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In June of 1968 when I graduated from high school, I decided to take a six month's vacation. The only thing I really enjoyed was playing my guitar. A friend of mine (who was in a previous musical group with me) and I decided to get together as a writing and performing team. He would write the lyrics and I would write the music. We started rehearsing and organizing a backup group but we needed some financial backing. We knew some people in San Juan Capistrano who had money so, before you knew it, we were on our way there.

We arrived in San Juan and spoke to the people we had in mind and after three days returned to our home town, Azusa, for a party to which we had been invited before we left. After a day in Azusa we returned to San Juan. Just as we were getting ready to leave another member of an old group I had been with, Jeff, decided he wanted to go with us. I really didn't want him to come because I didn't get along with him very well. Bill, my partner, felt it would be O.K. I just had to bear with it.

We left for San Juan with our guitars and sleeping bags in our little V.W. When we arrived in San Juan we sat on the beach and watched the sun that was just beginning to set. It was very beautiful. I got alone and started thinking to myself, "Why am I here? What happens after I die? Why is there so much suffering?" At that moment I began to pray and ask God that, if He was real, to show me the answers to these questions.

The next day we went to Huntington Beach where we saw a coffee house called "The Lighthouse." We didn't go in until later that evening. When we did go in we saw people with smiles on their faces and Bibles under their arms. None of us knew how to act so we just sat down and watched in amazement. One of the guys from the coffee house came over, sat down and talked to us about his experience with Christ. We started asking questions. Then I remembered the questions I had asked God while on the beach at San Juan. It was very strange how this man was answering all my questions without my really asking.

Then he started talking directly to me and asked if I knew Jesus Christ. I was shocked that anyone could know Jesus Christ personally. I told him I was a Christian and he asked me if I ever read the Bible. I commented that I did every once in a while. He opened his Bible and started showing me what Jesus Christ, the one I was supposedly following, had to say. The things he showed me from the Word of God blew my mind. He showed me where Jesus said, " If you love me, keep my commandments." Then I knew I didn't really love Christ. I was brought up in church but was never aware that you could have a personal walk and life with Jesus Christ. I knew I wasn't a Christian because my life was nothing like the life of the one who spoke to us. His was so different. He lived, talked and breathed Jesus. I thought "I couldn't live that way." Then he said that when Christ comes into you He changes you and gives you a new you. That was heavy. I didn't realize what that meant but I knew I wanted it. After talking with this guy for four hours, we left.

That night around midnight I got alone on the pier by the beach and looked into the sky. I asked God that if He were real and it was all true about Jesus to show me. And, if He can offer the joy and peace that this world cannot understand, to give it to me. I prayed and asked Him to come into my life and change me. I knew that if it weren't true I wouldn't lose anything. But, if it was true I would gain everything I was looking for. At that moment something happened to me that is very difficult to explain. I now knew, without a shadow of doubt, that Jesus Christ was the way. Something happened within me that changed my life. I only knew one thing and that was I wanted to follow Christ wherever He led me. I felt a love for Him I never knew before.

At the same time, Jeff was on the other side of the pier doing exactly the same thing. Neither of us knew the other had asked Christ into his life. I started walking over to him to tell him what had happened. He started walking toward me. As I got closer I saw his face and noticed something different. I knew, without him saying a word, that he had experienced the same thing. For the first time in our lives we hugged each other which was a miracle in itself because, prior to this, we couldn't stand each other. We walked to where our sleeping bags were and saw Bill. He too had experienced the same thing.

That evening we rejoiced together in the new life we had received. We had our first prayer together as brothers in Christ. The next morning we went back to the coffee house and told them what happened. They rejoiced with us and asked us if we wanted to be baptized by water in the name of our Lord Jesus. All three  of us consented. All of us went down to the beach and gathered in a semi-circle. The leader of the group asked us to tell everyone why we wanted to be baptized. Jeff was first, expressing that he finally realized that Christ was the way. They took him out into the water and baptized him. I was next. I was so excited I didn't know what to say.  All I could say was that I loved Christ with all my heart and wanted to be His disciple. As I walked into the water I looked up and thanked God for all of this and went under the water. When I came up I knew I had a new life. Bill was baptized next.

That same day we went back home to Azusa, forgetting all about the plans we had been making for our new group. As we drove home we praised God for what He had done and we discussed how we wanted to share it with our friends. When we got home we began, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to preach and share Christ with all our friends. At first they thought we were either crazy or had flipped out on L.S.D. We showed them we were neither. Our friends were very skeptical but we were very persistent. Slowly but surely, after a few days had gone by, our friends began to ask us questions.  We shared what the Bible has to say about these issues and what Christ could do for them. The ones who laughed hardest are the ones who are today praising God for their salvation.

The three of us got together to study the Bible and the Lord added to us daily. Soon there were 35 to 40 people and we started having Bible studies together. The drummer of the group I was in accepted Christ and suggested we get together to use our musical talents for the Lord. We prayed about it and God started openings channels. Within a month God formed the group now know as Agape.

Many more things have happened since those first days of my new life. God added over 200 brothers and sisters to His body of believers. Many people have received Christ  through the band. We receive many letters from people to whom God has spoken through the musical ministry. I thank the Lord for my new life and for using me in His work. I've been a Christian for many years now and I still look forward to sharing Christ with as many people as will listen. Maranatha! Praise the Lord!