The Owasso Gospel Opry - Southern, Bluegrass, and Country Gospel Music

Brother Sharp:

Thank you for putting on a program like we saw last Saturday night. Our daughter had seen the Downings at Silver Dollar City last year when their lady's group took a trip to Branson, and just raved about them, so when she found out they were playing in Owasso, we all jumped in our car and drove from Oklahoma City to see them. We truly loved the Ball Brothers and Ascension Quartet. Wow what a lineup!!

My wife and I were not only accompanied by our daughter who's a Downing Fan, but brought along her husband who is (was) lost. He really didn't want to make the trip, and used a sporting event to try and cancel their trip, however, the event was cancelled instead and he had no choice but to come with us. (Amazing how our God works!).

We left right after lunch and arrived in Owasso just in time to walk into your beautiful facility. We were glad that the Downings played first, as we knew our son-in-law would become kind of "antsy" and want to leave. He loves bluegrass music, Monroe, Scruggs, and Alison Kraus, and goes to many BG festivals around our area. When the Downings program began and they began to sing and play their own BG instruments we spotted our "uncomfortable" guest begin to tap his toes, but let us tell you that not only was his toes tapping, but the Holy Spirit was tapping on his heart's door.

Throughout the whole concert, and with each song, we saw him smile more and more. You didn't hear the conversations that we had in the car coming to Owasso, but it majored on hearing Jeff (our son-in-law), complaining about how many of his friends and co-workers have so many things, enjoying their "toys" and he's spending all of his time, going to church and playing the part with nothing to show for it. Well let us tell you..... the Grass is Greener song nailed him.

He had heard througout their concert just how big God was, how He spoke everything in existence, how very little Jeff knows about Heaven, watching the two little girls sing about going to Heaven. (Our grand-daughters are about their same age we're thinking).

This night was meant to be !!

But the song that impacted Jeff the most was He was More. Jeff prided himself in "knowing" the Bible, the Christmas Story and the Easter Story, but he heard that Jesus was more than that...... He realized that he knew all of the stories, but not the Man.

We bought their latest CD, looking for He was More, but didn't find it. While playing it all week in his truck, he come in Wednesday night after church and told Jessie (our daughter), that he has a new favorite song... Walk The Sea. He also told her that he wants to talk to their pastor this Sunday night about his "not-so-close" relationship with our Lord...... PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW !!!!

Brother Bill, your ministry IS changing lives, and even though we cannot always make every trip from OKC to see your shows, our prayers are with you. This is one family that owes you very much. Please keep up the good work for Him as our days here on earth are numbered !!!!

PS. We got our picture with the Ball Brot6hers just to make our neighbor jealous, as their daughter was in love with them.... he he....

Forever in you debt.

J&R

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear SDC: My wife and I drove from Iowa to the festival this year for the first time to hear a family music group called the Downings. Our daughter was saved last year at a Christmas concert that the Downings were playing in Owasso, Oklahoma, and wanted to hear the group that completely transformed our daughter's life. They certainly did not disappoint us. They are truly a wonderful family group both on and off the stage. We loved the Perrys and the Dixie Echos, however we are most appreciative for you having the Downings at your park. We are pastors at our church in Iowa, and have been praying for our daughter for years. Her life has truly been a stormy one and she told us about a song that we heard for ourselves "Walk The Sea". The event in Oklahoma was the Owasso Opry last December. The Downings told all of the packed house that everyone was invited to SDC to hear them in August, and after the change in our daughter's life we had to hear them for ourselves. What a fantastic group. We are now SDC fans and can't hardly wait to come back next year. Please have the Downings back as we are wanting to plan a church music "cruise" on our chruch bus to come to your Southern Gospel Festival to hear the Downings again. We didn't get to talk to them, because they were busy with falks around their table, and had to stand through two of their programs as Boatworks Theatre was packed. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the Downings.

A&A Green.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Owasso Opry:

My husband and I really enjoyed your show. We have been fans of the Greenes for a long time. We enjoyed them again, only this time right in Owasso. Thank you so much for bringing them here. We will be regulars at your shows going forward. Please let us know when the next show will be.

W & S

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brother Bill:

Thank you for all the work that you and others put into bringing Owasso a music event that we felt comfortable and uplifted. We wish our churches had the same desire to edify God before anything else. It was obvious that the Lord has His hands on your ministry.

L.Jackman.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We're sure glad that we listened to 99.5FM Sunday morning or we would have missed a great show. Who do we contact at the radio station to tell them thanks? We loved the Greenes, the Nelons and the Downing family. We go to a lot of Southern Gospel shows and have never heard anything like it. We loved the "bluegrass" gospel music! It was beautiful, clean and had an explosive gospel message for us all. Please let us know when the next Opry show will be.

Thank you and all those sponsors who helped bring this show to Owasso.

F.Salley and family.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Opry:

Outstanding! We have never been so blessed with a program like this before. I know it was said over and over, but it's about time that Owasso has a first class gospel music show. The Nelons and the Greenes were wonderful. The Downings portion was our favorite. The words to the songs ministered to our whole family. Please, please.... let's do this again!

P.Green and family.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Owasso Gospel Opry:

We received a post card from you and decided to drive from Bartlesville to see what was happening in Owasso. We've seen Gospel shows in churches in the area, but never in a place like you have in Owasso. What a beautiful facility there at the high school. We've been trying to get my brother to come and listen to a gospel presentation like this before, but he always refused because he was intimidated with the church. (He is not saved). But he came with us to your show and we were curious how he would respond, and we want to thank you for presenting music that opened his heart, as he is now wanting to visit about His walk with the Lord. You planted the seed last night, and we are believing that God will use you to open many more hearts to His Word.

S.R. - Bartlesville.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Owasso Opry:

Could you get a message to the Downing family, and they them how much we love their music? We have never heard of them before. Even though they play bluegrass style music, it's not like the bluegrass we've been used too....IT'S BETTER !

We loved the ministry of families. The Greenes were fantastic and have heard them before, and couldn't believe you had them in Owasso. The Nelons performance was powerful, and we love their family so much. We've followed the Nelons all over the place, however, we're heading to Branson this week to get another dose of the Downings. Please have them back.

Jacob T.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We want to thank you so much for inviting us to your event. We are not regular "church goers", only because we are so frustrated with direction they are headed with the comtemporary music. We have never been so blessed in such a long, long time with the encouraging music we heard on Friday night. We believe the church (with a small c), is heading in the wrong direction, but you are drawing thoses of us back to assemble to praise Him with our mouth and yes our voices (because we were singing along).

We left the building floating to our car. We picked up the Greenes and the Downing's CD and have been playing them non-stop. It was awesome.

Gary Washington

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------