For Today Family,

It's Tuesday, June 9th, 2009, and that means that our 2nd full length album, "Portraits" was released everywhere TODAY!!!
We couldn't be more excited about you all hearing it!!


WHERE CAN I BUY ONLINE?!

CLICK HERE TO BUY IT ON ITUNES

CLICK HERE TO BUY IT FROM OUR MERCH STORE

CLICK HERE TO BUY IT ON SMARTPUNK

CLICK HERE TO BUY  IT ON AMAZON


WHERE CAN I FIND IT IN STORES?

USA:
Hot Topic, FYE, Hastings, Sam Goody, select Best Buy's, Zia, Newbury Comics, Graywhale, Rasputins, Dimple, Angelo’s, or other indie stores nationwide.
**If you go to a store that does not have "Portraits" please speak to a manager or sales rep and put in a request for "For Today's new album "Portraits" on Facedown Records being distributed by SONY RED" and they will get them in!!

AUSTRALIA:
It is being distributed by STOMP. If your store doesn't have it, please request "For Today "Portraits" on Facedown Records from STOMP distribution".
CLICK HERE FOR AUSTRALIAN ORDERING
CLICK HERE TO LOCATE A STORE NEAR YOU

WORLDWIDE:
It is being distributed by REVELATION.



MY STORE WAS SOLD OUT, OR I CAN'T FIND IT!!

If you go to a store that does not have "Portraits", or is sold out of it, please speak to a manager or sales rep and put in a request for "For Today's new album "Portraits" on Facedown Records being distributed by SONY RED that came out June 9th" and they will get them in!!
   If they STILL don't have your CD ANYWHERE in your city or surrounding cities, check our Myspace - chances are, we're playing near you on tour soon, and we have them for sale at our merchandise table!!


I BOUGHT IT ON ITUNES!
WHERE CAN I FIND THE LYRICS?

Thanks for buying the album!
The lyrics are available in our blog right below this one.
Click here - http://blog.myspace.com/fortoday



I DOWNLOADED YOUR NEW CD ON A TORRENT, BLOG SITE, OR OTHER WEBSITE ILLEGALLY AND I LOVE YOUR NEW CD!!

Hey, we're glad you like our new album!
We would be even more happy if you bought it so that you could read all of the lyrics, and stuff that we had to say. Whether it's on Itunes, at Hot Topic, or at a show of ours, we would really appreciate you purchasing the album if you like it. We download albums too, but support the bands you enjoy please!!
The album booklet not only has lyrics to all of the songs, it has Mattie's definitions and meanings behind each songs, stuff from the band, and lots of other info!


CLICK HERE TO BUY IT ON ITUNES

CLICK HERE TO BUY IT FROM OUR MERCH STORE

For Today "Portraits"
Released June 9th, 2009 on Facedown Records

1. Immanuel (The Challenger)
2. Saul Of Tarsus (The Messenger)
3. Nicodemus (The Seeker)
4. Joel (The Watchman)
5. Immanuel (The Redeemer)
6. Elijah (The Forerunner)
7. Benedictus (Song Of Zechariah)
8. Ezekiel (The Visionary)
9. Isaiah (The Willing)
10. Talmidim (The Servants)


CLICK HERE TO BUY IT ON ITUNES

CLICK HERE TO BUY IT FROM OUR MERCH STORE


Lyrics & Definitions:

1. Immanuel (The Challenger) --

Repent or Perish.

This is a hard teaching of Christ.  It is unrelenting and direct in it’s objective; but--as are all things with Christ--it is rooted in unconditional love.  The word that Christ would have used to say “repent” is the word “METANOIA”.  While the concept of repentance has been distorted and perverted into meaning to simply stop sinning, the word that Christ used is a word that means “to think differently”.  God’s heart is not focused solely on our actions, but rather, on our motivations.  Therefore, His charge to those that follow Him is not to resist the urge to act negatively.  It is to seize the opportunity to act positively. 

2. Saul of Tarsus (The Messenger) --

May the world know that I am yours.  I will never be silenced.  I will resist my sin to the point of blood, and I will wear my scars like badges of honor.  But let my hope cry out that my God is greater than the pain of persecution.  My God is greater than this world.

There will never be another chance to live today for God.  There will never be another name that can save us from ourselves.  And so, steadfast and undeterred, I will proclaim the name of Christ to a dead and dying world. I am not ashamed!

We will resist our sin to the point of blood, and we will wear our scars like badges of honor.  But let our hope cry out that our God is greater than the pain of persecution.

Blinded, I saw that Christ is Lord. Now, may the world see you through open eyes. God, my Father, reign.

