Pastor's Blog

I am thankful today for the United States of America!  Praying for our leaders and our military.  Praying for a national revival.  May God bless America!  May America bless God!

Keep praying for Andy Hamil.  I assume he arrived home safe and sound yesterday.  Pray for Andy to have the peace from Jesus that passes all understanding!  Pray for Betty!

Two services only on our campus tomorrow – 10:00AM and 5:00PM.

Student (rising sixth graders through class of 2026) ministry swimming fellowship at the home of Larry & Judy Whitehurst immediately following our 5:00PM service tomorrow.  No two piece swimsuits and colored t-shirts required for all swimmers. Please honor the grade requirements and the dress code.  Larry & Judy will provide the food and drinks out of a heart of graciousness!  Attendance in our evening service is a must in order to attend the swim fellowship.

Student (rising sixth graders through class of 2026) ministry soccer watch/swim fellowship at our house on Monday night, 7/6, beginning at 6:45PM.  Due to space limitations we are asking for students only.  We will have someone serving as a life guard.  Looking for our best number yet!  Stacey & Gayla Dyess will provide the food!  It will be good!

Cake quota reached – praise the Lord and thank you to those who are participating.  (“Red truck” is the official excuse for those who are not participating.  LOL!)  I am grateful!  More details coming regarding the actual auction.  I can tell you that Stacey & Gayla will be chefs.  Enough said!

Happy 250th birthday America!  Hope you will have a great fourth with Jesus.

P.S. – It is  “America For Me” by Henry Van Dyke.

We have now reached our goal of having commitments of fifty cakes/pies for the auction.  Plus, we have some other “items” to add to the list.  Thank you to the thirty-six folks who committed to a cake/pie and those who are bringing the other things.  Prayerfully, it will be a very good auction to the glory of God!

Now, we just need folks to attend the auction and bid on the cakes, pies and other things.  Sunday, July 12!  Pass the word!

After much prayer and thought, Andy Hamil has decided to not have surgery.  This is a decision he has made on his own and he is at peace with it.  Simply put, they have tried to put Andy to sleep three times over the past two days and each time there have been major problems.

I ask you to simply join me and many others in praying for Andy.  I owe much to Andy.  He is a dear friend and is the one who asked me to allow him to put my name in the proverbial hat to be the pastor at Friendship.  That was either late August or early September of 1990.  I did and he did.  The rest is history!

Andy will be discharged from the hospital later today.

Our goal for the number of folks committed to provide cakes/pies for the auction on July 12 is fifty.  As of this writing, the number of commitments is forty-eight.  When we reach fifty then we will shut it down.  We do have a cow, corn beef hash, Grand Bay honey, cupcakes, et cetera in addition to the cakes/pies.  So, who will be the final two?  The “official” way is to send me an email at pastor@friendshipfamily.net.  I suspect we will have our last two by nightfall.  Thank you to each person helping!  Blessings!

I realize that the students of the Friendship family do not read my blog entries.  That hurts but it is a harsh reality.  So, I need folks who do read the “blob” to pass the word and get it put on the other social media means the young people frequent.

First, there will be a swimming fellowship this Sunday evening, July 5, immediately following our 5:00PM worship service.  This fellowship will take place at the home of Larry & Judy Whitehurst.  Larry & Judy have graciously agreed to host this fellowship and will also be providing the food and drinks.  No two piece swim suits and all swimmers (male & female) need to wear a colored t-shirt at all times.  In order to attend the swimming fellowship you must be present for the entire 5:00PM worship service.  Are adult leaders invited?  I will leave that call to Larry & Judy.  I will attend just because I am, in some regards, the de facto student minister at this time.

Second, there will be a USMNT team watch party at our home on Monday, July 6, beginning at 6:45PM.  Lisa will be the host.  Stacey & Gayla Dyess have graciously volunteered to provide the main meal for this fellowship.  We have been asked if the students can swim and the answer is yes – beginning at 7:00PM and ending when the game ends.  Dress code for swimming is the same as the one at Larry’s & Judy’s.  Here is another catch – we anticipate a good attendance so we are asking that no adults attend unless invited.  (I plan on having a life guard in attendance at our pool.  I am married to an insurance agent!)

The Sunday night and Monday night fellowships are open to our rising sixth graders through the class of 2026.  No one younger, please.  These are the first youth events to which our rising sixth graders have been invited.  Pass the word!

Please help get the word out!  Let’s pack the pool on Sunday night and then have a great crowd Monday night too!

I had a great visit with Andy early this morning.  When I left the hospital all systems were go!  His daughter, Margie, called me soon thereafter to share that the surgery has been postponed again.  There is a possible issue with Andy’s heart.  I am not sure what the next step is but I do know that Andy is not a happy camper.  Pray for Andy!

Andy Hamil is scheduled to have surgery this morning.  I will soon be on my way hopefully to see him and pray with him before the surgery begins.  Thank you to those who checked on Andy yesterday.  Keep praying!

Kayla Hatcher is recovering from outpatient surgery.  Pray for all to go well in her recovery.

