! So I started playing a classical piece, and the next thing I knew, I’m playing Christian music! I realized the devil was just trying to kick me around, but the Lord has taken away my taste for Satan’s music, and today, I’m working on ‘The Old Rugged Cross.’

“I didn’t realize when I first heard KRFL that the Lord had stretched that signal many miles beyond what it normally reached. But that’s what He did for me, and I’m forever grateful.”

That radio station began with Leon Makovicka’s obedience to the Lord when He impressed him to apply for a construction permit and build the station. “As I stood and watched Eric be baptized, I thought, Here is one who was searching for truth and found it, because we followed Your impression to build this station, Lord. God provided the funds to build it, so it’s really His radio station.

“If God asks you to do something, do it! he continues. You may not know what to do, or where the funds will come from, but God does. I trusted Him and He provided. Then He gave me a faith experience that no man can ever take away—saving souls for Christ.”

Fulton Seventh-day Adventist Church

Fulton Seventh-day Adventist Church Website

By Bobby Davis

February 1, 2014April 9, 2026

Radio Changed Her Life – Brenda Kiefer

Brenda Kiefer shakes her head. “I can honestly say I started listening to 3ABN Radio because of someone’s laughter!” she begins. “You see, my 91-year-old friend, Luetta (whom I call ‘Teddy’ because she loves teddy bears) had just given me a new radio, and I was running through the dial when I heard a man laugh. He laughed so hard he got me laughing, too!

“Just then Teddy came by and asked what was so funny.

“ ‘I don’t know,’ I said, ‘but that man’s laugh got me tickled!”

“ ‘You mean you don’t even know who he is?’

“ ‘No! I have no idea,’ I replied. ‘It’s just some station I tuned in.’ ”

The station Brenda was listening to was 3ABN’s WDQN FM 95.9 in Du Quoin, Illinois—and little did she know how that station would change her life!

Childhood Questions

Born in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri—one of the oldest European settlements west of the Mississippi River—Brenda says she was raised Roman Catholic, like most of the kids in town. “My whole family went to Mass every week, and I made First Communion and Confirmation. But as I look back, I think nearly all of my friends were Protestant,” she says.

“I was born with spina bifida, a birth defect where the nerves of my spine did not form properly, causing a variety of problems, and because the local Catholic school couldn’t or wouldn’t put in a wheelchair ramp, I was tutored at home until I went to high school. By that time I was really beginning to question things.

“One day I asked a Protestant friend if I could borrow her Bible.

“ ‘Why do you want to read my Bible? Don’t you have one?’ she asked.

“I didn’t tell her my Catholic Bible was different, so I asked her again, and she finally agreed. You see, I had serious doubts about the host and the wine becoming the literal body and blood of Christ. And the more I thought about it, the less I believed it. Her Bible said that Jesus told His disciples, ‘Do this in remembrance of Me,’ and I took that to mean remembrance, not a literal thing.

“Confession was another problem, mostly because at one time I’d confessed what seemed to be a serious dilemma to the priest, and he’d made light of it. From then on I shied away from confession, and when I read my friend’s Bible, I found that Jesus told us to confess our sins to God, and that He would forgive us. Why should I confess my sins to a man? I wondered. For all I know he has the same problems!

“I also got tired of repeating all those Hail Marys and the Lord’s Prayer. So I started talking to God as a friend, instead. Over the years I stopped going to church on a regular basis, but would still go with my family, once in a while.”

That Laugh

Eventually Brenda discovered who the laughter belonged to—Pastor C. A. Murray, the producer for 3ABN Today who also hosts various programs and serves as our television production manager. “I learned a lot from 3ABN Radio, but when Pastor Murray spoke, I really tuned in,” she says.

“Then one day I called 3ABN Radio and spoke with Nikki Anderson, their administrative assistant. I told her who I was, and that I’d really like to speak with Pastor Murray. To my surprise, she connected me to his office, and he answered! I almost passed out when I realized I had to talk to him, but finally I said that he sounded like a terrific person, based on his laugh, and that I’d like to have a picture of him.”

