I want to spend my life 00:00:02.43\00:00:08.37 Mending broken people 00:00:08.40\00:00:13.41 I want to spend my life 00:00:13.48\00:00:19.58 Removing pain 00:00:19.61\00:00:24.62 Lord, let my words 00:00:24.65\00:00:30.86 Heal a heart that hurts 00:00:30.93\00:00:35.46 I want to spend my life 00:00:35.50\00:00:41.10 Mending broken people 00:00:41.14\00:00:46.68 I want to spend my life 00:00:46.71\00:00:52.21 Mending broken people 00:00:52.25\00:00:56.35 Hello, and welcome to another 3ABN Today Program. 00:01:09.56\00:01:12.13 Thank you for joining us as you do each and every day. 00:01:12.17\00:01:15.04 Thank you for your love and your prayers 00:01:15.07\00:01:16.57 and financial support of 3ABN. 00:01:16.60\00:01:18.84 John, as we endeavor to take this great gospel 00:01:18.87\00:01:21.11 of the kingdom into all the world. 00:01:21.14\00:01:22.84 That's right, and it's exciting to see that 00:01:22.88\00:01:25.25 the Lord is providing every need that we have. 00:01:25.28\00:01:28.18 And, you know, Danny as we continue celebrating 00:01:28.22\00:01:29.88 another year of 3ABN... 00:01:29.92\00:01:31.32 Amazing. 00:01:31.35\00:01:32.69 It's a blessing to see what God is doing. 00:01:32.72\00:01:34.42 And we have a very exciting program for you today. 00:01:34.46\00:01:37.53 You might want to hit record, 00:01:37.56\00:01:39.33 because this is not just about the gospel, 00:01:39.36\00:01:41.76 but this is the gospel in a practical sense. 00:01:41.80\00:01:44.57 What impact can the gospel make at your local level 00:01:44.60\00:01:48.17 and in changing and transforming lives. 00:01:48.20\00:01:50.11 Absolutely. 00:01:50.14\00:01:51.47 Well, 3ABN, you know, where people know 00:01:51.51\00:01:53.11 that watches from around the world 00:01:53.14\00:01:55.31 virtually every continent and around the world, 00:01:55.34\00:01:57.95 but we like to do things that help at home too locally, 00:01:57.98\00:02:01.25 and so while we have supported ministries, 00:02:01.28\00:02:03.72 whether it's Katrina, whether hurricanes, 00:02:03.79\00:02:06.19 whether it's the Paradise, California, the fires, 00:02:06.22\00:02:09.36 whatever, but there are some other needs. 00:02:09.39\00:02:11.99 And I'm so thankful 00:02:12.03\00:02:13.40 that we have some folk right here in Southern Illinois. 00:02:13.43\00:02:16.03 It's a great privilege to have with us today 00:02:16.06\00:02:18.67 who care about those around them 00:02:18.70\00:02:21.04 and take the gospel, James, you know, 00:02:21.07\00:02:23.64 "Taking care of those 00:02:23.71\00:02:25.04 who can't take care of themselves." 00:02:25.07\00:02:26.41 That's right. And so I'm very thankful. 00:02:26.44\00:02:27.78 But since you've had more contact 00:02:27.81\00:02:30.05 and I have met him a couple times... 00:02:30.08\00:02:32.68 I'd like for you to introduce our friends. 00:02:32.71\00:02:35.55 Okay, a privilege. 00:02:35.58\00:02:36.92 First of all, Senator Dale Fowler. 00:02:36.99\00:02:38.59 Good to have you here. 00:02:38.62\00:02:39.95 Thank you so much for having me. 00:02:39.99\00:02:41.32 I tell you, we met not too long ago 00:02:41.36\00:02:42.99 when I did a little series there, 00:02:43.02\00:02:44.73 and you invited me to come to the Marion, 00:02:44.76\00:02:47.30 that fundraiser you did for the program. 00:02:47.33\00:02:50.10 We're going to talk about the idea. 00:02:50.17\00:02:51.50 I'm not going to talk about it right now. 00:02:51.53\00:02:53.44 But it's a pleasure to have you here on our program. 00:02:53.47\00:02:55.67 And thank you for serving the great state of Illinois. 00:02:55.70\00:02:58.37 Now, what's your district? 00:02:58.41\00:02:59.87 The 59th district. 00:02:59.91\00:03:01.41 I represent 13 counties of Southern Illinois. 00:03:01.44\00:03:04.28 I actually have the largest geographic district, 00:03:04.31\00:03:06.75 senatorial district in the state of Illinois, 00:03:06.82\00:03:08.78 based on population. 00:03:08.82\00:03:10.49 So I have actually 13 of the 102 counties 00:03:10.52\00:03:13.09 and I'm one of the 59 state senators. 00:03:13.12\00:03:14.89 Kenny Gray's old area, right? 00:03:14.92\00:03:18.29 What a great guy and what a great friend he is. 00:03:18.33\00:03:20.50 And we've had Congressman Gray on 3ABN before, 00:03:20.53\00:03:23.13 even just a year or two before he passed. 00:03:23.16\00:03:25.70 We had him to come on 00:03:25.73\00:03:27.27 and he's always has something to say, 00:03:27.34\00:03:29.20 he's always exciting. 00:03:29.24\00:03:30.64 Funny, but a very sharp guy, 00:03:30.71\00:03:32.07 but his love for Southern Illinois and was incredible. 00:03:32.11\00:03:37.55 And the things that he did with the interstate systems 00:03:37.58\00:03:39.71 and all that. 00:03:39.75\00:03:41.08 So, it's wonderful to have people 00:03:41.12\00:03:42.45 who care about the community. 00:03:42.48\00:03:44.52 That's right. And also, Philip Fritts. 00:03:44.55\00:03:46.76 Good to see you, Pastor Philip Fritts. 00:03:46.79\00:03:48.59 Yes, good to see you. 00:03:48.62\00:03:49.96 We had a chance to meet a few months ago. 00:03:50.03\00:03:51.86 You are Southern Illinois Sanctuary. 00:03:51.89\00:03:54.10 Tell us briefly about that? 00:03:54.13\00:03:56.10 Southern Illinois Sanctuary is a place that, 00:03:56.13\00:03:58.90 where that, we love people, we need people. 00:03:58.93\00:04:03.04 And we teach them that they can be forgiven. 00:04:03.07\00:04:06.21 Oh, good. Okay. 00:04:06.24\00:04:07.68 Praise the Lord for that. 00:04:07.71\00:04:09.11 So obviously you both are Christians. 00:04:09.14\00:04:11.11 Yes. Absolutely. 00:04:11.15\00:04:12.48 And wonderful. 00:04:12.51\00:04:13.85 We're going to talk to you a little bit about. 00:04:13.92\00:04:15.25 Well, let's first go ahead and talk about you 00:04:15.28\00:04:17.22 just for a moment. 00:04:17.29\00:04:18.62 Then we have some special music, right? 00:04:18.65\00:04:19.99 That's right. That's right. 00:04:20.02\00:04:21.36 And somebody that is a friend of yours and ours too. 00:04:21.39\00:04:22.99 And brother, Matt, he'll be singing in a minute, 00:04:23.02\00:04:24.79 but tell us a little bit about, 00:04:24.83\00:04:26.70 we're not here today just to talk about 00:04:26.73\00:04:28.73 all the events happening in the world, you know, 00:04:28.76\00:04:30.60 because we have a politician here, 00:04:30.67\00:04:32.43 representative of the people, 00:04:32.47\00:04:34.24 but we're here to talk about needs of people. 00:04:34.27\00:04:36.91 And we're so impressed with you 00:04:36.94\00:04:38.47 and what you do to literally help people 00:04:38.51\00:04:41.54 in their day to day lives, 00:04:41.58\00:04:43.48 which all of us should do as Christians, 00:04:43.55\00:04:45.55 whatever our positions in life, 00:04:45.58\00:04:47.05 but tell us a little bit about your foundation, Senator? 00:04:47.12\00:04:49.38 Well, thank you. Again, thank you for having me. 00:04:49.42\00:04:51.32 I really appreciate it. 00:04:51.35\00:04:52.79 I was raised on a farm in Eldorado, a small farm, 00:04:52.82\00:04:57.43 and something that 00:04:57.46\00:04:59.29 I was always taught growing up myself 00:04:59.33\00:05:00.96 and my two sisters was giving back 00:05:01.00\00:05:03.47 and serving your community 00:05:03.50\00:05:05.30 is one of the most important things 00:05:05.33\00:05:06.74 you can do. 00:05:06.77\00:05:08.40 I'll never forget a statement that my mother told us 00:05:08.44\00:05:11.71 when I was a child, and I'll never forget it. 00:05:11.74\00:05:14.71 And she said kids, said, 00:05:14.74\00:05:16.08 what you do for yourself in life 00:05:16.11\00:05:18.35 is not near as important as what you do for others. 00:05:18.38\00:05:21.35 And so I saw what her and my father did, 00:05:21.38\00:05:25.12 being involved in the community, 00:05:25.15\00:05:26.79 and charity work, and philanthropy work, 00:05:26.86\00:05:30.13 and something that had always weighed heavy on my mind 00:05:30.16\00:05:33.40 was through a childhood memory 00:05:33.43\00:05:34.83 that I had growing up on that farm in Eldorado, 00:05:34.86\00:05:38.27 was about how a couple, 00:05:38.30\00:05:40.17 a little brother and sister were treated at school. 00:05:40.24\00:05:43.27 I always remember the bus, 00:05:43.30\00:05:45.71 getting off somewhat of the beaten path 00:05:45.74\00:05:47.58 and going down this gravel road and stopping at this house 00:05:47.61\00:05:51.28 and a little brother, little sister 00:05:51.31\00:05:52.65 come running out of the house 00:05:52.68\00:05:54.02 and wearing somewhat tattered clothing 00:05:54.05\00:05:56.05 and they were just, they were poor people, 00:05:56.08\00:05:59.25 but they always had an incredible attitude. 00:05:59.29\00:06:01.69 They always had a smile on their face. 00:06:01.72\00:06:04.13 And I actually became really good friends with them. 00:06:04.16\00:06:07.10 Because I was on the school bus with them a lot. 00:06:07.13\00:06:08.66 And we were in the same class. 00:06:08.70\00:06:10.37 But I always remembered 00:06:10.40\00:06:11.83 how they were treated in school, 00:06:11.87\00:06:14.17 because they weren't always clean. 00:06:14.24\00:06:17.74 And it wasn't their fault. 00:06:17.77\00:06:19.34 And I can always remember school pictures. 00:06:19.37\00:06:22.41 I remember this day, the visual and I'm going back 00:06:22.44\00:06:24.71 when I was probably seven or eight years old, 00:06:24.75\00:06:26.82 about a school picture being taken. 