Olalla family rock band sings praises for the Lord.

"Jim Bryant/ Staff Photo The musical Proctors are, from left, Penny, Jesse, Hannah, Mike and Rebekah. "

“Mike and Penny Proctor met at a Christian youth camp in Hawaii in 1974, at a time when the Jesus movement” was happening. Mike was a 20-year-old fledgling guitarist from Washington and California. Twenty-two-old youth leader Penny was a songwriter and percussionist, also from Washington and California. She shared some chords and her songs with Mike, and they were soon performing together. We brought the music of our youth culture into the church,” Mike said. Twenty-six years later, the Proctors of Olalla are still combining their spiritual convictions and musical skills in the Christian rock band, Elisha’s Request. Their bandmates are their children: 17-year-old Hannah on violin and vocals, 15-year-old Rebekah on keyboards and vocals, and 13-year-old Jesse on drums and other percussion instruments. Together, the family band plays music Mike calls alternative worship.” Elisha’s Request in December 1999 released its first compact disc, Return to Passion.” The album features tight harmonies, lyrics about hope and salvation, Hannah’s haunting electric violin, and guitar riffs by Mike reminiscent of Tom Petty and Eric Clapton. All but one of the songs are written by Mike, a firefighter for the Federal Way Fire Department. After marrying in 1975, the Proctors performed with the DaySpring Band the HarvestTime String Band, while Mike worked for the Honolulu Fire Department. Then came the children – Penny recalls standing on stage, pregnant, one child at her side and one on her hip. Growing up in that kind of setting, it’s only natural Hannah picked up the fiddle at 8, Rebekah the piano at 8, with Jesse banging on coffee cans at 3. The family members performed at church before debuting as a musical group at a reunion in Hawaii in 1995. They named the band after a request made by Elisha in the Second Kings chapter in the Old Testament, asking for a double portion of spirit. The Proctors by this time had moved to Olalla after Mike secured his firefighting job in Federal Way. The Proctors perform together regularly at Gig Harbor Foursquare Church. As the children developed into better musicians, the Proctors decided to produce an album in their house. Return to Passion” was painstakingly recorded on a machine that could only lay down one track at a time. Mike would yell Recording!” so everyone would stop in their tracks for a moment; sounds like the cat crossing the floor could ruin a take. One of the highlights of the album is the cut Mongolia,” inspired by trips made to that country by Hannah and Rebekah. Both are star basketball players – Hannah now for Olympic College, Rebekah for South Kitsap High School – and they brought their sport and spirituality as part of the program Youth With a Mission. The trips changed their lives. It was culture shock, bigtime,” said Hannah. It opened up my eyes to the world outside … It made me thankful for what we have,” said Rebekah. Helping to bring Christianity to Mongolia has become a family mission. The Proctors also hope to help bring to this country the Mongolian Christian rock quartet Hargi, which means The Path.” The Proctors are raising money for the trip, and for the chance for the band to record her, and then return home with the music. They’re awesome,” said Rebekah. They don’t have an old sound.” Elisha’s Request performs at a Christian youth event at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 at the Church of Nazarene in Port Orchard. A listing of the band’s performances can be found at the website elishasrequest.com. The family hopes to perform in Europe and Africa, among other places. It’s when God says the word, `Go!”’ Rebekah said. “

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