Saul of Tarsus, later named Paul, after His conversion to Christianity, was pivotal in the establishment of the church of Jesus Christ.  Previous to His revelation of the divine nature of Christ, he was a brutal persecutor of Christianity, and was responsible for the death of many members of the early church--He was even present at the stoning of the first martyr, Stephen. 

If there is any person that deserves to be rejected by God, and abandoned by Christ, it is Saul of Tarsus.  But, not only was he sought out and forgiven by Christ, He was used miraculously and powerfully by God.   Let this stand True for us all.  Not one of us has fallen too far to be redeemed by the blood of Christ.  We are not asked to be qualified for the work of God, we are asked to be willing.  May we never be silenced, and may our world change as He glorifies His willing servants.


3. Nicodemus (The Seeker) --

Grace is my destiny, but pride is my home.  Your words have called me from my comfort. I’ll give you my life, if you’ll hold it in your truth, because truth is the pursuit that captivates my soul. And, teacher, to be honest, I am very afraid.

This is all I have. I come before you broken. This is all I have. Tell me there is more than this.

Jesus, I’d give my life for a truth that could never be shaken. And, then you came to offer me everything that I’d been looking for. So now, I am the reborn, into a life of purpose.  I am the renewed; born of the Spirit, and sent forth to walk in truth.

I will walk in truth; in all the truth of your miraculous power.  I will walk in truth.  And expect your healing hands to work in me.

You are all I have. I stand before you redeemed. You are all I have. I could never want more than this.

Nicodemus was called a ruler of the Pharisees.  He was regarded as a spiritual leader and a religious authority in his time; yet, he approached Christ to acknowledge and confess that He (Jesus) was sent by God.  And, while He was afraid and approached Jesus in secret, at night, Christ validated His search for Truth, and shared with Nicodemus a number of the greatest statements of spiritual truth and authority to have ever stood to challenge the human soul. 

The search for Truth will always bring us to Christ. 


4. Joel (The Watchman) --

Let the trumped sound for the coming King. The almighty approaches!  Let the whole world see.  Wake up! This is really happening--the locusts devouring everything.  The great and dreadful day of the Lord has fallen on the land.  May you bear the mark of righteousness. We will not be forsaken.  May your conviction stand to profess: we will not be forgotten.

America, you will be judged, but His people will be restored.  You will be judged.  Seek your mercy now, while it may still be found.  Arise, take up your sword and choose your side. Tonight, prepare for battle. For the dream of God will come from the lips of children, and His Spirit will pour out onto all flesh.  You will see the sun black out, and the moon turned to blood.  Then you will know there is one God and the LORD is His name.

You will be judged, but His people will be restored.  Fall to your knees, for there is life at the throne of God.

As true as it is that we will, someday, stand before God in judgment, we have been sent to declare a time of favor.  The time of judgment has not yet come.  This song was written from the perspective of someone living at the time of Christ’s return.  That, as of right now, is not us.  God, in all His authority; in all His power, glory and majesty, is showing endless mercy, infinite grace, and patient forgiveness to the world.   This will, someday, come to an end, and the enemies of God will be separated from Him.  But, let it be well-stated that, while judgment is a certainty, the time for such has not yet come.


5. Immanuel (The Redeemer) --

You’re not alone, my son.  I made you for so much more than this.  Don’t be afraid, my child., for I have overcome the world. Go tell the world that I would die for them to know me. And I would die for them to live. And this is life: that they would know you, God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

This is life, child.  I’ll give you everything. And you can stand tall for there is life in me. Now, let the blood I shed be just enough for you to know that you will always have a home with me--no, you will not be abandoned.

All hell will not stand against us, for only those who choose to die will claim the life I have for them.

So now the question stands: Would you die for me?

Can you hear it? Can you hear my voice? I’ve been calling you since the day you were born, to come home to the place I’ve prepared for you. You’re not alone.

Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries surrounding the character of Christ is His willingness and desperation to partner with us.  He was God in the flesh--the complete manifestation of goodness and love--and yet, he not only lived to bring people into partnership with Himself, He died to make it a possibility.  In the pursuit of the deepest, most eternal desires of your heart, believe this one powerful truth: You are not alone. 


6. Elijah (The Forerunner) --

Prepare the way for the Lord to enter in. We must become a people who value righteousness again.  Now, we can only stand back and hope to see Him move, or we can be the willing hands of a mighty, living God.  Make your choice. Now is the time. But, as for me, I call down fire. God, rain fire.

I believe that God will raise the dead, and He will use these hands to do it.  I believe that God will heal the sick.  And He has sent me forth to say: “He alone is God.  Prepare for His victory.”

