I can remember driving to church on Sunday mornings with the radio tuned to a station that played a service at the Rescue Mission. This was the theme song that I remember so well being sung each week.
Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)
Sometime after [this] hymn became known I was at a service one evening and a young man told the story of his conversion. Poor and hungry, he had walked the streets for want of something better to do. He heard the singing at a mission; he went in; and before the service was concluded his heart broke in contrition.
“I was just ready to perish,” he said to me, “but that hymn, by the grace of God saved me.”
Rescue The Perishing
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Refrain
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.
Refrain
Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.
Refrain
Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.
Refrain
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
A great hymn indeed. Hey, I saw your Dad this morning at church 😉 I introduced myself as someone who knew his daughter Ellen, but he may have heard me wrong — he said Ellen is very nice because she’s his sister.
His hearing is pretty bad. I just called him and he really did hear wrong. He thought you said you knew his sister and that’s why he talked about her apartment. LOL. He is happy that I’m letting you know he misunderstood you. It is making me curious how you knew who he was. Thanks for reaching out to him! Is this the church you attend or were you visiting?
Just visiting, Ellen, and realized that I recognized some of the photos you’d posted of your Pop at his church. And then we asked a friendly woman if Moisi was still attending — I thought maybe he’d gone to a church closer to Huntington Beach. And, of course, I recognized him from all your photos!
That’s great. He lives with my sister in La Habra and still attends this church. I’m so happy you made the effort to meet him. I sent the link from your blog about your father and your coming to the U.S. so my sister could read it to him…