Saturday night in Roanoke, VA

by: Lisa Hildreth

We decided this afternoon to take a little road trip to Virginia.  The Isaacs were scheduled to appear in Roanoke at Roanoke Life Church at 7:00pm.  We left our home around 3:30 and drove the familiar drive North.  We didn't tell The Isaacs we were coming.  When we arrived right before 6:00 the parking lot was already full and the folks were filing in to the auditorium.  We went in to find some friends of The Isaacs manning the product table so we made our way to the front row where our friend Carl Bagby had saved us seats front and center.  In a few minutes Jesse and Nathan came in to turn down the Bluegrass music that was playing so the Pastor of the church could speak. They spotted us right away and we said Hello.  The rest of the group started making their way to the front.  After a great introduction The Isaacs took the stage and the rest is history. The sound was perfect (great acoustics in this place), the crowd was responsive, the mood was so sweet and their voices were right on.  They performed a lot of the regulars like Yours and Mine, I Have a Father & Heroes and they shared a very special new a capella song that they just learned last night.  They've been in the studio this week with Bill Gaither working on a new project.  Bill helped arrange the new song and told them they had to try it out on their audiences this weekend.  Let's just say, it was magic!  It brought the crowd to their feet.  I can't wait for you to hear it and all the other songs on the new project.  I wasn't quick enough to get my cell phone out to record it.  I would have loved to have a clip to post here.  Maybe someone else caught it and will send it to me.

Here they are singing the new a capella song straight from the hymnal

After this song Lily stepped up and shared her testimony and Becky played the guitar softly in the background.  I've heard her story many times and have even read the manuscript of her book she is writing about her life, but I have to tell you, everytime I hear it I am brought to tears.  It's just an amazing story that she's where she is today with her children sharing God's love from the stage.  It was such a sweet and moving service.  When she was finished she asked the pastor to come back up and he prayed a powerful prayer.  At the end he started to sing It is Well with my Soul except he changed the words and said Is it Well with your Soul?? Becky, Sonya and Ben started to sing along.  Wow!  

The Isaacs closed out the night with He Ain't Never Done me Nothing but Good and Jesse tore it up on Orange Blossom Special.  The pastor could bearly stay in his seat.   A couple of funny things took place during the evening.  Somehow the pastor heard that a couple of them did pretty good imitations and Nathan performed a little "Brown" from Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns.  It was hilarious.  The other was Sonya and she does a pretty good Reba on I'm Gonna Take That Mountain.  They are just so much fun!!

Nathan doin "Brown" from Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (Hilarious!)

Afterwards everyone went over to the pastor's house where his sweet wife had prepared pasta, sauce, lasagna, salad, all kinds of desserts, sweet tea and it was all so delicious.  We were able to stay and visit with The Isaacs for a while and then we hit the road and headed back to N.Carolina.  We arrived back home about 2:00am.  It was a fun night!  We're already planning our next road trip......come and join us!