Pastor's Blog

I received word from Bro. Jerry that our FAITH went very well last night.  Those folks were doing follow up from the revival services.  We will baptize this Sunday evening and I am asking the baptismal candidates to meet with me at 5:00PM.  Location TBA. 

I also received word from Alisha Vice that Pastor Rodney Coleman did well through his triple by-pass surgery.  My brother, Freddie, also did well as he received a plate and ten screws.  Thanks for your prayers for these two. 

Carla Kyser meets with the doctor this afternoon to chart the next course of action regarding her treatments.  Pray for her!

Please remember The Taste of Friendship that takes place this Saturday, 2/23, from 4:00 – 7:00PM. 

I hope you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus!

I appreciate those who have sent me e-mails giving me reports about the services at Friendship yesterday.  I heard nothing but good reports of Tim Burnett’s and Dale Bosarge’s preaching.  I was also told that you did very well in attending the evening service and for that I am grateful!  Thanks Tim & Dale for preaching the Word and thanks to each member of the Friendship family who was faithful to attend the services. 

Pastor Rodney Coleman, Caanan Assembly of God in East Central, MS, is having open heart surgery today.  He has some major blockages so please keep him in your prayers.

My brother, Freddie, is also scheduled to undergo surgery today.  He is having a plate placed into his wrist due to his injury from last Thursday’s accident. 

Our college students & young professionals need to note that we will not have the 8:00PM Bible study this Wednesday.  Lisa isn’t there to cook and I am not there to teach.  Please attend one of the other Bible studies this Wednesday. 

Our annual Taste of Friendship takes place this Saturday, 2/23, from 4:00 – 7:00PM.  This is a major fundraiser for our Wild Week camps so please make plans to join us.  I am thinking there will be tickets available for purchase at the door and I will verify that later this week. 

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

Good Saturday morning!  I was intending to post this on our GRACE blog site but cannot log onto it right now.  So, just a quick note to let everyone know that we all arrived safely with the exception of David & Terri Scholz who will arrive tomorrow afternoon.  We are going into our first morning Bible study in a couple of hours and I have plans to update at some point tonight.  Keep us in your prayers!  Thanks!

Yesterday afternoon was a bit crazy for me.  I came home from making hospital visits and had a voice mail on my e-mail.  The voice mail was from a couple from Michigan.  Long story short, they were supposed to be at O’Hare this morning to travel to Guatemala but got stuck in Cancun, Mexico and couldn’t make the flight.  After a lot of praying and phone calls, they have been rescheduled for this Sunday’s flight.  Thank God for taking care of this situation.

In the midst of that situation, my only sister called me to say that my younger brother, Freddie, had been involved in an accident.  He is a police officer and we didn’t know how serious his injury was or what type of accident he had been in.  Long story short, he was responding to a 911 call where a woman was threatening suicide.  She had a gun and somehow Freddie fell and suffered a severly broken wrist.  The pain medication caused him to have flashbacks to his time in Iraq and they are trying to determine this morning when they will do surgery.  The standoff between the woman and the officers lasted for about four hours.  They finally hit her with a taser gun and subdued her.  This took place in St. Clair County which leads me to believe she was probably kin to (that means related – trying to help my Yankee friends understand the lingo)  Kevin and/or Kathy Wadkins since that is their old stomping grounds!

We left at 6:40AM this morning heading for another GRACE Ministries mission trip.  This team will consist of 43 folks as Caroline Ford had to cancel at the last minute.  We were surprised in Houston when Bernard Cohen joined us for our flight.  He is going to spend a week in Panimaquin.  Kim French is on this trip which means I need much prayer this week!

Reace Chandler, 2, is having some tests done this morning and I understand Carla Kyser is having blood work done today.  Vaughn Womack may go home this weekend.  Dominique Wilcox is doing well.  Sharon Jardee was hoping to go home today but had an elevated temperature yesterday afternoon.   I think Travis McDonald was going to be sent to a convalescent facility. 

Pray for us.  We are boarding now.  Check the GRACE blog beginning later today or in the morning. 

