Episode 43: The Sound of Faith: The Story Of Living Waters

Jacob Paul: Welcome to the Truth In Love podcast with your host, Kimberly Faith. The Truth In Love podcast seeks to present God’s timeless truth through the lens of his remarkable love.

Kimberly Faith: Welcome back to the Truth In Love podcast. I am humbled and excited and I think you can be both at the same time to be here with the Living Waters singing group remix. 

And so I want to do very little talking in this podcast partly because I know there’s a whole room of wisdom here and sharing and so we’d like to begin because a lot of people who are listening to this podcast don’t know who you are, and so I would love for it if one of you or all of you can give us who Living Waters is and how long you performed and recorded and kind of how the Lord got that started.

Jeanne Champagne: Living Waters Group, we do go way back to the 70’s. My husband Dennis and myself, Jeanne, Wayne and Sally Gustafson, and Connie and Emile Phaneuf. And we’ve all started out together in the 70’s And we’ve been good friends ever since.

Kimberly Faith: Yes.

Jeanne Champagne: Anybody want to pick up on a little more of the history?

Emile Phaneuf:  Duration?

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. 

Emile Phaneuf: So, yes, late seventies for probably around fifteen years is when we played together.

Kimberly Faith: And you recorded and performed live together for that fifteen year period?

Emile Phaneuf: Pretty much.

Kimberly Faith: Okay. 

Emile Phaneuf: Yeah. 

Kimberly Faith: How many songs, now I know if any of you have listened to the prior podcast I had with Jeanne, there were obviously a lot more songs that I didn’t even know about that you never recorded and but you performed. How many songs have you all recorded?

Jeanne Champagne: Somewhere in the thirty, thirty five ish.

Kimberly Faith: Okay. Alright. And those are all being digitized and now have they all been digitized yet and released? 

Wayne Gustafson: Third album not out yet.

Kimberly Faith: Album is not out yet. So the first and second albums are digitized and they can hear those on Spotify, Amazon, all the music platforms. Okay. And so how did it start? How did the group start? How did you put together the group, name the group? What did that look like?

Jeanne Champagne: I don’t really remember how the name Living Waters came about. Somebody else might be able to shed light on that but in my mind, the Living Waters music or the initial group took place around a campfire in Kingston, Arkansas, right after Emile and myself and Dennis came to know the Lord and we were brand new Christians and we went out to the woods to praise the Lord and well, to be honest with you, to burn our pot plants. And we were singing together and we had a very, very strong presence of the Lord. We were brand new Christians. So, to me, you know, in that first time when we were singing together and after that, the three of us were singing together for a while.

Emile married Connie, she joined the group and Sally and Wayne came in not long after. We were a six person group pretty early on.

Kimberly Faith: And because I think it’s going to be useful and interesting for people, what parts did you play in the group? Somebody want to share that.

Wayne Gustafson: Well, when we first started out, the first thing I’d like to say is all but one song on this whole thing, Jeanne wrote every song.

Kimberly Faith: Who wrote the other one? 

Wayne Gustafson:  Me. 

Kimberly Faith: Which song was that?

Jeanne Champagne: Give It All to Jesus.

Wayne Gustafson: Give It All to Jesus.

Kimberly Faith: I remember that song, great song.

Wayne Gustafson: When we first got saved, we met everybody that’s sitting here, and they were musicians, and we were musicians. And I think musicians just kind of congregate together. And we would get together and Jeanne would have a song she had just written, and the chords for the song, and then we’d all get that, and then we’d get together sometimes twice a week, but each one of us would try to, well, none of us are professional musicians by a long shot, God just gave us notes to play and the arrangements. The vocal arrangements were done between Connie and Sally and Jeanne. They worked all that out, and the rest of us put our parts into her progression.

Kimberly Faith: And what did you play?

Wayne Gustafson: The first two tapes, I was the lead guitar player, and then we had another gentleman that has passed away now named Ron Jacobs.

Kimberly Faith: Ron Jacobs?

Wayne Gustafson: Yeah, who was twice as good as I was on the guitar, so he easily stepped into that position, which I was happy to give to him.

Kimberly Faith: And what did you play, other than lead guitar, did you play any other guitar?

Wayne Gustafson: Bass too. I’ve been playing bass since ’74.

Jeanne Champagne: And he actually played steel guitar in one of the songs.

Wayne Gustafson: Yeah. 

Kimberly Faith: I remember that actually. That’s why I was kind of hinting around. Talking about that steel guitar.

Wayne Gustafson: Metal steel also. Not, you know, a novice, but I was learning.

Kimberly Faith: What about you, Sally? What was your role in the band or the group?

Sally Gustafson: Well, I played bass for a little while. I don’t know if it was at the beginning or when, but I started out playing bass and switched to guitar. And then of course did harmony.

Kimberly Faith: Amazing. Amazing harmony. I feel like you could harmonize to somebody, you know, singing in a barrel. 

Wayne Gustafson: I agree.

Sally Gustafson: Yes.  Absolutely. 

Kimberly Faith: It always struck me how interesting it was to me that you and Jeanne looked like you were siblings. 

Sally Gustafson: Yeah. 

Kimberly Faith: You know, the dark curly hair.

Jeanne Champagne: Our kids got us confused sometimes too. 

Kimberly Faith: Oh.

Jeanne Champagne: They’d be hugging the legs of the wrong mama.

