Robin worked very hard on the TONGUES AFIRE! project. The original move of the Holy Spirit that this play is about was on Azusa Street in Los Angeles, and it began the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit and miracles this country has ever seen. It actually started the Pentecostal movement and a few new Christian denominations in the United States. More importantly, it was all started by sincere and prayerful African Americans. Because of this, Robin and I thought that local African American Christians would be excited and overjoyed to be part of this highly anointed story.

Robin and I made numerous contacts in the Salem and Portland areas. We contacted bishops, pastors, and other leaders in African American churches in the above areas and attended some of their churches. Only one Christian leader worked hard to assist us in producing this play. That was Pastor Marilyn Williams of Salem Mission Faith Ministries, Salem, Oregon. She contacted a number of Christian leaders in the area for Robin and made her church facilities available for auditions and a table reading.

We sincerely appreciate and thank Teri Harpster for her hard work and dedication as Stage Manager. In addition, we appreciate and thank Jill Fairall for her work as dance choreographer.

We also thank Sue Harris for all of her work obtaining professional equipment, setting it up, and working as both camera person and floor director to film the auditions and the table reading. Unfortunately, a serious conflict with her Oregon State employer and intensification of her work schedule forced her to withdraw from the TONGUES AFIRE! project.

Sue’s was not the only obstacle to production, either. There is some kind of spiritual problem that either discouraged people from becoming involved at all or — and this did happen — Satan worked overtime to prevent production of TONGUES AFIRE! Some other people who were attempting to participate would have sudden and immediate scheduling issues. There also were odd injuries that prevented people from attending auditions and the table reading or that discouraged some who were enthused at first into withdrawing from the play.

Robin and I also discovered and became involved with Salem’s CCTV organization. We had hoped to hold a table reading in the studio and film it, as well as film a production of the play for broadcast over Salem’s CCTV. However, due to a lack of both local interest and local talent, we realized that this is not the right location and have halted our effort to produce TONGUES AFIRE! in this area.