I hope you will have a great Friday with Jesus. 

Well, God definitely showed up these past four days and He definitely showed out!  We serve an awesome God.  Last night was the proverbial “icing on the cake” as we had folks sitting on the floor and standing in the foyer listening to the Word being preached.  However, the greatest thing was that we saw a number of folks give their lives to Jesus.  Honestly, I cannot tell you how many folks made decisions this week but it was well over one hundred.  We will be doing follow up with these folks and will begin the discipleship process beginning with baptism.  Praise God for an incredible move within our church family this week! 

Ken Freeman’s website (www.kenfreemanministries.com) features a video blog.  He made an entry at end of last night’s service and it should be posted at some point within the next couple of days.  I would especially encourage our out of town folks to watch as it gives a glimpse into the number of folks who made decisions this week. 

Trish Blackwell has an uncle in an ICU at a local hospital, Mary Hall’s father, Travis McDonald,  is in a local hospital, Vaughn Womack remains hospitalized as does Dominique Wilcox and Sharon Jardee.  Please keep all of these folks in your prayers! 

Lillian Brinkman had her surgery yesterday and was in the service last night.  Carla Kyser wanted to come but is still suffering from the effects of the chemo treatment. 

There is a fund raising meal today for Donna Romine Stagner at the Eastside Assembly of God Church on Highway 90 in Pascagoula.  It is a fish dinner for $7.  Donna received serious injuries in an accident back in January.  You can call 228 475 3438. 

Today is my older brother’s birthday.  Eddie lives in China so he actually would have celebrated yesterday since they are basically a day ahead of us.  (It will take Queen and others some time to figure that one out)  Happy birthday, Eddie!  Yes, he is my older brother! 

I saw a beautiful sight yesterday as that container left the church grounds bound for port in Gulfport, MS.  Thanks to all who helped make that happen! 

Pray that my use of time will be wise today as I have much to do.  I hope that you will have an awesome Thursday with Jesus! 

I thank God for the rain late yesterday afternoon even though it had a negative effect on our attendance last night.  However, the rain didn’t keep God from showing up and He did a great work in our service.  Once again, we had an almost full house and many decisions were made for Jesus.  Kamery Steele and Samantha Smith followed the Lord in believer’s baptism.  What a great service to the glory of God!  I encourage each member of the Friendship family to pray for tonight’s service, attend that service, and bring someone with you.  Ken will be sharing his testimony tonight and I believe it is going to be awesome.

Sharon Jardee did well through her surgery yesterday.  Dominique Wilcox had a skin graft done late yesterday afternoon and did well too.  Vaughn Womack is making some progress.  Lillian Brinkman will be having eye surgery today but plans on being in the service tonight if everything goes as planned.  Pray for these folks. 

I received an e-mail during the night from Pastor Daniel Villatoro in Guatemala.  His wife, Milly, may have a cyst on an ovary which may require surgery.  Pray for Milly.

The container is supposed to leave the church property today.  Can you say hallelujah?  Pray that all goes well and it arrives at Casa Aleluya in a timely fashion with no hidden charges. 

I forgot to mention that the Vriesland Church in Michigan was unable to have services this past Sunday due to blizzard conditions.  So, they met Monday night and listened to their prospective pastor preach and then had a Q&A time with him.  Everything went well and the process continues but I am not exactly sure what that process is since it isn’t a Baptist church.  Pray for Vriesland, the leaders, and Pastor Tim.   

I hope you have a great day with Jesus!  Join us in the service tonight!

Yesterday I mentioned Jack & Kerri L. joining the Friendship family.  Their last name is Lastorka.  Kim Woods and Kerri are sisters. 

I received a call from Tom Compagner this morning telling me that his wife, Shari, had been involved in an automobile accident.  The road conditions in Michigan are hazardous due to the weather and a vehicle crossed the center line hitting Shari’s vehicle head on and totaling it in the process.  I just received a second call from Tom telling me that Shari has been released from the hospital and is, obviously, going to be fine.  (This accident was difficult on Tom because he was in Illinois as all of this unfolded)  I am thankful to God that Shari is okay!  She does a whole bunch for GRACE Ministries.  She and Tom are dear friends!  (I did not get a report on the person(s) in the other vehicle)

Sharon Jardee is in surgery this morning having her knee replaced.  This surgery was scheduled for 2/22 but they moved her up due to a cancellation.  I went early and prayed with Sharon and Bro. Jerry is there now. 

