thedrifter
04-26-06, 07:03 AM
WEDNESDAY APRIL 26, 2006 Last modified: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 12:53 AM PDT
‘I saw the president today'
By Stacy Moore / Hi-Desert Star
MCAGCC - President Bush impressed his fellow churchgoers as a friendly and religious man when he joined services at the Protestant chapel aboard the Twentynine Palms Marine base Sunday.
Bush attended services and then ate a meal in the mess hall during his visit to the base.
Marines, sailors and their civilian families filled the pews in the small chapel, where Bush sat next to the base's commanding general, Brig. Gen. Douglas M. Stone, and Stone's wife.
Melissa Culpepper and Jen Cooper, Joshua Springs High School teachers who attended Sunday's service as members of military families, said the congregation was let in on a first come, first served basis.
Each arrived a couple hours before the 11 a.m. service and went through metal detectors before entering the chapel. Security officers culled through Bibles and purses before letting everyone in, Cooper recalled.
At about 10:40 a.m., a praise band invited from Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel in Yucca Valley began to lead the congregation in song. Soon afterward, the thwopping sound of helicopter propellers was heard inside the church. The president was landing.
“You could hear the helicopters coming in and everyone perked up in their seats,” said Cooper.
The band kept playing and in the middle of one of the songs, in walked the President of the United States.
“I was surprised when I looked over and he was walking down the aisle,” said Cooper.
No formal introduction of the president interrupted the services; except for the dark-suited Secret Service men positioned around the church, he acted like any other parishioner at Sunday services.
“It was really low key,” said Debi Wagner, a vocalist with the praise band. “We did our usual music.”
“The neat thing was President Bush wanted to come to worship, not for a photo opportunity,” said band leader Jeff Huntington. “There were no pictures taken, there was no formal entrance.”
Invited by the base chaplain, the 12-member band from Joshua Springs played five contemporary praise songs. The team includes singers, guitars, keyboard, horns and conga drums. Judging from his response, the president seemed to enjoy the music; Huntington said a big smile spread over the president's face when the music started.
“He didn't clap - it must not be presidential,” joked Huntington, “but he moved with the music and enjoyed the songs.”
Huntington's wife, Denice, had the tough job of singing a solo in front of the president but, her husband said, “when she started singing, President Bush closed his eyes and worshiped, and then everyone was worshipping. It was nice.”
“I was proud to be a Marine's wife, to see that my husband works for that president,” said Culpepper.
Her husband, Cpl. John Culpepper, is in Iraq.
“I've always been a supporter,” she said, “and knowing he shares my faith - to know a man of God is leading our country - is really comforting.”
At the point in the service when the pastor instructs everyone to shake a neighbor's hand, the president seemed eager to do so. After the service, he greeted, shook hands and even hugged people surrounding him.
“He was very polite and gracious,” said Culpepper.
On the way home, she kept saying to herself, “I saw the president today.”
Bush shook hands with the singers and thanked the band. Wagner was one of the people who got to shake the president's hand and reflected, “That was very nice of him, I thought. He didn't have to do that.”
“It was a wonderful experience and I will never forget it,” said band member Greg Rogers.
“He's the leader of the most powerful country in the planet and for me to get to play music for him was the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Still, Huntington noted the praise team is used to performing for an even more powerful entity.
“Even though we're singing in front of people,” he said, “our audience is God.”
Ellie
‘I saw the president today'
By Stacy Moore / Hi-Desert Star
MCAGCC - President Bush impressed his fellow churchgoers as a friendly and religious man when he joined services at the Protestant chapel aboard the Twentynine Palms Marine base Sunday.
Bush attended services and then ate a meal in the mess hall during his visit to the base.
Marines, sailors and their civilian families filled the pews in the small chapel, where Bush sat next to the base's commanding general, Brig. Gen. Douglas M. Stone, and Stone's wife.
Melissa Culpepper and Jen Cooper, Joshua Springs High School teachers who attended Sunday's service as members of military families, said the congregation was let in on a first come, first served basis.
Each arrived a couple hours before the 11 a.m. service and went through metal detectors before entering the chapel. Security officers culled through Bibles and purses before letting everyone in, Cooper recalled.
At about 10:40 a.m., a praise band invited from Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel in Yucca Valley began to lead the congregation in song. Soon afterward, the thwopping sound of helicopter propellers was heard inside the church. The president was landing.
“You could hear the helicopters coming in and everyone perked up in their seats,” said Cooper.
The band kept playing and in the middle of one of the songs, in walked the President of the United States.
“I was surprised when I looked over and he was walking down the aisle,” said Cooper.
No formal introduction of the president interrupted the services; except for the dark-suited Secret Service men positioned around the church, he acted like any other parishioner at Sunday services.
“It was really low key,” said Debi Wagner, a vocalist with the praise band. “We did our usual music.”
“The neat thing was President Bush wanted to come to worship, not for a photo opportunity,” said band leader Jeff Huntington. “There were no pictures taken, there was no formal entrance.”
Invited by the base chaplain, the 12-member band from Joshua Springs played five contemporary praise songs. The team includes singers, guitars, keyboard, horns and conga drums. Judging from his response, the president seemed to enjoy the music; Huntington said a big smile spread over the president's face when the music started.
“He didn't clap - it must not be presidential,” joked Huntington, “but he moved with the music and enjoyed the songs.”
Huntington's wife, Denice, had the tough job of singing a solo in front of the president but, her husband said, “when she started singing, President Bush closed his eyes and worshiped, and then everyone was worshipping. It was nice.”
“I was proud to be a Marine's wife, to see that my husband works for that president,” said Culpepper.
Her husband, Cpl. John Culpepper, is in Iraq.
“I've always been a supporter,” she said, “and knowing he shares my faith - to know a man of God is leading our country - is really comforting.”
At the point in the service when the pastor instructs everyone to shake a neighbor's hand, the president seemed eager to do so. After the service, he greeted, shook hands and even hugged people surrounding him.
“He was very polite and gracious,” said Culpepper.
On the way home, she kept saying to herself, “I saw the president today.”
Bush shook hands with the singers and thanked the band. Wagner was one of the people who got to shake the president's hand and reflected, “That was very nice of him, I thought. He didn't have to do that.”
“It was a wonderful experience and I will never forget it,” said band member Greg Rogers.
“He's the leader of the most powerful country in the planet and for me to get to play music for him was the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Still, Huntington noted the praise team is used to performing for an even more powerful entity.
“Even though we're singing in front of people,” he said, “our audience is God.”
Ellie