OH MY LORD WHAT A TIME!!!!!!!!!

Ya'll know me and details so bear with me through this, it was an AWESOME Gaither concert I went to this past weekend in Philly, PA!!!! ENJOY!!!! PS Sorry you haven't heard from me in a while, but I really have been extremely busy. I have some new poems I'm working on and maybe even a new short story, so bear with me!!! Thanks for enjoying this so much and for your continued encouragement! love you all!!!....

Even as a writer, I don't know if I can put into words the experience I had last night. It was beyond anything I had ever imagined. I had the greatest time I have ever had at a concert, and I have to say, not even JUST because of the concert, but because I got to be a volunteer at Anthony's table. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much fun!!!!!!!! I had a BLAST!!!! I got to work with Anthony and Joe, a guy that works for Anthony. He was a RIOT and had me in stitches all night. And, Anthony, of course, was just extremely gracious and so nice.

Let me start from the beginning first...my mother and I got there early and we went to find a place to eat. While we were driving around, we spotted David and Guy walking down one of the streets and stopped to say hello. It was really neat! Then we went back to the center after lunch and we got in early cause we were volunteers, and I went to Anthony's table and my mom helped out at the doors....

Let me tell you, Anthony's table was the best!!! I am SO happy I got to help out. I really, really had a great time! I was able to sell A LOT of products(at least I think, I'm not sure what he sells on a daily basis) and I just really had a lot of fun interacting with everyone, and having Anthony and Joe there made it even more enjoyable. I really thought I was going to be nervous, but I wasn't in the LEAST bit. Thanks for all your prayers!! I felt right at home behind that table! People were as nice as can be and some said I was a good salesperson. LOL Many asked if I was related to Anthony too cause I would really go on about his products and I asked everyone if I could recommend something, etc. Joe said I was doing such a great job, and I even figured out the credit card machine on my own which impressed him too. he he He said I needed to come with them and sell products. I said, "That's fine with me!!" He said, "Can you drive a bus??" I said, "NO!" "Well, if you can drive a bus you can come, or if you can cook." LOL I said, "I can follow a recipe!" he he Anthony was busy signing tons of autographs so I didn't get to talk to him too much during that time, but when I did, he was just as sweet as can be. Joe pretty much made fun of me all night and I gave it right back to him. LOL I was at his table for about an hour and fifteen minutes, til just a little before the concert started. I left a little early to go meet Mark and the Hoppers.

Mark was flooded with people so I stood there and waited til it died down, and while I waited I went over to get Claude and Mike Hopper to sign some things and give Mike my lyrics. What a sweet, sweet family. Mike was very gracious, and Claude said, "Did anyone ever tell you you was pretty?" How sweet is that??? We got to talking and I found out the Hoppers had been right in my town recently and I was so bummed that i had missed them. They had gone to the church I went to school at and also a few other parts of Long Island. I'll be checking their schedule LOTS now!! I just never thought they'd come here!! He was so nice!!!

THEN I got to meet Mark...:o) He ALWAYS asks me, "Elisa! What are you doin here?!" I always say, "What do you think I'm doin here, I came to see you!" LOL Since there wasn't barely anyone around, I was able to talk to him for about 5 minutes. He told me I talked too fast and i had to repeat myself a few times...if he only knew it's cause of him and what he does to my poor heart! LOL He did ask if I was still queen of his fan club, if he had one, and I reassured him I would always be. He said, "Good!" We talked about his video and I made it a point to let him know I was upset I wasn't on it, being the queen and all. He said, "I had nothin to do with that!" I said, "Uh huh, sure! Only time you see me is when you're prayin and my heads bowed!" He made a good point though, he he, "Well, then that's when we should see you, so people know you can really pray!" he he I took two pics with him, and I can't wait to get them back cause I think they will be the cutest thing. He put his arm around me and put his head against mine and, well, I sure felt like a queen. ;o) We talked about the Albums I had brought of his when he was a youngin, then about my Gaither net addiction. LOL He said I needed help! Can you imagine??? he he Let me tell you, too, he was HYSTERICAL during the concert. He had A LOT of new material and had me and my mother in tears. My sides were hurting and I couldn't breath at one point!! He was FUNNY!!!

WELL the concert finally began and my mother and I sat down to probably one of the best concerts I have been to yet. I just had a blast singin and clappin along with them. At first, I noticed Anthony looking around the floor, cause he had asked where I was sitting. Took him a while, but when he finally spotted me, guess where I was??? PIANO SIDE!!!!!!!! I was RIGHT in front of Anthony!!!!! It was SOOOOO awesome!!! For weeks we had been joking around about the piano side too!!! He even asked before the concert if I was on that side!! LOL I had no clue!!! It was perfect!!!

Aaron Wilburn also had me in stitches. He is a RIOT!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh!!! I need to find out more about him and get some of his products!! I also found out he was one of the beavers on the Gaither video and that just thrilled me cause I LOVE the beavers!!! He did a few impressions of the beaver when I met him at his table and he was just so sweet!! He saw my scrapbook and saw it had A LOT of Mark in it and I said, "I'm Mark's biggest fan, what can I say!" LOL He said, "Yeah, and I bet you're his prettiest one!" LOL It's funny, I just don't see what other people see about me, but it sure is nice to hear! I told him to ask Mark who the queen of his fan club was. LOL Then we started talking about the beavers on the video and he had me hysterical with the impressions. He was great!!!!

I also got to meet Ivan Parker and he was SOOOO nice!!!! Jake Hess, Jr. and Kevin Williams also, who I always look forward to meeting at these concerts. Both are just the most gracious men I have ever met. I asked Jake how Jonathan was doing and he said very good, but sore. I gave him my lyrics to give to the Martins and he was just so sweet about it. He always helps me out with that. Kevin does too. I also got to speak with Ben Speer and give him my lyrics too. One of the songs I had on tape and I gave it to Joe and Anthony, and I told everyone if they were interested, they could ask Anthony for the tape and the tune for the song. Joe made fun of me all night, making up his own tune for the words "Gonna Have a Reunion." He had me rolling. He also said, "You know this is going to be the first thing we do when get on the bus. We're gonna listen to your tape and we're gonna laugh." ROTFL SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO all in all, as I had prayed, I think God may be opening some doors soon. I think I made a good impression on a lot of them and one said I looked like I had some good lyrics...for the life of me I can't remember who though.

When the concert was just about over, they closed with two of my favorites, "What a Meeting in the Air" and "Heaven's Jubilee".

During "What a Meeting", they showed clips of singers who have passed on, and let me tell you I was BAWLING! I just thought of all the loved ones I have lost too, and what a meeting it will be!!!!! Anthony saw me crying and just smiled. They closed with Heaven's Jubilee and I was just clappin and smilin on that one. Then Anthony came down, gave me and my mom a huge hug and said goodbye. I went back to the product table and helped Joe out a little bit more. Took me about a half hour before I could muster it up to leave. LOL I kept tellin Joe I didn't want to leave. He said, "I told you, drive the bus and you can come!" I got to talk with him and Charlotte Ritchie a little bit, since the Easter's table was right next to Anthonys, and she is a sweetheart.  She is FUNNY too!!! She and Joe went at it a few times and had me and my mom hysterical. Well, I'm sure there's more, but I think I've shared enough with you for now!! If I remember any more, I'll post it!! :o) I had a blast, ya'll, and I really felt at home with them. A few said I need to move to TN, so, who knows what GOd's got in mind. Perhaps now is His timing for me to go.

Thanks for your prayers!!! Hope you enjoyed this chapter in the life of Elisa's Journey!!

See the concert pictures at http://www.picturetrail.com/EEElisa