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I'm Bill and my wife is Mary. I moved to Arkansas from odessa, Texas in 1985. I'm
originally from West Virginia. 1 had married a woman in Texas who was raised in that area but
her family was from Arkansas. I was a truck driver in the oil industry We had visited this area
and liked it and my wife's mother had relocated here. After two years, it seemed to make
more sense for us to move here because in the oil industry everything went down but the cost
of living There were people from allover the county who moved to Odessa for work. Every-
body got caught up in the oil boom but then the economy died. Banks closed, businesses
closed, there were a lot of bankruptcies. It was an economic disaster. So we moved here to
Arkansas. My wife got involved with another man and left with the children. I didn't know
where they were. I walked into an empty house one night and realized it was over but I really
wanted my children.
I started traveling to the West Coast. I hadn't prayed in years, but one night out in the
desert I got on my knees and prayed saying that if the Lord would return my children to me I
would raise them in church. well, afi:er about six months, I did find out where they were
located and did eventually get them back and get custody
Around that time an older guy invited me to his church. Because of my previous prayer, It
was bothering me that I hadn't started taking the children to church. I got involved in a
singles' class. The teacher had round-table discussions and I learned a lot. In a short period of
time 1 realized I needed to make that commitment. One Sunday morning 1 did that and it was
like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders and I couldn't read enough scripture.
Every spare moment I would read the Bible. The words came alive. After a period of six
months or so I was at a low, feeling alone and abandoned. I prayed asking, "Lord why have You
abandoned me!" I heard the words, "I am always with you" as if someone was siti:ing beside
me. I have always remembered that. whenever I'm at a low, I remember that.
After my divorce I met Mary. 1 was working in Fort Smith and had stopped at a restaurant
to eat and she carne in. That's where we got acquainted. Mary had been divorced and raised
two boys by herself with some help from her family. We have friends here that we fellowship
with around the Booneville and Russellville area. Afi:er I had lived here a while I started meet-
ing people. At one point in time 1 got on my knees asking the Lord to show me His truth.
After a period of time ofliving here \ could see that the Lord planted me here and that it wasn't
just something on my part. I'm very glad and have been very blessed.
The first mention ofthe Comet C<lthetill9 News/eHetl ever carne across was in the Ameti-
C<lll F<lmily Voice newspaper out of Russellville It's really dramatic how some of the people
relocated here from allover the country. I started running into more people from out of state
than I did local people. There is a reason for all these people being gathered here. 1 think at
some point in time we will be dependent on each other. The Lord has us here for a reason
other than just that we wani: to be here. 1 think of Corrie ten Boom and her comments about
this area when she was Aying over and also George Washington's vision when he saw Ameri-
cans being driven into a wedge-shaped pati:ern.