"It was very emotional," he says. "I could not get out of there. I had come straight from the airport and I wanted to see my family. But I still have a responsibility. My baptism was so incredible. As to my purpose here, it is to use the talents I have to affect people in a positive way, whether it's through basketball, firesides, music. There's a need out there. People are looking for answers. . . . I don't know if I can help, but I'm willing to give it a shot."

Almost as soon as he was baptized, Bailey was asked to do a video about his life and conversion. It's called "THURL/Forward with New Power."

"I was asked 10 times, and I said no nine times," says Bailey. "I wasn't ready to put my life out there. But I was convinced that it could be a good missionary tool."

Bailey is intent on using his experiences in religion and race to influence people, even when he's instructing at his basketball camps. He relates several tearful experiences he has had with youths there, and when the camp ends he likes to note for them that blacks, whites and Hispanics have just spent a week playing basketball together. "Now when you go back to your circle of friends, remember. One of these days someone might be calling a kid a name because of race or religion. Can you handle the peer pressure and tell them what you've learned?"

Says Bailey, "I am a person with dreams and goals. There are a lot of things I want to achieve in my life."

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E-MAIL: drob@desnews.com