Sally Gustafson: Yep. 

Kimberly Faith: Then what about you, Connie?

Connie Phaneuf: I just loved being a part of this ministry from almost the beginning, especially with my husband. And all the songs that were written and sung revealed what was in our hearts. So, it was the most beautiful and natural thing to worship, praise God together, be reminded of his amazing love for us and to take his message to others, which is why we sang in the first place.

Wayne Gustafson: Yes.

Connie Phaneuf: And we loved singing wherever he would send us. The co-op downtown, street corners, a couple of restaurants.

Emile Phaneuf: Parks.

Connie Phaneuf: Parks. Yes. There was a restaurant on Dixon Street that had like an Irish name, like MacGregor’s or something like that, but it was a Mexican food restaurant. We enjoyed singing there. And then there was a little tiny restaurant on South School way down.

Wayne Gustafson: The Pancake House, I think. No.

Jeanne Champagne: The Bluegrass Grill.

Wayne Gustafson: Bluegrass Grill.

Connie Phaneuf: Is that it? 

Jeanne Champagne: Yes. 

Connie Phaneuf: Oh.

Kimberly Faith:  Bluegrass Grill.

Connie Phaneuf:  Alright. Anyway,  it was the most beautiful experience that I personally treasure. And will my whole life. 

Kimberly Faith: Something that when you were talking, I was thinking about was how when you all would sing, most of the the songs that were performed were straight out of the scripture.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. 

Kimberly Faith: And even as a teenager, you know, what I was struck by is the powerful message because Jesus says he is the word.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Kimberly Faith:  Right? And the Bible says Jesus is the word and how the praise out of a born again soul of Jesus the word was just the Holy Spirit. It was like the Trinity was there and you couldn’t listen to your music without being moved and transformed.

Connie Phaneuf: That is true. Yeah. 

Kimberly Faith: So amazing. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. 

Kimberly Faith: So that’s one of the reasons that I think all the people who grew up with your music, it’s such a treasure. You know, I still play my guitar, not very well, and sing your songs, you know, What shall it profit a man.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. 

Kimberly Faith:  Or, you know, and so and you sang soprano, right, or the high parts? Yes. 

Connie Phaneuf: Some. Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: So did you play an instrument too?

Connie Phaneuf: No.

Kimberly Faith:  Okay. 

Connie Phaneuf: I was their cheerleader.

Kimberly Faith: So who else wants to talk about what they did.

Emile Phaneuf: Well, I tried to sing and I tried to play the violin.

Jeanne Champagne: And he did very well in both.

Emile Phaneuf: Probably equally. And I mean, I knew my limitations. I always just felt like, well, I’m hanging around with the group.

Connie Phaneuf: You too.

Dennis Champagne: You played the ukulele too.

Jeanne Champagne: No, the mandolin. 

Dennis Champagne: The mandolin, that’s what it was. 

Emile Phaneuf: And I even whistled sometimes.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes, you did.

Sally Gustafson:  And we loved it.

Emile Phaneuf: When I could do it when I wasn’t smiling. You can’t whistle and smile at the same time.

 

Jeanne Champagne: No, you cannot.

Wayne Gustafson: You’re always smiling.

Kimberly Faith: Yes.

Sally Gustafson: And we whistled in harmony. All of us.

Connie Phaneuf: Oh, I loved it.

Emile Phaneuf: It was despite knowing that for myself. I mean, there were some beautiful vocals and some pretty decent musicians outside of my skills, that were great. But I did it because despite what I knew, I had limitations. It was, like, very clear that it wasn’t me anyway.

Connie Phaneuf: Right.

Emile Phaneuf: And I think everybody feels the same way. 

Wayne Gustafussen: Yes.

Emile Phaneuf: We knew that God was using it more than we even knew. 

Wayne Gustafson: That’s right. 

Emile Phaneuf: And people would come and say the same and say that to us. When such and such a song, the words of the song, and it touched my heart. And I know we’d all think the same, well, I mean, that’s the Holy Spirit. So if we can be involved in anything that the Holy Spirit’s involved, then it’s like, wow, what a privilege. 

Connie Phaneuf: Exactly. Yes.

Emile Phaneuf: This is just like way over me. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. 

Emile Phaneuf: So I don’t have to be good. I don’t have to be good. I don’t have to be extremely talented. I don’t have to be. And it’s okay because the Holy Spirit’s the one who’s doing the work anyway. And I’m not just saying that. I mean, that was true.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Emile Phaneuf: That was true. And I know we all knew that. So that’s what made it a place where I could get in front of people and do those things that I knew I couldn’t do all that well. Because it wasn’t me that was doing the work anyway. I was just blessed to be there in the first place.

Connie Phaneuf: We to.

Kimberly Faith: So that resonates so much with me. I just, as the Lord has taken my life in my later years and taken that little broken person that I am and made it into this ministry. I understand that and I think really what you’re describing, Emile, am I saying it right?

Emile?

Emile Phaneuf: Sounds good to me.

Kimberly Faith: Okay. Is that is a heart that is so sold out for the Lord that you offer what it is you have and the Lord says, watch this. And then he blows your mind.

Emile Phaneuf: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: Right?

Dennis Champagne: Yeah. Plus not just the Living Waters songs, but we also had a musical play that we took around that Jeanne had written.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Kimberly Faith: I remember that.