C.A. told her he didn’t have one handy, but would try to dig one up. However, after several weeks, Brenda figured she’d never get one.

“It was okay,” she says. “I understood, because I’d been in the music business as a child, singing on my own radio show and in front of a crowd of 100,000 as the ‘Sweetheart of the Ozarks.’ I just figured it was a ‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you,’ thing.”

‘Bro’ and ‘Milady’

Most of two years went by, and along the way Brenda subscribed to 3ABN World magazine. Then one day she spotted a picture of C.A. in a group shot.

“He had a gorgeous smile that could light up a room, and I was so happy to finally know what Pastor Murray looked like,” she says.

“Then, last summer, I came down with bladder cancer, and after successful treatment, I moved to a convalescent home in Benton, Illinois, just a few miles away from 3ABN headquarters. I believe this was all part of God’s plan, because one day an attendant said she was a Seventh-day Adventist. I told her I listened to 3ABN Radio, and that I was interested in her beliefs. I don’t recall how it came up, but I also told her I really liked to listen to Pastor Murray.

“She told me she didn’t know him personally, but a few weeks later she found someone who did.

“Two ladies came from the Thompsonville Church, and we had a wonderful discussion for a whole hour. Then they asked if I’d like to meet Pastor Murray. When I told them how much he’d come to mean to me, they promised to mention it the next time they saw him.”

A few weeks later Brenda was informed that she had visitors. “A short, attractive lady with a beautiful accent walked in and said, ‘Brenda, my name is Irma, and I have someone here I think you might want to see.’

“Then, suddenly, there stood her husband Pastor Murray in my doorway!

“‘Oh my goodness, it’s you!’ was all I could get out, and I’m pretty sure that was the first time I’ve truly been at a loss for words!

“We talked for a long time, and at some point I told him that when I got my van fixed, I’d like to visit his church.

“ ‘Well then, I’ll just come by on Saturday morning to pick you up,’ he replied—and he did!

“ ‘You’re a gentleman of your word,’ I told him, and he just smiled and said, ‘Milady…’ and escorted me to the van.

“We got to know each other pretty well, and one day I said, ‘Pastor Murray, I hope you understand this. I grew up without brothers, but I think I’ve found one, and I’m sitting right next to him. Is it okay if I call you “Bro?’ ”

“He smiled and said, ‘I’d be very honored.’ From that day on, I call him ‘Bro,’ and he calls me ‘Milady.’

Baptized

After attending church for about three-and-a-half months, Brenda realized she wanted to be rebaptized.

“Teddy came for a visit, and said the idea was wonderful, so I felt reassured. Then I spoke with Pastor Murray and asked him if he would baptize me, and he answered, ‘I’d be honored to, Milady. Don’t rush into it,’ he added, ‘but if you’re ready, don’t put it off, either.”

Brenda's Baptism — The joy on their faces says it all. Brenda says Pastor C.A. Murray was the only one she would consider to baptize her.

Brenda admits she was a bit apprehensive about how she’d get into the baptistery, “But when they were ready, Pastor Murray just picked me up and carried me to the baptistery. As he climbed the steps, I could hear him breathing sort of heavy, so I asked, ‘Bro, are you alright?’

“ ‘Never been better!’ he answered.

I guess he was so concerned about dropping or hurting me that when he put my head under the water, his head went under, too! I guess we’ve both been baptized twice.”

Teddy had planned to be at her baptism, but called that Sabbath morning from the hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. “It’s all right, though,” Brenda notes. “Today she feels and acts younger than ever.

“One day, out of the blue, Teddy asked me, ‘Do you realize how crazy all of this is? I buy you a radio, and the whole world changes! It boggles my mind!’

Brenda laughs. “Sometime soon, when the weather is good, Teddy’s promised to come to church with me. But wait until I tell her that my story will be in 3ABN World magazine. She’ll probably faint!”

Editor’s Note: Today, Brenda is sleeping in Jesus, awaiting His soon return. She faithfully witnessed to all in her nursing home about her new-found faith, and was cheerful till the end.

