The birth of our first child was the source of new inspiration, and music became even more preponderant in our lives. Meanwhile, could the "cold war" become hot? It seemed like it could after the invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet troops... Could the North hemisphere become the stage for a nuclear confrontation? Maybe it could. Just in case, like the birds that sense the arrival of winter, Donna and I decided to go South: Brazil, a land of beauty and abundance. After all, sunshine and new horizons make great subject for new songs. Finances were scarce but our determination was not.

We sung in Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Barra - those are famous places in Rio de Janeiro - When we sung "Um pouco mais de céu, no seu olhar, no seu sorriso..." (a little bit of heaven ... in your look and in your smile),

we really meant it. With those interested enough to talk, we shared the reason for our song: Jesus, His Love, His Freedom, His Peace, His Joy, His Word - That was all that really mattered.

Donna and I had now two kids. How could we reconcile music performance with raising kids? Well, we had to make some adjustments, but we kept on singing and performing. The kids, as soon as they could learn, became part of the show.

In the middle 80's, Donna and I started feeling a new burden, a new calling, for a higher and more challenging mission: It involved a great move, almost half way across the globe - India and the Far East. The aim: to bring there the Word of God - The Bible, which had changed our lives.

That move involved a temporary stay in Southern Europe: Switzerland first, then Italy. Italy, in particular, is a dreamland for singers and buskers. Italians very fond of music. We spent one full year in the Liguria Coast, singing and raising funds for our mission to India. We could say that we sung our way to our destination ...

In India Donna and I were faced with a reality which we had never experienced: millions of deprived people who struggle everyday for survival. Music became less relevant, preempted by the needs of our Christian mission. Only on week-ends, I had the opportunity to play and sing at a youth meeting while Donna stayed at home busy with our third child and teaching home school. India was also the place for deep experiences and we experienced both dispair and grace after losing our third child who died in our arms one unforgetable evening. We made it through the experience but, much against our wishes, we had to leave short after. Our next destination: Macau, in the southern shores of China.

The end of the decade brought the crumbling of communism in Eastern Europe and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Donna and I went on furlough to Europe, but always eager to get back to China, our new field of choice. After another year raising support in Italy, we made it back to Macau, and to China.

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