Pastor's Blog

Miss Vivian Ladnier is having better days.  It is possible they are going to take the stent out today as it is giving her some aggravation.  Cecil still has the shingles but she is back at the hospital with her mom. 

Landon Joyner, son of Justin & Amber, was in the hospital from Friday night until Sunday night.  His older sister, Lauren, is now in the hospital.  They both had/have RSV.  Lisa & I visited briefly with Lauren last night and she is one sick little girl.  Pray for these babies!

Teddy Ray Jackson’s mother is in a local hospital too.  Miss Kathleen Henderson was admitted to the hospital on Sunday.  This is her 7th or 8th hospital stay this calendar year.  Pray for these ladies!

Miss Dee Patterson had a problem while attending church in the Tuscaloosa area this past Sunday morning.  She was taken to an emergency room but wasn’t kept in the hospital.  Sommer Brock’s professor is at MD Anderson in Houston.  Pray for these folks too.

A team of 30 from First Baptist of Wilmington, NC arrived safely at the mission house yesterday afternoon.  One of their team members entered the country with an expired passport and will have to go to the US Embassy on Wednesday to get one to get him home.  Folks, if you are planning to go on a mission trip in the next few months, check to make certain that your passport is current.  I am not sure how this person got out of the US with an expired passport? 

Bro. Benny will host another Upward evaluation tonight from 6:00 – 8:00PM.  This is the final one.  If your child wants to play then he/she must be evaluated! 

Our CAB renovation committee will meet tomorrow night, 10/21, at 6:00PM in the CAB. 

UT wants to wear their orange jerseys for the game this Saturday.  Bama said no!  Does it really matter? 

Speaking of Bama, we don’t need the Hogs help in any way, shape , form or fashion, Mr. Ciak!   Please! 

Here’s another prop for Al Gore –  “Adults with little Internet experience show changes in their brain activity after just one week online, a new study finds.

The results suggest Internet training can stimulate neural activation patterns and could potentially enhance brain function and cognition in older adults.”

Pastor Jack should write Mr. Gore a letter of appreciation! 

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

Once again, the Lord blessed and we had a good day in our services.  What a joy to see Chelsea Cummings make a profession of faith along with Westley & Lynette Dunham join the Friendship family by transfer of letter.  God gives the increase and we give Him the glory!

Our Upward basketball numbers are not where they were last year.  Bro. Benny is having two more evaluation times tonight & tomorrow night.  After those two evaluations, he will suggest a course of action for the respective leagues.  If you have a son or daughter in the 1st – 5th grades who wants to be involved in Upward, they need to be present at one of these evaluation times if they haven’t done so already this year. 

Miss Vivian’s situation remains bascially the same.  Justin & Amber Joyner’s son, Landon, was hospitalized with a virus but I am not sure if he is still in the hospital.  Nadine Holifield’s great nephew, Grant Kyser, is also in the hospital.  I do not have an update on any of our folks battling cancer. 

A team from 1st Baptist of Wilmington, NC leaves this morning bound for Guatemala and a week of ministry using the L.G. Camp, Jr. Mission House as their base.  Pray for them as they travel and do ministry this week.

I have to give props where props are due even if it kills me!  Soy mowed our yard and our other property last week while I was in Guatemala.  He did a nice job too!  He, Deidra, & Hien went with me to the Bama game so he could do the late night driving.   Maybe there is hope?  Probably not!

Speaking of college football, it was a good weekend with the Bama win and ND loss.  It is UT week and that says enough! 

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

The last day of the ’09 Pastors’ Conference was a huge blessing.  Mark Mast got us started with a great message on the temptation of Jesus encouraging us to stay in the Word.  Eddie Burdette preached a great message on the family encouraging us to be submissive, to love, and to be obedient.  Bro. Robbie did a great job of preaching on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 

Tina Mast shared a word of testimony before Mark’s message and Lisa did the same before Bro. Robbie’s.  We had two periods with 11 breakout sessions and one period with 10 breakout sessions.  Those were blessed times.

Lisa and I are sitting in the Houston airport about to board our plane for Mobile.  Bro. Johnny & Miss Judy along with Bro. Robbie left here around 11:45AM bound for New Orleans.  The other eleven team members left the mission house around 8:30AM to make their 12:20PM or 12:45PM flights.  Obviously, they will get home tonight. 

We will be sharing much more with the Friendship family about this conference and plans for the future.  Thank you for your support of this conference.  God blessed your investments! 