The service last night was very well attended and, once again, God showed up in a mighty way.  There were more salvation decisions and I thank God for each one.  Pray that we will have another blessed service tonight.  The weather forecasters are calling for the possibility of some pretty nasty weather late this afternoon and into the evening hours.  I pray that the weather will not be so severe as to keep folks from the service.  (We do have services when it thunders – that is for Tom & my CRC friends!) 

Friendship folks are the finest folks in the world!  I really believe that!  Yesterday, we had eleven guys show up to unload/load the container.  I was blown away by that number!  We had some older men (retirees) and younger men (some took off work just to help) and they all gave a great effort.  As a matter of fact, the containers were unloaded/loaded in two hours!  Amazing!  Special thanks to each of those men! 

Marisa e-mailed me this morning to say that Carla is doing better and actually went to work for a few hours yesterday and has gone back to work today.  Please keep praying. 

Two families are mourning today.  First, the family of Wendell Howerin will gather for a visitation tonight and service tomorrow at the Bayou La Batre Church of God.  Wendell was 23 years old and passed away last Friday.  He is a first cousin to Jordon Zirlott. 

Second, Charles Bazzel, 40, was killed in an accident on I-10 yesterday morning.  He is a friend of Scott Fontenot’s.  His wife is friends with one of Tena Hovel’s sisters.   Pray for these two families. 

I hope you will have a great day with Jesus.

Glory to God!  The three worship services yesterday were awesome as God showed up in a mighty way!  It all began with seven salvation decisions in the first service and the Spirit just continued in a mighty way the rest of the day.  The count will probably be 50 or so saved yesterday when all is said and done.  Last night we literally were almost packed out as we had to bring chairs in to seat everyone!  Again, glory to God! 

We also welcome Jack, Kerri L. and Kim Woods into the Friendship family by transfer of letter.  They made that decision last night. 

Of course, we have been praying and I had an idea that God was going to do a great work when Jon Cowart’s car was stolen from the hotel Saturday afternoon.  We had put Jon at the same hotel where Ken is staying (which happens to be the same one we used this past summer for our out of town wedding guests) and somewhere between 3:30PM & 6:30PM someone took his car!  I appreciate Jon’s attitude about the whole situation but I feel really bad for him as I picked the hotel! 

However, Jon, Dustin, John Vickers, Morgan Bosarge and Madison Bosarge did a great job of leading our musical worship in the services.  Ken brought some powerful messages!  God showed up and as Pastor Jack Bailey would say, “He showed out!”  Awesome day! 

I invite everyone local to join us at 6:00PM tonight and the following two nights for the services!  Pray, attend, invite! 

My thoughts were also with my friends at the Vriesland Reformed Church in Michigan yesterday as they were hosting a potential Pastor.  I pray that they had a great day in those services and the question/answer time.  What a great group of folks!

The container is scheduled to be here by noon today.  We are going to have a loading “party” from 1:00PM until 3:00PM.  All hands on deck! 

Happy birthday to my mama and my dad today!  Yes, they have the same birthday.  They also have the same wedding anniversary!  I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to be raised by godly parents!  What a blessing! 

Hope you have a great Monday with Jesus.  If possible, join us for the service at 6:00PM tonight!

Marisa Felps sent me an e-mail this morning asking us to pray specifically for Carla.  As you probably know, Carla received a triple dosage of chemotherapy this past Monday and it has really done a number on her body.  Pray that today will be a better day for her!

Please note that the container is NOT going to be here in the morning, 2/9, meaning that we can’t load it!  This drastically changes our plans but we are going into the flexibility mode!  It appears we will be loading Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week but that is not a definite yet.  Stay tuned!