Lord, would you bring a breakthrough of heaven on this earth? Would you part the clouds, and pour down on our flesh? We invite you to come, not only here, but to the world around us. Surround us.

I sought the Lord and I found His voice. The mountain trembled, and there was a fire burning, then came the wind, and my God was not there.  It was a whisper that brought me His voice, because when heaven speaks to us, we will feel the peace of our perfect Father. 

Take my vision and tear down your world. Take my vision and proclaim a time of favor.

The Forerunner Spirit, one that has been called forth on three separate occasions in scripture (in Elijah, first, in Elisha (in double portion), second, and in John the Baptist, third) is one that scripture says, in Malachi 4:5, will be sent again before the second coming of Christ.  This is a Spirit that is falling heavily on this generation--a Spirit of preparation; a Spirit that will lead the world into a time of purity for the coming King of Kings, and will make-ready a people who are powerful, convicted, and desperate for the presence of God.


7. Benedictus (Song of Zechariah)


8. Ezekiel (The Visionary) --

An army approaches! Arise! Prepare! This is the Word from the mouth of God. And in it’s power you will find life.

We are the watchmen of the new generation, and we will stand faithful; as intercessors and as prophets, as those who call down the breath of God to fill the dead.  Know they will arise. Prophecy: “Dry bones, claim your life”.

This is the river of life, and it will flow from the place of worship. He is the giver of life and at His voice, the mountains will fall. But, I will not be afraid, for I am a chosen one of God. I will not be afraid, but I will stand for you.

We will rise up, and we will stand prepared, and we will fearlessly defend this city.  But, we will not stand alone.  Holy Spirit fall, and breath your life into us.

A heart for passionate and powerful intercession is a rare thing, but when God calls it forth, it is something that will change entire nations.  Desperate prayer will shift the heavens and shake the earth.  We, as a people, will declare to a dead world “Arise!”, and we will see the breath of God fill their lungs, and hear the praises of the redeemed fill the air.   In the spirit of Ezekiel, I wrote about standing fearlessly on behalf of our brothers and sisters in humanity--our own flesh and blood.  May the Sons of God begin petitioning the Father for the sake of their generation.


9. Isaiah (The Willing) --

Here I am, God. Send me to the world.  There is a burden on my heart to let the world know that You are God. From You, the mighty King of Kings, I learn the word that sustains the weary heart.  But, I have been silent for far too long.  I love them too much to sit back and watch them die. So take the life that you gave to me, Lord, and speak your heart to a generation. 

Brothers and sisters, my prayer for you has been heard. And you can take refuge and hope in this Word:  This is the end of the world as we know it.  Death will hold no power.  Dry your tears and lift your head.  Death will hold no power.

Let the light of life shine down upon a people in darkness.

We are the grateful forgiven; the restored and renewed.  We will take for ourselves no rest until we are face of God on the earth.  And take no rest, God.  Take no rest for yourself.  Take no rest, oh Lord.  May we be the generation to bring your glory down.

Our generation will prophecy. So let the world know, we are a dynasty.

The word “Dynasty” is defined as “A prominent and powerful family or group of people whose members retain their power and influence through several generations”.  This is the Kingdom of Heaven--those whose heart for God is worked out in their willingness to partner with Him in His pursuit of souls.  Isaiah, “The willing prophet”, sat at the throne of God as God searched for someone to do His work on the earth.  Isaiah, unwilling to see his people perish, replied with “Here I am, God.  Send me.”  May this continue to be the desperate prayer of our heart.


10. Talmidim (The Servants) --

Lord of glory, make us worthy to possess your name.  Give us a new name.  Call us your people, God.

Ezekiel 36:26-28 -- “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.  You will live in the land I gave to your forefathers; you will be my people and I will be your God.”

Restoration is here.





CLICK HERE TO BUY IT ON ITUNES

CLICK HERE TO BUY IT FROM OUR MERCH STORE

For Today have announced the title and theme behind their new album.  Portraits,
set to be released on June 9th, is For Today's sophomore album on
Facedown Records and centers around "the fathers of the faith."
 Vocalist Mattie Montgomery had this to say about the new album:

Hey everyone!

Mattie here! We've been back in the US for a while now, but, I thought it would be cool for me to share some of the amazing things God did while we were in Mexico. I'm not quite the story-teller David is, but, I'll do my best. I also have some pictures/videos to share with you all!

Anyway, David left off on day 3 of the tour. There's a whole lot more to tell you about, but I'll try to keep it short.

