We begin with Dr. Mary Nelson, who was at the first CCDA conference gathering back in Chicago in 1989.

From the very first moment I met John in that stuffy hotel room at O'Hare Field in the very beginning when the idea of CCDA was hatched, I knew that here was a man, his enthusiasm, his interest in people, his, uh, commitment to Jesus was so clear.

And so I wanted to, to be up alongside of him, to walk alongside of him in the vision for Christian community that came out.

And, uh, you know, over the years, I haven't always agreed with John, but I know that John has always, uh, been a friend, and that we could, uh, disagree and, uh, and still be friends and hold out in what was important, which was the work of following Christ in community and in, in the road of justice.

Mary also shares a moment that captures something essential about his life.

One of the re- in remembrances and pictures I will always hold dear is when we were called to Washington, DC to protest budget cuts to WIC and food stamps.

And as we stood there and sang songs and gave little spe- pep talks about why we were there and what was important, and as the police came one by one and, and handcuffed us, John had on his face such a smile of joy in the process of it.

And I knew why he had that smile, because the night before he had shared with us that when John was an infant, his mother had died of malnutrition because there weren't programs like WIC.