Pastor's Blog

Evelyn Mitchell’s sister-in-law, Leesa Fortenberry, passed from this life on Monday, November 20.  There will be a service today beginning at 11:00AM at the Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home in Ocean Springs.  A time of visitation with the family will take place beginning at 10:00AM.  Pray for the Fortenberry family.

The visitation and service for Sylvia Douglas takes place today at Serenity.  Keep praying for the family.

Pray for the Bo Lewis family.  I am not sure on those arrangements.

Gary Walton has had some physical issues taking place.  He has an appointment with the medical folks today and more things lined up over the next week or so.  He and Rachel were scheduled to be leaving for the GRACE Ministries trip today but those plans got changed.  Pray for Gary and Rachel!  (Gary is one of the hardest working men I have ever known and Rachel is right there with him every step of the way!)

Miss Vinnie Brewer is feeling better.  She appreciates those who have checked on her and she appreciates the prayers most of all!  Keep praying for this sweetheart of a lady!

How are Deidra and the girls?  The girls are good.  Deidra is making small steps daily.  Continued prayers appreciated!

Folks are traveling to GRACE Mountain today from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina and South Carolina.  Pray for all to go well.

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

The visitation with the Sylvia Douglas family will take place tomorrow, 11/28, from noon until the 2:00PM service time.  Everything at Serenity Funeral Home.  Bro. Jerry Hovel will be preaching the service.  Pray for the Douglas family.

JoNell’s and Peggy’s friend, Bo, passed from this life on Saturday night.  Pray for the family as they walk through this valley.

Kristie Potts remains at home under hospice care.  She is basically bedridden but is spending precious time with her family.  Keep praying for Kristie, John and the family.

I am told that things went well on our campus yesterday.  I am thankful.

Pray for the folks who will traveling to Guatemala today and tomorrow.

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus.

Happy fourteenth birthday to our oldest grandchild, Titus.  I do not like being away from him on his special day but this has been a different year for us as a family.  I know that Brad, Daphne & Lisa will make sure his day is great.  We love Titus and thank God for him.  Happy birthday, Titus!

Roseanne Baria sent me an update on Robert this past Thursday night.  In her words he is “doing well!”  He has eaten a little bit of food which is just a blessing from God!  The will do another scan in a couple of months.  Robert is an amazing man!  Keep praying!

Rosanne also told me that their daughter-in-law, Heather, will be having some tests on her heart later.  Please join me in praying for Heather!

I have not seen an update on Kristie Potts in a few days.  I ask that you continue to pray for Kristie, John, their family and the hospice workers giving care.  Kristie is an amazing lady who is full of faith!

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.  Bro. Abel will be preaching in both services.  Tomorrow brings a close to our Experiencing God Bible study.  Bro. Abel will share the details about the final evening in the morning service.

We have a GRACE Ministries mission trip to Guatemala from this Tuesday, 11/28, through Tuesday, 12/5.  Eleven folks from the Friendship family will be joined by thirty-three folks from six other states.  Tim & Peggy Knighten lead the way as they will arrive in Antigua today.  A few other folks will arrive tomorrow and Monday and then the rest of the team on Tuesday.  Pray for traveling mercies on these folks and then pray for a God honoring, productive trip.

Can I tell you that I miss my church family?  Praying for Bro. Abel, Bro. Dylan, our deacons and each member of the Friendship family.  I am blessed to call Friendship Baptist my home church!  Love my brothers and sisters in the Lord!

I pray that you will have a great Saturday with Jesus.

Happy Thanksgiving!  I pray that you will have a great day giving thanks with your family and friends.  We are a blessed people.

The visitation with the Craig Cumbie family will take place today at Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home beginning at noon and lasting until the 2:00PM service.  Pray for the family and pray for Bro. Abel as he ministers during this service.

Jo Nell and Peggy’s friend, Bo, is critical.  His wife was told yesterday that there is no brain activity and can only be sustained by life support.  Pray for the family as they have to make tough decisions.

Our daughter, Dana’s, mother-in-law has been in ICU.  She is having a surgical procedure this morning relating to one of her lungs.  Pray that all goes well.

