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09-10-2015, 12:18 PM

Daystar - 1973

While spending this last weekend in Canton, TX with another couple passing out Bibles and cards and tracts, I was speaking with this sister who had been in the Lord's Recovery since 1973. I had received the Lord Jan, 1972 and was meeting in Eldon Hall in Los Angeles. We were remembering all the places we lived and the people we knew and how much we had crossed paths with each other yet never meeting. One of the subjects that came up was Daystar Motor Homes. When my husband and I returned home we were sitting and fellowshipping concerning the weekend's time with this other couple. I mentioned Daystar and he said he wished after all these years that we still had the sales brochure of it. I "googled" Daystar Motor Homes and up pops 4 pictures of it. As I was scrolling down the topics I glanced at the link - Daystar - Local Church Discussions. I read every one of your posts or blogs. Some truth, lots of inaccuracies. I have prayed much before responding to these posts, but here goes ....

I worked at Daystar from May, 1973 to May, 1974. I was a secretary to Philip Lee in the office. My husband also worked at Daystar and he worked in the plant in the Shipping/Receiving department. It seemed like for that year we lived, ate and breathed Daystar, not only 8 hour workday but taking packages to post office and LAX in the evenings. I want to clear up some of the inaccuracies given in these posts. You can respond with accusations, innuendos, rancor and bitterness, but I know what I lived and what I saw.

Concerning the Daystar itself --- nothing in that motorhome was fake. The Dodge 440 chassis was excellent but the Daystar was too heavy, way too heavy for the chassis. Why? Could it be the Onyx and granite countertops both in the kitchen and bathroom? Could it have been the solid gold plated faucets in the sinks? The dashboard was burl wood, the finest quality burl from overseas. The leather in the front seats and cushions were high grade leather. The Corten steel came in rolls and was sent to, I believe Kaohsiung, where it was beaten into shape by men with small hammers and then the shell shipped back to Compton ready to be attached to the Dodge chassis. The star on the front grill was completely chrome plated and when they arrived there wasn't a scratch or ding on them. They just shone brilliantly. It had a horn on the top that could be heard clearly. It was never sounded in the plant for it would probably have shattered eardrums. The shower/tub was unique and the kitchen was ideal. Anyway, no expense was spared in the making of those 3 motorhomes for display.

I believe there were 16-18 total shells, 3 of them made and equipped in the plant. The green one was the prototype. Remember this was 1973 and that green was a "puke" color green that was all the rage at that time on cars. I had a 1972 Chevy Vega that color. There were also a brown coach and a blue coach. On 2/13/74 my husband and I were married in that brown coach in the plant. We felt that it was fitting that since we got to know each other there in the plant and spent so much time there to get married in one of those coaches. Francis Ball officiated at the signing of our marriage papers. It happened at 5:30 after work and we were cleaned up and out of there by 6:15.

Having said all this ... 3 of the coaches were displayed at the fairgrounds. All the female "models" were sisters in the church. None of them wore bikinis. This was an elegant, classy motorhome displayed for the very rich monied class of people. The selling price was $42,000 not the $72,000 as some posted here. Back in 1973 $42,000 was out of the majority of anyone's earnings.

I don't believe they even sold 1 during that time and shortly thereafter the oil embargo began. Lines around the gas stations were bad. Then you could only get gas on odd or even days, which ever number your license plate had. Not only was the oil embargo bad, but interest rates were high. The company went bankrupt shortly after that.

So, the question remains ... why? Like someone posted on here, the Lord wasn't interesting in making and selling motorhomes .. period! Hindsight is 20/20. You can concur and speculate all you want about this and that, but the Lord "blew" on it and it failed. Do you really believe that Bro. Lee had ulterior motives? I doubt it. I was in those meetings with Brother Lee and he or any of those brothers never "strongarmed" the sheep to hand over their money for this venture. There was a speaking of an "opportunity" to participate. I think what the saints didn't realize at the time that Daystar was a "business". Even though the majority of workers there were saints ... it wasn't the church. Every brother and sister made a choice to participate in that business. Brother Lee felt bad and repented that the saints lost money. He asked for forgiveness. So, many wouldn't take that repentance and have held on to their anger and resentment all these years. I can't believe this stuff is still floating around on the internet. The man passed in 1997 and he will stand before the Lord and give an account. But I believe the Lord has forgiven him, have you forgiven him?