00:06:26.85\00:06:29.75 And the boy that was sitting beside one of the sisters, 00:06:29.78\00:06:34.82 as they're taking the group picture 00:06:34.86\00:06:36.19 was leaning over like this 00:06:36.22\00:06:37.56 because he didn't want to be close to her. 00:06:37.63\00:06:39.26 And that memory had always been embedded in me all my life. 00:06:39.29\00:06:44.60 And I always wondered how they did in life. 00:06:44.63\00:06:48.24 So approximately 18 years ago 00:06:48.27\00:06:51.61 the good Lord woke me up one middle of night and said, 00:06:51.64\00:06:54.08 Dale said, I want you to supply underprivileged children 00:06:54.11\00:06:57.75 with new shoes and clothes for school 00:06:57.78\00:06:59.58 otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity. 00:06:59.61\00:07:03.05 So, did a lot of contemplating 00:07:03.08\00:07:06.09 and thinking about how I would do this. 00:07:06.12\00:07:08.62 So I put a little junior golf event together 00:07:08.66\00:07:12.06 for underprivileged children actually, 00:07:12.09\00:07:14.30 that never have an opportunity. 00:07:14.33\00:07:16.13 My children played a little bit of junior golf 00:07:16.16\00:07:19.63 and I went to the golf course at Harrisburg 00:07:19.67\00:07:22.60 and they rolled out the red carpet 00:07:22.64\00:07:24.71 and all I wanted to do, 00:07:24.74\00:07:26.07 the whole vision was to be able to go back 00:07:26.11\00:07:27.91 to the elementary school where my memory had occurred, 00:07:27.94\00:07:32.05 and be able to go in there and talk to the teachers 00:07:32.08\00:07:35.35 and say, I would love to be able to supply 00:07:35.38\00:07:37.82 four or five children each and every year 00:07:37.85\00:07:40.89 with a brand new wardrobe 00:07:40.96\00:07:42.49 that otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to have. 00:07:42.52\00:07:44.73 And when I say a wardrobe, you know, three pair of jeans, 00:07:44.76\00:07:47.86 three, four shirts, socks, underwear, you know, shoes, 00:07:47.90\00:07:50.67 coat, everything brand new, nothing used. 00:07:50.70\00:07:53.13 And so put the little event together. 00:07:53.17\00:07:55.80 Didn't ask for single donation. 00:07:55.84\00:07:57.87 I just charged a little nominal registration fee 00:07:57.91\00:08:01.98 and a couple of companies reached out to me 00:08:02.01\00:08:04.25 and said, hey, we'd like to supply the T-shirts, 00:08:04.28\00:08:06.65 we'd like to cook for the kids. 00:08:06.72\00:08:08.55 So, put the event together and my goal was to have about, 00:08:08.58\00:08:13.96 you know, I was hoping to have about 30, 30 kids participate 00:08:13.99\00:08:17.23 and hopefully be able to raise enough 00:08:17.26\00:08:18.93 to be able to help those few handful of children. 00:08:18.96\00:08:21.66 And I'll never forget it. 00:08:21.70\00:08:23.30 I had 58 children that first year 00:08:23.37\00:08:25.90 and I brought them all in to the clubhouse 00:08:25.93\00:08:28.34 when it was over. 00:08:28.37\00:08:29.70 And the kids didn't have to keep score. 00:08:29.74\00:08:31.07 We supplied them golf clubs. 00:08:31.11\00:08:32.44 We wanted it to be a fun, 00:08:32.47\00:08:34.48 you know, non stressful atmosphere, 00:08:34.51\00:08:36.44 but we wanted the participants, the children, 00:08:36.48\00:08:39.85 and the parents, and aunts and uncles, 00:08:39.88\00:08:41.92 and grandparents that were there 00:08:41.95\00:08:43.69 supporting the kids to know 00:08:43.72\00:08:45.79 that their participation was going to be able to help 00:08:45.82\00:08:48.89 supply underprivileged children with the new wardrobe, 00:08:48.92\00:08:52.29 so I brought them all into the clubhouse 00:08:52.33\00:08:54.83 and told them what their purpose was here today. 00:08:54.86\00:08:57.93 And then I had some parents and some other people said, 00:08:57.97\00:09:02.17 Dale, why don't you tell me what you were doing? 00:09:02.20\00:09:03.94 Here's $25, here's $20. 00:09:04.01\00:09:06.44 I think I had one person wrote me a check for $250. 00:09:06.47\00:09:10.25 I raised $1500 that day 00:09:10.28\00:09:13.21 and went back to the elementary school 00:09:13.25\00:09:15.82 where my memory had occurred 00:09:15.85\00:09:17.29 and talked to the teachers privately and said, 00:09:17.32\00:09:19.35 I have some, some money. 00:09:19.39\00:09:20.76 Oh absolutely, we have, 00:09:20.79\00:09:22.56 you know, children that, you know, need new apparel. 00:09:22.59\00:09:25.83 So I'll never forget, 00:09:25.86\00:09:29.20 the teacher called me a couple days 00:09:29.23\00:09:30.57 after I spoke with the group, 00:09:30.60\00:09:32.43 and she's called me and she said, 00:09:32.47\00:09:34.44 Dale, see I've got this little girl, bless her heart. 00:09:34.47\00:09:37.44 She wears the same clothes every day. 00:09:37.51\00:09:38.97 She's, you know, it's the same, the same visual 00:09:39.01\00:09:41.58 I had of the memory that I had growing up. 00:09:41.61\00:09:45.38 And I said, "Let's take care of her." 00:09:45.41\00:09:47.22 So the teacher and I went shopping 00:09:47.25\00:09:48.85 and bought the little girl everything she needed. 00:09:48.88\00:09:51.59 Still to this day, don't know who the little girl was, 00:09:51.62\00:09:53.69 you know, and teacher took the clothes, 00:09:53.76\00:09:58.13 was able to put them in, to give it to the little girl, 00:09:58.16\00:10:00.33 however, that she deemed fit, 00:10:00.40\00:10:02.63 and few days later, the teacher calls me. 00:10:02.66\00:10:06.33 She said, "Dale, 00:10:06.37\00:10:08.27 I got to tell you about the little girl 00:10:08.30\00:10:10.64 that we bought the new shoes and clothes for. 00:10:10.71\00:10:13.24 Her first day of her new shoes and clothes, 00:10:13.27\00:10:16.75 came running into my classroom, 00:10:16.78\00:10:18.91 came running up to my desk, said, teacher, teacher, 00:10:18.95\00:10:22.05 look at my new shoes, look at my new clothes." 00:10:22.08\00:10:24.85 So guess what that did? 00:10:24.89\00:10:26.22 Oh, yeah. Wow. 00:10:26.25\00:10:27.59 Guess what that teacher did when this happened, 00:10:27.66\00:10:30.53 when she's in the lunchroom and she's talking about 00:10:30.56\00:10:33.33 the difference it made in this little girl, 00:10:33.40\00:10:36.16 in her attitude. 00:10:36.20\00:10:37.77 Our mission statement is helping build confidence 00:10:37.80\00:10:40.14 and self esteem within our local youth. 00:10:40.17\00:10:42.84 So it became this little bit of buzz, right? 00:10:42.87\00:10:45.34 And so we helped more children. 00:10:45.37\00:10:47.81 The next year, we're helping even more, 00:10:47.84\00:10:50.25 long story short, fast forward, 17 years, 00:10:50.28\00:10:53.18 this will be the 18th year of the clothes 00:10:53.21\00:10:54.78 for kids program. 00:10:54.82\00:10:56.35 We are now helping over 500 children, 00:10:56.38\00:10:58.72 between 500 to 600 children in 19 counties 00:10:58.75\00:11:04.49 throughout Southern Illinois now, 00:11:04.53\00:11:06.26 with a new wardrobe for school. 00:11:06.29\00:11:07.70 That's amazing. 00:11:07.73\00:11:09.06 And it all came back to you 00:11:09.10\00:11:10.57 from that vision that God gave you. 00:11:10.60\00:11:12.77 You know, those are those moments 00:11:12.80\00:11:14.14 when we ignore those moments, 00:11:14.17\00:11:15.50 we tend to miss a blessing that God has put right before us. 00:11:15.54\00:11:18.87 And so the political side is one aspect, 00:11:18.91\00:11:22.11 but transforming lives, 00:11:22.14\00:11:23.48 and these are children, like you said, you didn't, 00:11:23.55\00:11:24.88 you didn't even know who the young girl is. 00:11:24.91\00:11:26.95 But she's going to grow up with that memory now. 00:11:27.02\00:11:29.05 And it's going to be a residual impact. 00:11:29.08\00:11:31.62 What you did for me, I'm going to do for others. 00:11:31.65\00:11:33.79 So 500 children, 600 children are going to feel the impact 00:11:33.86\00:11:38.03 of their lives being transformed 00:11:38.06\00:11:39.39 and they're going to feel, say, 00:11:39.43\00:11:40.80 now I need to start giving back to my community, 00:11:40.83\00:11:42.53 that's powerful ministry. 00:11:42.56\00:11:43.90 Yeah. 00:11:43.97\00:11:45.30 And the correspondence that we received 00:11:45.33\00:11:46.67 back from the schools, 00:11:46.70\00:11:48.04 the social agencies that we work with, hand in hand, 00:11:48.07\00:11:51.44 it's just, I mean, I could start telling stories 00:11:51.47\00:11:54.08 where it all starts to boiling. 00:11:54.11\00:11:55.88 But the thing is, we took the action and that's all... 00:11:55.91\00:12:00.52 And, you know, it wasn't that hard. 00:12:00.55\00:12:03.52 You know, I just had a vision surrounded myself 00:12:03.59\00:12:06.65 with some good people and put this event together. 00:12:06.69\00:12:10.56 And now, you know, 00:12:10.63\00:12:11.96 I have my own 501(c)(3), not for profit. 00:12:11.99\00:12:15.53 Then I actually operated, 00:12:15.56\00:12:17.00 I was the president 00:12:17.07\00:12:18.40 of the United Way of Southern Illinois, 00:12:18.43\00:12:20.17 as well as the president 00:12:20.24\00:12:21.57 of the United Way of Saline County. 00:12:21.60\00:12:22.97 And so we operated kind of underneath that umbrella. 00:12:23.00\00:12:25.91 But we started growing so much, 00:12:25.94\00:12:27.88 like, we need, let's form our own foundations. 00:12:27.91\00:12:29.58 Let's have our own grassroots foundation. 