Charles Clark’s brother, Mac, had a defibrillator put in yesterday.  Pray for Mac & Jane.

Bro. Dylan had a surgical procedure done on Monday.  His wife, Elizabeth, did not even drive him there.  However, she did cook Hamburger Helper for supper!  Wow!

The church office is closed today.  No activities on our campus.

Lisa arrived home safe and sound shortly after midnight.  We are thankful.

I am very thankful to those who have communicated with me assuring me of their prayer support for Deidra and the girls.  Needed and appreciated!

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.

Jo Nell Barnes & Peggy Knighten have a friend who lives in Mobile.  He is fifty-four years of age and was taken to the ER, admitted to the hospital and is now on life support.  His wife and children are asking for prayers.  His name is Bo Lewis.  Please join me in praying for Bo, his family and the medical personnel attending him.

As I was reading the obituaries yesterday, I was taken back many years ago when I saw the obit for Sylvia Douglas.  One of Sylvia’s daughters, Dee Dee (Dorothy) was a faithful rider of the blue bus.  The obituary states that the visitation with the family will take place one week from today, 11/28, at Serenity Funeral Home from 12:00PM until the 2:00PM service time.  Pray for the Douglas family, please.

I also learned of another passing that takes me back many years.  Caroline Ford’s son, Craig Cumbie, passed from this life.  Betty Creech as kind enough to send me the following: Craig Allen Cumbie Mobile Memorial Gardens Wednesday November 22, 2023
visitation starts 12:00 chapel service begins at 2:00 graveside to follow there is a free will choice to make a contribution towards his burial expenses instead of flowers:Bryan E Cumbie P. O. Box 427 Irvington, Alabama 36544.

Please continue to pray for Kristie Potts in Michigan.  Pray for her family and those hospice workers giving care to her.

I am told that the services on our campus went well this past Sunday, 11/19.  Praise the Lord!

Our basketball practices have begun.  Bro. Abel needs about ten more folks to help with the game devotions on Saturdays.  If you will help, contact Bro. Abel.  Thank you.

I was blessed with a very unexpected blessing yesterday afternoon.  Nineteen years ago I had the privilege of meeting Pastor Mario Monroy, his wife, Amuy, and their two children, Katarina & Josias during one of our GRACE Ministries mission trips.  Mario was in seminary in the city and he and his family would travel to Chimaltenango each weekend to minister.  They then moved to Spain as church planters.  Lisa, Eddie, Sue & I had the awesome privilege of visiting them in Spain a few years ago.  They have a great ministry and our church is blessed to help support them financially.

At this point you may be saying, “nice story.  Now fix me a sandwich!”  Not so fast my friend!  It just so “happens” that Mario is in Guatemala City for a few days attending a church planting gathering. Yesterday afternoon Lizzi, Sandy, and I met Pastor Mario and Pastor Alex in the city for a late lunch.  Talk about a sweet time of fellowship!

Pastor Mario reminisced about Caroline Ford’s gumbo and her banana pudding at the mission house.  His mouth watered as he spoke of these things!  Mario & Amuy now have three children as Lucas is nine years old.  What a great family!

I was blessed to preach at Iglesia JET this past Sunday.  Emotional time for me as that was, obviously, my first time to be in a service there since Soy’s passing.  Many tears were shed as those folks love Soy.

Colegio JET had three graduations Sunday afternoon.  I was able to attend the graduations for the kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade.  Nicely done and the covered basketball court was the perfect place to host these events.

Lisa will travel home today.  Pray for traveling mercies.

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

Regular schedule on our campus this morning and evening.  Sunday School begins at 9:00AM; worship at 10:00AM; Experiencing God at 4:00PM; evening worship at 5:00PM.  Bro. Abel will be bringing the messages from the Word in both services.  I pray that those in town will be faithful to attend these services.

The church office will be closed this week.  Miss Edna has not been feeling well and Bro. Dylan is scheduled to have outpatient surgery tomorrow.  We normally close Wednesday noon of Thanksgiving week.  So, please note this closure as well as knowing that Bro. Abel and Bro. Dylan are on call in the event of an emergency.  Our deacons are also available to minister.  Thank you for understanding.