The day after the show in Huajuapan (the show on Day 3, that David wrote about in his blog), we left to drive to Puerto Escondido. As I'm sure you all know, we spend a whole lot of time driving places. But, I think I can speak for everyone when I say, I have never in my entire life seen anything as amazing as our drive to Puerto Escondido. We drove through the mountains of southern Mexico. Of course, there was no guard rail, and we were about 6 inches from falling off a cliff the whole time! We stopped to get food in a little village on top of a mountain, in which there was no running water, and the houses were actually made of sticks and sheet metal! It was exactly how I would have imagined it, but it was still really crazy to actually be there!

Well, we finally got to Puerto Escondido at like 1am, and went to sleep in the house of a family from the church there in Puerto. Early the next morning, we got up and went to the beach. And, wow...

That beach was absolutely perfect. The water was crystal clear. The sand was fine, white powder. The sun was shining. I could write a whole book about how amazing it was, but I'd still never come close to doing it justice!

We were planning to have a church service there that day, but we wound up abandoning the worship song/scripture reading model of church to just stand in awe and enjoyment of God's amazing creation. Our Father is such an artist!!

Here are a couple pictures of that beach:





Yeah. It was definitely a blessing to be able to spend time there.

After the show that night in Puerto Escondido, it was back to Oaxaca City (the town we were staying in). We had a few days off before our next show, so we were able to just hang out with the kids at the orphanage. We did everything from play soccer (more pictures/videos of me dominating Mexican orphans in soccer coming soon), to painting their kitchen, to sorting through their garbage to find decent toys for the kids to play with.

It was just great to be able to spend time getting to know these kids, and really becoming a part of their lives.

Here are some pictures of our new favorite people:















Yeahh... I think those pictures speak for themselves. Those kids are beautiful. Their hearts were just so full of joy and excitement. I am so incredibly blessed and honored to have met all of them.

Not to mention the guys from both of the other bands! Man of Sorrows (www.myspace.com/manofsorrowssa) and Saving Grace (www.myspace.com/savingxgrace). They are some of the best guys I have ever met, and it was just great to be able to grow in Christ with them by my side.

Here is the family:


Anyway, after a few days at La Casa Hogar (the orphanage we were all staying at), it was showtime again. We were scheduled to play at El Llano (a park in the middle of downtown Oaxaca City) 2 nights in a row. And, after 3 nights prayer/intercession at El Llano, we showed up to find a HUGE stage, with a HUGE PA set up right in the middle of the plaza. It was out of control! We definitely did NOT expect that.

Here is a video so you can get a picture of the stage:



Yeah. It was crazy.

There were probably 1000+ people at both of the shows here. The first night, we were told that our time was very limited (in fact, they cut off like half of our set because the cops showed up and were trying to shut us down... with guns), and that we should wait until night 2 to bring the Holy Ghost bomb.

Well, little did we know how serious the phrase "Holy Ghost bomb" would become. We showed up on day 2, and it started to rain. So, we all hit the ground in prayer and contention, petitioning God to shut up the heavens, and to bring the multitudes to that place. Well, in true Almighty-God-and-Creator-of-Heaven-and Earth fashion, the rain stopped...3 separate times, and tons and tons of people came out, and the night proceeded without incident. UNTIL...

In the pit, while Saving Grace was playing, a kid got knocked out cold. This kid, while completely unconscious, got carried out of the crowd and laid on the ground off to the side. The percussionist for Man of Sorrows, Danny, grabs me and says "Let's go pray", to which I respond "Vamos a orar" (which means "let's go pray").

**Note: I do not speak Spanish. I never have spoken Spanish, and I probably never will speak Spanish. However, that night, we prayed healing over a kid in Spanish, and I wound up preaching in Spanish during our set.

Now, for the next 5 minutes, not one single English word came out of my mouth. Danny and I pushed through the crowd, knelt down and laid hands on the unconscious kid. I started praying in fluent Spanish, "In the name of Jesus Christ, arise", and, as soon as I said the word "arise", the kid popped his eyes open, looked me in the face and jumped up.

Danny grabbed him and asked (in Spanish), "Are you in pain?", the kid replied "Yeah. My head hurts and I'm really dizzy." So, Danny sat him down on a park bench, and prayed that the pain in this kid's head would leave. After this, Danny asked him again "Are you STILL in pain?" The kid looked at Danny, confused, cocked his head to the side and said "No. I'm fine." And got up and walked away.

HAH! God wins! :) Always.

GOD

IS

NUTS!!!

So... by this time, we're all very, VERY pumped up to play. And, well, we had been praying that God would set up shop in this big park in Oaxaca Mexico, and just wreck lives. And, well...

This is what happened:



And then THIS happened:



And then, a whole bunch of kids dedicated their lives to the service of Christ.