00:12:29.61\00:12:33.65 So we did that 00:12:33.72\00:12:35.05 and now that's how it became the Fowler Bonan Foundation. 00:12:35.08\00:12:38.09 I'm working with my good friend Bill Bonan and that became, 00:12:38.12\00:12:41.09 through Peoples National Bank became a big supporter. 00:12:41.12\00:12:43.83 And that's when he and I brainstormed 00:12:43.86\00:12:46.13 and formed our own foundation and here we are today. 00:12:46.16\00:12:49.46 Wow. Wonderful. 00:12:49.50\00:12:51.33 Let's talk to pastor a little bit. 00:12:51.37\00:12:53.54 Philip, how did you get involved with this project? 00:12:53.57\00:12:57.01 I got involved with Senator Fowler, 00:12:57.04\00:12:59.84 when he was the mayor of Harrisburg, Illinois. 00:12:59.87\00:13:02.78 And he had contacted me, and I had tried to contact him, 00:13:02.81\00:13:07.65 and I needed some help from him. 00:13:07.68\00:13:10.09 I said, "I need you to help me 00:13:10.12\00:13:11.55 with a concert at this fair in the county." 00:13:11.59\00:13:16.19 He said, "I'd be more than honored to help you." 00:13:16.22\00:13:18.63 And so he said, "But I need help from you." 00:13:18.66\00:13:21.30 And he had just built the courtyard in Harrisburg 00:13:21.33\00:13:25.27 and we started having gospel singings every Saturday night, 00:13:25.30\00:13:27.84 on the courtyard, 00:13:27.87\00:13:29.77 and we were just using the city's local talent 00:13:29.80\00:13:33.11 or anyone that wanted to, come and sing 00:13:33.14\00:13:35.81 and we had, we had people that came that, 00:13:35.84\00:13:38.68 well, we had one gentleman that came 00:13:38.71\00:13:40.12 and played piano with one finger, 00:13:40.15\00:13:41.95 and you know, but he enjoyed himself, 00:13:41.98\00:13:45.15 and it uplifted his spirits and changed him a little bit. 00:13:45.19\00:13:49.06 But that's how I became acquainted with Senator Fowler, 00:13:49.09\00:13:52.96 and it's grown into be a great opportunities. 00:13:52.99\00:13:57.27 I was retired and he's the one 00:13:57.30\00:13:59.90 that pulled me back into the workplace 00:13:59.93\00:14:02.40 and making me to work in music. 00:14:02.44\00:14:05.97 And I'm enjoying that very much 00:14:06.01\00:14:07.58 helping to promote a lot of the gospel 00:14:07.61\00:14:09.28 singing that Senator Fowler does. 00:14:09.31\00:14:10.95 That's right. 00:14:10.98\00:14:12.31 Now the one that was at the Marion Civic Center. 00:14:12.35\00:14:13.82 Describe that one was, that was connected with what cause? 00:14:13.85\00:14:17.19 With the foundation. Okay. 00:14:17.22\00:14:21.22 We had contacted a lot of the local talent, 00:14:21.26\00:14:24.26 some of the better talent here 00:14:24.33\00:14:25.66 in Southern Illinois, including you. 00:14:25.69\00:14:31.10 It was a blessing to be there. 00:14:31.13\00:14:32.47 It was an honor to have you there. 00:14:32.50\00:14:34.34 And we had formed this 00:14:34.37\00:14:36.84 in order to help to raise money for the foundation. 00:14:36.91\00:14:40.58 And, well, we had pretty good singing, 00:14:40.61\00:14:42.91 we had a real good crowd and had a real good time in. 00:14:42.94\00:14:46.58 A lot of different pastors, 00:14:46.61\00:14:48.48 they had a good chance to see the people 00:14:48.52\00:14:50.62 that are a part of the Southern Illinois area. 00:14:50.69\00:14:53.02 You know Danny's born and raised here, 00:14:53.05\00:14:55.29 not too many miles away from here, 00:14:55.32\00:14:57.13 and 3ABN is somewhat of an anomaly. 00:14:57.16\00:14:59.93 It's out here and I remember, 00:15:00.00\00:15:01.33 even at the Benton Civic Center, 00:15:01.36\00:15:02.70 when I went over there, when we, that's where we met. 00:15:02.73\00:15:05.63 Some of the guys 00:15:05.67\00:15:07.04 that are at the Benton Civic Center 00:15:07.07\00:15:08.40 right down the street said, 00:15:08.44\00:15:10.01 I didn't know 3ABN was here. 00:15:10.04\00:15:12.61 But 3ABN has been here for 35 years. 00:15:12.64\00:15:15.11 But it was so good to get together 00:15:15.14\00:15:16.68 with different pastors in for the same purpose. 00:15:16.75\00:15:20.62 It was, was it about Heaven's Kitchen? 00:15:20.65\00:15:22.18 I think that's the term you used. 00:15:22.22\00:15:23.59 Yes, it was about Heaven's Kitchen. 00:15:23.62\00:15:24.95 Heaven's Kitchen, that event was to promote, 00:15:24.99\00:15:29.56 to promote the Heaven's Kitchen to get people 00:15:29.59\00:15:32.43 to come and see what we're all about, 00:15:32.46\00:15:36.16 in order to see how 00:15:36.20\00:15:40.27 that we can reach into people's lives. 00:15:40.34\00:15:42.40 And we're doing that through the gospel music 00:15:42.44\00:15:45.57 that was on that program, 00:15:45.61\00:15:47.98 of which he was a part of that event, 00:15:48.01\00:15:49.98 as I said, and we enjoyed your music. 00:15:50.05\00:15:54.25 We enjoyed the music 00:15:54.32\00:15:55.65 from all the other groups that was there. 00:15:55.68\00:15:58.22 The Curt Moore's family and all of them, 00:15:58.25\00:16:00.66 and we reached into the hearts of people. 00:16:00.69\00:16:03.73 And what I found out from that event, 00:16:03.76\00:16:06.23 and I haven't had the opportunity 00:16:06.26\00:16:07.70 to talk with Senator Fowler, 00:16:07.73\00:16:09.20 but there were some people that were giving their hearts 00:16:09.23\00:16:11.17 to the Lord that evening afterwards, 00:16:11.20\00:16:14.27 out in the lobby with some of the ministers that was there. 00:16:14.30\00:16:18.41 I don't have a number on that. Sure. 00:16:18.44\00:16:20.88 But... Heaven does. 00:16:20.91\00:16:22.41 Yeah, that's right, heaven does, 00:16:22.44\00:16:25.01 and it was a great opportunity. 00:16:25.05\00:16:28.15 We have carried the music events 00:16:28.18\00:16:31.42 right into Heaven's Kitchen. 00:16:31.45\00:16:33.49 So whenever that, that the people come walking in, 00:16:33.56\00:16:36.83 the first thing they see is our Maitre d', 00:16:36.86\00:16:39.23 who assist them in finding a table and a chair. 00:16:39.26\00:16:43.06 And they are then greeted by a waiter or a waitress, 00:16:43.10\00:16:48.34 and they're all volunteers 00:16:48.37\00:16:49.70 from different people in the community. 00:16:49.74\00:16:51.84 And as they are greeted, 00:16:51.87\00:16:54.91 they're told what the menu is for the evening. 00:16:54.94\00:16:57.65 It's not a soup kitchen. 00:16:57.68\00:16:59.01 It's not like go get in a line. 00:16:59.05\00:17:00.72 This is where that we come and wait on them. 00:17:00.75\00:17:04.09 We want them to feel very special... 00:17:04.12\00:17:05.89 What's that cost to the people? 00:17:05.92\00:17:07.26 Not a dime. Not a dime? 00:17:07.29\00:17:08.89 Not a dime, it don't cost nothing. 00:17:08.92\00:17:10.43 It's totally free. 00:17:10.46\00:17:12.06 So people come in and as you say, 00:17:12.09\00:17:14.40 you're not just standing in line getting... 00:17:14.43\00:17:16.10 No. 00:17:16.13\00:17:17.47 You have people greet you, seat you. 00:17:17.50\00:17:18.83 Wow. That's right. 00:17:18.87\00:17:20.24 And so, we've gone from the schools 00:17:20.27\00:17:23.27 with the kids clothing. 00:17:23.30\00:17:25.11 Now we're in the food. 00:17:25.14\00:17:26.78 And so, now you have these. 00:17:26.81\00:17:28.14 Now, how many places do you do this? 00:17:28.18\00:17:30.35 I always felt in my heart, 00:17:30.38\00:17:33.25 if I was able to get the foundation 00:17:33.28\00:17:35.15 to the next level, 00:17:35.18\00:17:36.58 you know, with clothes for kids in the almost 18 years now. 00:17:36.62\00:17:40.66 We've never had to say, 00:17:40.69\00:17:42.02 never had to turn a child down or a teacher that had called, 00:17:42.06\00:17:45.03 has called us with a referral for a child or social agency. 00:17:45.06\00:17:49.13 So we've always been, we've always been blessed. 00:17:49.16\00:17:51.80 And something I would like to mention. 00:17:51.83\00:17:54.07 To this day, I've never ever knocked on a door 00:17:54.14\00:17:57.11 and asked for a donation. 00:17:57.14\00:17:58.64 This is solely God's work. 00:17:58.67\00:18:00.58 I've actually had people, one time, I had a gentleman say, 00:18:00.61\00:18:03.65 well, Dale, imagine what you could do 00:18:03.68\00:18:06.61 if you did knock on doors for donations. 00:18:06.65\00:18:08.68 I said, this is not, no, I, you know, it's working fine 00:18:08.72\00:18:13.39 and, you know, if someone would have told me 18 years ago that, 00:18:13.46\00:18:17.96 Dale, you would be helping 500 to 600 children a year 00:18:17.99\00:18:20.80 in 19 counties in Illinois. 00:18:20.83\00:18:22.93 I would have said, and how would we do that? 00:18:22.96\00:18:25.47 That's right. 00:18:25.50\00:18:26.94 And feeding so many people. 00:18:26.97\00:18:28.40 When they call, you know, that we say, 00:18:28.44\00:18:30.74 sure when would you like to go shopping? 00:18:30.81\00:18:32.14 But then as I mentioned, 00:18:32.17\00:18:33.81 I've always had in the back of my mind, 00:18:33.88\00:18:35.21 I would love to be able to have a meal kitchen. 00:18:35.24\00:18:38.38 Not a soup kitchen as pastor mentioned, a meal kitchen. 00:18:38.41\00:18:42.08 And I was in my office one day and a lady walked by 00:18:42.12\00:18:45.85 and stuck her head in my door, and said, Dale, says, 00:18:45.89\00:18:48.09 "I'm not sure if you know who I am." 00:18:48.12\00:18:49.46 "Sure I know who you are, I know you." 00:18:49.49\00:18:51.73 And she said, "It's been weighing on my heart 00:18:51.76\00:18:54.10 to open up a soup kitchen. 