Christian Music Freedom Fest set for July 25

ODESSA — The Christian Music Freedom Fest is scheduled to take place Saturday, July 25.

Promoter Nate Lathrop has two Idaho Christian bands volunteering to play music that day on the stage across from Rolling Thunder Pizza in downtown Odessa. Live music will be provided all day long by The Stand and the Gospel Mission Blues Band, as well as by local musicians Tom Van Der Ende, Jon Hayashi, Clint and Bonnie Campbell, Chris Leffler and Nate Lathrop. Between sets, there will be an open mike available for testimonials, etc. A port-a-potty will also be provided for the musicians and visitors. Sanitary protections for the microphones will also be provided.

For those who don’t want to be out and about but still want to enjoy the music, the event will also be carried on Facebook Live. The event is also a fundraiser for Lathrop’s Guitar Ministry for Kids, which meets about two times per month on Sundays at 3 p.m. whenever Lathrop is in Odessa. Kids interested in learning (and earning) a guitar are encouraged to write a letter to Lathrop, expressing why they want to learn to play guitar or any other instrument. Lathrop then invites them to participate in lessons and supplies new or used instruments donated by himself or anyone else who chooses to donate to the organization. If they want to pursue the instrument, it becomes theirs.

For those Odessa residents who are familiar with Lathrop and wonder why you so rarely see him, he no longer lives permanently in Odessa. He has moved to a ranch near Yakima that he inherited from his late father. He operates the ranch as a bed and breakfast, where he has had visitors from western Washington and even from overseas (at least that was the case prior to the outbreak of COVID-19). He also raises several different kinds of animals. The ranch is located very near the Cascades with beautiful views all around it.