Stephanie Dawn's new tribute CD to Del Delker

[carole1012]

Good Morning Everyone,

 

I am so happy to share a story with you all, about a precious friendship. It is between our own Stephanie Dawn, and Del Delker.

For those of you who don't know Stephanie, she is the blind young woman who has blessed people all over the country

with her music ministry. Stephanie is a part of our Family Reunion Music family.

 

Stephanie is releasing a very special tribute CD to Del in February.

 

I want to share with you all, the background to the CD, how you can get it, and the story of their friendship. You will truly be blessed.

I invite you to copy and share this information, so that others can be blessed by this CD. :-)

 

Stephanie wrote -

 

"Dear friends,

 

When I was a toddler, my mother introduced me to the music of Del Delker, and I immediately fell in love with her beautiful singing voice, as many of you have. I had the privilege of meeting Del when I was a little girl, and she took me under her wing and became my friend as well as my mentor. She taught me through word and example to give all of the glory to God and minister to the needs of others. In spite of her busy schedule she always made sure to take plenty of time for me. She has been an incredible listener and source of support amidst the struggles I’ve faced over the years. Our friendship deepened as I entered into adulthood, and we have developed a close bond that will continue throughout all eternity. We are in contact with each other by phone almost daily. It is my desire to provide her with the same support she has given me.

 

As a way of saying thank you to Del for everything she has done for me, my family and I have decided to record a tribute album to her. The album contains 12 songs, all of which are songs that she has made popular, including her signature song, “The Love of God.” The album is entitled, “Treasured Friend: My Tribute To Del Delker.” All of the songs have been recorded, but in order to complete this project, which includes graphics, song royalties and duplication, we need 50 people to pre-pay for the cd. If you would like to purchase and pre-pay for this cd, we would greatly appreciate your help. $25 will cover the cost of the cd plus shipping and handling. If you are interested, please send me a private message. In your message, please let me know if you would prefer to pay via Pay Pal or by check. Pay Pal is the only option available for anyone living outside of the United States, as Pay Pal is able to convert foreign currency. If Pay Pal is your preferred method of payment, I will provide you with the e-mail address to use when submitting your payment through Pay Pal. If you would prefer to send a check, I will provide you with our mailing address so that you can send your payment. I will also need your mailing address so that we can send you your cd once the album has been completed., and we are putting together a California concert tour so that we can deliver the album to Del Delker in person. If anyone is interested in having us present a concert, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

 

Thank you for your consideration!

 

In Christ,

 

Stephanie Dawn

 

 

 

"My first memories of Del Delker took place before I even met her. From the very beginning my mom made sure that I had plenty of good music to listen to, and the music of Del Delker was one of the first things she played for me when I was a toddler. I have an early childhood memory of listening to a recording of Del Delker and the Wedgewood Trio singing the song “When He Calls Me I Will Answer.” As I listened to the song my mom told me that the name of the person singing was Del Delker. Somehow I misunderstood the way my mom pronounced her name. I insisted that her name was Del Del Delker, and no one could convince me otherwise. When I was still a very little girl my mom wrote Del a letter about me, and in her letter she told Del that I pronounced her name as Del Del Delker. Del responded by writing a letter to me, and she referred to herself as Del Del Delker in her letter. I remember my mom informing me of Del’s letter and reading it to me. The only thing I remember about the letter was that Del used the word “hug,” revealing her love for children, a fact that I would later experience firsthand. I absolutely loved her children’s music! Like all little children I had an active imagination and loved to pretend, and once when I was listening to one of her children’s albums I imagined myself talking to her.

 

The first time I met Del was at the Minnesota camp meeting when I was four years old. Our meeting was very brief. I was in my mother’s arms and Del said, “Hi there precious.” She asked me for a kiss and then gave me a kiss on the cheek. Even though I loved her music I didn’t know what to say to her, so I said nothing.