00:18:54.13\00:18:56.06 And I said, "Come on in. Let's chat." 00:18:56.10\00:18:58.93 So we started talking and said, you know, her name's Donna. 00:18:58.97\00:19:03.14 Donna said, "It's been weighing on my heart for many years." 00:19:03.17\00:19:08.71 But it's a different undertaking right? 00:19:08.74\00:19:10.85 Than going and shopping and buying some clothes, 00:19:10.88\00:19:14.05 compared to opening up a kitchen. 00:19:14.12\00:19:15.98 And so we put a group together and started meeting and talking 00:19:16.02\00:19:20.06 and I told her, I said, I don't want it to be a soup kitchen. 00:19:20.09\00:19:24.79 I don't want it to be where people walk in the door, 00:19:24.83\00:19:27.83 go up to the line, grab a plate, 00:19:27.86\00:19:30.17 sit down and eat and leave. 00:19:30.20\00:19:31.53 I want it to be an atmosphere, an atmosphere and a surrounding 00:19:31.57\00:19:35.30 that otherwise they may not have an opportunity to have. 00:19:35.34\00:19:38.61 So as the pastor mentioned, we greet them at the door. 00:19:38.64\00:19:41.74 We sit them, we serve them. 00:19:41.78\00:19:44.08 We have entertainment and Heaven's Kitchen, 00:19:44.15\00:19:47.62 Harrisburg is every Tuesday night 00:19:47.65\00:19:49.52 at the Presbyterian Church annex. 00:19:49.55\00:19:51.79 And we created an atmosphere that they don't otherwise have 00:19:51.82\00:19:54.72 and it's great home cooked meals, 00:19:54.76\00:19:56.83 and our volunteer base, it's been incredible. 00:19:56.86\00:20:00.43 We have church groups, youth groups, baseball teams, 00:20:00.50\00:20:04.73 FFA groups that call and say, 00:20:04.77\00:20:06.94 "Hey, we want to come and volunteer." 00:20:06.97\00:20:08.94 And it's about a year and a half old program 00:20:08.97\00:20:13.11 now in Harrisburg, Heaven's Kitchen. 00:20:13.14\00:20:14.84 And then I actually had some volunteers from Marion 00:20:14.88\00:20:18.05 that came to Heaven's Kitchen, Harrisburg, 00:20:18.08\00:20:19.51 and volunteered one night, a friend of mine, 00:20:19.55\00:20:22.15 and he called me the next day, he said, Dale, 00:20:22.18\00:20:24.19 he said, "What would it take to bring 00:20:24.22\00:20:25.72 a Heaven's Kitchen to Marion?" 00:20:25.75\00:20:28.76 And I said, "It's going to take, 00:20:28.79\00:20:30.36 you know, the passion and the desire and the people." 00:20:30.43\00:20:33.70 And so, Heaven's Kitchen, 00:20:33.73\00:20:37.57 Marion is now over six months old. 00:20:37.60\00:20:40.04 So it's been an incredible blessing. 00:20:40.07\00:20:43.61 It's just like anything else, 00:20:43.64\00:20:45.87 you know, where's it going to go? 00:20:45.91\00:20:47.78 And, yeah. 00:21:37.76\00:21:39.09 And it's, how many people approximately 00:21:39.13\00:21:41.23 are you feeding on a night? 00:21:41.26\00:21:42.86 We, in Harrisburg, we feed average around 200 to 225 00:21:42.90\00:21:47.94 and we also deliver to shut-ins as well. 00:21:47.97\00:21:50.94 And in Marion we're 150 to 175 and growing in Marion. 00:21:50.97\00:21:56.04 That's incredible and, of course, Harrisburg not, 00:21:56.08\00:21:59.08 what is it 10,000... 00:21:59.11\00:22:00.62 A little less, little less. 00:22:00.65\00:22:02.45 Right about nine or less. 00:22:02.48\00:22:03.82 And Marion's maybe double that. 00:22:03.89\00:22:05.22 But that's a lot of people to feed. 00:22:05.25\00:22:07.06 Oh, yeah. 00:22:07.09\00:22:08.42 Locally, it's a lot of responsibility. 00:22:08.46\00:22:09.82 Every week. And it's a lot of finances. 00:22:09.86\00:22:12.49 And yeah, that's coming in, 00:22:12.53\00:22:14.13 but that's why when John talked to me, 00:22:14.20\00:22:16.77 he said we need to do something to help. 00:22:16.80\00:22:19.00 What can we do to do this? 00:22:19.03\00:22:20.94 Because this is run by, you just told, 00:22:20.97\00:22:23.71 some of the volunteers 00:22:23.74\00:22:25.07 from all walks of life, people who care about people. 00:22:25.11\00:22:28.48 So we wrote a song one time, 00:22:28.51\00:22:29.98 it says, people touching people. 00:22:30.05\00:22:31.68 And that's really what, what it's all about. 00:22:31.71\00:22:34.35 So you have so many volunteers. 00:22:34.38\00:22:36.18 So we say, well, we're here in Southern Illinois, 00:22:36.22\00:22:38.69 there are people who need clothes, 00:22:38.72\00:22:40.79 and people who need to be, you know, help feed them. 00:22:40.86\00:22:44.39 And so what can we do 00:22:44.43\00:22:45.76 and one of the things we could do, 00:22:45.79\00:22:47.20 as senator was asking you to come on, 00:22:47.23\00:22:49.20 and share this because our viewers 00:22:49.23\00:22:51.47 are great at supporting needs. 00:22:51.50\00:22:53.64 They've helped from hurricanes, 00:22:53.67\00:22:55.47 from typhoons, to floods, to fires and so, 00:22:55.50\00:22:59.97 they didn't ask to do this. 00:23:00.01\00:23:01.98 We're asking you, we said, 00:23:02.01\00:23:04.05 you know, we feel like that the best way 00:23:04.08\00:23:07.02 to tell people about Jesus is to show them. 00:23:07.05\00:23:09.05 Right. 00:23:09.08\00:23:10.42 And so some people as only Jesus, 00:23:10.49\00:23:12.22 say, might see is when they come in, 00:23:12.25\00:23:14.19 and they're introduced to this person saying, 00:23:14.26\00:23:16.66 come on in, let me seat you, or whoever there, 00:23:16.73\00:23:19.73 who is touching their life that night, 00:23:19.76\00:23:22.20 and then they go outside and like you said 00:23:22.23\00:23:24.10 to where you had the music 00:23:24.17\00:23:26.03 and then people out and was talking 00:23:26.07\00:23:28.40 to people in the foyers, 00:23:28.44\00:23:29.87 and people gave their hearts to Jesus. 00:23:29.90\00:23:32.34 So, you know, I mean, these are incredible things, 00:23:32.37\00:23:35.28 but it's meeting people's needs. 00:23:35.31\00:23:37.48 I've always said if you say to Johnny, 00:23:37.55\00:23:40.22 you know, hey, Johnny, Jesus loves you. 00:23:40.25\00:23:42.98 He died for you. 00:23:43.02\00:23:44.35 But you know, if you're not good, He's going to burn you, 00:23:44.39\00:23:46.39 he do all this stuff. 00:23:46.42\00:23:47.76 That doesn't mean much to Johnny. 00:23:47.79\00:23:50.03 But if you say, hey, Johnny, you see Johnny's hungry, 00:23:50.06\00:23:52.56 you give him an apple, you gave him a little bit of food. 00:23:52.59\00:23:55.63 Then he wants to know, why are you doing this? 00:23:55.66\00:23:58.03 Because Jesus, His love for me, gives me love for you. 00:23:58.07\00:24:03.41 And so now you start feeding Johnny, 00:24:03.44\00:24:05.17 you build a relationship. 00:24:05.21\00:24:06.98 And Johnny ends up saying, 00:24:07.01\00:24:08.64 a loving God who cares about him. 00:24:08.68\00:24:12.18 So, people, it's not what we say, 00:24:12.21\00:24:14.75 oh, well, you know, I'll pray for you, brother. 00:24:14.78\00:24:17.59 That didn't help give him any food. 00:24:17.62\00:24:19.45 Right? We'll pray for him. 00:24:19.49\00:24:20.89 Well, somebody else will do it. 00:24:20.96\00:24:22.46 No, Jesus said, go, 00:24:22.49\00:24:23.83 you and both of you and Senator, go, 00:24:23.86\00:24:27.13 Dale, into your part of the world, 00:24:27.20\00:24:30.40 and so that's what you're doing. 00:24:30.47\00:24:32.50 And you're showing them the love of Jesus 00:24:32.53\00:24:34.64 rather than just say, 00:24:34.67\00:24:36.00 oh, you're hungry, I'll pray for you. 00:24:36.04\00:24:37.41 Or you need clothes, I'll pray for you. 00:24:37.44\00:24:39.27 The difference it's making in their lives. 00:24:39.31\00:24:42.51 That's what it's all about, 00:24:42.54\00:24:43.88 the difference we're making in these children's lives by... 00:24:43.95\00:24:47.22 There's no question building confidence and self esteem 00:24:47.25\00:24:49.95 as I mentioned earlier, 00:24:49.98\00:24:51.92 these children are walking into school, 00:24:51.95\00:24:54.29 side by side now with the most privileged, 00:24:54.32\00:24:56.66 with new shoes and clothes on and it's... 00:24:56.73\00:24:58.53 The teachers are saying, 00:24:58.56\00:24:59.89 it's making a difference in their, 00:24:59.93\00:25:01.46 and, you know, in their grades and across the board. 00:25:01.50\00:25:05.50 And I would like to tell one... 00:25:05.53\00:25:07.97 With Heaven's Kitchen, 00:25:08.00\00:25:09.34 I know I'm waffling back and forth here, 00:25:09.37\00:25:10.71 but with Heaven's Kitchen, 00:25:10.74\00:25:13.04 sometimes we have more volunteers that show up. 00:25:13.07\00:25:16.21 And sometimes we need, but they keep coming back 00:25:16.24\00:25:19.21 because they get to experience the mission. 00:25:19.25\00:25:21.55 They get to experience the atmosphere 00:25:21.58\00:25:23.49 and the difference it's making. 00:25:23.52\00:25:25.15 I'd like to tell a quick story about the difference 00:25:25.19\00:25:27.16 it's made in one particular young gentleman's life. 00:25:27.19\00:25:32.16 It's been several months ago, at Heaven's Kitchen. 00:25:32.19\00:25:35.56 I was walking around, visiting with people 00:25:35.60\00:25:37.93 and I noticed against the wall 00:25:37.97\00:25:39.77 on the other side of the room, a young boy, 00:25:39.80\00:25:43.81 around 14, 15 years old, 00:25:43.84\00:25:45.74 with his back kind of against the wall 00:25:45.77\00:25:48.21 and just kind of standing there 00:25:48.24\00:25:49.91 and didn't think it much about it. 00:25:49.94\00:25:53.08 Few minutes later, I see him still standing there. 