Pastor's Blog

Regular schedule on our campus this morning with Sunday School at 9:15AM and worship services at 8:00AM & 10:30AM.  Lord willing, I will be preaching in both of those services.

The third night of our VBS will take place today from 5:00PM until 7:00PM.  Pass the word!

Everyone not involved in our VBS is encouraged to attend our 6:00PM worship service in the auditorium.

Devon & Witney Edwards are leaving early this morning heading to Maryland for Devon’s new job with the Coast Guard.  They have certainly been good neighbors and we are going to miss them.  Pray for Devon, Witney & their three children.

On Sunday, July 4, (next Sunday) we will have one worship service only and it will begin at 8:00AM.  Nothing else that day with no buses, no Sunday School, no VBS, et cetera.  Spencer Bell will be our guest messenger for the day and we will have a very special musical worship too.  Please make God an important part of your celebration of our nation’s freedoms.

Now is the time for folks to commit to our December 1 – 8 GRACE Ministries trips.  Airfares are good out of Mobile but even better out of Gulfport.  Email me immediately at pastor@friendshipfamily.net if you are interested in joining us.  Does not matter if you have told me earlier that you plan on going – I need to hear from you now.

SEC, SEC, SEC!  As I predicted yesterday, the CWS final two participants will be Vandy & MSU.  I predict MSU will win it all but I do think it will go three games.

I pray that you will have a great Sunday with Jesus.  Go to church!

I failed to mention in my earlier blog this morning that I do have coffee from Guatemala.  Lisa brought back ground coffee and I focused on beans.  Ten dollars per bag with the proceeds going to buy materials so the teens in our ministry in Guatemala can build houses for the poorest of the poor.  Freshly processed.  Great coffee.  Great gift.

I will be leading a GRACE team to Guatemala the dates of Wednesday, December 1, through Wednesday, December 8, 2021.  Airfares for those dates are good right now out of Mobile.  Anyone who wants to commit to that trip needs to contact me via email immediately.  pastor@friendshipfamily.net  Pass the word!

While I was in Guatemala this past week, Stacey Dyess has kept Lisa stocked with garden goods.  Good stuff!  I appreciate him doing this for us.  What a blessing!  Between Stacey & John Milton, I may never plant again!

Good Saturday morning.  No blog entry from me yesterday as I was in recovery mode from the mission trip.  Sorry!

Pray for Bro. Abel and out students as they return from camp today.

We are on a regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.  The third night of our 2021 VBS begins at 5:00PM and will conclude at 7:00PM.  We will have a worship service in the auditorium at 6:00PM for all of those not involved in our VBS.  Friendship family, be faithful!

On Sunday, July 4, 2021, we will have ONE worship service which will begin at 8:00AM.  Spencer Bell from Hartselle, AL will be our guest messenger.  The musical worship will be something different and special.  This will be a “God & Country” service as we celebrate God’s blessings on our nation.  I am praying for God to speak to us and for us to have a full house.

Sure hate to see what happened to North Carolina State in the CWS.  They were definitely on a roll and I could see them winning it all.  So, Vandy is now in the finals and I fully believe Mississippi State will be their opponent.  It will be an all SEC finals.  The television folks will not want that as the ratings will be way down.  I say, “SEC, SEC, SEC!”  I am going to predict that MSU will win it all based on their pitching.

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

Bro. Abel and our students remain at camp.  Keep praying for them.

Well it is almost 3:00AM in Guatemala and seventy five percent of the team left GRACE Mountain at 2:30AM heading for the airport in Guatemala City.  Pray for them to have safe travels today as they will go through Houston and then on either to Pensacola or Mobile.

Yesterday was spent dedicating the eight houses that were built, hosting two food distributions and feeding the El Tejar police.  It was another full day.  A good day.

The team had a meaningful share time last night.  It is always good to hear what God has done in the lives of the team members during their time in Guatemala.

Lord willing, the girls and I will leave GRACE Mountain in order to catch a 12:50PM flight home through Atlanta.  The girls are super excited to be going to Alabama to spend time with family.

Pastor Doug Chappelle and his team will be traveling to GRACE Mountain today.

The SEC still has two teams in the CWS.  State is in the proverbial driver’s seat.  Go Dawgs and, if not, go Dores!

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

Bro. Abel and our students left yesterday heading to camp.   They are scheduled to return on Saturday.  Pray for a meaningful week for these students.

Regular schedule on our campus this morning and evening.  Praying for a strong attendance.

Pastor Lucky Teague from North Alabama passed from this life on Monday.  He was seventy one years old.  He suffered a major stroke several months ago.  Pray for Miss Connie and the family during this time.

I have not watched a single pitch but I am pulling for Mississippi State in the men’s college World Series.  Go Dawgs!

The team in Guatemala spent their Tuesday cooking breakfast and lunch for the children in our feeding center.  They then visited the homes of some of the sponsored children.  The evening was spent hosting two separate groups from the El Tejar fire department for supper.  Those folks were most appreciative.

The team ended the day by bagging one hundred and fifty bags of vegetables.  I left the mission house just before 10:00PM and they were basically just getting started on this job.  The work ethic of this team has been amazing!

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

The team in Guatemala had a good Monday.  The men left at 6:00AM in order to build three more houses placing concrete in them and one left over from Saturday.  Good plan.  About two miles from the turn off from the main highway,CA-1, traffic came to a screeching halt.  Another protest!  We had just faced this on Friday.  It took some doing  including a “gift” to a chicken bus driver but we will finally able to get through on a narrow side road.  When the day was finished, all eight houses have been completed.

