Warren County Commissioner Mike Kilburn, 48, and wife Debbie, 44, were on a mission Thursday at the Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Billy Graham Mission.

        No, make that a double mission.

        Mission No. 1 was the same as the other 35,000 people there: To give glory and praise and “listen to Billy Graham's message of God's love,” Ms. Kilburn said.

        Mission No. 2 was more personal: It was to celebrate Ms. Kilburn's increasingly good health.

        “Debbie was diagnosed with kidney cancer last October,” Mr. Kilburn said. “It was a grim prognosis, but she had surgery six weeks ago. And the day we were discharged, the doctor said, "Go home and live your life. As far as I'm concerned, you're disease-free.'

        “So we're celebrating and still hoping and praying that she is truly cancer-free and that we'll grow old together.”

        “I can tell you that I've experienced God's love,” Ms. Kilburn said. “If someone had told me a year ago what I'd go through in these past nine months and still be at peace today, I would not have believed them. That kind of peace comes only with God. It's true joy.”

        Mark Schmidt, 30, of East Walnut Hills, and Ruthie Johnston, 31, of Taejon, South Korea, were so determined to get good seats Thursday they arrived downtown at 1 p.m. They were first in line.

        “We've been reading the paper, drinking a lot of water,” Mr. Schmidt said. “Ruthie's been catching up on Time magazine and life in Cincinnati.”

        Ms. Johnston, originally from Findlay, Ohio, is here until August, on leave from teaching math at Taejon Christian International School.

        “Billy Graham is someone I've looked up to a long time,” Ms. Johnston said. “He's a legend, but I wonder how many more of these he'll be able to do. For me, it's a taste of history.”

        Jesse Johnson wasn't complaining, but he wasn't making any money either.

        Mr. Johnson, 55, is homeless and stays under the Suspension Bridge during the summer. Sitting on an old milk carton and leaning on a wall on Elm Street, he was armed with a cardboard sign — “homeless, please help” — and a half-gallon plastic Starburst jar.

        At 6 p.m. it held $1, wadded and lonely looking.

        “It's hard to say if I'll be back. We'll just see what happens. But I was thinking, when you go to church, everyone gives. Maybe here too. ...

        “People are really good. I know they'll be here too. But I look forward to better days. When the Lord's ready, he'll open a door for me.”

        The rain drove most everyone into the concourse for about 15 minutes. Well, almost everyone. About 100 braved it in their seats.

        Said Ryan Engle of Fort Thomas: “I believe this will probably be my only chance to see Billy Graham. It's a good way to test faith. I won't melt.”

        Volunteer Nancy Dempsey, 58, of Forest Park, was doing triple duty Thursday. Working the night as an usher, taking up collection, and ending her evening working as a counselor.

        Standing in a line of volunteers, waiting to get into the stadium, she was thinking she would most enjoy her work as a counselor. They're the volunteers who swing into action when members of the audience answer the Rev. Mr. Graham's altar call to come forward and accept Jesus Christ.

        Everyone who answers the call will have a counselor to escort them to field level, answer questions and, finally, act as a sort of guide for the new Christian life.

        It wasn't easy keeping cool waiting in line in the merciless sun long about 5 p.m. But a lot of people got at least a little breeze thanks to fans handed out by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1099.

        One side of the fan had a message: “biggs unfair to workers.” The other side reprinted the American Baptist Churches Resolution on workers' rights to organize.

       Tempo columnist Jim Knippenberg will spend the next three evenings wandering Paul Brown Stadium, talking to visitors and volunteers, looking for the lighter side of the Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Billy Graham Mission.

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Thursday's Mission coverage
Complete Mission details in our special section

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