00:25:53.11\00:25:55.15 So I, one of our volunteers I had come over, I said, Hey, 00:25:55.18\00:25:58.62 who's the boy over there against the wall? 00:25:58.65\00:26:00.46 And he said, he gave me his name. 00:26:00.49\00:26:01.99 He said, "He's here to do some community service. 00:26:02.02\00:26:05.33 He's been sent here by a detention center 00:26:05.36\00:26:07.73 to do some service. 00:26:07.76\00:26:09.26 So many hours, so he has to work some service off. 00:26:09.30\00:26:12.00 So, okay, so I went over and I introduced myself to him 00:26:12.03\00:26:15.17 and shook his hand and kind of gave me a weak handshake. 00:26:15.20\00:26:18.54 And I said, "So you're here to do some community service. 00:26:18.57\00:26:21.48 You need to work a little hard." 00:26:21.51\00:26:22.84 He said, "Yes." 00:26:22.88\00:26:24.25 He said, "As long as I don't have to talk to anyone. 00:26:24.28\00:26:26.45 I don't like to talk to people." 00:26:26.48\00:26:28.42 I said, "Okay, we'll work on that." 00:26:28.45\00:26:30.72 So I said, "Okay, here's what I want you to do today 00:26:30.79\00:26:34.46 'cause I know you're gonna be keep coming back each Tuesday. 00:26:34.49\00:26:37.23 And so you work off your time." 00:26:37.26\00:26:39.19 And I said, "I just like for you to go when the people 00:26:39.23\00:26:41.73 finish their meal, go and pick up their plates 00:26:41.76\00:26:44.80 and throw their plates away. 00:26:44.83\00:26:46.17 That's gonna be your job for today." 00:26:46.20\00:26:48.04 "Okay, as long as I don't have 00:26:48.07\00:26:49.40 to talk to anyone, I'll be fine." 00:26:49.44\00:26:51.41 Okay, so he went back 00:26:51.44\00:26:53.04 and stood up against the wall again. 00:26:53.07\00:26:54.61 So a few minutes later, 00:26:54.64\00:26:55.98 I see where some people were finishing 00:26:56.01\00:26:57.71 and I kind of motion them over and pointed the table 00:26:57.75\00:27:00.72 and he kind of reluctantly stroke, 00:27:00.75\00:27:03.22 you know, strolled over and pick the plates up. 00:27:03.25\00:27:05.89 And that was the day. 00:27:05.92\00:27:07.99 And so the next day, 00:27:08.02\00:27:09.36 the next Tuesday comes in to Heaven's Kitchen. 00:27:09.39\00:27:11.63 I said, "Now here's what I want you to do this time. 00:27:11.66\00:27:14.20 I want you to do the same thing, pick up the plates, 00:27:14.23\00:27:16.00 but I want you to say four words. 00:27:16.03\00:27:18.70 When you pick up the plates..." 00:27:18.73\00:27:20.54 "I have to do this. What are they?" 00:27:20.57\00:27:22.27 I said, "How was your meal?" 00:27:22.30\00:27:25.44 That's all I want you to do. Okay. 00:27:25.47\00:27:27.18 He reluctantly did. 00:27:27.21\00:27:28.54 I had to kind of remind him a few times. 00:27:28.58\00:27:31.01 The next week, we start working on his hand shake a little bit. 00:27:31.05\00:27:35.95 And he was in having to take some specialized classes 00:27:35.98\00:27:40.56 because his school work was really not adequate. 00:27:40.59\00:27:44.39 And fast forward now several months, 00:27:44.43\00:27:48.90 he did his community service, did his hours. 00:27:48.93\00:27:52.93 He comes to Heaven's Kitchen 00:27:52.97\00:27:54.97 every Tuesday night and volunteer. 00:27:55.00\00:27:57.21 All right. Whoa! 00:27:57.24\00:27:58.57 He greets people at the door, he shakes their hand. 00:27:58.61\00:28:01.01 As the weeks went on, I had him sitting at the table, 00:28:01.04\00:28:04.48 developing conversation. 00:28:04.51\00:28:05.85 Look at that. 00:28:05.88\00:28:07.22 And he shows up every, without being asked, 00:28:07.25\00:28:10.19 every Tuesday night, and he goes on, he'll go on delivery. 00:28:10.22\00:28:14.49 So as I mentioned, we deliver to shut-ins. 00:28:14.52\00:28:16.46 He'll go on deliveries as well. 00:28:16.49\00:28:18.93 And he is there religiously every Tuesday night. 00:28:18.96\00:28:22.36 He is now, his grades has improved. 00:28:22.40\00:28:25.90 Few weeks ago, he came up to me 00:28:25.93\00:28:27.47 and, of course, he comes up 00:28:27.54\00:28:28.87 and 'cause we worked on that hand shake, 00:28:28.90\00:28:30.51 he pulled his hand out, 00:28:30.54\00:28:31.87 we shake hands and greet each other with a smile. 00:28:31.91\00:28:34.28 And he looked at me a couple weeks ago, 00:28:34.31\00:28:35.84 and he said, "Sir Dale," he says, 00:28:35.88\00:28:37.88 "Guess what I'm gonna do this year." 00:28:37.91\00:28:39.58 I said, "What's that buddy?" 00:28:39.61\00:28:40.95 He says, "I'm going after the football team." 00:28:40.98\00:28:42.65 All right. Look at that. 00:28:42.68\00:28:44.02 Restoring his value. Yes, right. 00:28:44.09\00:28:45.92 Restoring his value. Philip. 00:28:45.95\00:28:47.29 It's exciting at Heaven's Kitchen with the story 00:28:47.36\00:28:50.56 that what he just told 00:28:50.63\00:28:51.96 because I just saw that young man this week 00:28:51.99\00:28:53.60 and he hollered at me just across the street. 00:28:53.63\00:28:55.70 "Hey, Philip, how are you?" 00:28:55.73\00:28:58.40 That was exciting to me to see the change in that young man. 00:28:58.43\00:29:02.47 But we're seeing change within 00:29:02.50\00:29:04.64 not just that young man but other people. 00:29:04.67\00:29:06.78 Their lives are being changed. 00:29:06.81\00:29:08.58 We've seen so many people come to the Lord 00:29:08.61\00:29:12.21 and give their hearts to Jesus. 00:29:12.25\00:29:16.18 In this atmosphere, not just in Harrisburg, 00:29:16.22\00:29:19.65 but I was singing over there one night 00:29:19.69\00:29:21.66 at the Marion Heaven's Kitchen. 00:29:21.69\00:29:25.76 And it turned into a revival service. 00:29:25.79\00:29:29.26 I mean, all the way to the back they were all singing with me, 00:29:29.30\00:29:32.83 we were singing old songs, 00:29:32.87\00:29:34.74 you know, like just a little talk with Jesus, 00:29:34.77\00:29:36.44 stuff like that, 00:29:36.47\00:29:37.81 songs that they probably grew up with this stuff. 00:29:37.84\00:29:40.68 And it was exciting 00:29:40.71\00:29:42.14 to see these kids and the older people, 00:29:42.18\00:29:47.02 the middle aged people, all of them getting excited 00:29:47.05\00:29:50.32 and turning their hearts towards Lord. 00:29:50.39\00:29:52.92 They've just had a meal physically, 00:29:52.95\00:29:55.39 but not just physically. 00:29:55.42\00:29:57.23 Now then Jesus has stepped in and it's changing some lives. 00:29:57.26\00:30:01.83 It's amazing, you know, you've given him 00:30:01.86\00:30:03.20 the physical food and the principles. 00:30:03.23\00:30:05.63 You know, Danny, talked about it in James, 00:30:05.67\00:30:07.24 if you see somebody destitute and hungry, 00:30:07.27\00:30:09.60 and you just say be warmed and do nothing for them, 00:30:09.64\00:30:12.61 but then all of a sudden the door opens 00:30:12.64\00:30:14.28 when you touch their lives with clothing and food. 00:30:14.31\00:30:17.35 And then Jesus said, 00:30:17.38\00:30:18.71 "The measurement of our religion is, 00:30:18.75\00:30:20.75 as much as you've done it to the least of these, 00:30:20.82\00:30:22.58 you've done it to Me." 00:30:22.62\00:30:23.99 You know, Danny, I was looking at the songs 00:30:24.02\00:30:25.42 and I think before we, you know, 00:30:25.45\00:30:26.96 we have more to talk about after the song, 00:30:26.99\00:30:28.36 but this is a perfect place 00:30:28.39\00:30:30.63 where the song by Matt Throgmorton, 00:30:30.66\00:30:33.50 "Little is Much," 00:30:33.53\00:30:35.06 because we're talking about, you talk about 18 years ago, 00:30:35.10\00:30:38.10 how it started small, 00:30:38.13\00:30:39.47 but now lives have been changed. 00:30:39.50\00:30:41.17 That story is an amazing story about that young man 00:30:41.20\00:30:42.97 who now has found his mission. 00:30:43.00\00:30:44.64 I count now, and my handshake matters 00:30:44.67\00:30:47.08 and my voice matters, 00:30:47.11\00:30:48.44 and I'm gonna now continue to expand 00:30:48.48\00:30:50.48 and feeding people physically, 00:30:50.55\00:30:52.35 and then feeding them spiritually. 00:30:52.38\00:30:54.12 And the song was perfect right now 00:30:54.15\00:30:55.48 and I think we should sit back and listen to this ministry. 00:30:55.52\00:30:57.85 Absolutely. Let's do. 00:30:57.89\00:30:59.22 In the harvest field now ripened 00:31:11.00\00:31:17.51 There's a work for all to do Hark! 00:31:17.54\00:31:24.98 The voice of God is calling 00:31:25.01\00:31:30.49 To the harvest calling you 00:31:30.52\00:31:38.43 Does the place you're called to labor 00:31:38.46\00:31:44.47 Seem so small and little known 00:31:44.50\00:31:51.74 It is great 00:31:51.77\00:31:54.08 If God is in it 00:31:54.11\00:31:57.71 And He'll not forsake His own 00:31:57.75\00:32:04.65 Little is much 00:32:04.69\00:32:07.59 When God is in it 00:32:07.66\00:32:11.33 Labor not for wealth or fame 00:32:11.36\00:32:17.87 There's a crown, 00:32:17.90\00:32:20.97 And you can win it 00:32:21.00\00:32:24.94 If you go in Jesus' name 00:32:24.97\00:32:31.18 When the conflict here has ended 00:32:42.59\00:32:48.76 And our race on earth is run 00:32:48.80\00:32:55.87 He will say, 00:32:55.90\00:32:59.24 if you've been faithful 00:32:59.27\00:33:05.31 Welcome home 00:33:05.35\00:33:11.92 My child, well done 00:33:11.95\00:33:15.69 Little is much 00:33:15.72\00:33:18.49 when God is in it 00:33:18.53\00:33:22.10 Labor not for wealth or fame 00:33:22.13\00:33:28.77 There's a crown 00:33:28.80\00:33:31.67 and you can win it 00:33:31.71\00:33:35.91 If you go 00:33:35.94\00:33:52.09 In Jesus' 00:33:52.13\00:33:59.93 Name 00:33:59.97\00:34:05.94 And all the people said, "Amen." 00:34:12.25\00:34:14.02 Amen. Amen. 00:34:14.05\00:34:15.38 Well, what do you think, Pastor? 