Dennis Champagne: And all the ladies here were in it and some others from the church. And that we played many places too.

Kimberly Faith: Tell us about that. Because a lot of people don’t know about that music.

Dennis Champagne: I don’t know if it’s called His Name is Jesus or the Women At The Well. 

Jeanne Champagne: Yeah. It was called His Name is Jesus.

Dennis Champagne: But it was powerful. 

Kimberly Faith: Yes. 

Dennis Champagne: Very powerful.

Kimberly Faith: Yes. I remember when the woman at the well got saved and Jeanne, nobody played that like Jeanne. 

Sally Gustafson: No. 

Kimberly Faith: You know? 

Sally Gustafson: Couldn’t.

Kimberly Faith:  Tell us about writing that, Jeanne.

Jeanne Champagne: I’m emotional. That was a play that truly came together by the love of God by a group. And each person that played the part played a really important part that represents a group of people in the world, from a seeker to a witnesser to a doubter to somebody who is different.  And it took place, we were all wearing, you know, biblical times outfits  and the play took place around a well. And it was basically a gospel message and a salvation message and a praise God message with seven women, I think, and the men that are here right now and some others were the musicians in it. And we did it live probably a 100 times everywhere.

Kimberly Faith: Did anybody ever videotape or record that?

Dennis Champagne: I don’t think so. 

Jeanne Champagne: You know, that was a different day. People didn’t walk around with those gizmos in their back pocket. So probably not.

Connie Phaneuf: A place downtown where we all went.

Sally Gustafson: Yes. At the Greek Theater?

Connie Phaneuf: No. Oh. Well, yes. But there was a place downtown that recorded it. 

Jeanne Champagne: Oh.

Kimberly Faith: Really?

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Jeanne Champagne: I never knew that.

Emile Phaneuf: Yeah. It was the

Kimberly Faith: What was it?

Emile Phaneuf: The public television station.

Connie Phaneuf: That’s right. Yeah.

Sally Gustafson: Oh, wow.

Kimberly Faith: To dig up those archives. 

Emile Phaneuf: Yeah. It would be there in the archives.

Jeanne Champagne: That would be interesting too.

Kimberly Faith: That would be so interesting.

Jeanne Champagne:  The turn back the clock moment.

Connie Phaneuf: Yeah. They did all kinds of things on that station.

Kimberly Faith: Did you do that in, like, just different venues like churches or is that kind of

Jeanne Champagne: We did many churches, mostly churches, but other places too where it could work.

Kimberly Faith: And so, this was again during the time period, I think fifteen years. Is that right? The fifteen years?

Sally Gustafson: Yeah. Maybe even somewhat. Yeah. I think it was in the middle of that.

Kimberly Faith: Well, I just remember that being such a powerful gospel message and even if you were already born again, you know, it was so it was almost like a revival would happen every time I saw it. And I’m sure when you performed it, it was also just

Jeanne Champagne:  And it was common for someone to give their life to Jesus. Because of that performance, they understood their need for Jesus and their separation. And right then, as a part of an audience, they turned their hearts over to Christ. And sometimes, we’re fortunate enough to know about that.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. 

Jeanne Champagne: It’s like Emile said, it wasn’t us. I mean, it was something we were called to and it was something that humbled us because I think everyone in the room would say if they had the opportunity, we’d all say, I don’t know why I’m the one in this role. Even in writing the songs, I knew they were inspired.  And that it wasn’t anything to take credit for.

Kimberly Faith: Well, one of the reasons I wanted to do this group podcast and thank you all for agreeing to do video as well because I know that’s always more intimidating. Sally?

Sally Gustafson: Yes.

Kimberly Faith: It is because the things that we do, that the only thing we’re taking with us are the souls of people, you know. And if the work that the Lord had you engaged in for those fifteen plus years is not dead. You know, it’s not dead. In fact, Jacob is bringing that to the international worldwide audience, you know. 

Connie Phanuef: Wow.

Kimberly Faith: And so that’s what we want to do. We want your legacy for Jesus to be preserved and to be the story to be told because it, you know, the great thing about, you know, what the great commission Jesus was talking about the ends of the earth. Well, here we are getting to the ends of the earth, you know. We’re get to sit in

Wayne Gustafson: Crazy kids.

Kimberly Faith: In the Champagne’s living room and go to the ends of the earth with the story.  And so that was the reason that I wanted to gather up all the chickens and have this and because even just now you’re sharing with us about that, you know, were saved. I’m sure people were saved by listening to your music as well. Or challenged to, you know, to get into God’s word and to let God’s word touch and transform. At least I was. I know that. So even if it’s just me. Yay. Dennis, we haven’t heard from you yet.

Dennis Champagne: I said a few things, but I played rhythm guitar in the group. And I did write some songs, but they were all flip sides.

Sally Gustafson: No, they weren’t.

Jeanne Champagne: Turn Back America was pretty powerful.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah, that was a very powerful song.

Dennis Champagne: And I was a pothead. I wrote that one.

Kimberly Faith:  Yeah. Yeah.

Dennis Champagne: And that was a true story.

Wayne Gustafson: That’s the world we knew about.  Pothead.

Kimberly Faith: The best stories are the true stories, right? Well, do you guys want to, I mean, I know I had to ask you, you’d ask what kind of questions. Do guys want to share some of your favorite songs and why they were your favorite songs? Because I know we’re going to integrate some of those songs into this podcast and into the video with the words. Hopefully, Jacob is technical enough.

