The 100 were made up from students at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy members of the Redemption to the Nations Church and its K-12 school, Ark Academy—all these in Chattanooga, Tennessee. There were also members of Little Rock’s Trinity Assembly of God Church. 

Before taking the short walk to the Klipsch Museum Visitor’s Center and the Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site, Pastors Kevin Wallace and his wife Devon Wallace led the large group in a prayer asking for blessings for the town and for the nation in a time of difficulty. Then the group began its walk.  

As it began, I asked Kevin what brought the group to town this morning. “You have prayer warriors, we would call them, and members and students converging together. And we just came to bless Hope and to pray for Hope. I felt like the Lord gave us a real strong word that he's got something good in store for Hope, Arkansas.” 

The group heard Beckie Moore, who was recently the executive director of the Klipsch Heritage Museum Association, speak about both the Clinton birthplace home and about the role of Hope in producing Klipsch speakers. She told the group about a Japanese gentleman who visited the birthplace home and who she noticed was crying. Through the translator she asked if she had said something wrong. 

No, said the gentleman, but he reported that his reaction was due to Clinton’s role in improving relations between the United States and Japan.  Later, he asked for and got blueprints for the Clinton birthplace home and built a complete replica on his land in Okinawa for tourists to visit on that island. 

Moore later led the group to the front door of the Clinton Birthplace home. Several students removed their shoes in salute to the story Moore had told. 

The new covered stage at the Klipsch Visitor’s Museum, meanwhile, was used for the first time as members of the group performed contemporary Christian music there. 

Next, the group made its way across the railroad tracks along Division Street and toured the City Hall and its Auditorium where Elvis Presley was captured in a photograph hung in the foyer performing with Scotty Moore and Bill Black in 1955. There City Manager J.R. Wilson welcomed them and provided a short lesson on the famous people who have come from Hope. 

That stage would be used, too, as a choir quickly formed there and more Christian contemporary music was performed. After another prayer to bless Hope, some of the group began a run from City Hall to Hope’s downtown and some made their way by walking to Hope’s most famous hamburger palace, Tailgater’s to end the tour. 

The group, said Pastor Kevin Wallace, had already made stops in Memphis and Little Rock and would be proceeding next to Hot Springs.