Friday, May 22, 2009

Hey loyal readers, I just thought that I'd let you know that we've been having some problems getting our website updated, which is why there have not been any new concert dates posted recently. We actually have quite a few new ones that need to be posted, and if we can't straighten this web page thing out soon I'll just post the latest ones here on our blog temporarily. We are looking to soon rebuild our website so that we will be able to update it ourselves and not rely on someone from Texas to do it for us. Up until now, He's done a fantastic job, but lately his work is demanding so much of his time that he hasn't been able to post the updates that I have been e-mailing him. For now, keep an eye on our schedule, and if no new dates are posted soon, I'll put them up here to keep everyone informed.



-Stephen

Monday, May 18, 2009

A Freshman No More

Hooray! It's official: my brother Stephen and I have completed our freshman year of college! And guess what: they're gonna let us back in next fall! I couldn't hardly believe it either. Anyway, It's been a really exciting year, and part is kinda sorry its over with. But, there's a bigger part of me that says
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!" I love school and all, but there's just something about that free air that isn't polluted by the smell of midterms and finals. Ask any college student and they'll tell you that you wind up writing so many papers, tests, quizzes, and what-not that you get finger cramps. Oh well, that's life....or is it pork reins??? Oh well, next fall I'll be heading back to the world of macadamia, and I'll get to do it all over again. Gotta go now: finger cramp.

Check out our website, http://www.foresterministries.com/ , to see all about us.

-Joshua

Monday, May 11, 2009

New ministry update

This has proven to be the most exciting year ever for both our lives and our ministry. We are wrapping up our second semester of college at Midwestern Baptist College this week.....and boy, are we ready for a break! I have really been busy from all the things that have been going on lately. Looking back on our past two semesters, it seems that Josh and I are almost always doing something besides just going to classes. Not only that, but everything that we get involved in seems to have a lot that needs doing, and in some cases leads to some other assignment or activity.
Take the gospel music concert that we hosted in March. Every Thursday between 12:00pm when day classes ended to somewhere before 6:00 pm when night classes started, I was in the basement with friends recording soundtracks for the concert. We had the concert, and my quartet sang and did very well. We were good enough that Mrs. Sally Welch, head of the music department, started using us for music events that she was in charge of at the college. This lead to us singing for chapel services at the school's annual competition week for the 'Cross America conference (an annual event where Christian school kids from everywhere come to compete in sports, music, and preaching competitions). We did well enough there that we were asked to sing for a "Youth 4 Truth" teen event being held at the college later on. That day two pastors approached me about having the quartet come to their church for special events, and we are waiting to see if they will book us, and our success at that meeting finally led to the quartet being featured in our last two choir performances.
While going through this semester, we were also filming a special comedy video on the side titled "Super Dorks". It was about three idiots who overhear a young preacher practicing his sermon about "the power of God", but they mistakenly think that it is God telling them that they have super powers! I got to play the fourth guy, an schemer who knows the truth about their powers but plays along to use those nuts for my own evil agenda!
But of course, we spent several weeks filming it and it took up a lot of time and energy.
We have also received a number of new bookings that should be posted any day now. We have been thrilled with the number of bookings that have flown in lately, and Lord willing, there will be many more to come!
I am considering buying some expensive recording equipment soon, with the hopes of starting my own studio like my older brother Mark. Once I learned how to use it and got some experience, I could use it to do some of the work on my own CDs and eventually other people's recordings as well.
A lot has been happening lately, and we have gotten a little tired from balancing all of this work with stuff going on in school, ministry, Dairy Queen, and other things, but it has been an awesome ride, and now that school is ending things will be easier but still very busy.
Be sure to check foresterministries.com for more bookings being posted soon and for new Cds for sale sometime this summer.

Whew! I need a nap!
-Stephen

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Tiny Town

This past Sunday my brother and I went with our college choir to sing at a church. The town we went to was so small it made Mayberry look like the Big Apple on Saturday night, if ya know what I mean. If you tripped, you fell right over the county line. The place was so small and sleepy, cops would arrest you for aggravated assault if you sneezed on somebody. You don't even WANT to know how many years you could get for jaywalking! Anyway, I saw a sign as we passed through town for a new "sub division" (my guess would be a vacant lot with cardboard boxes). The sign said "New Homes Starting at $40,000!". I'm thinking the only home you're gonna get in this economy for forty grand is your choice of a bedroom OR a bathroom! Either that, or every night would seem like you and your spouse had a fight because every night you would literally be sleeping in the doghouse.

Anyway, don't forget to look on our website at www.foresterministries.com to see our booking updates, CD info, and more!

-Joshua