 

However, I made up for lost time when I met her again two years later. Our meeting once again took place at the Minnesota camp meeting. We had much more time to spend together, and this time I talked her ear off. Del patiently listened and acknowledged me as I talked nonstop, jumping from one subject to another. Every time I brought up a new subject I said to her, “Guess what?” She eventually teased me about this by saying, “I think we’ll call you Stephanie guess what Stomberg, or Stephanie Dawn guess what.” Later on during the camp meeting she talked about me in front of the audience, much to my surprise. At the end of the camp meeting I wanted to say good-bye to her, and I remember the loving tone in her voice when she said, “Good-bye sweet heart.” Many years later I had a phone conversation with Del in which I shared my memory of talking with her when I was six years old. When I told her that I talked her ear off she said, “People have always wondered why I have only one ear.”

 

When I was nine years old Del came back to the Minnesota camp meeting, and she agreed to sing with me. We decided to sing the song “Jesus Loves Me/Oh How He Loves You and Me.” Our plan was to sing it acapella, and Del would harmonize with me. Our attempt to sing together probably called forth Del’s best professional skills and patience in public, because we never finished the song. I kept correcting her in front of the audience every time she sang a wrong word, much to the mortification of my poor mother. Del finally gave up our attempt at singing together and suggested that I sing a song by myself.

 

A year later I redeemed myself by singing a song with her all the way through. It was at the Auburn, Washington camp meeting. It was during this camp meeting that I came to know H.M.S. Richards Jr. At that time I was learning Morse Code. H.M.S. Richards Jr. was a ham radio operator, and the two of us used our voices to beep messages back and forth to each other. As a child I got bored listening to sermons, but H.M.S. Richards Jr.’s sermons were the first sermons I enjoyed. I loved how he acted out Bible stories on stage, even using sound effects. However, I became indignant as I heard him continually teasing Del about the fact that she was older than him by saying, “I heard Del sing when I was a little boy!” Finally I said to Del, “You’re not just gonna sit there and take that!” Del assured me that she had a cunning plan. That evening she sang the song “Joyful,” and when she finished singing she said, “That song was sung in the mid 1880’s. Brother Richards knows all about that! He was there! And I want to dedicate this song to him because it’s Father’s Day, and he is just like a father to me, in that he tells me what to do.” It was during this evening meeting that Del and I sang together. Del sang the song “Lover of the Children,” and after she finished singing she said to the audience, “That song was for a special friend.” Then she asked me to join her on the stage. She talked with me for a little while, and during our on stage conversation she said to me that we had two things in common. The first thing was that we both loved to sing, and the second thing was that we both loved Jesus. Then we sang a song together, and her accompanist played piano for us. The song we sang was called “I love My Jesus.” I sang the melody, and Del harmonized with me. After we finished singing Del said to me, “We have an appointment to meet in Heaven. Then you can see me for the first time, and I’ll be young!” After the meeting was over and everyone had left, Del asked me, “Was it you who made a mistake, or was it me?” When I said, “I think it was me,” She playfully said in a sing song voice, “Aha! Stephanie made a mistake! Stephanie made a mistake!”

 

I was with Del at two camp meetings that summer, first in Auburn, Washington and then in Bozeman, Montana. It was during one of these camp meetings that Del gave me a special surprise. She decided to sing the song “Let the Sunshine In,” and she dedicated the song to me, saying to the audience, “She’s such a little sweet heart.” Of course this got my attention, and I sat up straight and smiled. Clearly Del was in tune with me, because she added, “She’s sitting up straight and smiling now.”

 

It was also during one of these camp meetings that Del and I discovered we had something else in common. Del presented a children’s program for the junior class, and I was in the class. One of the songs she sang was “Down By the Creek Bank.” She sang with the accompaniment track that was used when she recorded this song for one of her children’s albums. She had kids sing with her in the recording, and the kids laughed at the end of the song. After singing the song in the junior class Del explained to us how she got the kids to laugh in the recording. The kids were not in a laughing mood, because they were very tired after arriving at the studio from school. Right before Del demonstrated to us how she got the kids to laugh she said, “I have another talent that isn’t singing.” Then she stuck her tongue out and touched her nose. This is how she got the kids to laugh at the end of the song. My mom was with me in the junior class, and I’m sure she was the one who told me that Del had just touched her nose with her tongue. I too, am able to touch my nose with my tongue, and of course I just had to show Del, much to her surprise I’m sure! Later on during the camp meeting Del and I were talking in front of the adult audience. During our on stage conversation I announced, “And we both can touch our noses with our tongues.” That was when we demonstrated our “talent” for the audience. It was not exactly the most professional moment in our singing careers, but it was fun nonetheless.