00:34:15.42\00:34:16.75 Little is much. 00:34:16.79\00:34:18.12 And that's what we're talking about here. 00:34:18.15\00:34:19.49 You know, it's amazing what can happen 00:34:19.52\00:34:20.86 when we grab hold of a vision. 00:34:20.89\00:34:22.59 And, you know, you find in the Bible, 00:34:22.62\00:34:23.96 there's so many times that the Lord gives people dreams 00:34:24.03\00:34:26.13 like He gave to Nebuchadnezzar. 00:34:26.16\00:34:27.73 He gave to Daniel, He gave to Joseph, 00:34:27.76\00:34:31.67 when Joseph was wondering what to do, 00:34:31.70\00:34:33.94 that Mary was pregnant before they were even married. 00:34:33.97\00:34:37.11 He gave it to Zachariah to confirm that. 00:34:37.14\00:34:40.08 This is in fact the Christ. 00:34:40.11\00:34:41.68 And he gave that vision to Senator Fowler 00:34:41.71\00:34:44.05 and the vision to Pastor Philip Fritts, 00:34:44.08\00:34:47.05 and this vision for the... 00:34:47.12\00:34:48.72 What we like about here's, 00:34:48.75\00:34:50.39 you know, Danny's from Illinois, 00:34:50.42\00:34:51.92 I'm from New York, 00:34:51.95\00:34:53.29 but I've been in Illinois since 2003. 00:34:53.36\00:34:55.96 You know, I'm a staple now in the community. 00:34:55.99\00:34:58.13 And one of the wonderful things about being here 00:34:58.16\00:34:59.93 in this community is making a difference in people's lives. 00:35:00.00\00:35:03.23 And when you see 00:35:03.26\00:35:05.33 that what is done first 00:35:05.37\00:35:07.04 is you care about the individual. 00:35:07.07\00:35:08.80 You know, years ago, I talked about this Apple computer, 00:35:08.84\00:35:11.34 you know, they said, "We exist to empower individuals." 00:35:11.37\00:35:14.21 And talk about that, I mean, 00:35:14.28\00:35:15.81 because somewhere along the way, 00:35:15.84\00:35:17.18 you have to think, "Well, I am a politician. 00:35:17.25\00:35:19.51 I'm participating in the Illinois, 00:35:19.55\00:35:21.52 I'm a Illinois Senator. 00:35:21.55\00:35:23.59 I'm making decisions, politically, 00:35:23.62\00:35:25.55 bills being passed." 00:35:25.59\00:35:27.16 But there's got to be more to it 00:35:27.19\00:35:28.56 than just the legislative side of that. 00:35:28.59\00:35:30.33 When did that fire gets started? 00:35:30.36\00:35:32.23 Absolutely. 00:35:32.26\00:35:33.60 I look back on my life on how things have progressed. 00:35:33.63\00:35:37.37 And the good Lord has guided me 00:35:37.40\00:35:40.04 especially as I've gotten older. 00:35:40.07\00:35:41.44 And I think back about occurrences and statements 00:35:41.47\00:35:45.77 and things that have transpired throughout my life 00:35:45.81\00:35:49.38 that I was guided to be where I am today. 00:35:49.41\00:35:53.45 I feel like I'm a little unique because I, you know, 00:35:53.52\00:35:56.69 I have a foundation and, you know, 00:35:56.72\00:35:58.69 giving and doing for others is a top priority. 00:35:58.72\00:36:03.66 I'll never forget when I decided 00:36:03.73\00:36:05.06 I was gonna run for the Illinois State Senate. 00:36:05.09\00:36:07.20 I went to a prayer breakfast at Herrin for the opening 00:36:07.23\00:36:11.33 of the Herrin Festa Italiana event. 00:36:11.37\00:36:15.34 And I was at their prayer breakfast 00:36:15.37\00:36:17.64 and on the table in front of me was the program. 00:36:17.67\00:36:21.81 And at the bottom of the program 00:36:21.84\00:36:23.18 was scripture, was some scripture. 00:36:23.21\00:36:26.51 And as I'm reading through the program 00:36:26.55\00:36:27.88 before the prayer breakfast started, 00:36:27.92\00:36:29.25 and there was scripture there that just, it hit me. 00:36:29.28\00:36:33.96 I mean, it just like slapped me in the face. 00:36:33.99\00:36:37.46 And I said, "I got to save this." 00:36:37.53\00:36:40.00 So I actually took the program home, 00:36:40.03\00:36:42.80 cut the scripture off of the bottom 00:36:42.83\00:36:45.83 and carried it in my billfold, and I've carried it ever since. 00:36:45.87\00:36:48.27 And that's been over four years now 00:36:48.30\00:36:50.21 here in my billfold. 00:36:50.24\00:36:51.57 That scripture was Ephesians 2:10. 00:36:51.61\00:36:55.11 "For we are God's workmanship created by Christ Jesus 00:36:55.14\00:37:00.25 to do good works 00:37:00.32\00:37:02.38 that's created in advance for us to do." 00:37:02.42\00:37:05.09 That's right. 00:37:05.12\00:37:06.45 God guided me, God gave me that memory, 00:37:06.49\00:37:08.39 when I was a child 00:37:08.42\00:37:09.92 of this little brother and little sister 00:37:09.96\00:37:11.29 running out of this dilapidated type home, 00:37:11.33\00:37:12.86 wearing tattered clothing. 00:37:12.89\00:37:14.70 He gave me that memory of 00:37:14.73\00:37:16.06 how they were treated in school. 00:37:16.10\00:37:17.60 He gave me that memory and woke me up 18 years ago 00:37:17.63\00:37:21.07 to do something about it, 00:37:21.10\00:37:23.30 a little is much. 00:37:23.34\00:37:25.57 When I first, at the first, 00:37:25.61\00:37:27.28 you know, few children that we helped 00:37:27.31\00:37:28.88 all I wanted to do, as I mentioned earlier, 00:37:28.91\00:37:30.85 is help a few children at elementary school 00:37:30.88\00:37:32.91 where my memory had occurred, five or six kids a year. 00:37:32.95\00:37:35.95 I was content with that. 00:37:35.98\00:37:39.02 But God said, "No, you're gonna do more." 00:37:39.05\00:37:40.96 All right. And so, okay. 00:37:40.99\00:37:42.49 "Okay, God, how we're gonna do that?" 00:37:42.52\00:37:44.43 'Cause I, you know, initially, 00:37:44.46\00:37:45.79 I wasn't able to give Him that much apparel. 00:37:45.83\00:37:47.93 But now we're giving him an entire wardrobe enough 00:37:47.96\00:37:50.30 to get him through the entire school year. 00:37:50.37\00:37:52.57 And, you know, 00:37:52.60\00:37:54.80 and to think that it was just gonna be that little, 00:37:54.84\00:37:57.71 it was just gonna be in that one school building, 00:37:57.74\00:37:59.87 and now we are in 19 counties helping, 00:37:59.91\00:38:03.48 you know, as many as 600 children a year 00:38:03.55\00:38:07.72 has been a blessing. 00:38:07.75\00:38:09.15 And people ask me all the time, 00:38:09.18\00:38:10.89 "So, Dale, where do you see this going?" 00:38:10.92\00:38:12.62 I said, "I don't know. It's not my works, it's God's. 00:38:12.65\00:38:14.49 He just guided me to do it." 00:38:14.52\00:38:16.09 You know, so, but making a difference in the life 00:38:16.12\00:38:19.16 of someone else is what it's all about. 00:38:19.19\00:38:21.83 And as a State Senator, 00:38:21.86\00:38:24.60 I represent my district, of the 59th district. 00:38:24.63\00:38:27.44 And you know, I'm not perfect, 00:38:27.47\00:38:30.81 but I make the decisions is best for my people... 00:38:30.84\00:38:35.34 That's right. 00:38:35.38\00:38:36.78 In some moment difficult decisions. 00:38:36.85\00:38:39.58 But... 00:38:39.61\00:38:42.38 it's important, and this is not my career. 00:38:42.42\00:38:46.12 This is just my passion to serve. 00:38:46.15\00:38:48.12 This is it, it is my passion to serve my foundation 00:38:48.16\00:38:50.36 and feed children, and feed children 00:38:50.43\00:38:53.40 and clothe children, feed the hungry. 00:38:53.43\00:38:55.93 It's just my passion to serve 00:38:55.96\00:38:57.40 but it's just been mission that I just been guided to do. 00:38:57.47\00:39:02.24 And that's really the only way I can really explain it 00:39:02.27\00:39:05.94 to do everything that I can to represent my people, 00:39:05.97\00:39:10.85 the people that I represent. 00:39:10.88\00:39:12.61 But make it try to do everything 00:39:12.65\00:39:14.42 to make a difference in the life of someone else. 00:39:14.45\00:39:16.79 That's as important to me as anything. 00:39:16.82\00:39:20.06 That's right. 00:39:20.09\00:39:21.42 You know, 00:39:21.46\00:39:22.79 one thing that helped to attract me 00:39:22.82\00:39:24.46 to Senator Fowler 00:39:24.49\00:39:27.40 was we built a bond on prayer, 00:39:27.43\00:39:32.73 and conversation about the Lord. 00:39:32.77\00:39:35.94 And, you know, 00:39:35.97\00:39:37.84 we look at a lot of politicians out here 00:39:37.87\00:39:40.18 that they do what they do, 00:39:40.21\00:39:42.81 but I can honestly say 00:39:42.84\00:39:44.25 that Senator Fowler is a man that cares. 00:39:44.28\00:39:47.45 He will be in Springfield 00:39:47.52\00:39:48.98 and he'll send me a text message, 00:39:49.02\00:39:50.69 "I need you to pray about this right now." 00:39:50.72\00:39:53.29 Or he'll call me up and he'll say, "Hey, listen, 00:39:53.36\00:39:55.46 this is going on, 00:39:55.49\00:39:56.83 can you help me pray about this?" 00:39:56.86\00:39:58.23 And we'll pray, we take time right now and pray. 00:39:58.26\00:40:01.26 It's not, "Okay. 00:40:01.30\00:40:02.63 I'll pray for you, brother. We'll see." 00:40:02.66\00:40:04.63 It's, "Let's take care of business right now." 00:40:04.67\00:40:07.64 Because he's needing God to intervene in a situation. 00:40:07.67\00:40:11.07 And that's what I love about Senator Fowler. 