By Bobby Davis

December 1, 2013April 9, 2026

A Very Clean Heart – Mark

The prophet predicted Jesus Christ would come “to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,” (Isaiah 61:1), and no joy compares to hearing from those who have been given clean hearts and a new life! 3ABN’s ministry not only reaches into homes around the world, but it also reaches into prisons, as well. So many are desperately searching for something to give their life meaning behind bars—men like Mark, who found our local 3ABN Radio station here in southern Illinois.

In 2009 he began corresponding with Grace Yost, a volunteer with 3ABN’s Pastoral Ministries Department. “A couple of months ago Christ made me aware of your 3ABN Radio station,” he wrote. “You have a most precious message—a message of overcoming all sin. You also told me that Christ is able to keep us from falling!

“I want to worship Jesus—the Lord of the Sabbath—on His Sabbath day. I want to do something to advance God’s kingdom and give glory to His name. Please reply, for I cannot do this alone.”

With great tenderness and compassion, Grace encouraged him to hold fast. She also promised to send him resources to aid in Bible study and worship.

Soon a new letter arrived. Although the prison chaplain hadn’t granted Mark permission to bring in a volunteer to lead Sabbath services, he would be permitted to lead them, himself!

“I Don’t Know How!”

Mark was in a near panic. “I don’t know how to lead a worship service, and I’m afraid of my unworthiness for such a task!” he confided. “I’m not a preacher, and this is an important matter, because souls are at stake! Is Christ calling me to do this—to start and lead a worship service for His honor? I need counsel from Heaven. I need prayer on this. But if this is God’s will, I cannot resist it. Christ must be glorified. Please pray that the Father will lead me, and please forgive me for writing these words, but I have no one else to share the deeper things of God with.”

Over the next months and years, Grace constantly reassured Mark, sending him resources in the form of DVDs, and researching topics that puzzled him. Her gentleness was deeply effective, as evidenced by his correspondence.

Another Request

Then, in 2010, Mark wrote again. “Grace, do you think someone from 3ABN or your local church would consider coming to our Sabbath worship once a month? Maybe once every couple of months, or even just one time? I hope this isn’t a selfish request, but I feel so inadequate for the responsibility of these men. I don’t want to be a burden, but I want to meet others who believe these truths.”

Her response must have burst on him like a ray of sunshine: “Dear Mark, I purposely delayed answering your letter until I had a chance to speak to 3ABN’s treasurer, Pastor Brian Hamilton. He has started a prison ministry in our local church and assured me that he was more than willing to visit you.”

A Wonderful Event

Soon Brian and a prison ministry team were visiting the small group of believers in the penitentiary every Sabbath, and on October 17, 2013, a wonderful event took place. As the prison chaplain and ministry team looked on, Pastors Brian Hamilton and C. A. Murray baptized Mark and five of his brothers in Christ! One by one, they buried their old life and received a very clean heart in the only baptistery available—a large blue plastic laundry cart!

“It was one of the most moving baptisms I’ve ever witnessed,” Brian says. “We all had tears in our eyes as we saw what Christ had done to them and through them. No words can describe it.”

“The heart of one who is truly transformed cannot be contained,” Grace says. “They are compelled to do what God has asked them to do, and that’s exactly what Mark did by starting a Sabbath worship service. I’m so blessed to be working with those who have truly lost everything, but found eternal life in Jesus Christ.”

By Sveta

September 1, 2011October 19, 2017

More Precious Than Gold

Leroy and Colleen Sharp (center) were befriended by Martin Klein (left) and his wife Janelle (right). “It’s so important to have people walk with you from the time you begin attending church, through baptism, and beyond,” Colleen says. (Photo: Bob Charbonneau.)

Republic, Washington, is nestled among the mountains on the northeastern side of the state. Originally dubbed Eureka, the settlement’s first name aptly described the excitement created by the discovery of gold in the late 1890s.

There are many things that make Republic special, but perhaps nothing is more precious to Leroy and Colleen Sharp than a little radio station that broadcasts 3ABN Radio.