 

But the lighthearted, humorous moments are not the only memories I have. I also vividly remember Del’s gentle, compassionate side. I believe it was at the end of the Bozeman, Montana camp meeting that I had to say good-bye to her, and I was in tears. My mom brought me over to her and asked her to comfort me, and she asked me what was wrong. “I’m gonna miss you!” I sobbed. I will never forget the tenderness in her voice as she tried to ease my pain. She took time to listen to everything I said. At one point during that conversation I was complaining about something. I don’t remember exactly what it was; it might have had something to do with how people treated me because of my blindness. As a way of showing me how much she cared about me she sang one of the lines of a children’s song that she had recorded, “I care.” It was Del’s love for me that led me to say to people as a child, “Del doesn’t just find time; she makes time.”

 

Another memory I have of Del took place when I sang a song at her church. I was nine years old at the time. After I finished singing my dad started leading me back to the pew where my mom was sitting, but Del motioned to my dad to bring me over to her. Suddenly two hands took hold of me, and those hands did not belong to my mother. Del pulled me in beside her, and I sat with her for the rest of the church service. The song I had just finished singing was “My tribute,” and Del told me that was one of her favorite songs. After the church service was over I started talking to Del nonstop, which was my typical behavior. As Del listened to me she turned to someone else and said, “I wish everyone was as glad to see me as she is.”

 

It was when I sang at the Voice of Prophecy booth at the 1990 General Conference session in Indianapolis, Indiana that Del took on the role of mentor as well as friend. I was 10 years old at the time. After I finished singing one of my songs Del told me how many people I was singing in front of, but she hastened to add, “Don’t let that go to your head.” She wanted me to understand that all of the glory goes to God. When I finished singing people complimented me, and Del was right there, urging me to say thank you. She was trying to teach me the importance of responding appropriately when interacting with people in a professional situation.

 

But it wasn’t just professional skills that Del was trying to teach me. She also wanted me to understand the importance of loving people. I vividly remember the incredible way in which she used a particular situation to teach me this. It was during the same summer I was with her at the two camp meetings and the General Conference session. I don’t remember where we were when this particular experience took place, but I do remember that I was 10 years old at the time. An elderly woman started to talk to me about my singing, and she broke down crying. I didn’t know how to respond to this, but Del immediately took the situation in hand. She reached out to the woman and comforted her, but she didn’t stop there. She then turned to me and tried to get me to connect with the feelings that this woman was having by explaining to me the hurt that people in her situation experience. Del handled the situation beautifully by ministering to the woman and teaching me a much needed lesson about compassion at the same time. She didn’t just teach me this lesson through words; she taught me through example as well. It was as if, through her words and actions, she was saying to me, “This is how it’s done.”

 

Many years later Del said to me on the phone, “Even when you are off stage you are still on stage.” She then explained to me that you have to behave in a professional manner whether you are on stage or not. Your mindset and behavior should not change when you leave the stage. Del is no longer traveling or singing, and she once said to me on the phone, “You’ve picked up where I left off.” So it is my goal to put into practice what she taught me.

 

I have memories of Del that demonstrate her loyalty as a friend. One of these memories took place during my childhood when I decided to call her. As soon as she knew it was me she said, “I have a list of things to do, and one of the things on my list was to call you.”

