Rick Barry — young patriot
When I was boy, I watched as Dad tuned his ham radio to chat with people in faraway lands. The accents coming over the speaker were Hispanic, Germanic, sometimes British… I wanted to visit such lands. I also dreamed about writing stories, maybe about those places.
The teen years
As a high-schooler, I studied French. Then added Spanish. Then added German. All in hopes that someday I would travel the world. At the same time, though, a friend kept inviting me to “youth rallies” held by churches. I agreed to go one time.
As a result of that evening and following church services, I became convinced that God—and the new life He offers through Jesus—were the missing ingredients in my life. In prayer I asked God to forgive me for the ways I’d offended Him and asked Him to make me one of His children, based on the sacrifice Jesus had made.
Dreams coming true
Preaching in Kyiv, Ukraine
My interests changed. I was willing to give up the dream of traveling do whatever God might have for me. But He didn’t rip away my dreams. He took the things that interested me and gave new reasons to pursue them.
I studied Russian and have served in the home offices of two ministries aimed at the former USSR. By God’s grace, I have visited Eastern Europe over 50 times and worked in Christian camps for children and teens.
Signing books for buyers
My author side
And that childhood idea of writing? That’s my flip side. I’ve authored over 200 articles and short stories, plus four published novels. I’ve also served multi-terms as president of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) – Indiana Chapter.