You know, I am completely lost as to why God, in His infinite wisdom, would use US--a group of dirty kids from the midwest--to carry out such wonderful, divine things in His name. I don't know why He does it, but, I am overwhelmingly grateful that God is willing to partner with me in carrying out His grand scheme for humanity. And, I will never grow tired of looking to the Almighty, and knowing that He calls me "son".

Mexico is beautiful. The people there are incredible.

Our God reigns!


May He continue to bless you and everything you carry out in His name,


Mattie and For Today

In January of 2008, we met a man named Damien who plays in a ministry metal band called Man of Sorrows from San Antonio, TX. Something clicked in our spirits and he immediately mentioned that they were returning to Mexico this fall for a very unique ministry tour and that he wanted us to pray about being involved.
That was the same month we signed to Facedown Records and things were already crazy enough, and the last thing we were prepared to tackle was a tour outside of the states! We were still trying to get a hold on all of the American touring!
Over the next couple months the Lord made it VERY clear that this was not only a good opportunity, but that we HAD to be in Mexico this fall and that we were being called there to do the Lord's work, at all costs. It was also made very clear to us that we WOULD be attacked because Satan did not want us to come to Mexico.
In April of 2008 we announced the brief details of the tour that we knew of at that time on our Myspace and made it a call to action to support your brothers in ministry by means of prayer and financial support.  We cannot be anymore grateful than we are right now for the family that we have all across the WORLD that seems to support us in any way possible. Without your prayer and donations, this trip wouldn't have been possible and the state of Oaxaca, Mexico would still be called the city of dry bones!!

We were covered with more prayer from all of you than we'll ever know!!
Your donations covered about 85% of the trip costs.

On September 23rd we were doing a 9 hour overnight drive from Albuquerque, NM to Abilene, TX after already driving 9 hours that day to that night's show. Brenton fell asleep at the wheel as we pulled into Abilene, hit the side rail, flew across both lanes of traffic, and went into the ditch. It totaled our van and did about $3,000 of damage to our trailer.  We have a full size, 15 passenger van, and a 17 foot trailer - there's no reason why we shouldn't have hit anybody during 9am heavy traffic on the Interstate and all of us died, except for the fact that the Lord needed us in Mexico!

September 24th, the next day, at 1pm, we flew out of Dallas, TX for Oaxaca, Oaxaca - MEXICO!  Satan can't stop the Lord's workers!
Our flight into Mexico City played the movie "21", which is awesome, so that ruled.
We connected in Mexico City - let the Spanish speaking begin!!!
A couple of us took a few years of Spanish in high school, but you all know how much good that does for speaking Spanish with natives - little to none.  We quickly learned that Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the WORLD, topping New York City, Tokyo, & Los Angeles by a long shot!!
It's freaking HUGE! I think we walked over a mile in the airport just to get to our connecting flight, haha.  
We arrived in Oaxaca City at about 8pm to a soft rain and were greeted by our new family  - Sarah, Rolan, Pichon, & David.  They were the main leaders in our groups and the official people who organized the tour but were just 4 of the MANY people that worked their butts off over the next 2 weeks to bring God's kingdom to Mexico.
They transported us to the orphanage in Oaxaca that would serve as our "base" per say, for the whole tour.  
Another quick lesson learned - in Mexico, no one believes in speed limits so they just put HUGE speed bumps on every road every 1/4 mile to a mile!  So basically - everyone drives absolutely INSANE and then we all slam on the brakes at the same time and go over the massive/dangerous bump slowly, then back to crazy driving! haha.  
In the whole tour - the bus only got hit by a car once, but we all probably had about 15 heart attacks! Mexico is wild.

After 2 minutes at the orphanage and having the cutest little Mexican kids you've ever seen, climbing all over you and shouting out stuff at you 100mph, I knew this trip was going to change my life and that it was going to be a blast!  It's pretty easy to communicate with people when you think outside the language barrier, b/c you still have - the Holy Spirit, touch, sound, love, pictures, action, etc.

Our tour mates in Saving Grace (from New Zealand), & Man of Sorrows (from San Antonio) arrived later in the evening and we all gathered at Sarah & Rolan's house for a group meeting, lots of prayer, & lots of encouragement & sharing of visions, what God is doing and is going to do, etc...
We were instructed very quickly and sternly to not DRINK or brush our teeth with the water, to not flush any toilet paper down the toilet, and to wash our hands frequently if at all possible.