BACK STORY

Everything about KETL-LP, 100.5 FM, is miraculous. In 2001, a small group of church members decided to try for a construction permit after receiving notice that the Federal Communications Commission was accepting applications. But the challenges were steep. “We would need to find a broadcasting site, do some preliminary engineering work, form a nonprofit corporation, and submit an application—in four weeks!” says Dr. Bill Pellow, a Seventh-day Adventist optometrist who led the team. With faith and determination, they obtained their permit, which gave them 18 months to put the station on the air.

One problem, however, seemed insurmountable. No one wanted a radio tower in their backyard!

“We talked to a half-dozen landowners, but received a negative response from each one. Things began to look pretty bleak for a while,” Bill admits, “and my faith wavered a little.”

Finally only one location was left—Gold Hill, the best location of all. One of the team members knew the owner from high school, but he didn’t hold out much hope the man would be sympathetic to their cause.

“We had earnest prayer and continued to pray as our friend Reed Heckly called the landowner,” Bill says. “As he tried to describe the purpose of the station, the owner cut him off! ‘I don’t care what you broadcast,’ he said. ‘I believe in freedom of speech!’ ”

That problem was solved, but another one quickly replaced it. They had to obtain permission to pull electricity from one man’s property, and permission from two other families to bury heavy electrical cable across 2,000 feet of land to the tower site. As they called each one, they obtained permission without problems, and no one was more surprised! “After receiving half a dozen noes in a row, we had just received four critical yeses,” Bill says. “We knew we were watching a miracle!”

There were many more stories—finding a sturdy tower for a miracle price, how church members hauled it there and assembled it, how they raised $12,000 in yard sales, and the logger who just happened to be building a logging road through that area. Finally, KETL-LP went on the air—just four days before the FCC deadline!

“Our signal reaches much farther than we ever expected,” Bill says. “You can actually receive a pretty fair signal all the way in Grand Forks, Canada!”

PREPARING THEIR HEARTS

Meanwhile, many miles away, the Holy Spirit had spent years preparing the hearts of Leroy and Colleen Sharp for new truth.

“I was born in Dixon, Missouri,” Leroy says. “My dad’s dad was a Pentecostal preacher, and my mom’s dad was a deacon in the Baptist church. But my parents weren’t much for going to church. Sometimes I’d go to Sunday School with an aunt, or I might attend Vacation Bible School, but when I was 12 or so, I got saved in the Baptist church. Well, that caused an uproar in the family because of their Pentecostal background! ‘Wait until your grandpa learns about this!’ they said, and I was left feeling like I’d done something wrong, rather than something right.

“After that I went to church a few times, but never felt like I belonged,” he continues, “and by the time I was 16 or 17, I was already drinking and doing drugs. By the time I was 27, I was already in a messed-up relationship, and one day we got into a fight and I got shot point blank through the chest. I was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital but when we got there, I woke up. The attendant said, ‘Hey, you’re dead!’ and I said, ‘No, I’m not!’

“I’ll never forget the surgeon’s words when I tried to thank him afterword. He said, ‘Son, you shouldn’t thank me. You just weren’t bad enough to go to hell, or good enough to go to Heaven!’ ”

Colleen, on the other hand, was raised in County Durham, England. “I was brought up by my grandparents, and my grandmother was Catholic. I know she gave me her love for Jesus, but my granddad gave me the things of the Spirit. I’ve always had those as my foundation, even though I never went to church.”

“I lived in a large farm house in the country—a retreat for my friends when they wanted time out. We’d talk about what was happening in the world, and although we had no knowledge of Bible prophecies, after 9/11 we just knew that something was going on. I began feeling a strong urge to give up everything I had and move to America with nothing but a suitcase. I finally did, and I can’t explain how I felt, except to say that it was very freeing. It’s as if I was going through my life and settling things within myself.”

However, Colleen says she missed those deep conversations with my friends. “By 2009 I was dying inside because I had nobody to connect with on a spiritual level,” she says.

Leroy and Colleen had moved several times, looking for land to settle and build on, and finally they came to Republic.

“While Leroy was at work I remember wanting to listen to something, but the only radio station was 3ABN! As I listened to David Asscherick, he got me! I kept thinking, This is exactly what I believe!