Some have stipulated that Philip Lee made off like a bandit. I worked with Philip Lee for a year. Was he a bad man? No! Was he a man who lived according to his flesh? Yes! He smelled like cigarettes and more than likely he might have had an alcohol problem. But, I never saw him drink during the day at the office. A man who lives according to his flesh is going to be fleshly, given to lusts of his flesh. Could he have had indiscretions? Perhaps! Did everyone blame Brother Lee for his son? Absolutely! So, tell me, after this long period of time, you all who have children around the age of 40, how well have you been able to control your sons? Everyone assumed Brother Lee would do something about his son. His son was a grown man. Brother Lee was not an elder in the church of Los Angeles or the church in Anaheim? The elders should have dealt with Philip Lee, not his father.

And concerning LSM bailing out Daystar. It didn't happen. LSM is a non-profit organization and has to abide by the laws of the government, which means all the money goes back into the organization. The ledgers are open to anyone who wants to take a look. My husband drove Philip Lee home one time and was invited in. Philip Lee lived a modest life in the duplex next to Brother Lee. My husband sat in his kitchen and it was modest. I remember Philip Lee cutting up white envelopes at the office when mail came in and stapling them together to create a note pad. The Daystar letterhead was only used for special occasions and correspondence. This doesn't sound to me like someone living in extravagance? My husband and I knew brother Lee and his children, John Ingalls, Bill Mallon, Al Knoch (who I miss dearly, such a precious brother). I worked at Pacesetting Services, which was owned by Al and his brother. We knew Dave Higgins and the other brothers and sisters working at Daystar.

We all make mistakes, some minor, some grave. When we repent and ask forgiveness does the Lord not cleanse, forgive and forget? He who is without sin cast the first stone? Dear brothers and sisters, it's time to let it go. Let the past stay in the past under the blood. Let us each pursue toward the goal. Wake up, look around! The Lord is coming soon. Be steadfast until the end. The Lord is calling His overcomers to rise up and be filled with Him. This process of transformation is very long, even life long. Many mistakes are made along the way. So, forgetting the things which are behind, we press on toward the goal of the high-calling of God in Christ Jesus.

BTW we are still meeting in the church - 43 years now, married 41 years, raised 3 beautiful and accomplished children. The Lord is richer today than when I was in my 20's. When I received the Lord I prayed, "Lord, always keep me in the center of what You are doing on this earth." I have asked many, many times to those that left that if they found something better to please let me know? No one, not even one has responded with anything better. I praise the Lord for His sovereignity in my life and for keeping me where I can be cherished and nourished to grow in life and to be build with others to love, manifest and express Him. Those are not just teachings and doctrines to me, but they are my life.