Day 2 was our first full day there and we had to get out of our lazy band lifestyles that we had in America and wake up EARLY! OH NO! (those that know us, understand).
We spent most of the day playing with the kids, having meetings, getting to know each other, praising God, & praying.
That evening, the rest of THE WARRIORS team showed up and we were all introduced to the local bands that would be playing the shows, the sound & stage crew, our van & bus drivers, and a bunch of awesome prayer warriors that we would be involved with for the next 2 weeks. We were introduced to the most authentic Mexican food we'd ever experienced very quickly and knew it was time to just get wrecked!

After the meeting, some of us had an amazing time up in our dorm rooms talking about the goodness of the Lord. There was a member in Saving Grace that had been going through a tough time and through the course of the next 2 weeks we saw him turn his life around completely and just be all in, 100% stoked on Christ, living with a faith that doesn't doubt!  There was also a healing of his back, which was one of the first, what we would call "signs and wonders" of God's amazing power on this tour!



As soon as we arrived in Mexico we were made known of SEVERAL things that Satan had been attacking Sarah and the other workers from the tour with and urgent issues that needed prayer. In Oaxaca, it has an annual rain period of several months, and then a dry period of several months. This tour was booked to happen over a MONTH after the raining season so we would not have any issues with rain. No rain was a crucial factor for the shows b/c all of them were free outdoor events in the center of the cities & rain = nobody shows up, & possible equipment damage.
Somehow, it was forecasted to rain every single day we were there.
We prayed for:
- No rain on the show days
- The bus arranged for the tour backed out on day 2 and we were scheduled to leave day 3
- The PA for the 1st show on day 3 was also canceled on day 2

The next day we woke up to blue skies!  Praise God!  When it would rain or look like it was going to rain, we would gather and pray, and it would stop!!!  If you don't believe in miracles, I got more for you later!

DAY 3 MIRACLES & PROVISIONS:
There were FIVE times on the tour when we prayed against the rain and commanded it to stop in the name of Jesus Christ, and it did.  There were zero times when we prayed and it didn't hear our commands and bow down to the authority given to us by the power in Jesus. AMEN!

We somehow got the official University of Oaxaca bus for the tour, whhhaaattt??

The PA was already at the first show when we showed up! (you have to understand we're in the mountains in the deep south of Mexico - there aren't music shops or PA equipment shops all over the place like in America!)





After a 3 hour bus ride, we arrived at the orphanage in Huajuapan, Oaxaca.  The tour split off and all of the touring bands (For Today, Saving Grace, Man of Sorrows) got to hang out with the wonderful kids and workers at the orphanage all afternoon while the Warriors team got everything ready for the show in the city.  

I (David, drums), got VERY sick this day. I don't know how or why, but I did!  I got hit with the runs as soon as we got to the orphanage and ended up having nasty diarrhea every 10 minutes for the next 5 hours - if you do the math, that means I went to the bathroom 30x!!  Don't forget - you can't flush your toilet paper either!  G R O S S !!!  
I also succeeded in breaking a swing on their playground while swinging rather high, and all of the little kids pointed & laughed - it was a funny moment! I felt like a jerk! Eeek.

My stomach calmed down SLIGHTLY and the bus came back to pick us up for the show. I don't know why, but the bus ran a little late and we missed the first couple of bands.  The show was set in like a town square / city park type setting with businesses all around it.  The area was VERY lively and there was well over 400 people watching the bands, and several hundred walking around the vicinity at any given point.

I had to escape a couple of times to find a bathroom - which in Mexico, it's hard to find a bathroom that has a toilet seat or toilet paper ESPECIALLY for free...SWEET!

Man of Sorrows played first, and the kids in Mexico got an excitement for bands from America that I haven't seen in the states in YEARS!!!  It was a very exciting movement to be a part of.

We played next and I was feeling decent, not the best, but I'm a trooper - it's only uphill from there, right? Hopefully...
Our set was pretty cool and there was a handful of kids that knew our songs, which for being in a city I've never heard of, in a country we've never been - was humbling for sure!!
God did awesome things in lives that we may never know due to the amount of people there and the language barrier. There was a translator on stage at all times to translate anything we wanted to say in between songs - so believe me, the gospel was preached and people responded!
I know that I for sure heard of at least 2 people definitely giving their lives to Christ that night.  Praise God!

After our set, I stood up and my stomach just rumbled in pain/agitation from playing drums for 40 minutes and I walked over to the side of the stage and just BLEW CHUNKS for about 5 minutes solid!!!!!!!  It was totally wild, let me tell you! I don't even remember when the last time was that I threw up before then. It had easily been SEVERAL years and it was like my body built it all up to that point. The pile of puke was pretty large, I hope someone got it on camera!!