Please keep praying for Kristie Potts along with her husband, John, and their family.

I will be preaching this morning in the service at Iglesia JET.  Pray for me.

Colegio JET will have their graduations this afternoon.  I am not sure which grade levels “graduate” but I know it will be an exciting time for all of the students and their families.

I pray that you will have a great Sunday with Jesus.

I am told that the Thanksgiving meal for our senior adults went well.  Again, I appreciate Sherry Howell leading this ministry opportunity and all who helped.  To quote Miss Kittie Camp, “many hands make light work!”  Also, thank you to each senior adult who attended the meal.

Our friend in Michigan, Kristie Potts, was discharged from the hospital yesterday and is now at home under hospice care.  Here is what one of her daughters wrote about the situation: Because of the bowel obstruction and no way for her body to absorb hydration and nutrition, we expect Mom’s earthly time to be very limited. We also asked for prayers for a smooth and painless transition home, as we were worried about Mom’s strength and energy for the ride home and getting into house. Late last evening, I received a text from “2 of my favorite amazing paramedics” (per Mom), who had made arrangements with AMR to come in on their day off and bring Mom home. Wow. They were able to load mom up from her room on the fifth floor and bring her down through the lower level of the hospital, where she has spent so many hours working with the X-ray, CT, Nuc Med, IR, MSW, Cath Lab, and ER staff. The halls were lined with staff. It was such an overwhelming, tearful, and beautiful experience. After leaving the hospital, we were able to drive past the boat slip and out to Macatawa for a final view of the lake and beach…Mom said “what a great send off leading to Heaven”  Keep praying for Kristie, John and the family.

Pastor Jack Bailey’s wife, June, had shoulder replacement surgery earlier this week.  I think she was discharged yesterday.  Pray for her as she recuperates.  By the way, this is Pastor Joe David Bailey’s mother just in case you did not know.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.  Bro. Abel will be preaching.  Pray for those services.

Per Bro. Abel, there were three hundred and fifty folks in attendance for our basketball league parent’s meeting last night.  Wow!  Pray for this ministry.

I pray that you will have a great Friday with Jesus.

Laurie Chandler’s husband, Bobby, passed from this life yesterday.  Arrangements pending.  Pray for Laurie, Sharon, Jeff and the rest of the family as they walk through this valley.

Our friend in Michigan, Kristie Potts, is being placed under hospice care.  The thought is that she will be discharged from the hospital today.  Pray for Kristie, John and the family.  Pray for the caregivers.

We have a friend, Rhonda Johnson, in South Carolina who has been diagnosed with a malignancy.  She will be undergoing a test today and needs our prayers.  Pray for Rhonda and Doug.

Keep praying for the Georgia Crawley family and the Larry Brown family.

The Thanksgiving meal for our senior adults takes place in our CAB today from 10:00AM until noon.  Thank you to each person who is helping in any way with a special thanks to Sherry Howell for leading this ministry opportunity.

I just learned that Judy Pierre’s husband, Tony Brooks, passed from this life on Saturday, 11/4, and a service was held on 11/8.  Pray for Judy and family.

I also learned this morning that a good friend through RA basketball, Marx Nicholson, passed from this life this past Saturday, 11/11.  His service took place on Tuesday, 11/14.  Marx was an outstanding gentleman.  I have very fond memories of Marx especially as they relate to RA basketball back in the day.  Pray for his wife, Elaine, and the family.

How are Deidra and the girls?  The girls are happy to be home.  Deidra continues to struggle.  So many memories of Soy here.  Thank you for praying.

I do want to give a shout out to Chino for all the work he did in getting things ready for the return of Deidra and the girls.  Outstanding job!  Daisy & Delmy were supposed to help but they were basically useless.  Chino is the man!

Edgar, Jr. is twenty-three years old and he did not finish his high school education.  However, a couple of years ago he began an acclerated program to earn his high school diploma.  Mission accomplished!  This past Friday, 11/10, he graduated from high school.  He is the first person from his family to do so!  A huge congratulations to Edgar!  He will begin the university in February 2024!

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.