 

Another example of her loyalty took place when I was 12 years old. She once again came to the Minnesota camp meeting. I was sitting in the auditorium as she rehearsed on stage. Hardly anyone was in the auditorium. When she finished rehearsing she said into the microphone, “Hi Steph. How are you doing babe?” Shortly after that she came down from the stage to talk with me. When she asked me what was knew in my life I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I didn’t say much. Del was concerned about the fact that I was quieter than usual, but she didn’t have a chance to express her concern. We were unable to talk any further, and I didn’t see her for the rest of the camp meeting. I went home with my family and didn’t even think about how quiet I had been when talking with Del, but Del hadn’t forgotten. One day I was away from home, and when I got back my oldest brother informed me that Del had called while I was gone. She told my brother that I sounded depressed when she talked with me at camp meeting. I was not depressed at the time, but even with Del’s busy schedule she took the time to check up on me.

 

Another example of this occurred when I was in my late 20’s. I decided to call Del. I was extremely ill at the time, and Del was struggling with health issues as well. We were both very downhearted, but even in the midst of Del’s own suffering she thought of me. Shortly after our conversation ended she called me back. She expressed her observation that I sounded blue during our conversation, and then she prayed with me. Del was just as blue as I was during that conversation, and yet her thoughts were not just centered upon herself. She considered my pain as well as her own, even though she was feeling miserable. I am certain that this is only one example in which Del put others above herself by showing them compassion.

 

When I was about 9 or 10 years old I remember riding in someone’s car, and a cassette of Del’s music was playing. This was the first time I heard the song “Shoulder To Shoulder.” I never imagined at the time that Del and I would sing that song together years later, but that is exactly what happened. It took place during a Voice of Prophecy event at one of the Seventh-day Adventist churches in Arlington, Texas, and I was 19 or 20 years old at the time. Before Del and I sang we bantered playfully back and forth on stage. At one point during that exchange Del said to the audience, “Not only does she steal my songs, but she sings them better than I do!” Her accompanist, Phil Draper, blurted out, “Amen!” then Del said, “When you have friends like Phil who needs enemies!” After we finished talking we sang “Shoulder To Shoulder” together. Dann, my stepfather and pianist, accompanied us. Del sang the melody, and I harmonized with her. We gave each other a hug at the end of the song.

 

Del has always been very good at making people laugh just by being herself. At the end of one of our phone conversations I thanked her for spending time with me, and she said, “The privilege was all yours.” Some years back she sent Dann a cartoon drawing she had found, and she penciled in Dann’s last name to make it personal. It said, “Ok Thornton. You can sit down. The offering has been taken.” Many years ago I sent her our Christmas album, and she wrote a letter to me in response. She said in part of her letter, “You’re getting too good for my good! I ought to have you banished to Siberia!” A few years ago we visited her at a rehabilitation hospital where she was staying after suffering a fall. During our visit a nurse came in and said to her, “If you need anything let me know.” Del didn’t miss a beat. “How about money?” was her reply. Del is known for her one liners. Upon receiving compliments she has often been known to say, “I’ll give you a half hour to stop saying that!” She often jokingly compliments herself and then says, “If you don’t believe it just ask me!” She also playfully refers to herself as being humble and proud of it.

 

When I was in my 20’s Del sent me a humorous card for my birthday along with a letter. The theme of the card was about having a poor memory, and it switched from saying “Happy birthday” to “Merry Christmas.” Del wrote in the card, “You’ll understand when you get to be as mature as I am.” She then referred to herself as having a photographic memory but continually running out of film. The letter she wrote was humorous as well as beautiful. She referred to my family by telling me how much she cared about me as well as that crew I hang out with. In her letter she expressed her desire that when we get to Heaven she, my mom, Dann, my brother Jamie, my grandma and I would take a day or a month or a year and visit other planets together. I will always treasure that precious letter.

 

Del and I have had many, many phone conversations over the years. We have shared a lot with each other about ourselves and our life experiences. When a child forms a friendship with an adult that friendship does not always transition into an adult relationship as the child grows and matures, but my friendship with Del has done exactly that. Our friendship deepened as I grew older, and we confided in one another more and more. Our special bond has withstood the test of time, and it will continue throughout all eternity.

 

Del is now advanced in years and in poor health. We are in contact by phone almost daily, and we consider each other as family. She once told me on the phone that she adopted me, and she has referred to me as being like her child or her little sister. We have decided that we want to live next door to each other in Heaven, and she once said concerning our journey to Heaven, “Let’s hold hands on the way up.”

