Darrell Dunn's Testimony-Continued
A Saturday Night Phone Call

The next day, Sunday, was to be the last of two services of the Revival. I was lying on the living room floor reading a comic book after walking home from the Saturday night service. About 10:30 P.M. the telephone rang and my daddy answered it. It was Bill Buckalew! Although I could only hear one side of the conversation, it wasn't difficult to figure out why he had called and what was being said. "Well Hello, Mr. Buckalew. I'm Fine, how are you? Good...good... yes sir. Revival? Was that this week? I plumb forgot about it. (Heh, heh, sure you did daddy!) Yes, I've really been working hard. Yes it does. Tired? Yes...exhausted is more like it? What's that you say? Tomorrow is the last day of the Revival? Well, that's too bad. I sure wanted to go. (Liar! He didn't want to go at all!) Yes sir? What did you say? (There was a long pause.. daddy's face was turning red as he listened. Suddenly he shouted into the phone.) Of course I'm a man of my word! I said I'd be there! I'll be there in the morning and get it over with!" (Slam! Daddy hung up the phone and angrily went to his bedroom)

The next morning we all dressed and got ready for church quietly. We stayed out of daddy's way as much as possible. He was still angry! He was having to go to church. He didn't want to go, but he was going anyway, just to keep his word and get it over with! He didn't have to like it! Mother was nervous, but excited in a sweet, suppressed way. She secretly smiled at us kids as she went from room to room quietly and quickly, helping each of us get ready. (At least as fast as her little four foot, ten inch, slightly overweight frame and size three feet could carry her!) We all giggled quietly and whispered, "Daddy's going to church with us. And, we don't have to walk!"

As we rode to church in the car not a word was spoken. We didn't go to Sunday School. He had only promised to go to the church service. Also, Daddy wanted to walk into the church auditorium completely surrounded and protected by his family. Plus, he wanted to get there early enough to get the last pew closest to the back door. When the service ended he was going to make a fast exit! As we sat on the back row of pews the visiting Evangelist, Ernie Haybecker, preached. Just being honest, I don't remember the sermon at all. I do however, remember the invitation,, which followed the sermon. The Holy Spirit must have really been working! All over the auditorium men, women and young people in large numbers were crying and going forward to talk to the Pastor. (If my memory serves me correctly, my oldest sister, Anita was one of them. My older brother, Bruce, got saved in the service that night.) I still did not understand what it was all about, but it was impossible to ignore what was happening even for a twelve year old boy.

Looking Back
(Today, after forty-two years as a full-time Evangelist holding Revival meetings throughout America and the world, these vivid memories bring tears of rejoicing as I write this for you to read. It is because of that genuine Revival in the spring of 1953 that was saved one year later at the age of thirteen. God called me to preach at fourteen and with the help of my Pastor I immediately began. By the time I was fifteen, I had preached to crowds over 1000! When I was seventeen God called me to be an Evangelist. I held my first Revival when I was only eighteen. I remember gathering neighborhood kids under a big oak tree again and again when I was only fourteen to practice my "Preachin". But I was very serious about encouraging them to get saved so the Lord would change them like He had me! You guessed it! I was also one of those "nuts" that carried his Bible to school, on top of my other books...so other kids would ask me about it. This gave me an opportunity to talk to them about the Lord and invite them to go to church with me. If God could use this pitifully shy introvert to reach others for Christ..He can transform and use anyone that is truly saved!

By the grace and mercy of God, I am now sixty-four years old and still serving the Lord. I am saved because my mother got right with the Lord as a backslidden Christian; started taking us all to the right church; and prayed for my Daddy to be saved. It was the dramatic change in his life that the dear Lord Jesus produced in him that was used of God to bring me to Christ and salvation one year later! On May 4, 2000, I celebrated my forty-sixth spiritual birthday, having been saved on that date in 1954, at the age of thirteen. Thank God for his mercy, His goodness, and his wonderful works to the children of men!

Like most kids, I loved my mother and daddy. Both of them are now with the Lord in Heaven. I am looking forward to seeing and being with them one day in Heaven, forever! I loved my daddy most of all and wanted to be just like him. I remember when I was just six, seven and eight years old, he would tuck us in at night and tell us he loved us. He would also tell us different things we should do or should not do. Time and again he would say, "Don't do like I do! I don't ever want you to smoke like I do. It is very bad for you. I wish I could quit, but I can't. So, don't ever start smoking. It will hurt you! Even kill you!" But I didn't believe or listen to him. If it was "ok" for him, it was "ok" for me!

By the age of ten I had secretly started smoking. I have spots on my lungs to this day as a result. But, I loved my daddy and wanted to be just like him. He smoked, drank, cursed, had a horrible temper, and a couple of other things I won't mention at this time, but I still loved him. The Lord knows the truth. I would have followed my daddy to Hell! I wanted to be just like him and be with him forever, no matter where that might be! Few parents realize or even want to know the effect and influence they have on their kids for good or bad! Deliberately or ignorantly, parents influence their own children for Heaven or Hell. You who are daddys and mothers listen to me. Don't take your kids to hell with you! Be sure you are saved and lead them to Christ and Heaven!)

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