Donnali Peters

09-10-2015, 12:18 PM	#168
LOL@donnali.com Guest Posts: n/a	Daystar 1973 Daystar - 1973 While spending this last weekend in Canton, TX with another couple passing out Bibles and cards and tracts, I was speaking with this sister who had been in the Lord's Recovery since 1973. I had received the Lord Jan, 1972 and was meeting in Eldon Hall in Los Angeles. We were remembering all the places we lived and the people we knew and how much we had crossed paths with each other yet never meeting. One of the subjects that came up was Daystar Motor Homes. When my husband and I returned home we were sitting and fellowshipping concerning the weekend's time with this other couple. I mentioned Daystar and he said he wished after all these years that we still had the sales brochure of it. I "googled" Daystar Motor Homes and up pops 4 pictures of it. As I was scrolling down the topics I glanced at the link - Daystar - Local Church Discussions. I read every one of your posts or blogs. Some truth, lots of inaccuracies. I have prayed much before responding to these posts, but here goes .... I worked at Daystar from May, 1973 to May, 1974. I was a secretary to Philip Lee in the office. My husband also worked at Daystar and he worked in the plant in the Shipping/Receiving department. It seemed like for that year we lived, ate and breathed Daystar, not only 8 hour workday but taking packages to post office and LAX in the evenings. I want to clear up some of the inaccuracies given in these posts. You can respond with accusations, innuendos, rancor and bitterness, but I know what I lived and what I saw. Concerning the Daystar itself --- nothing in that motorhome was fake. The Dodge 440 chassis was excellent but the Daystar was too heavy, way too heavy for the chassis. Why? Could it be the Onyx and granite countertops both in the kitchen and bathroom? Could it have been the solid gold plated faucets in the sinks? The dashboard was burl wood, the finest quality burl from overseas. The leather in the front seats and cushions were high grade leather. The Corten steel came in rolls and was sent to, I believe Kaohsiung, where it was beaten into shape by men with small hammers and then the shell shipped back to Compton ready to be attached to the Dodge chassis. The star on the front grill was completely chrome plated and when they arrived there wasn't a scratch or ding on them. They just shone brilliantly. It had a horn on the top that could be heard clearly. It was never sounded in the plant for it would probably have shattered eardrums. The shower/tub was unique and the kitchen was ideal. Anyway, no expense was spared in the making of those 3 motorhomes for display. I believe there were 16-18 total shells, 3 of them made and equipped in the plant. The green one was the prototype. Remember this was 1973 and that green was a "puke" color green that was all the rage at that time on cars. I had a 1972 Chevy Vega that color. There were also a brown coach and a blue coach. On 2/13/74 my husband and I were married in that brown coach in the plant. We felt that it was fitting that since we got to know each other there in the plant and spent so much time there to get married in one of those coaches. Francis Ball officiated at the signing of our marriage papers. It happened at 5:30 after work and we were cleaned up and out of there by 6:15. Having said all this ... 3 of the coaches were displayed at the fairgrounds. All the female "models" were sisters in the church. None of them wore bikinis. This was an elegant, classy motorhome displayed for the very rich monied class of people. The selling price was $42,000 not the $72,000 as some posted here. Back in 1973 $42,000 was out of the majority of anyone's earnings. I don't believe they even sold 1 during that time and shortly thereafter the oil embargo began. Lines around the gas stations were bad. Then you could only get gas on odd or even days, which ever number your license plate had. Not only was the oil embargo bad, but interest rates were high. The company went bankrupt shortly after that. So, the question remains ... why? Like someone posted on here, the Lord wasn't interesting in making and selling motorhomes .. period! Hindsight is 20/20. You can concur and speculate all you want about this and that, but the Lord "blew" on it and it failed. Do you really believe that Bro. Lee had ulterior motives? I doubt it. I was in those meetings with Brother Lee and he or any of those brothers never "strongarmed" the sheep to hand over their money for this venture. There was a speaking of an "opportunity" to participate. I think what the saints didn't realize at the time that Daystar was a "business". Even though the majority of workers there were saints ... it wasn't the church. Every brother and sister made a choice to participate in that business. Brother Lee felt bad and repented that the saints lost money. He asked for forgiveness. So, many wouldn't take that repentance and have held on to their anger and resentment all these years. I can't believe this stuff is still floating around on the internet. The man passed in 1997 and he will stand before the Lord and give an account. But I believe the Lord has forgiven him, have you forgiven him? Some have stipulated that Philip Lee made off like a bandit. I worked with Philip Lee for a year. Was he a bad man? No! Was he a man who lived according to his flesh? Yes! He smelled like cigarettes and more than likely he might have had an alcohol problem. But, I never saw him drink during the day at the office. A man who lives according to his flesh is going to be fleshly, given to lusts of his flesh. Could he have had indiscretions? Perhaps! Did everyone blame Brother Lee for his son? Absolutely! So, tell me, after this long period of time, you all who have children around the age of 40, how well have you been able to control your sons? Everyone assumed Brother Lee would do something about his son. His son was a grown man. Brother Lee was not an elder in the church of Los Angeles or the church in Anaheim? The elders should have dealt with Philip Lee, not his father. And concerning LSM bailing out Daystar. It didn't happen. LSM is a non-profit organization and has to abide by the laws of the government, which means all the money goes back into the organization. The ledgers are open to anyone who wants to take a look. My husband drove Philip Lee home one time and was invited in. Philip Lee lived a modest life in the duplex next to Brother Lee. My husband sat in his kitchen and it was modest. I remember Philip Lee cutting up white envelopes at the office when mail came in and stapling them together to create a note pad. The Daystar letterhead was only used for special occasions and correspondence. This doesn't sound to me like someone living in extravagance? My husband and I knew brother Lee and his children, John Ingalls, Bill Mallon, Al Knoch (who I miss dearly, such a precious brother). I worked at Pacesetting Services, which was owned by Al and his brother. We knew Dave Higgins and the other brothers and sisters working at Daystar. We all make mistakes, some minor, some grave. When we repent and ask forgiveness does the Lord not cleanse, forgive and forget? He who is without sin cast the first stone? Dear brothers and sisters, it's time to let it go. Let the past stay in the past under the blood. Let us each pursue toward the goal. Wake up, look around! The Lord is coming soon. Be steadfast until the end. The Lord is calling His overcomers to rise up and be filled with Him. This process of transformation is very long, even life long. Many mistakes are made along the way. So, forgetting the things which are behind, we press on toward the goal of the high-calling of God in Christ Jesus. BTW we are still meeting in the church - 43 years now, married 41 years, raised 3 beautiful and accomplished children. The Lord is richer today than when I was in my 20's. When I received the Lord I prayed, "Lord, always keep me in the center of what You are doing on this earth." I have asked many, many times to those that left that if they found something better to please let me know? No one, not even one has responded with anything better. I praise the Lord for His sovereignity in my life and for keeping me where I can be cherished and nourished to grow in life and to be build with others to love, manifest and express Him. Those are not just teachings and doctrines to me, but they are my life. Donnali Peters