00:40:11.11\00:40:13.78 He is always open to the word of the Lord 00:40:13.81\00:40:16.31 and to hear from God. 00:40:16.34\00:40:18.25 And he has a prayerful mind. 00:40:18.28\00:40:20.32 But what made you consider getting into politics? 00:40:20.35\00:40:25.99 Wow! 00:40:26.02\00:40:27.66 Funny story is people predicted 00:40:27.69\00:40:31.33 that I would be doing what I'm doing way before 00:40:31.36\00:40:35.76 it was even a vision in my mind. 00:40:35.80\00:40:37.80 Oh, really? Okay. 00:40:37.83\00:40:39.57 In fact, kind of a funny story was 00:40:39.60\00:40:42.07 when I went to, graduated, 00:40:42.10\00:40:43.91 I went to El Dorado High School and I played football. 00:40:43.94\00:40:47.38 And my football coach 00:40:47.41\00:40:49.34 that came out of East Illinois University. 00:40:49.38\00:40:51.61 As a young man, we just hit it off really good. 00:40:51.65\00:40:54.22 And after I graduated from high school, 00:40:54.25\00:40:56.62 we stayed in close contact with each other 00:40:56.69\00:40:58.42 still to this day. 00:40:58.45\00:40:59.79 Oh, we do. 00:40:59.82\00:41:01.16 And in my early 20s, 00:41:01.19\00:41:03.73 Coach Waye nicknamed me. 00:41:03.76\00:41:07.30 And to this day, 00:41:07.33\00:41:10.97 40 years later 00:41:11.00\00:41:12.93 we could see each other at a gas station, 00:41:12.97\00:41:14.37 or grocery store, or at a basketball game, 00:41:14.40\00:41:16.24 or whatever, he is always acknowledged me 00:41:16.27\00:41:19.64 by this nickname Senator Fowler. 00:41:19.67\00:41:24.15 Oh, he nicknamed you that before you became the senator. 00:41:24.18\00:41:25.51 He nicknamed me Senator Fowler in my early 20s. 00:41:25.55\00:41:28.48 And there would be people that would come up and said, 00:41:28.52\00:41:32.82 "What are you up to? 00:41:32.85\00:41:34.19 You're gonna run for State Representative? 00:41:34.26\00:41:35.59 Are you gonna run for State Senate or something? 00:41:35.62\00:41:37.43 Have you ever thought about it?" 00:41:37.46\00:41:38.79 No, no, no way. 00:41:38.83\00:41:40.20 No way, you know? But... 00:41:40.23\00:41:42.50 The nickname pursued you. 00:41:42.53\00:41:45.03 And I had an opportunity to... 00:41:45.07\00:41:47.47 My first elected position was, 00:41:47.54\00:41:50.41 I started a four-year term on the Saline County Board. 00:41:50.44\00:41:54.74 Someone many years ago had asked me several times 00:41:54.78\00:41:59.21 if I would throughout the process, 00:41:59.25\00:42:01.25 if I would consider running for County Board 00:42:01.28\00:42:03.79 and I had always declined. 00:42:03.82\00:42:05.22 I just, "It's just not me. It's just not," you know? 00:42:05.25\00:42:08.39 And hate but they would keep asking. 00:42:08.42\00:42:11.16 And finally the last time the gentleman asked me, 00:42:11.19\00:42:13.33 he said, and I declined again. 00:42:13.40\00:42:15.66 And he said, "Well, I'm never gonna ask you again." 00:42:15.70\00:42:19.07 But he said, "I want you to promise me one thing, 00:42:19.10\00:42:21.20 that one day you will run." 00:42:21.24\00:42:23.91 And I said, "Well, surely, 00:42:23.94\00:42:27.11 I'll consider that, absolutely." 00:42:27.18\00:42:29.61 So and I would always tell my dad this story about, 00:42:29.64\00:42:32.78 you know, he came in, "Hey, I ran for County Board," 00:42:32.81\00:42:35.55 and asked me if I would run for County Board 00:42:35.58\00:42:38.29 and my dad said, "What did you tell him?" 00:42:38.32\00:42:40.26 I said, "No, I declined. It's just not," you know. 00:42:40.29\00:42:42.19 And he said, "Yeah, you know, you got this going on, 00:42:42.22\00:42:44.66 you know, we're farming. 00:42:44.69\00:42:46.03 We got a family business, you know, you, you're busy." 00:42:46.06\00:42:48.70 I'm sure he understands. 00:42:48.73\00:42:50.47 And then, you know, two years later, 00:42:50.50\00:42:51.83 he asked me again, and I declined. 00:42:51.87\00:42:53.20 Two years later, he asked me again. 00:42:53.23\00:42:54.57 That's when he asked me, "Hey, will you one day?" 00:42:54.60\00:42:57.01 And he said, "I'll never ask you again." 00:42:57.04\00:42:59.04 So the gentleman passed away. 00:42:59.07\00:43:04.25 And the person that took his place 00:43:04.28\00:43:05.95 as a County Chairman came to me and said, 00:43:05.98\00:43:09.28 "Hey, would you consider running for County Board?" 00:43:09.32\00:43:11.95 And so that memory of my commitment 00:43:11.99\00:43:15.82 weighed on me. 00:43:15.86\00:43:17.43 And I said, 00:43:17.46\00:43:19.56 "Can I have a couple days to think about 00:43:19.59\00:43:21.06 and pray about it?" 00:43:21.10\00:43:22.50 He said, "Sure." 00:43:22.53\00:43:23.87 This was on Friday, he calls me, 00:43:23.90\00:43:25.23 and I call him back on Monday. 00:43:25.27\00:43:26.84 And he said, "I can't believe your kindness." 00:43:26.87\00:43:28.20 I said, "I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it." 00:43:28.24\00:43:31.74 And he says, "Wow, 00:43:31.77\00:43:33.11 I can't believe you call me back. 00:43:33.14\00:43:34.48 Thank you," you know? So I went to my dad. 00:43:34.51\00:43:36.78 And I said, "Dad," I said, 00:43:36.85\00:43:39.15 "I got a phone call and asked me to run." 00:43:39.18\00:43:42.15 And he said, "What did you tell him?" 00:43:42.18\00:43:43.69 I said, "I'm gonna do it." 00:43:43.72\00:43:45.99 He looked at me, he goes, "I'm proud of you, son." 00:43:46.02\00:43:48.76 Okay. 00:43:48.79\00:43:50.53 And that kind of led. 00:43:50.56\00:43:51.89 I did that four-year term and then 00:43:51.93\00:43:53.90 I had moved to Harrisburg from Eldorado. 00:43:53.93\00:43:56.60 And the mayor of Harrisburg had to resign 00:43:56.67\00:44:01.57 as mayor of Harrisburg to take 00:44:01.60\00:44:03.04 because of a conflict of interest in the job 00:44:03.07\00:44:04.71 that he had taken. 00:44:04.74\00:44:06.24 So they appointed a commissioner to take his, 00:44:06.27\00:44:09.01 to fulfill his term. 00:44:09.04\00:44:10.88 And that mayor asked me, 00:44:10.95\00:44:12.28 if I would fulfill his term on the Harrisburg City Council. 00:44:12.31\00:44:15.85 And, again, thought about it. Well, I said "Sure." 00:44:15.88\00:44:19.35 You know, it will be fun, you know. 00:44:19.39\00:44:22.16 And so I did. 00:44:22.19\00:44:24.23 But unfortunately, 00:44:24.26\00:44:25.86 that mayor passes away with brain cancer. 00:44:25.89\00:44:29.63 And so the council asked me to fulfill his term 00:44:29.66\00:44:32.00 as mayor of Harrisburg. 00:44:32.03\00:44:33.84 And I accepted and then I ran in 2015 00:44:33.87\00:44:38.17 to 4-year term of as mayor of Harrisburg and was elected. 00:44:38.21\00:44:42.28 And then there was a knock on the door. 00:44:42.31\00:44:45.45 "Dale, would you consider 00:44:45.48\00:44:47.52 running for Illinois State Senate?" 00:44:47.55\00:44:50.62 And all these memories of everything else, 00:44:50.69\00:44:52.92 my life everything had transitioned 00:44:52.95\00:44:54.49 throughout my life just kind of started spinning at me. 00:44:54.52\00:44:57.89 And it was a very tough decision. 00:44:57.93\00:45:03.47 But I made the commitment that 00:45:03.50\00:45:06.07 when I decided that I would that, 00:45:06.10\00:45:10.31 especially at this stage of my life 00:45:10.34\00:45:11.74 that I would just go in and I would work hard. 00:45:11.77\00:45:14.11 I would run a clean, honest, ethical campaign 00:45:14.18\00:45:18.25 and see how it unfolds. 00:45:18.28\00:45:21.78 And I won. 00:45:21.82\00:45:23.28 Then I was reelected in 2018 to 4-year term. 00:45:23.32\00:45:27.69 Amen. 00:45:27.72\00:45:29.06 And my position was when, 00:45:29.09\00:45:32.79 there was a gentleman assigned to my campaign. 00:45:32.83\00:45:35.86 We worked on a press release that I was gonna run, 00:45:35.90\00:45:39.83 that I had announced, was gonna announce 00:45:39.87\00:45:41.34 that I was gonna run for Illinois State Senate. 00:45:41.37\00:45:44.21 And I put some paragraphs, Eddie put some paragraphs and we met, 00:45:44.24\00:45:48.54 went over it. 00:45:48.58\00:45:49.91 The last paragraph of the press 00:45:49.94\00:45:51.68 release was some really negative statements 00:45:51.71\00:45:55.98 about my opponent. 00:45:56.02\00:45:58.52 And I look at the gentlemen and I said, 00:45:58.55\00:46:01.39 "I need that taken out." 00:46:01.42\00:46:03.43 They said, "What do you mean, you need to take it out?" 00:46:03.46\00:46:05.06 I said, "You're running against a 14 year incumbent." 00:46:05.09\00:46:09.13 You know... 00:46:09.16\00:46:10.87 I mean, you've got to go, you've got to go... 00:46:10.90\00:46:13.64 Go for the juggler. 00:46:13.67\00:46:15.00 You got to go for the juggler. 00:46:15.04\00:46:16.37 I said, "I'm not gonna do it." 00:46:16.40\00:46:17.74 And he looked at me and he goes, 00:46:17.77\00:46:19.91 "Then you're gonna lose." 00:46:19.94\00:46:22.01 And I looked back at him, and I said, 00:46:22.04\00:46:24.28 that I'm gonna lose. 00:46:24.31\00:46:26.72 And I said, "I will never, 00:46:26.75\00:46:29.42 never say a negative word about my opponent, 00:46:29.45\00:46:32.59 or ever mention his name." 00:46:32.62\00:46:35.62 And I held true to that. 00:46:35.66\00:46:37.03 Because as the media kind of picked up on that, 00:46:37.06\00:46:41.20 my statement was, "Wouldn't it be great 00:46:41.23\00:46:43.97 for future campaigns 00:46:44.00\00:46:45.83 that you can run a clean, honest, ethical, 00:46:45.87\00:46:48.67 honest campaign and still be elected?" 00:46:48.70\00:46:52.01 Wouldn't that be great? 