After that, I got escorted out by one of the workers as Saving Grace brought the mosh and our van driver gave me the frigin shirt off his back to wipe the puke and sweat off my face. I was like, What?! No, I can't take that! I already had a towel but he insisted. That just blew my mind, literally. Here I am, feeling like crap, trying not to poop my pants, and God just goes and teaches me a huge lesson about love and then I have an epiphany while there's puke all over my face!  Hopefully next time I have an "aw moment", I'm not covered in puke and sweat!  

I learned more about true servant hood and sacrifice than I ever knew existed during our time in Mexico. There were times when people would feed us a LARGE amount of food for 20 guys at their houses. We learned later from our leaders that in Mexican culture, with their economy being so poor and with wages being next to nothing ($1 an hour is common! Can you imagine working 10 hours to get a For Today shirt? NO WAY!), that they would not eat for a few days after serving us, simply b/c they couldn't afford it. The local people were HONORED to do it for us though. It was like a privilege for them to serve us.
I wrote the lyrics for our song "Agape" about true love in the deepest form, and they really came to life in a new way to me in Mexico.

I also need to say, that The Warriors team that put this tour on is AMAZING and they worked their BUTTS off!!!  I don't know if it's something I would want to get used to, but I mean - I wasn't even allowed to sound check - they literally did everything for us - all we were supposed to do was minister, and play!!!  Simply incredible.



and the stories continue, the night had just begun for some of us..............

A worker rushed me out of the show area to get cleaned up and find a restroom, so the other side of my body could throw up. There was a mob of kids after each show that were ecstatic to meet the bands, get autographs, and pictures, so they tried to rush me out pretty quick so I didn't have to puke on anyone!  I did manage to take a couple pictures with a little girl. I hope someday I get to see that picture, I'm sure my face was GREEN!!!
The nice bathroom at the coffee shop wouldn't take me. I was wearing an inside out shirt with random stains all over it from my mess, my whole body was soaked from just playing a show, and I probably looked absolutely TERRIBLE! Not to mention I was some gringo wanting to use their bathroom and not buy coffee. I felt like Mary & Joseph trying to find an Inn to give birth to Jesus, no room in the Inn!  EXCEPT THERE WAS NO ROOM IN THE BATHROOM!  AHHHH!

So he rushes me to probably the shadiest bathroom in all creation.  It just makes this story better.
There was a "public" esque bathroom in an ALLEY in the downtown of the city and he hollers to some guy in an office for us to use it and he gives us the go ahead and the guy leads me into this rusted cement room.  No sink, no mirrors (still don't know to this day what I looked like after that incident), 3 toilet stalls with VERY rusty doors, no locks, very short walls, no toilet seats, and no toilet paper....OH - and the toilets didn't flush, and I was pooping on top of something else.......
YUP!  I think I said something like "MUCHO MAS PAPELES" and he brought me enough toilet paper to blow my nose, so I asked him to get more, ahahaha. It was pretty sucky, let me tell you what!
When I sat on the toilet, it tipped forward and nasty, colored, toilet water started seeping out from underneath towards my feet and my shorts!  Could anything else go wrong at this point?!?!?!  
So I tried standing up and doing the job, but I was too weak to hold the stance from being sick and so I ended up hanging onto the rusty door and going.


awesome.............

the night is not over!

After getting literally EVERYTHING out of my system, I felt a LOT better.  Someone bought me a Sprite and I drank it slowly and just went into the bus and rested while everyone else took pictures, signed autographs, talked with people, etc.
Damien & Jon from Man of Sorrows were in there as well and we're sitting there talking and we hear a "CRUNCH" and some car just SIDE SWIPES OUR BUS!!!!!!!!! 
There was a police truck directly on the other side of us and they didn't do ANYTHING!  So we're like screaming to the cops to pull the guy over, b/c he just drove off and finally they went after him.

OUR BUS DRIVER TAKES IT INTO HIS OWN HANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He chases down the driver that hit the bus, gets in an argument and they get in a fist fight over it and both get taken to JAIL!!!!!!!!!!! 
So here we are in Huajuapan, Oaxaca, Mexico - first show, only 3 of 14 days into the tour in a foreign land, and the ONLY certified bus driver to drive all 50+ of us around Mexico gets hauled off to jail.  If you didn't know - Mexico cops are pretty crooked and their jail system is not something to screw with!  
We still had a 15 passenger van, and since I was sick - I got hauled off with all of the female workers on the tour back to the orphanage to sleep for the night.  The other 30+ people on the tour were stuck in the central park until 3AM. Apparently all of my band mates and the other Americans almost got hauled off to jail for singing the USA National Anthem really loud for too long.................

