Mo is their 34-foot long motorhome.
Michael and Mary Rose Robinson of Belchertown stand outside Mo, the motorhome in which they live and travel to bluegrass festivals along the East Coast. The Robinsons had just led the Sunday morning gospel sing-along at Collier-Seminole State Park in Naples, Fla., in February. They're really a trio.
Michael and Mary Rose Robinson of Belchertown are missionaries, spreading the Gospel to fans of bluegrass music at festivals along the Eastern Seaboard.
They couldn't do it without Mo.
Mo "is a huge part of our ministry," Mary Rose said. "It gives us the opportunity to live with our mission field. . .. We would not have this same kind of access if we were staying in hotels and just traveling over to a festival."
Mo is the name of the 34-foot-long motorhome in which the Robinsons live and travel some 200 days a year. Michael explained that Mo was named by its original owners and "the name just stuck."
In early February, while many residents of Western Massachusetts were digging out from a snowstorm, the Robinsons were on a sun-drenched stage leading a gospel sing-along at "Jammin' in the Hammock," the annual bluegrass festival at Collier-Seminole State Park in Naples, Fla.
Michael took the lead on guitar and Mary Rose played mandolin, harmonizing on such gospel favorites as "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder." After several songs, Michael stepped into the role of Preacher Mike, moving out into the crowd and offering a sermon.
He made it look easy.
Mary Rose listened, saying she was "just feeling blessed to be here."
Preacher Mike also served as Master-of-Ceremonies Mike, providing a running commentary about what was available from festival vendors, announcing winning numbers on raffle tickets, and introducing the next musical group on the schedule.
He made that look easy, too.
For 13 years, Michael, 54, led “The Cowtippers,” a New England-based bluegrass band. Born in Texas, he moved with his family following assignments of his father, an Army colonel. He came to New England in 1990 and met Mary Rose at church in Belchertown; they married in 1999.
Mary Rose is 53. She was raised in Hatfield where her father, Giles "Desi" Desmond, still operates Desmond’s Barber Shop on Main Street.
"My fondest memory of growing up in Hatfield," she said, "is how safe I felt there as a child.” She was educated at Smith Academy and Holyoke Community College; she has two grown sons and four grandchildren.
The Robinsons’ ministry is supported by individuals, their “sending church,” Christ Community Church (Dwight Chapel) in Belchertown, as well as an Anglican church in Massachusetts, Baptist churches in Florida and South Carolina and a Pentecostal church in Maine.
Mary Rose said their travel plan involves heading south in October to "report to some of our supporting churches in Virginia and South Carolina."
In January, they get as far south as Miami and work their way north, following a route that connects about two dozen bluegrass festivals, from Yeehaw Junction, Fla., to northern Maine. They also present gospel programs at campgrounds, churches, nursing homes and prisons.
"We were made for this ministry," Mary Rose said.
"Mike is a very talented musician and is approachable and fun to be around. My gift for the ministry is the ability to listen and care for the people who the Lord brings into my path. We love the bluegrass subculture and we fit into it very well. ... Having the opportunity to be a blessing to another human being is very rewarding."
Mary Rose Robinson's 208-page book about the ministry, "My Journey in His Story," was self-published in November. It is available at the Web site www.bluegrassgospelsing.com, and through other online services including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
BLUEGRASS GOSPEL SING & JAM SCHEDULE
Mike and Mary Rose Robinson of Belchertown will take their Bluegrass Gospel Sing and Jam on the road at these locations this summer:
July 14 - Brandon, Vt. - 19th Annual Basin Bluegrass Festival, The Basin; www.basinbluegrassfestival.com
July 21 - Brunswick, Maine - 16th Annual Traditional Family Festival; White's Beach & Campground; www.whitesbeachandcampground.com/bluegrass.htm
July 28 - Norwich, N.Y. - Danny Stewart Jam Fest and Pick-Off, Chenango County Fairgrounds; www.norwichbluegrass.com
Aug. 4 - Thornton, N.H. - Pemi Valley Bluegrass Festival, Sugar Shack Campground; www.pemivalleybluegrass.com
Aug. 18 - North Creek, N.Y. - 10th Annual Upper Hudson Bluegrass Festival, Ski Bowl Park; www.upperhudsonbluegrassfestival.com/index.php
Aug. 25 - Litchfield, Maine - 41st Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Music Festival, Litchfield Fairgrounds;
www.blisteredfingers.com/augustfest.html
Sept 1. - Brunswick, Maine - Thomas Point Beach & Campground; www.thomaspointbeach.com
Source: The Bluegrass Gospel Sing and Jam is on the Web at www.bluegrassgospelsing.com
Norm Roy, a retired production editor for The Republican, lives and travels in a motorhome. He is eager to hear from readers about their own travel adventures. His e-mail address is: lollygaggeratlarge@gmail.com