00:46:52.04\00:46:53.38 That is revolutionary to be honest about it. 00:46:53.41\00:46:56.75 Yeah. 00:46:56.78\00:46:58.11 And so, you know, I just followed my lead, 00:46:58.15\00:47:02.32 you know, I've just followed my lead. 00:47:02.35\00:47:04.79 Well, we're so thankful for what you're doing 00:47:04.82\00:47:08.32 not only for those of us here in Southern Illinois, 00:47:08.36\00:47:10.93 from the legislative branch 00:47:10.96\00:47:13.03 but also for what you're doing physically 00:47:13.06\00:47:15.50 because you're taking that great gospel 00:47:15.53\00:47:17.57 commission seriously. 00:47:17.60\00:47:19.07 And you, Pastor, for joining in 00:47:19.10\00:47:21.10 and so literally over few years it's been thousands of lives. 00:47:21.14\00:47:26.21 And I'm sure hundreds and getting to point, 00:47:26.24\00:47:28.58 thousands of kids and meal served for adults, 00:47:28.61\00:47:32.31 for those who need it. 00:47:32.35\00:47:33.72 Yvonne and I had the privilege of going over one night. 00:47:33.75\00:47:35.55 I think Tim Parton, someone asked us 00:47:35.58\00:47:37.32 to come over he was gonna play and watch what was happening. 00:47:37.39\00:47:41.62 We were amazed and thrilled when we saw Dale. 00:47:41.66\00:47:43.93 You went to Heavens' Kitchen? 00:47:43.96\00:47:45.43 Oh, yeah. Yeah. 00:47:45.46\00:47:46.80 Over in Harrisburg. He's witnessed it. 00:47:46.83\00:47:48.16 Yeah, yeah. All right. Okay. 00:47:48.20\00:47:49.53 We were over there. 00:47:49.56\00:47:50.90 And so we just watched, 00:47:50.97\00:47:52.97 we just wanted to see what was going on. 00:47:53.00\00:47:54.97 And I felt like I was in a restaurant 00:47:55.00\00:47:57.34 being served in a really, 00:47:57.41\00:47:59.01 it was not a soup kitchen at all, 00:47:59.04\00:48:01.48 atmosphere, you know? 00:48:01.51\00:48:03.21 And I think people were offered a... 00:48:03.24\00:48:05.71 I thought we needed food 00:48:05.75\00:48:07.12 and was willing to serve us too. 00:48:07.15\00:48:08.55 And so it looks so good. 00:48:08.58\00:48:09.92 I almost went ahead and, yeah, but I said, 00:48:09.95\00:48:11.59 "Well, we'll save it for somebody who need it." 00:48:11.62\00:48:13.56 Well, next time you come in, 'cause that's what we want. 00:48:13.59\00:48:16.42 We want people, you know, sometimes there's some people 00:48:16.46\00:48:20.30 that come in, they just look for an opportunity to, 00:48:20.33\00:48:22.93 don't have an opportunity to socialize, you know? 00:48:22.96\00:48:25.80 And it may not necessarily mean that they have to need a meal, 00:48:25.83\00:48:29.24 but you know, we do have a few 00:48:29.27\00:48:31.07 that just want to be part of the atmosphere. 00:48:31.11\00:48:33.48 And we want them to be known 00:48:33.51\00:48:35.38 they're as welcome as anyone is, you know? 00:48:35.41\00:48:38.08 And that's what it's all about. 00:48:38.11\00:48:39.45 And it's been a challenge, you know? 00:48:39.48\00:48:42.62 It's, you know, when you start something like 00:48:42.65\00:48:45.25 that it is different than the clothes for kids, 00:48:45.29\00:48:47.09 you know, 'cause we are basically 00:48:47.16\00:48:48.52 kind of running somewhat of a restaurant atmosphere. 00:48:48.56\00:48:51.26 But we have so many strong passionate, 00:48:51.29\00:48:54.50 you know, people that are committed to this mission. 00:48:54.53\00:48:58.20 And just like clothes for kids started 00:48:58.23\00:49:01.04 with one child 00:49:01.07\00:49:02.64 in one school room in one school, 00:49:02.67\00:49:05.24 and now we're 19 counties. 00:49:05.27\00:49:07.48 We started Heaven's Kitchen in one building, 00:49:07.51\00:49:10.05 one town, now we're in two, who knows, you know? 00:49:10.08\00:49:12.98 It's again, it's God's work, 00:49:13.01\00:49:17.79 and it's one of the most rewarding things 00:49:17.82\00:49:20.16 to be able to know 00:49:20.19\00:49:21.52 that you can have an opportunity 00:49:21.56\00:49:24.03 and make a difference in the lives of someone else. 00:49:24.06\00:49:27.13 And as a State Senator, 00:49:27.20\00:49:29.40 all I try to do is really I love economic development. 00:49:29.43\00:49:32.47 I love going out and talking about all the incredible, 00:49:32.50\00:49:35.54 that incredible country that we live in, 00:49:35.57\00:49:37.61 the incredible Shawnee National Forest, 00:49:37.64\00:49:39.57 all the incredible people that live here, 00:49:39.61\00:49:42.51 all the opportunities we have 00:49:42.54\00:49:44.18 and capitalizing on all the opportunities 00:49:44.25\00:49:46.72 that we have right here, right here in the Midwest, 00:49:46.75\00:49:50.22 confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, 00:49:50.29\00:49:53.19 the great Shawnee National Forest, 00:49:53.22\00:49:54.59 our great state parks, our great work ethic, 00:49:54.62\00:49:58.36 an area of people that love each other 00:49:58.39\00:50:00.20 and care about each other. 00:50:00.23\00:50:01.56 And well, you know, when times are down, 00:50:01.60\00:50:03.37 they're right in there for you to help you out, you know? 00:50:03.40\00:50:06.30 And you capitalize on these opportunities, 00:50:06.33\00:50:08.37 which is what I tried to do as a State Senator, 00:50:08.40\00:50:10.91 you know, other great things will blossom, a little is much. 00:50:10.94\00:50:14.18 That's right. Yeah. 00:50:14.21\00:50:15.54 You know, a little is much 00:50:15.58\00:50:16.91 and you blossom from that fruit. 00:50:16.95\00:50:18.45 That's wonderful. 00:50:18.48\00:50:19.81 I like the fact that I mean, I'm listening to the campaign, 00:50:19.85\00:50:21.85 you talked about the positive campaign. 00:50:21.88\00:50:24.55 And the thought came to my mind, 00:50:24.59\00:50:25.92 I never thought about it before. 00:50:25.95\00:50:27.29 But sugar doesn't become sugar because you taste salt. 00:50:27.36\00:50:30.33 Sugar is sugar, whether not you taste salt. 00:50:30.36\00:50:33.26 And meaning, it doesn't have to be negative 00:50:33.29\00:50:35.10 to appreciate the positive. 00:50:35.13\00:50:36.80 If we focus on the thing 00:50:36.87\00:50:38.20 that the Lord has gifted us with... 00:50:38.23\00:50:40.17 And now you're in another, been voted in for another term. 00:50:40.24\00:50:44.37 We just wanna let you know 00:50:44.41\00:50:45.74 we're gonna keep you in our prayers 00:50:45.77\00:50:47.11 because what you decide in the Illinois State Senate 00:50:47.18\00:50:49.51 affects all of us. 00:50:49.54\00:50:51.15 And that's an amazing thing I think. 00:50:51.18\00:50:52.51 There are so many and thank you. 00:50:52.55\00:50:54.92 I get so much correspondence. 00:50:54.95\00:50:56.92 You know, this guy's there for me. 00:50:56.99\00:50:58.89 So many people say, "Hey, I just want you to know..." 00:50:58.92\00:51:00.69 They'll stop me somewhere in a grocery store 00:51:00.76\00:51:03.53 where may, and say, 00:51:03.56\00:51:04.89 "We just want you to know we're praying for you." 00:51:04.93\00:51:07.50 And you know what, I tell them, "I feel it." 00:51:07.53\00:51:09.33 Good. Amen. 00:51:09.36\00:51:10.70 Praise the Lord. I feel it. 00:51:10.77\00:51:12.10 What we wanna do, we wanna pray for you. 00:51:12.13\00:51:14.07 But we also want to give our viewers. 00:51:14.14\00:51:16.24 Now it's your turn to get involved. 00:51:16.27\00:51:18.27 You've heard the stories. 00:51:18.31\00:51:19.64 And our viewers, they've helped, 00:51:19.67\00:51:21.98 as I mentioned earlier, 00:51:22.01\00:51:23.68 from the Philippines recently for rise for the Philippines, 00:51:23.75\00:51:27.52 when Katrina, other disasters that have happened, 00:51:27.55\00:51:30.29 hurricanes in the last few years 00:51:30.32\00:51:32.49 out in California, Paradise, they're raising money. 00:51:32.52\00:51:36.39 And so we wanna give you an opportunity, 00:51:36.42\00:51:39.09 it doesn't make any difference 00:51:39.13\00:51:40.50 where you live anywhere here in America or around the world, 00:51:40.53\00:51:43.77 but we wanna give you an opportunity 00:51:43.80\00:51:45.37 because what they're doing 00:51:45.40\00:51:47.04 and what we're now considering part of our mission too 00:51:47.07\00:51:49.70 is to help you and support you 00:51:49.74\00:51:51.14 and be in on it is feeding and clothing, 00:51:51.17\00:51:54.78 the less fortunate. 00:51:54.81\00:51:56.21 And so this is a great opportunity. 00:51:56.24\00:51:58.25 So what I wanna do is 00:51:58.28\00:51:59.61 we're gonna put up a little address role, 00:51:59.65\00:52:01.58 if you wanna make contact and see how you can help, 00:52:01.62\00:52:04.55 your donation is tax deductible. 00:52:04.59\00:52:07.36 But if you wanna write, you have comments, 00:52:07.39\00:52:08.96 you have questions, you may do so 00:52:08.99\00:52:10.73 at the following address. 00:52:10.76\00:52:12.09 The Fowler Bonan Foundation is dedicated to feeding 00:52:16.97\00:52:19.50 and clothing needy children throughout Southern Illinois. 00:52:19.53\00:52:22.40 If you would like to support them, 00:52:22.44\00:52:23.81 or if you have questions, 00:52:23.84\00:52:25.17 you may contact them in a variety of ways. 00:52:25.21\00:52:27.28 This is their website, FowlerBonanFoundation.com. 00:52:27.31\00:52:31.05 That's FowlerBonanFoundation.com. 00:52:31.08\00:52:34.38 Or email them at FowlerBonan Foundation@gmail.com. 00:52:34.42\00:52:39.02 You may also write them at PO Box 848, 00:52:39.05\00:52:42.62 Harrisburg, Illinois 62946. 00:52:42.66\00:52:46.16