"God will use anything to bring us to him,"’ declares Yvonne Smith. She attended Sunday school as a young person in Britain and is convinced the truths she learned there acted as a deterrent through her teenage and young adult years. It was then that Yvonne began to search for life’s meaning in other places and eventually drifted into astrology. But she is thankful that "There were things I wouldn’t do. I seemed to know they were wrong." She feels that her experience underscores the need for children to be taken to Sunday school.

But Yvonne also remembers that it was the occult that seemed to influence the family decision as they searched for a new home in Canada. While studying astrology, she was told that Vulcan was her ruling planet, albeit hidden, and she remembers having a strong feeling that Vulcan should become their new home. So the Smiths settled in Vulcan, Alberta, a small farming community about 80 miles southeast of Calgary.

"It sounds ridiculous now," Yvonne admitted, "but it was through astrology that God got me to Vulcan!"

Sylvia Budd, the Smiths’ new Canadian neighbour, invited them to attend the Vulcan Church of Christ where they were welcomed and accepted. Under the sound teaching of minister Doug Barrie, Yvonne experienced the freedom for which she had searched and the Vulcan church became her spiritual home. She became a student of Scripture using Precept by Precept (Fleming H. Revell, 1985), Kay Arthur’s inductive Bible study series. Yvonne searched for ways to share her faith with others.

Eileen Haga, one of the church accompanists, asked Yvonne to help with the singing during church services at Peter Dawson Lodge for seniors. During those services Yvonne noted that the residents seemed to hunger for more opportunity to sing the old hymns. When she mentioned it to Eileen, the idea for a Monday evening hymn sing grew and, with encouragement from one of the local Christian doctors, Good News was born. Yvonne found herself leading the hymns while Eileen, and sometimes musicians from the area, accompanied them. For Yvonne, leading the singing was a major leap of faith because she had previously avoided speaking or singing in public.

"I had always been shy," Yvonne confessed, "but God had made me a new creation."

Her role soon evolved into song leader and entertainer. As the residents assembled and as they searched for page numbers, Yvonne filled the silence with some home-spun stories.

"I like to make them laugh," she says. "I’d tell them little events that may have happened in my family—usually something funny." Yvonne remembers the darkness and loneliness she experienced before becoming a Christian and wants others to see happy Christians.

One night after a few years with Good News, Yvonne felt it was time for her to leave, convinced God could use her gifts elsewhere. She chose the following Monday evening to relay her decision to Eileen and the residents. And she decided to tell them after the last hymn was sung. But God had other plans.

Yvonne was distributing song books that evening when a new resident came up to her and asked for a book. The quiet comment, "I’m not a believer, but I guess it won’t hurt to sing these songs will it?" got Yvonne’s attention. She recognized the person as one who had tried to engage her in a discussion about the New Age movement years previously. Yvonne saw this person as a seeker, just as she had once been.

"That experience taught me that God is still in control and he expected me to continue with Good News," Yvonne declares. "Many of those hymns contain words that can be convicting."

Eileen and Yvonne were partners in Good News for more than 20 years. Recently when asked what it was that kept them going week after week Yvonne answered, "Eileen won’t quit. She’s never too sick, too tired, or too busy to come out on a Monday evening. And she goes wherever a pianist is needed, anywhere in the community."

Eileen remarked, "I try to go whenever I’m called."

Her final call came on New Year’s Day 2004 when Eileen went to be with the Lord, the one she served with her music for more than 70 years.

Good News continues to meet each Monday evening at Peter Dawson Lodge where Yvonne helps others sing to the Lord who gave her a new song.

M. Eleanor Maisey is a freelance writer in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.