{"id":5251,"date":"2025-10-25T14:22:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T21:22:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/?p=5251"},"modified":"2025-10-25T14:22:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T21:22:33","slug":"a-morning-surprise-meeting-ken-smith-of-sting-n-linger-salsa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/2025\/10\/25\/a-morning-surprise-meeting-ken-smith-of-sting-n-linger-salsa\/","title":{"rendered":"A Morning Surprise: Meeting Ken Smith of Sting \u2018N\u2019 Linger Salsa"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The morning of October 25, 2025, began quietly enough\u2014Mesa skies still dim, the dawn breeze carrying that slight autumn crispness. My daughter Bethany and I were wrapping up preparations for our \u201cEverything Is Free\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/span> garage sale. With serious downsizing ahead of us and no ability to participate in the HOA\u2019s annual sale event, we decided to take a simpler route: give everything away. We had weekend plans for an outing in downtown Mesa …<\/p>\n

D\u00eda de los Muertos Festival<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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A heartwarming early-morning encounter turned into a moment of true connection\u2014Ken Smith, founder of Sting \u2019N\u2019 Linger Salsa Co., shared how he gave his life to Christ in 1976 through Campus Crusade for Christ. A beautiful reminder that faith and fellowship can bloom anywhere\u2014even at a neighborhood \u201cEverything Is Free\u201d driveway gathering.<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

D\u00eda de los Muertos is an annual event created in collaboration with the Mesa Arts Center and the community. D\u00eda de los Muertos is a celebration of Latin American art and culture related to the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. The annual free event offers a variety of features, performances, and more in celebration of the memories of the deceased.<\/p>\n

Back to the story.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

At precisely 6:45 a.m., as I arranged the last few boxes on the driveway, a pickup truck pulled up to the curb. From it stepped a gentleman with an easy grin and a curious spark in his eyes. He gestured toward the handwritten sign\u2014\u201cEVERYTHING IS FREE\u201d<\/strong><\/span>\u2014and said with genuine surprise, \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen anything like this before.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

We quickly struck up conversation, and he introduced himself as Ken Smith<\/strong><\/span>, owner of Sting \u2019N\u2019 Linger Salsa Co.<\/strong><\/span> Right then, I realized my early morning visitor was no ordinary bargain hunter\u2014this was a craftsman of flavor whose sauces have seasoned Arizona kitchens for over three decades.<\/p>\n

This is how it all started:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n