Emile Phaneuf: Before someone takes my song, I’ll do the first song. Then if someone does it, then that’s fine too. Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Then they can

Emile Phaneuf: And it’s hard because I can be looking through them and see a little different message in all of them. I could say, Yeah, maybe that one, maybe that one, maybe that one. 

Connie Phaneuf: Right.

Emile Phaneuf:  But when the question first came, what might be my favorite, the song, In the Beginning came to my mind first.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. 

Emile Phaneuf: And I think musically, it’s very dynamic, which is really cool. But it’s also so uplifting to our savior.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Emile Phaneuf: It’s so uplifting. It’s right out of the scriptures. And to me, it’s always been one that I’ve enjoyed listening to.

And it has just as powerful a message probably as any of the others. It’s a specific message. I mean, is lifting up our savior. Showing him, showing us where he is, where he comes from, and what he is. So to me, that’s a favorite of mine.

Kimberly Faith: You know, that was a song that really solidified for me that whole John Chapter One in my memory. Like, because of that song 

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. 

Kimberly Faith: I’ve always been able to quote that section of scripture and also been able to use that to in expressing the power of the Bible because the power of the Bible is Jesus. The power, He is the word and he created, the word created everything. And it’s just yeah. I mean, I don’t mean to get off on a tangent. 

Connie Phaneuf: Oh, No. It’s alright.

Kimberly Faith: I love it. I love and this is what’s so powerful about the music that you wrote.

You know, it was your story and Jesus told stories. We learn through stories. That’s why the play was so powerful. It was a story. The woman at the well was brought to life. Yeah. Anyway, I’ll stop.

Wayne Gustafson: I’d like to give glory to God back onto the play that we did. We didn’t have some Greyhound bus. We had two old vans and five musicians, and I think seven or 11 women, all of our equipment. We had two vans, and they were stacked up so far in the back that only two people could sleep on top of the equipment. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Wayne Gustafson: You had to lay on your side, and the most beautiful part about that is God is so gracious and so giving, and our hearts were not to make money to go do this.

Connie Phaneuf: Right.

Wayne Gustafson: God said, gave Jeanne the play, he said, Go. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. 

Wayne Gustafson: And we didn’t ask for 10¢, and this is amazing, we kind of kept track of this. Churches would take up a love offering, and sometimes it would be within a dollar, what it cost us to eat and get gas to get there. 

Kimberly Faith: Wow.

Wayne Gustafson: And then they would always give us a free place to stay. But we just went. It makes me cry now how generous and wonderful the Lord is, just go and I’ll take care of you.

Connie Phaneuf: Right.

Kimberly Faith: Thanks for sharing that.

Wayne Gustafson:  I guess I’ll tell you my song. I have two. It’s If I Were To Tell You, for me, it’s one of the most strong gospel songs. And the other one is called Broken Pieces.

Sally Gustafson: Yeah. 

Wayne Gustafson: Because unless you’re broken, you’re never going to get saved until you realize you’re broken. 

Kimberly Faith: Nor can you really serve the Lord the way that in his way instead of your own way. As in you’re on your own steam and you guys have been, that theme has kind of been reverberating in this podcast so far. It’s all God. It’s not us.

Wayne Gustafson: We’re dirt. That’s what we’re made from the dirt. We’re going to go back to the dirt and in between that, it’s all him.

Kimberly Faith: When I pray before these podcasts and I ask the Lord to give me a word. It never fails that the word he gives me is what happens in the podcast. And I want to just take a second and read this to you because when I was praying this morning he kept bringing back to Acts 17: 24-28 and it says, God that made the world and all things herein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands; neither is worshiped with men’s hands, as though he needs anything, seeing he gives life to all and breath, and to all things and has made one blood of all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed,in the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if happily they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from everyone else: for in him we live, and move, and have our being.

Wayne Gustafson: Amen.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Kimberly Faith:  I’m just thinking this is what you did. What you just described Wayne is what you did. You didn’t need to know what was going to happen or how it’s going to happen. You just need to know the Lord. And that’s so representative of what you all did in this ministry. So that was a little segue, but I wanted to bring that up. Okay. Who wants to share their favorite song?

Sally Gustafson: Well, Wayne took mine.

Connie Phaneuf: Emile took mine.

Sally Gustafson: That’s okay. But Broken Pieces, because when we do come to the Lord, we are broken. And that song just helped me through a lot of times, you know? And another one is, I have a friend in Jesus. He’s always been there through thick and thin.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes, Sally.

Sally Gustafson:  Anyway, I don’t know what I would have done without him. And this music was just like, God always uses music with me, gospel, you know, Christian music and his creation. I mean, you can just look out and see what all he’s done for us. I’m a flower child and there’s another song that talks about his creation.

Jeanne Champagne: Miracle of Butterflies.

Sally Gustafson: Miracle of Butterflies. Yes. I love that song. God is so good and he knows each of us. He knows each of our needs. He knows what speaks to us. And these songs have just, like I said, carried me through. And then just recently, Wayne and I started listening to them again, we got Jacob to record, I think all three of them onto one disc. And so, we would put it on at night and listen to it and it just, I don’t know. It was just as powerful if not more, listening to it now than it was then, you know? But anyway, it was just a beautiful thing to be involved with.