Meanwhile, back on GRACE Mountain the women cooked and served breakfast to the children in our feeding program.  I am told they had a blessed time doing so.

The men enjoyed perfect weather while out building but back on GRACE Mountain it came a major storm with heavy rain and hail.

The team spent the afternoon in Antigua shopping and then the evening at Las Antorchas for a meal and fellowship.  Two Guatemalan ladies joined the team for the meal.  It was their first time to ever go to Antigua!  Thank you to the team for being so inviting!

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

JoNell Barnes received word late Saturday night that her oldest son passed from this life.  He lived in Arizona.  Pray for JoNell, Peggy and other family members as they travel to Arizona in a few days.  Pray for comfort for the family.

The celebration of life service for my friend, Pastor Billy Burge, will take place this afternoon in Belzoni, MS.  Pray for his son, Pastor Bryan Burge, and Billy’s best friend, Pastor Jimmy McCellan, as the preach the service.  Pray for his wife, Cindy, and the rest of the Burge family.

I am told that the services at Friendship went well yesterday.  Praise the Lord!  Thank you to those who were faithful to attend.

I am also told that our VBS attendance was down a bit but it was a good night for the children.

The team in Guatemala has had a busy past two days.  Three more houses were built on Saturday.  Four houses are completely finished and one more is ready for concrete.

The team did house visits on Saturday afternoon delivering a bag of food to each family.  That was different but it was a good afternoon of ministry.

The team hosted the teachers for a meal on Saturday night.  Lots of laughter!

Around two hundred and fifty folks attend the service at Iglesia JET yesterday morning.  Elizabeth Westbrook assisted in leading the musical worship.  The church family enjoyed food and fellowship following the service.

The women on this team hosted a baby shower for Delmy yesterday afternoon.  Her baby will be born this Wednesday and she went with the team to build houses Saturday!  Climbed the ladder and everything – wow!

The men on the team will be leaving early this morning to build houses while the women will be cooking breakfast and lunch for the children involved in our feeding ministry.

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

Love & The Outcome will be in our services tomorrow.  Bro. Jerry Hovel will be bringing the message from the Word.  Friendship family, please pray and please attend the services.

Our youngest daughter, Gina, had all four of her wisdom teeth surgically removed yesterday.  She did well but is experiencing pain and discomfort.  Prayers appreciated.

My brother, Eddie, sent me the obituary for Pastor Billy Burge from Belzoni, MS.  I have not been in contact with Bro. Billy in years but used to go do Kid’s Krusades for him.  As a preschooler, Deidra used to join me.  I grew up with Cindy Hall Burge.  I do not know the details but I do know that Pastor Billy passed from this life due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident.  His celebration of life service will take place this Monday.  Pray for Cindy and the rest of the family, please.

The team on GRACE Mountain had a really full day yesterday.  Breakfast, devotion, serving the children breakfast, and then heading out to build two houses.  All planned out!  However, we were unexpectedly delayed for more than two hours as protesters were blocking the road.  I have no clear idea as to the “why” of the protest.  I do know that we were passed by police trucks in the other lanes with policemen in the back actively loading their weapons.  The protests ended soon thereafter.  We were able to get two houses built (minus he concrete) before having to come back to the mountain.  Soy & Johnathan Jordan were delayed until the afternoon due to mechanical failure in Soy’s Montero.

Twenty pastors and their spouses came to the mission house for a very nice service and meal.  Music, a message and a gift of special food was given to each pastor in attendance.  They were most grateful.

The team then had another devotional with the highlight being Chino sharing his testimony.  Good stuff.

The team will leave the mountain at 6:00AM today as the day is going to be full.  Pray for them as they will do at least three different ministries today.

I pray that your Saturday will be blessed with Jesus.

Winston Etheredge, age 76, a resident of Irvington, AL, passed away June 14, 2021. He was preceded in death by two daughters, Julie Ann Hall and Cheryl Sue Etheredge. He is survived by his daughters, Donna Lynn Kilpatrick and Jessica Lanee Boudreaux; son, Aaron Winston Etheredge (Samantha); sister, Elaine Bearden; 6 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends. A memorial service will be held at Serenity Funeral Home on Friday, June 18, 2021 at 3 PM.

Bro. Jerry will be preaching at the memorial service for Winston.  Pray for family as they walk through this valley.

Pray for the folks who are traveling to GRACE Mountain today.  They are coming from Mobile, Pensacola & Huntsville.

The South Carolina team leaves GRACE Mountain today.  Sandra Wilson has led this team.  It is pretty amazing that a woman of her advanced age can lead a team.  Her biggest problem seems to be keeping up with her dentures – she has lost them five times this trip!  Just saying!

Yesterday was a quiet day on the mountain.  The volcano is glistening this morning – great photo op.

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

Good Wednesday morning from GRACE Mountain.  If “no news is good news” then I bring good news today!

Regular schedule on our campus this morning and evening.  Bro. Jerry will be preaching in my absence.  I pray that the members of the Friendship family will be faithful to attend.

Regular schedule this Sunday, June 20.  L&TO will be our special musical guests.  VBS from 5:00 – 7:00PM.  Men’s Bible study from 5:00 – 6:00PM.

Reach My City is hosting a big event for men (fathers and sons) this Saturday on the GBCOG property just North of Brietling Elementary School.  Volunteers needed.  Contact Jonny Gaston for the details.

Smooth day of traveling for me yesterday.  I am thankful to God.  I plan on laying low today and spending time with Lizzi, Sydney & Audrey.

Pray for the folks who will be joining me tomorrow.

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