Dr. Rex was given the “thumbs up” from his doctor yesterday.  He is now good to to.  Thank you for praying!

Only two services this Sunday on our campus.  10:00AM and 5:00PM.

I asked you to join me in praying yesterday for ten additional cake commits for the cake auction.  The actual number of new commitments yesterday was zero.  Honestly, I thought the story about the funds from last year’s auction helping provide food for the family of the mother who passed away who provide us a boost regarding the auction.  Obviously, I was wrong.  God is control.  I have two days to make the final decision relating to this matter.  Praying for wisdom.  (And more commitments)

The funeral service for the mother of the two students at Colegio JET takes place this morning.  Pray for the father and the two children.

The church office is closed today and tomorrow as is the usual for Friday and Saturday.  However, I am in town and on call.  Cannot reach me?  Call my wife’s cell phone.  Again, please do not contact Bro. Abel as I am intent on giving him some time off without fielding phone calls, honoring requests, et cetera.  Thank you for understanding.

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

Andy did not have surgery today.  I will not try to go into the reasons why but suffice it to say the sleep doctor was not comfortable putting Andy to sleep.

So, as it stands right now, they will try again in the morning around 7:00AM.  In the meanwhile Andy is in ICU.

Pray for Andy!

The church office is closed today.  However, I am in town and available in the event of an emergency.  I will go pray with Andy before his surgery this morning.  If you cannot reach me via my cell phone then Lisa’s phone is always on and she can track me down – I promise!  Please do not contact Bro. Abel today, tomorrow or Saturday.  I am the staff member on call.

Pray for Andy Hamil and Dr. Rex Looney today!

Our Sunday schedule for July 5 is two worship services – 10:00AM & 5:00PM.  No buses and no Sunday School.

Our youth Bible study went well last night with thirty students in attendance.  We had guests.  All thirty stayed for the watch party.  (Can someone please pull my toe nails off?)  Thank you to Dede, Ian & Siena, Bro. Abel, Scott Fontenot, Jimmy Tagert,  Brad Hutto, Henry Wyse and Lisa for their respective roles in last night’s Bible study and watch party.

Larry & Judy Whitehurst are hosting a swim party this Sunday night, 7/5, immediately following our evening service.  Food, fun and fellowship.  Evening church attendance is a must.  No two piece swim suits and everyone swimming, guys & girls, must wear a t-shirt.  Can you say old school?  Our rising sixth graders are invited to this fellowship.  No one younger, please.

If you have not done so already, I encourage you to read my third blog entry from yesterday.  If that does not move your heart then I do not know what will.  Two families from the Friendship family stepped up last night and made financial donations to help this family in need.  Thank you!  I am thinking that some folks who had already decided to not participate in the cake auction could possibly change their mind if they read the story.  Truth is the cake auction = meeting food needs of the hungry.  Want to help the two young people mentioned in the entry?  Contact me if you need more information.

With great hesitation and reservation, I am announcing that Lisa and I will host another watch party on Monday night, 7/6!  It will begin at 6:45PM.  Game begins at 7:00PM.  This will include our rising sixth graders through the class of 2026.  Pass the word!

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.  Will you join me in praying for ten more cake commitments today?

A bit of the backstory.  Last school year (Jan – Oct) a young fourteen year old boy in the eighth grade was allowed to enroll as a student at Colegio JET.  Excellent student as far as attendance, respect, et cetera.  This school year (January) he returned and his younger sister, twelve years old, in the seventh grade was also accepted as a student at Colegio JET.  So, two siblings, 9th grader and 7th grader.

Last week their paternal grandmother passed from this life.  Their father is blind and unable to work.  The mother has recently been in the hospital and this morning the doctor told the family there was nothing more that could be done for her so she needed to go home.  She had one request which was to see her children.  The administration of Colegio JET rushed the two students to the hospital so they could see and hug their mother.  The mother passed from this life around 9:30AM while being transported to her home.

Remember, the father cannot work.  The mother made and sold tortillas daily to provide food for her family.  Now their only source of financial support is gone.

About two weeks ago the young girl came to the school administrator and shared that her family literally had nothing to eat.  Yes, she and her brother left school that day with plenty of food (very discreetly concealed to help avoid embarrassment) to get this family through a very tough spot.

Where did that food come from?  Funds that were raised from last year’s cake auction hosted by the Friendship family.  I am passionate about the cake auction exactly because of situations like this one.

Please know that GRACE Ministries is helping with the funeral expenses.  The mayor’s office in El Tejar is helping too.  Where does GRACE Ministries get those funds?  From the generosity of folks in the States.

If you would like to financially help this family literally survive going forward you can contact me personally.  A one time gift, an ongoing gift, whatever will be a great help.  One dollar or one thousand dollars – it does not matter.  Thank you for even considering this need.  All gifts will be administered in a very responsible manner.  Can you say, Deidra Taylor?

I ask you to join me in praying for this family.  Maybe, just maybe, we can be the answer to our own prayers?  Rest assured the staff of Colegio JET and GRACE Ministries is stepping up to help with the emotional needs and the family will be well fed during these darkest of days.

Blessings!