And another thing I was going to say is, when I first got saved, that’s the first thing, I’m like, I just want to sing for Jesus. But I was really shy, even from a little girl I wanted to sing and I would go down to the creek, climb the pecan trees and sing to the cows. And even through high school and all that, I was so shy, I wouldn’t even try out for a choir or anything, you know? So, it wasn’t until the Lord said, okay, now it’s your time. You can sing, you know, and I’m going to be there and I’m going to help And even though sometimes, you know, it’s really hard to be up in front of people and Wayne would always say, well, we can just put a bag over your head and then you can sing and nobody will see you.

But the Lord helped me, you know, do that. So anyway, just praise his name.

Wayne Gustafson: As long as you’re singing, wherever you are from your head. 

Kimberly Faith: Wayne. 

Wayne Gustafson: A Harps paper bag with just eye holes.

Dennis Champagne: We actually first ran into Wayne and Sally before we were Christians.

Kimberly Faith: Really?

Dennis Champagne: Yes. We were walking down Dixon Street and heard some country music. And they were playing country music outside of

Wayne Gustafson: The new music store.

Dennis Champagne: The new music store.

Kimberly Faith: Interesting. I didn’t know that. 

Dennis Champagne: Yeah. 

Kimberly Faith: So did you become acquainted then?

Dennis Champagne: Not then. In fact, we were probably across the street because

Wayne Gustafson: You did. 

Dennis Champagne: They were country people, you know? 

Kimberly Faith: Oh, they were country music people. 

Dennis Champagne: Country music people. You know, we’re from Rhode Island.

Kimberly Faith: You’re from Rhode Island.

Dennis Champagne: We don’t even have country.

Sally Gustafson: It’s like what’s this. 

Kimberly Faith: This is a Baptist college town.

Emile Phaneuf: You’re in Arkansas now, boy.

Dennis Champagne: But anyways, That’s when we first saw them. And we didn’t really meet them. But then later, the Lord brought us together.

Kimberly Faith: How many years after was that?

Dennis Champagne: That was months after.

Kimberly Faith: Months? Wow.

Wayne Gustafson: Yep. Then he bought a Johnny Cash album.

Kimberly Faith: True?

Dennis Champagne: I did what?  And my favorite song, well, they took them all already, but Way of  a Fool.

Wayne Gustafson:  Yeah. 

Dennis Champagne: Because it just talks about how we think we have the answer. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: Right. 

Wayne Gustafson: That’s what’s wrong with our country.

Dennis Champagne: And back when we left Rhode Island, we thought we knew the answer. We thought it was food, believe it or not, you know? And then, the government or whoever they were. And that’s one of the reasons why we left too. We’re just searching. And we thought the answer was food.

Connie Phaneuf: Good clean food, right?

Dennis Champagne: Good clean. And we even talked about it then,  you know, someday our kids might stray and try meat, or they might even marry a meat eater. And we  just have to, you know, hope for the best. And so that was our religion, actually.

Kimberly Faith: Isn’t it interesting how I mean, that song, the Way of a Fool. Even as Christians, we can make something less our God. And it’s so easy. It can be our entertainment. It can be our job. It can even be our ministry instead of God being God. Our ministry can be God and again all these songs, Wayne you mentioned, no Sally you mentioned that, you know, that you were listening to music again and how powerful it was, even more powerful, and what a great testament to the power of God’s word because all this music you’ve written all three of you you know has as the theme God’s word, some of it’s even direct quotes from God’s word and it doesn’t ever grow old.

Sally Gustafson: Yeah.

Wayne Gustafson: That’s like the pastor Adrian Rogers. You can listen to a sermon and you think he was talking about what’s going on in the world today. This incredible preacher.

Kimberly Faith: He is a great preacher.

Wayne Gustafson: He is.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Or is he?

Wayne Gustafson:  He’s in paradise and all that.

Kimberly Faith: His son’s carrying all his work. Jeanne, what is your favorite song or do you have one favorite?

Jeanne Champagne: I have a few favorites for different reasons.

Kimberly Faith:  Right. 

Jeanne Champagne: The one I have in front of me is My King’s Apparel. So when I was writing that song, I remember that I couldn’t sing it without crying. I was just by myself in a room and I could see the Lord and the blood down his face and understanding that it was my sins that he did that for.

The chorus says, after describing that he wore a crown of thorns and his jewels were bright rubies of blood, and his royal apparel was a scourge, making bright crimson stripes on his holy fringe.

And the chorus says, he wore it so well. My king’s apparel, he wore it so well. He wore it well because of his love for us. When I think about him being in the garden and sweating great drops of blood, not because there was going to be a crown put on him, not because he was going to  be whipped with a scourge, not because they were going to pierce his side, but because the sins of the world has a cost, has a penalty, and that penalty is separation from God. So, when Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world, he had to be separated from God and he said, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

So, when I think of this song, I see the gospel in it just with an appreciation of what he went through, but when you hear this song, remember he went through all of that because of his love for sinful man.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Whenever I would hear that song, one of the things when I think about that song,  I think about what a great song to bring us into communion, into the Lord’s Supper, you know, into that time of remembering and being purified and knowing that we need to, this was such a great, such a great sacrifice. We can’t even really wrap our minds around it but what we can do is give our hearts 1000%.

