PRAYER BREAKFAST DRAWS 800; CONVENTION EXECUTIVE TELLS OF LIFE'S `MOSQUITOES, BOMBS'

Ted G. Sprague has had his share of "mosquitoes, alligators and bombs" during the past year, but the former president of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau is using his Christian philosophies to get his life back on track.

"My life has changed drastically over the past year," said Sprague, speaker at Friday's Fifth Annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast at the Show Me Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. "I lost my job, we have weathered a serious illness affecting a daughter, and a trusted employee stole $10,000 from me."

Prior to Sprague's comments Cape Girardeau Mayor Francis E. ("Gene") Rhodes welcomed approximately 800 persons in attendance.

"It's great when people from several communities can all come together and put aside our petty differences and break bread," Rhodes said.

The event was sponsored by the Christian Business Men's Committee of Cape Girardeau. Stanley A. Grimm of Cape Girardeau, a judge with the Missouri Court of Appeals, served as master of ceremonies. Prayers were offered by Jack Mehner, president of Advanced Business Systems; Neyland Clark, superintendent of the Cape Girardeau Public Schools; Phil Larson, Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co. plant manager; and Bill Terry, chairman of the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast.

Eighth District U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson and Joseph Russell, attorney with Limbaugh, Russell, Syler & Payne, provided the reading of the testament.

Sprague, who presented four prayer breakfast talks during the week at Chattanooga, Tenn., Baltimore, Md., St. Louis and Cape Girardeau called his address, "How to Handle the Mosquitoes, Alligators and Bombs in Your Life."

Sprague, now a convention and tourism consultant at Atlanta, with plans to open an office in the Dallas, Texas, area, served as president of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau from 1982 to 1991.

"I want to tell you my story," said Sprague, who says he has used the Bible to give him insight. "It was 26 years ago that I picked up a new Gideon Testament to read.

"At that time, I was person who paid little attention to God," he told the group. "I was a party person, but at the same time, I was frustrated. I thought the Bible might provide some answers to my frustrations."

Sprague said after many sessions with the Bible, he one day found himself inside a small chapel.

"I was weeping," he said. "I realized that I had sinned, but the Bible told me everyone had sinned, but God loved me so much he had sent his only son to live and die for me. I made my peace with God on that day 26 years ago, and since then have used the Bible to guide me."

Sprague said he had met with success at the Atlanta convention bureau.

"We initiated a successful bid for the 1994 Super Bowl, and we were selected for the 1996 Summer Olympics," he said. "Things were great and on a roll. My work with the CVB was good, and family life was good."

That was 1990.

"The next year was a different ball game," said Sprague. "It was the year of the mosquitoes, the alligator and the bomb."

The mosquitoes were a number of irritating things that happened, said Sprague.

"In addition to the employee theft, someone obtained my telephone credit card number and ran up more than $2,500 in calls," he said. "I'm still trying to straighten that out."

The alligator came in February 1991.

"I was called in for what I thought was a strategy meeting for the coming year," he said. "It was not a strategy meeting for me. I was told that my contract was not going to be renewed. In other words, I was fired.

"Now, that's a real alligator," said Sprague. "I couldn't believe it. My wife couldn't believe it."

The bomb also came in February of 1991.

"My 22-year-old daughter, who has a diabetic condition, worsened," he said. "She went from 128 pounds to 97 pounds. She said she was sorry I had lost my job, but that it would allow me more time to spend with her.

"These things the mosquitoes, the alligators and the bomb were tough to handle," Sprague said. "But we prayed, we read the Bible, and we have had fellowship with other people.

"Today, I am doing a new thing, my daughter is back in school and my family is enjoying life," he said.