United with Dan on a Mission

2.1. A once in a life time encounter

I was in Grade 5, and had a project for arts and culture to complete. We had to create posters to advertise an event of sorts. I designed a poster advertising a live performance in the town hall, by Don Francisco. That night I asked my mother, “Mom, do you think I will ever get to meet him?” She said that I should pray to God about it; if it’s meant to be it will be. The next day, shortly after I handed the assignment in at school, we were all called to assembly, at an unusual time.

Someone on stage started performing. I didn’t recognise at first who it was, but remember thinking: “Oh wow! I know these songs!!!!” I found myself singing along while he was performing, when suddenly the realisation hit me! I felt like I was jumping out of my skin! I shouted to my friends next to me: “I know this guy! Don Francisco! He’s really here, in this little town in the middle of nowhere!!!” None of them knew him though, which was disappointing, but wow, just wow!! After he had finished, I thought to myself, “I need to get this guy’s signature!” Everyone went home, but I ran back to the classroom, tore a piece of paper from one of my workbooks, grabbed a pencil, and ran back to the hall. My heart was in my mouth. I was somewhere between being really shy, and not knowing whether it was appropriate to behave this way or not, but determined, and so decided to steel myself and not risk missing the opportunity.

He greeted me with a smile. I asked him please to sign; he asked my name and then signed: To Daniel, Don Francisco Psalms, 37:4. I thanked him and told him how he was my favourite singer… then he asked me to sing to him my favourite song (it was: He’s Alive). But I embarrassed myself quite a bit as in all the excitement the lyrics of the songs just ran away from me. I told him how sad I was that the cassette tape with his music on had been inside the portable radio when thieves broke into the house and stole it. Then he asked me to walk over to his car with him where he took out a CD – He’s Alive Album – signed that too, and gave it to me. I couldn’t believe my luck! That night he held a concert at Worcester Primary School. I just had to go! Needless to say, I bought all the other CD’s I could.

Ps. 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” KJV

Looking back now, there is no doubt in my mind that God answered my prayers that night, even before I prayed it; the prayers of an 11 year old ‘nobody’, in the rural town of Worcester, South Africa. I still can’t fathom any reason for that ‘popular’ American singer and song-writer to come to a little place in the middle of nowhere, where nobody seemed to know him, where he didn’t even perform anywhere major, just in the hall of a primary school.

This is without a doubt one of my most cherished memories.