Wayne Gustafson: Amen.

Kimberly Faith: And say, God, I got nothing. 

Sally Gustafson: Right. Yeah. 

Kimberly Faith:  But I want to be everything I can for your kingdom. And that’s one of the things I just loved about the music was that it brought God’s kingdom to earth in a way that people could understand. And I understood. I was just, you know, a dingbat teenager, you know? And I remember just being mesmerized because it was so powerful. And despite what Emile says about his fiddle playing, his violin playing, it was mesmerizing.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes, it was 

Dennis Champagne: It was great.

Kimberly Faith: Everything. I mean, all the way the Lord, the Lord did this. The Lord built this house as this group and it was so clear. And you guys are like my you know, you’re like my childhood heroes and heroines. Right? I mean, I feel like I’m very blessed to be here. So who hasn’t shared their song, Connie?

Connie Phaneuf: Well, you stole mine. Emile and I talked about it.

Kimberly Faith: Did you have an agreement, an accord about who was going to say what? 

Connie Phaneuf: Oh, no. No. No. But we both agreed that firstly, In The Beginning was most powerful. Then when we think about all the rest of them, well, maybe that should be first.That should be first. That should be utmost. But each song leads us to Jesus. So, they are, I mean, songs of worship and songs of intense gospel. Praise His Holy Name. Yeah. Those are two of my favorites.

Kimberly Faith: How did you all come up with the arrangements for these songs?

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. By the grace of God. 

Emile Phaneuf: Yeah. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. It was a beautiful thing.

Emile Phaneuf: We had no arranger. Well, none of us was the arranger.

Kimberly Faith:  A divine arranger. 

Emile Phaneuf: Somebody might have suggestions. But

Kimberly Faith: Yeah.

Sally Gustafson: That’s what I think it was. God showed us each.

Wayne Gustafson: That’s God. 

Sally Gustafson: Yeah. 

Wayne Gustafson: What to play, what to sing.

Sally Gustafson: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: I am a much less talented musician than any of you all. But I’ll tell you that I understand what that looks like. Because Jacob and I work together and I will say that the Lord gives me a vision and sometimes gives me a tune, some and mostly words and the message that just breaks me and makes me want to share. And then God just does the rest and he uses of course Jacob’s talent, which is as you all know, he’s very, very talented. And sometimes even engages people like the very talented Emile. I mean, you’ve contributed some wonderful parts of the music and I don’t want to get talking about my music. I’m just saying God does that. God does the arranging and I know what that looks like. And it’s that message though is so much it’s so applicable to everybody whether you’re a musician or not, God can arrange your life.

Jeanne Champagne: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: He can make your life fruitful for him and I love that the Lord takes each person no matter what your talent is, whether you’re shy or whether you’re an extrovert. Whether you’re, you know, you’re a carpenter. Whether you’re a doctor. And God says, I put you here and you have talent and if you’ll stand aside, I’ll blow your mind.

Connie Phaneuf:  Well said, well said, Kim. 

Kimberly Faith: Thank you.

Wayne Gustafson: By the way, Jacob, who’s doing this podcast filming, is Emile’s son and Connie’s. The music and the spirits in his blood.

Kimberly Faith: That’s right. It sure is. And it’s and, you know, and actually it was kind of him and Tracy. It’s with me, Tracy Milchiori.

Sally Gustafson: Thank you Tracy.

Kimberly Faith: This idea to make this a video and make this really special because what the Lord did in your lives needs to be heard and it needs to be like the Bible. We have the story of the woman at the well and it’s two thousand years later. We’re still talking about it. Well, if this world lasts another two thousand years, we want people to hear what the Lord did in your life and that’s why we wanted to do this. So, yeah.

Alright. Who haven’t we heard from on favorite songs? Who else because we’re going to need to wrap this up because I know that there’s people with schedules.

Emile Phaneuf: Well, have a funny little thing.

Kimberly Faith: Oh, good.

Emile Phaneuf: Well, I think it’s kind of humorous when we would be playing in front of people, oftentimes I felt like it would be best if we had a curtain to draw in front of us so that people wouldn’t be looking at us. I thought we were distracting from what we’re trying to do, just being up on a stage. But just a funny little thing is probably half a dozen. If we were going to be playing a dozen songs, I’d probably look at Jeanne on half of those. And I would just look in her direction and I’d ask her, what do I do in this song?

Connie Phaneuf: Sing or play the violin.

Emile Phaneuf: Probably people didn’t know what was going on, but I didn’t remember if I sang or played the violin or the mandolin or whistle or whatever it was I was supposed to do. And I would just look at her and I said, what do I do, and she’s just, you sing or you play the violin. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yep. Yep. It would happen all the time. 

Kimberly Faith: I love that.

Emile Phaneuf: Okay.

Jeanne Champagne: Yeah. We always knew and were aware that we were imperfect. Each of us were imperfect. And it was humbling to be going somewhere and singing anything in front of anyone. So, we were always brought to that place beforehand of praying and just saying, Lord, please, it needs to be you.

Connie Phaneuf: Yeah.

Emile Phaneuf: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: And I think that was really evident in Emile, I know what you mean by you don’t want to be distracting but I have to say that as part of the audience when I would look at your lives, your lives and the personalities and the way that you were conveying the message was so inspiring. It was a package deal. So just to lay your fears about that was part of the package.