 

Even with her health struggles Del is the same person she has always been. Her sense of humor is still very much alive and well, and she is very quick on the fly. During one of our phone conversations she talked about how young she looked for her age. Then she added, “And I look even younger to people who are blind like you.” During another one of our conversations she talked about the book she wrote of her life story. She told me that the name of the person who helped her write the book was Ken Wade. Then she said, “He waded his way into the situation.” I remember the phone conversation during which she said that when she was in college there were classes in which she got straight a’s. “Yes,” I replied, “I’m sure there were classes in which you got straight a’s.” She then said, “You need to learn to distinguish between a lie and the truth.” There are many other phone conversations during which her sense of humor has shone forth. Sometimes she will spontaneously start singing when she thinks of a song that applies to our current topic of conversation. We have sung together on the phone, and she has harmonized with me.

 

Her compassion and spiritual discernment are also clearly revealed during our phone conversations. She has talked about how her suffering has led her to appreciate more fully what Jesus went through on this earth. She is always thrilled whenever I share stories with her about people who have been led to Christ. We have talked about what Heaven will be like, the necessity of giving all the glory to God, and the importance of putting your arm around someone who is lonely when you are involved in ministry. During one of our phone conversations she said something very profound. I believe we were talking about how you can’t always determine what people are like based on your first impression of them. Del said, “There are some people who are very difficult at first, but if you hang in there they become different people.” Once I was sharing with her what God has done in my life, how He has changed me and what He has taught me. She said, “I’m so proud of you, not that you did it, but that you made the decision.” Through this statement she was acknowledging that my spiritual growth came from the power of God and that I had chosen to let Him work in my life. During another one of our conversations she made a statement that instantly changed my thinking. When I shared with her a specific way in which God has directed me in ministry she said, “You’re getting to be an evangelist.” “I don’t know if I would go that far,” I replied. “Listen,” she said, “everyone who professes to be a Christian is one, or should be.”

 

Through my daily conversations with Del I have discovered that in spite of her health struggles there is more to Del than what is seen on the surface, something I would not have discovered if I only talked with her once a week. I have told her about various forms of technology and explained the internet to her as best I can. When I told her that I can talk to my phone and tell it to call specific people she said, “You’re going to be so spoiled that you won’t know how to do anything!” She listened with great interest and surprise when I told her that many of her songs were on the internet. She asked me how the songs sounded, because she wanted to know if they sounded differently on the internet than in the recordings she was accustomed to. I explained to her the way in which I could find and listen to her music online, how I could type her name or a specific song title on my computer and the computer would bring up a list of songs for me to listen to. After she listened to my explanation she repeated what I said in the form of a question to insure that she understood me correctly. When I told her that banking could be done on the internet she said, “I would think it would be possible for somebody to abuse that.” She’s had no experience with computers or the internet, and yet the possibility of internet banking fraud automatically occurred to her. I enjoy sharing these things with her and listening to her responses. It is my goal to keep her updated not only on technology but other things as well, and she wants to be informed. All of these experiences have shown me that Del is still the same person through and through.

 

Del and I both eagerly look forward to our daily conversations. I know that God will lay her to rest at some point, so I want to cherish every moment I have with her and provide her with the same support she has provided me. She has given so much to me over the years, and now it is my turn to give back to her.

 

Del has been a wonderful listener and an incredible source of support when life was difficult for me. She has stood by me through thick and thin. She has been there to listen and acknowledge me, to make me laugh, and to comfort me when I cried. She taught me through word and example to give the glory to God and to show compassion to the hurting people I encounter in my music ministry. She took me under her wing and taught me lessons I will never forget. Even as I write down these memories my words cannot adequately describe how much she means to me and how grateful I am for her friendship. I have always loved her singing, but now her beautiful voice is even more special to me because of the very special friend she is. I am so thankful for the gift she has been to me and that God brought her into my life. This is why I decided to record a tribute album to Del Delker."