This is a story that my mother (Kay Smith) wrote about how she came to know Christ:
I grew up in a home where neither Mom or Dad or my sister attended church. My grandmother would come each month and take me to Sunday School. She later gave me a Bible for my 16th birthday. I had a neighbor who attended a church nearby and constantly invited me to attend church with her. I did not pay much attention to her constant invitations but decided one day to tell her that I would go with her if we invited other friends in the neighborhood. We decided on a Sunday and all of us walked to church with her. I remember that the first thing that caught my attention was the choir singing and later the congregational singing. I don’t remember the sermon but we all enjoyed the music and decided to repeat our visit in future Sundays.
The preacher seemed to emphasize salvation by grace in each service and gave an invitation to accept Christ and become a Christian. One Sunday morning in January I realized that I had never taken that step and thought about it all day. That evening we all returned to the church and I stepped out into the aisle to go forward and make a profession of faith in Christ. In fact, my friends followed me to the front of the church and we prayed and accepted Christ and were baptized that evening.
That was in January, 1955. My life changed spiritually from that day forward and I thank God for a friend who did not give up on inviting me to church. Thank God for churches that preach the Gospel and reach out to all those who are willing to come and listen. Thank God for good music in churches which was the first thing that drew my attention and made me want to return.
This picture was taken of my mom and me in Ardales, Spain overlooking the lake in 2022.