Emile Phaneuf: I just didn’t want it to be distracting.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. That’s a great heart to have too.

Jeanne Champagne: Like the dog.

Kimberly Faith: You wanted to be, you know, you wanted to be glorifying God and bringing people to Christ. And you did. I mean, you all did. You all are still doing that now that we are, especially in your life. I know that each of you is still serving the Lord and whatever capacity the Lord’s got you. Obviously, your season of doing Living Waters music is gone but it’s still here. So what is it that you want people to know about your life and when you’re gone? What is it you want people to know?

Connie Phaneuf: Our focus, our hearts are still the same. Jesus made enormous transformations in our life. We came to him and we have wanted to love him back ever since. Whatever it means. So it’s still the same.

Kimberly Faith: Same message.

Connie Phaneuf: Same message. Yes. Yes. And we take him with us everywhere we go by the grace of God and tell other people about him.

Kimberly Faith: It kind of reminds me of that season song. 

Sally Gustafson: Yeah. 

Kimberly Faith: The season song.

Dennis Champagne: Yeah. We’re in the final season now.

Kimberly Faith: I don’t know about that, Dennis.

Emile Phaneuf: Still don’t want to be a distraction from Christ. Still don’t want to be a distraction by bad testimony or whatever.

Connie Phaneuf: Right.

Sally Gustafson:  But I want to say, I mean, we are not perfect and there have been ups and downs in my life, you know?

Kimberly Faith: Right.

Sally Gustafson: But God always brings us back. There are seasons.

Kimberly Faith: One of the great things about the Bible, like the stories about King David and Solomon for example who had great heights of glory for God but then crashed and burned so hard. So encouraging to know that man, God just, He, like you said, draws us back and when our heart is that we want to glorify God. I always tell my dad, my dad says, so what do you think your life looks like in ten years? Dad, I don’t care. I want to slide into heaven covered in dirt and grime and blood saying, I’m here. You know? I’m here. I fought the good fight, you know.

Connie Phaneuf:  Right.

Kimberly Faith: So, sorry, I didn’t mean to talk about that. So Wayne, what do you have to share about that?

Wayne Gustafson: Well, I know I’ve been a Christian fifty years or more, I know how God wants me to be. And what I’ve kind of, after all these years, the 10 commandments, I know that Christianity isn’t about works, but Christ said, If you love me, obey me. And so, loving God isn’t about your emotions, because your emotions, one day you can be super happy, the next day somebody may bump into you, ruin your car, that’s irrelevant. I just want to keep as close to God as I can. I’m 76 years old, and I’m ready. I want to be with my wife. As long as I can take care of her, but if he called me home today, there’d be no tears falling from my eyes.

Sally Gustafson: Right, yeah.

Wayne Gustafson: And I am so absolutely sure that I’m going to heaven, that I hope that I will have the courage if we do get into the time of persecution, I can just go ahead, cut my throat. I’m going to paradise. I hope I have that strength. That’s what I’m hoping for, that I can stand strong and say, Well done, my good and faithful servant. And that’s a big thing to me. I mean, there’s so many things I know that I haven’t done right. We’re all sinners, but I hope that I can just love him till I die.

Connie Phaneuf: You will, Wayne.

Wayne Gustafson: I will. I know he loves me.

Jeanne Champagne: You asked how we would want to be remembered. And I thought about that a lot. I don’t care if I’m not remembered.  But I hope that those that knew me, especially my children, my grandchildren, my great grandchildren, I hope that when they think of me, that Jesus is associated with that thought. That’s the most important thing to me about remembering anything about me, that my life somehow in spite of myself pointed back up to him.

Kimberly Faith: That’s powerful.

Dennis Champagne: Definitely. I want to finish strong too, like you mentioned. 

Kimberly Faith: Finish strong.

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Dennis Champagne: Because you started out strong. 

Wayne Gustafson: Yeah. 

Dennis Champagne: Kind of wavered here and there in the course of the years, but I want to be back on track and finish strong.

Connie Phaneuf: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: What do you all think is the key to that?

Connie Phaneuf: Daily moment by moment surrender.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah.

Wayne Gustafson: Selflessness also. Esteem others better than yourselves.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. I think that’s 100% true and like Dennis you said, man, I mean, I can’t even believe God wants to use me. I just have trashed my life so many times and I just, and here we are. Right? Here we are. And God says, I’m going to take that evil and I’m going to work it for good. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yeah. 

Kimberly Faith: Because that’s who I am. 

Connie Phaneuf: Amen.

Kimberly Faith: And I just appreciate so much the light that you all have represented in my life.  You guys have been such an inspiration and I know that the Lord puts gifts in us and even when we trash them, even when we turn our back on the Lord, he says, if you’ll just come back I’m going to give you a life that is so far beyond your imagination 

Connie Phaneuf: Yes. 

Kimberly Faith: And so far beyond what you could have even understood for yourself. And I’m going to bless you.

Connie Phaneuf: Yeah.

Kimberly Faith: And I’m going to keep you in the path that I have for you and it’s going to be glorious and you all were such a big part of that for me and I just want to thank you. 

Sally Gustafson: Thank you.

Connie Phaneuf: You’re worth it.