“I would turn it off before Leroy came home, and several months went by before I told him. Then I began switching it on tentatively and discovered that while he liked Doug Batchelor, he couldn’t handle David Asscherick’s pace!”

Colleen grins, “It’s sort of like a preference in herbal teas. In the morning I really like Red Zinger tea because it has a kick, but others like a more calm variety.”

THE INSISTENT MAN

After listening to 3ABN Radio for about a year, Colleen felt compelled to visit a Seventh-day Adventist church, but didn’t know when they met for worship. “I couldn’t get anyone on the telephone, so I called a church 50 miles away, and they told me the services were on Saturday mornings,” she says. “When I arrived I was greeted cordially and found a seat in the back of the church. Now you have to understand that I was raised Catholic, and mass was solemn and silent, but here people were drinking water, walking around, and greeting one another! They seemed genuinely good-hearted, though. After the service I met Martin Klein and his wife Janelle. She invited me to lunch, but I told her I couldn’t come because my husband was picking me up. As I was leaving, Martin kept up with me and said he wanted to invite my husband.

“ ‘Hello, Leroy, would you like to come to lunch?’ he asked as we approached the truck.

“ ‘No, I don’t think so,’ my husband answered. ‘Besides, I’m not dressed for lunch.’

“ ‘That’s okay, I invited someone who’s camping, so you’ll fit right in!’

“What a pushy guy! I thought, just as Leroy shot me a What’s going on? look. The truth is that he was so pushy we finally agreed to lunch out of courtesy! Later we found out that this was not his nature at all, but he’d felt the Holy Spirit compelling him that, no matter what, we were supposed to come home with them!”

They drove up to the house at the Klondike Mountain Health Retreat, founded by Martin’s father, Pastor Leonard, and his wife Aldine. Martin explained that they treated all sorts of lifestyle diseases and provided vegetarian cooking classes for the community. After lunch the two couples went for a walk, and the friendship they established brought Leroy and Colleen both back to church the following week.

Soon they began having Bible studies after lunch, and major changes began to take place. “We claimed the promises in Psalm 107, and the Lord took away the desire and broke the chains of our cigarette addiction,” Leroy says. “When God does something like that, He doesn’t mess around!”

On September 18, 2010, Leroy and Colleen were baptized in a lake, as their church family gathered around them. Church pastor Mel Pond, and retired pastor Leonard Klein (Martin’s father), baptized them together, welcoming them into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Today they are both active in their church, doing their part to spread the good news.

“It’s so important to have people walk with you from the time you begin attending church, through baptism, and beyond,” Colleen says. “It’s so important to never forget that our presence is important in church, too. Each of us gives the gift of our presence in church, and I think that ties in with what Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, ‘For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.’ It’s not just that we’re all there worshipping with the words—our hearts come out in worship, too. It’s a palpable thing, and when someone’s not there, I miss them.”

Leroy and Colleen (center) were baptized in a nearby lake. Since they had close friendships with both pastors, they asked Pastor Mel Pond (left) and Pastor Leonard Klein (right) to baptize them together.(Photo: Bob Charbonneau.)

MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD

Through God’s blessings, the Sharps have been able to purchase some land on a mountain and are now building a home that’s “off the grid.”

“We have no electricity,” Leroy says, “but we do have solar panels and batteries.”

“We also enjoy the light of lamps in the evening,” Colleen adds. “It’s so lovely. We have radios on our phones so we still listen to 3ABN Radio. I think it’s the best evangelist ever. It’s non-threatening, and different speakers appeal to different people. I think it would be great to have someone talk about the local church, though. I would have liked to hear what went on there, where it was, and what time they met.”

Her idea is not wasted on those who work there. “We have a tremendous need for someone willing to move here and volunteer to produce local programs,” says Bob Charbonneau, the personal ministries director for the Republic Seventh-day Adventist Church. “All the equipment is ready. They don’t even have to know how to run it. They just need to be willing to learn. This is a special place that Seventh-day Adventist founder, Ellen White, would have heartily endorsed,” he adds.

The little station on Gold Hill is working tirelessly to reach those who are seeking for the Lord. And with results like these, it’s proving to be more precious than gold!