Note to everyone - cops in Mexico carry around these freaking HUGE M16 Machine guns and are wearing bullet proof vests, helmets, and full riot gear 24/7 - when they show up, you shut up!!  

I wasn't at the bus to tell that story in detail, so you'll have to ask someone else in For Today what happened!

After waiting in the city park for over 4 hours, unsure of what was going to happen, someone showed up that could drive the bus back to the orphanage! I think they all got about 2 hours of sleep before we left at 6AM for our 15 hour bus drive to Puerto Escondido.



Somehow our bus driver got PAID to be a "witness" to the accident and released from Prison the next morning and met us at the Orphanage.  He ended up using the money he got for being a witness to buy gas for the tour - talk about God providing!  




Day 4 stories, pictures, videos, and more coming later this week!!!!!!! (probably tomorrow)

Satan tried to kill us all today and made Brenton fall asleep at the wheel...

Most all of us were sleeping. I woke to water pouring on me (bottle of water), yelling, a window breaking, tires screeching and blowing, and mega shaking... I was honestly certain we were dead and that we were about to hit something (i was laying down and awoken suddenly, didn't see what was going on).

We hit the side wall, spun out of control, across the other lane (no cars in the 40ft radius of our huge rig? Ya right, what a God thing!), through the ditch. Lots of popped tires, bent axle on the trailer, $2,000 of body work on the trailer, busted out window on the van, trailer hitch ruined on the van, driver side is ALL scraped up really bad, door is smashed in, both bumpers are effed, front driverside corner is mega effed. Still drives, got the bumper pulled out.

Van is being taken care of by insurance. Trailer is not - big time financial hit.
Pray that the 2 weeks we have to get it done, is perfect and that we get it back when we come back to the states!

Satan can't stop us unless he kills us, Mexico here we come!
the trailer is in Abilene getting fixed, and the van is in Dallas getting fixed... Holy crazy....

If anyone wants to donate to help us out with our trailer bill, you can do so by buying merch from our online store (that helps), or by donating directly through paypal to: x712xdamx@hotmail.com
Or there is a link a couple blogs down for the Mexico donations. It's still working.

Prayer is great too, pray hard!!

Here is a blog I wrote last night while in the van on my personal Facebook about how we needed to all be praying for this Mexico tour. Little did I know satan would try to kill us 9 hours later.  Check it out and see WHY it's so vital for us to pray for Mexico and this tour:

So, it's about that time for Mexico, and it's about overdue to pray if you haven't been already!

If you don't know already - on Wednesday morning we (For Today) fly out of DFW in Dallas, TX to go to the state of Oaxaca in Mexico for 2 weeks where we are on a very unique ministry and outreach TOUR with a band from Texas, a band from New Zealand, locals, translators, and the whole deal. The whole thing is completely of God, and is going to blow the border fences down!!!

We need your prayer.


You may know that the Mexican government basically issued a cease to all drug trafficking in Mexico including removing LOTS of dirty cops, and even getting assistance from the US government. Obviously the drug lords are NOT too pumped about that and the last few months has brought a lot of bloodshed and violence down there. We are going to be right in the middle of it, literally. There has been plenty of tourists and locals kidnapped, ransomed, killed, and other horrible things to grab attention from the gov't and to get them to back off. Thankfully the gov't is sticking to it's guns and trying to clean up the streets.

The beautiful thing about this tour, is that after prayer and questioning over 1 of the shows scheduled to be in Huajuapan - God gave some insight to the leaders in the tour and we ARE going to stick it out and play it, even with the risk involved! We know where we're going if we die, and we also know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him - and we love Him a lot!


Join us in prayer!

Flying out 9/24, flying back in 10/6.


Looking forward to seeing a lot of you that we won't see in Mexico or didn't see on the west coast on the upcoming headlining tour and the Canadian tour!

Love you all!
xdavidx

*EDIT 7.9.08*
The voting for this ended several weeks ago and the winner - "Never Lose Sight of The Goals" was added to the player. Thanks for everyone that participated!

Hey everyone,

Vote in the poll below for which song will be put up in our player next!!!

Win an iPod Nano Prize Pack from For Today and Facedown Records!

With the release of Ekklesia, For Today stands poised and ready to stake their claim in today's modern metal scene. Now they're giving you a shot to win this iPod Nano prize pack!

One (1) Grand Prize Winner Will Get:

    * One (1) 4GB iPod Nano
    * One (1) For Today CD
    * One (1) For Today Poster



Three (3) Runners-Up Will Receive:

    * One (1) For Today CD
    * One (1) For Today Poster


Click the picture below to enter and win!!!