Kimberly Faith: Well, I know that, you know, it’s kind of like that song Brother Otis sings. Thank You For Giving To The Lord. I’m a life that was changed. And I know it’s not his song. It’s somebody else’s song but that’s who I remember singing it. And that’s what I remember about you and that’s what I have in my heart for you is that you gave to the Lord. You did those road trips not knowing where the gas money was going to come from.

Connie Phaneuf: And we break down.

Kimberly Faith: And you broke down.

Sally Gustafson: And we’d have so much fun though too. 

Connie Phaneuf: We did.

Sally Gustafson: Those trips were very memorable. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Sally Gustafson:  And we have several stories I’m sure everybody could tell one.

Connie Phaneuf: Yeah.

Wayne Gustafson: We could give you an hour of podcast just on the miracles as far as God taking care of us during breakdowns.

Kimberly Faith: Don’t tempt me. Don’t tempt me, Wayne.

Connie Phaneuf: Sometimes Sally and I would

Wayne Gustafson:  We were in Indiana somewhere. Broke down. It was raining.

Sally Gustafson: Yes.

Wayne Gustafson: And we stopped at this hardware store that was closing down, and the guy luckily, I know how to weld. The camshaft on the van had a piece of metal broken off of it. Ron Jacobs was an excellent mechanic. 

Connie Phaneuf: Yes.

Wayne Gustafson: We took all that apart. It’s raining, and we’re singing, like, we’re teasing around like Bert and Ernie, you know, just to get the joke out of it. And this, so the guy says, my son will come open it up, and here comes this six foot eight basketball player dude. And he opens it up, and Ron’s already got the camshaft out, and there was one little tip that runs the fuel pump. And luckily, from being an old Texas boy, I knew how to weld, and I was able to find a little scrap piece of metal and weld on there, and it actually worked. And we put it together in the rain, and off the road we go.

Another time on the way home from Texas, the van wouldn’t run, and this other gentleman who passed  our way, we had the van cover off inside the car with the carburetor open and him pouring gas in the carburetor. And if it ever backfired one time, we’d all have been french fried inside. But that’s all I have to say about that.

Kimberly Faith: Well, I think that’s a nice way to end.

Connie Phaneuf:  My goodness.  

Sally Gustafson:  You’re still here.

Connie Phaneuf: So, I remember times when Sally and I would have to share a bed, which was fine. But we would just giggle and giggle and giggle. It was just so the whole thing was so rich. 

Sally Gustafson: Yes.

Connie Phaneuf: Yeah.

Wayne Gustafson: We were kids. We were kids. 

Connie Phaneuf:Yes we were. 

Wayne Gustafson: It was wonderful.

Sally Gustafson: And then there were the kazoos.

Kimberly Faith:  What? Tell us.

Sally Gustafson: Do you know what a kazoo is?

Kimberly Faith: I do know what a kazoo Yes.

Sally Gustafson: So one trip, we all had kazoos and we’d all be playing them in harmony to what songs, whatever songs, you know, or whistling, all of us.

Dennis Champagne: Not me.

Jeanne Champagne: Not you.

Dennis Champagne: I can’t whistle. That was good.

Sally Gustafson: Dennis would be clapping.

Kimberly Faith: Well, I love that. I love that you all have so many rich memories.

Connie Phaneuf: We do. 

Kimberly Faith: And I kind of just to wrap up. It just reminds me that your rich memories remind me that someday we’re going to be in the presence of the Lord without any sin, without any sickness, without any ailments that we suffer, the pain, the sorrow and we’re going to have so many rich memories. And so I would just encourage you all to keep making those rich memories because from my point of view, I want to watch them.

Connie Phaneuf: Oh, you’ll be there.

Wayne Gustafson: Kim, one more thing. After Sally and I, when Living Waters stopped, we kept playing and played some secular music, and the difference playing with a secular band, with Living Waters, we never had an argument. We sat down, discussed it like brothers and sisters about how the song was going to go, and we let, we needed a leader, was kind of like our music director, if you want to say that Emile, and it’s just so, it was so refreshing, and to go into the, playing country music stuff, the egos and vanity was just like, it’s such a different world. 

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. 

Wayne Gustafson: I mean, it was beautiful.

Kimberly Faith: Works of the flesh

Wayne Gustafson: We were little brothers and sisters. It was awesome.

Kimberly Faith: Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you all for agreeing to get together and be guests on this podcast. And you’ve been listening to the Truth In Love podcast, and I pray this has been as much of a blessing for you as it has been for me and for all of you.

Connie Phaneuf: Thank you, Kim.

Sally Gustafson: And thanks, Tracy.

Kimberly Faith: If today’s episode stirred your heart, we want to invite you to go even deeper. At gofaithstrong.com, you’ll find a growing library of faith based resources designed to encourage, equip, and strengthen your walk with God every single day. Whether you’re searching for meaningful devotionals, real life testimonies, Christ centered blog posts, or soul stirring music. It’s all there, created to meet you where you are and lead you closer to where God is calling you to be. We believe that walking in faith doesn’t just happen on Sundays.

It’s a daily pursuit. That’s why everything we do at Go Faith Strong is focused on helping you live boldly for Jesus Christ. Our podcast is just one piece of the journey. There’s so much more waiting for you, resources to inspire your prayer life, deepen your understanding of the scripture, and help you share the gospel with others. So visit us at gofaithstrong.com and explore, read, listen, worship, and be encouraged. Your life matters. Visit us at gofaithstrong.com.