Western Sonrise Ministries      

       In 2017 the Lord us with two new additions to this ministry.              We welcome Barbara Worley and Steve Shedd to our group. Barbara is a bass player and vocalist who comes from a country background and has a great love for the Lord and worship music. Steve Shedd plays guitar, bass and harmonica. He also is a wonderful country vocalist. These two musicians have added an abundance of talent to this group and brought with them God given talents and love to use in this ministry. We are blessed to call them friends. 

Western Sonrise

Jerry

     I pave the highways for a living. In 2006 after a long day of paving our crew went back to the yard to transfer the leftover hot oil from the distributor truck to the holding tanker. If you don't know anything about this type of paving the leftover oil was 270 degrees. Yep, 270 DEGREES!

    We had a greenhorn running the distributor and during the transfer he operated the valves wrong. The valve hose exploded like a shotgun blast. That hot oil went all over the man operating the valves! Covering him from the waist up in 270 degree oil! It saturated his shirt, covered his face, neck and arms. It went inside his ears, up his nose and in his mouth. Thankfully he wore glasses and that stopped it from getting directly into his eyes. Now for those of you that cannot imagine 270 degree oil will scar you for life and can take your life.

   This is the kind of burn that sends you to the burn ward so they can perform skin grafting surgeries and try to save your life. There was another man standing about 20 feet away who was also sprayed from the blast. He suffered small burns all over his skin. As the operator turned to run for the water hose about 100 yards away he asked the Lord to help him. Not to save his life just to help him. By the fifth step the fire from the hot oil was gone! The man assumed that the hot oil had deadened his senses and nerves and he just couldnt feel the pain. He reached the water and the other men began working on him to try to get the thick layer of hot oil off of him.

    They used diesel fuel and other products to try to remove it. They all knew that as they got closer to the skin that the skin would probably just start to peel off with the oil. But as they reached the skin they saw hair! And then a pinkened skin appeared! They worked for three hours to get the oil off of the man and when they were finished there he stood with all his skin, with no scars!

    Folks, that man was ME! As fast as I could I drove to church that night where my poor wife was waiting for me not haveing any idea that I had almost lost my life earlier. AS I entered the church I pushed aside the pastor and told this story. Did the Lord have to save me? NO! Am I better than you or anyone else and more worthy of saving? NO! But HE chose to help me. ME!

   Shortly after He called me into music ministry. I pulled a guitar out from under the bed that my wife had bought me some 15 years early and began to play. The Lord has blessed this ministry by allowing my wife to join me in it and by allowing us the opportunity to travel to churches where there is a need or just an opportunity to share the Good News through song.

    About two years after the accident a small coke bottle cap size glob of oil landed on my right arm. As I looked at it I said to myself "That's gonna burn" It left me with an ugly scar. My wife says it is His reminder to me of what my life could have been had He not loved me.

   This faith in His love is what takes us out on the road to do what we do.

Deanna

 I feel as if I have always known I was called into ministry. The Lord called me to minister to women many years ago. I have spoken at numerous womens events such as Women's Retreats, Women's Missionary Union events, Ladies Fellowships, etc. It is my privilege to inspire women under the Lord's guidance.

When the Lord gave me the opportunity to support my husband in music ministry I jumped in with both feet. In 2008 I began learning to play the guitar and started to use my speaking voice for singing. This allowed me to minister to women (and men) in a way I had never expected. 

As the "other half" of a husband/wife worship team I know there is something special when the Lord brings a married couple together into His service.

I can not imagine a greater honor than leading people in worship to our Lord. I am blessed every time we sing.

We received the

award of

DUO OF THE YEAR 

for 2014 from the

South Texas Gospel Music Association!

Jerry received 

Male Group Vocalist of the Year 

for 2014!