We were asked to come home in 2001 to care for Ginny’s mom and we headed home and sold our home in Lancaster and were so thankful it went fast and we moved into our Brother-in-Laws Don and Jan Kearby’s double wide trailer home for 10 years, as no other family member could do this, so he said he would let use live in his trailer home with no charge and we keep mom in our home and it was a blessing to Mom and the family. She suffered from dementia a crippling Disease.
During this time, I applied for the Chaplaincy Program at the Yakima Country Sheriff’s Department and was chosen to work at the Restitution Center in Union Gap teaching Mandatory Classes to 150 Men and 32 Women 5 days a week. What a Blessing for as soon as I would come into the building the inmates would clap each time and when I finished the class they would all clap again, which made you feel very welcomed as a Chaplain. I did this for three years as they moved to the New Jail called the Justice Center by the Fairgrounds. They said, I would have to now make classes voluntarily and the number decreased, but we still baptized several in water as they accepted the Lord. The eight years we served were the most pleasant until one of the Sargent’s said. As I was teaching in the God pod where there were 50 men, I was telling them to burn all other Bibles, but the King James, which was not true, so I was laid off and the Department honored me with a going away trophy with the YCDOC Jail Ministry 2009.
Ginny and I went to the Harrah Assembly of God for Bert and Karolyn Decker said; the Church was going to be shut down, so at the Annual Church Business meeting with our Treasure Don Detrick who was chairing the meeting. I got to ask if we could fill in until they got a Pastor and Bro Detrick called the next day as I was at the Jail and said, I would be able to fill in, until they elected a Pastor and when we did, I worked with the Board to build up our membership as we were a Home Missions Church getting no help from the District. They apologized at the meeting they were sorry as they did not support the Hickies as they should of. Then after a few days I received a call to be the Pastor of the Harrah Assembly of God where my Folks were charter members and we had some excellent Memories; Seeing our Boys grow up loving the Lord.

The Lord blessed us so much, as will as tested us some times with sickness, Such as Romantic Fever at 12 years of age then in 2003 I had Cancer of all the limonoids and had to take Chemo for 3 Months and was completely healed, what a day of rejoicing. The joy of the Lord was so real, for we were both alive and able to minister for 13 years in Harrah working with the White Swan Coalition all the time once a month dealing with problems at School. We were able to see Young Life a Christian group come in to the School with Chris Grandberry of Scared Roads as the Leader. What a blessing to the Community and School . Scared roads gave our Church $15,000.00 to put a new roof on, for which we thank them and the Lord for. Chris’s ministry is one of the finest I have witnessed in the Yakama Valley as they bring students from around the USA to help in the Summer time and when they are off for Spring Break, to clean the City of White Swan and surrounding area of junk and weeds, plus repair roofs, paint houses and add porches. They have to problem with helping our Native American and others as well.
In April we had an Accident going from free way on the Yakima Ave which totaled our car. I had a concussion and shortly after the Cops came and did not give either one of us a citation. No one was hurt seriously and I drove the Car to Sunfair Chevrolet with my side of the Car dented at the door way and bent the frame. We were so thankful as I talked to the owner of the Pickup truck that hit me broad side on my side neither one hurt!
My wife and I were given a ride by the Auto Shop to go home for I had a Pickup to drive then. But as we talked about the Ministry at Harrah we knew we were not going to live forever, so we resigned in front of the Church Body and said, we will stay until they elected a Pastor and it took a few months until they selected Ben Dulaney as Pastor with his wife and one girl and two boys. We felt very comfortable with the Boards Choice and did not give our opinion for we wanted the Board to be in full agreement. The Congeregation  then at a special called meeting of all the membership agreed 100%. We rejoiced and know God was still leading us in our relationship to the Kingdom of God.