I am sure that things are “hopping” around Friendship as they are in the countdown mode for the women’s conference tonight.  Pray for that evening of ministry. 

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

Miss Vivian Ladnier has had a couple of good days although she had a few problems yesterday.  She has been off the ventilator during the day and back on it at night. 

Cecil Guidry has an eye that has nearly swollen shut.  The doctor has ordered her homebound until at least tomorrow thinking it could possibly be a staph infection or shingles.  She will see the doctor again tomorrow.  Pray for Miss Vivian & Cecil. 

The mother of Diane Cordell’s daughter-in-law, Natasha, passed away unexpectedly.  Her name is Angie Levins.  Pray for Natalie and the Levins family. 

Jerry & Gloria Whitmore did a great job of sharing during the morning session yesterday.  Gloria shared a tremendous word of testimony and Jerry took us to the promised land and it wasn’t heaven. 

Bro. Johnny & Miss Judy Tucker did a great job during last night’s service.  Miss Judy encouraged the folks to keep their eyes on Jesus.  Bro. Johnny shared that what happens today will affect the generations which follow.  Again, it was an awesome thing to see the men & women on their knees during the invitation time.  Great day!

Today is the final day of the conference and it promises to be a full day.  Mark & Tina Mast will share during the morning sesssion, Eddie Burdette during the afternoon session, and Bro. Robbie Howard will bring it to a close tonight.  Pray that this will be an awesome end to this year’s conference. 

As the members of the Friendship family know, tomorrow night is the annual women’s conference.  Pray as folks are busily preparing for it.  Pray that it will be a great evening.

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

Lisa & I had moved to the front row for last night’s service in which Miss Cookie Rainey shared a word of testimony and Pastor Terry Rainey preached the Word.  I only wish each person who is praying and those who have given financially could have been present as the invitation was extended and the altar literally filled in front of us with pastors asking God to help them.  High moment for me! 

Pastor Travis & Amy Northcutt did a good job of getting us started yesterday morning and then Pastor Abel Garcia did a good job of closing the afternoon session.  In between those messages, we had three break out session periods which featured twelve sessions per period.   Good day!

It seems that this conference has received attacks from all sides but each attack has been handled and the enemy overcome.  Dr. Tico & staff are doing an excellent job of taking care of any issues that arise.  Keep praying!

Today, Jerry & Gloria Whitmore will share during the 9:00AM session.  The team will then be present for the evening session as Bro. Johnny & Miss Judy Tucker will share with the folks.  The seminary staff asked for this morning’s session in order to do some teaching on practical matters. 

I did not receive any updates from home so I assue no news is good news. 

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

Miss Vivian continues to be on the ventilator.  Please continue to pray for her and her family as they go through this time.  She has now been in the hospital for 44 days and 43 of those have been spent in the unit.  Miss Vivian is a major part of the Friendship family and is greatly missed each Sunday & Wednesday.

Miss Betty Taylor is scheduled to go home from the hospital today as she is doing great.  Keep praying for her. 

My brother, Eddie, called yesterday afternoon to tell me that the sharing service on Sunday evening at Danville Baptist went very well.  Those folks are seemingly even more excited about doing missions than they were before their trip to Guatemala.  I appreciate them partnering with GRACE Ministries and I thank Eddie for leading that effort.  I pray it is going to be a long term relationship as we have with other churches/ministries.  I even hearing that Pastor Jack will join them next year and that would be excellent for numerous reasons. 

All sixteen members of the pastors’ conference team have now arrived safely.  I wrote yesterday that I assumed Pastor Abel arrived on Sunday night – he did kinda sorta but not exactly.  He arrived at the seminary around 6:30AM on Monday morning following a trip to Chimaltenango and three hours in an Antigua hotel.  Long story but thank God he is here.  The other seven team members arrived safely yesterday afternoon. 

The team was treated to a meal in Antigua last night and then had a brief meeting.  The conference begins this morning and we had several pastors from El Salvador arrive last night.  Those pastors will be joined by pastors from Honduras and Guatemala.  Would you pray today that the sessions would bring glory to God and benefit these pastors? 

Again, I want to say “thank you” to each person who has given that these pastors might attend this conference.  The forces of hell have certainly fought this conference but I believe God is going to show up and show out! 

I will post again in the morning to update you on our first day.  I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

Miss Betty Taylor did have her surgery on Friday but not until 6:00PM!  Obviously, a long day for her.  The surgery went well but she remains in the hospital and is in pain.  Pray for her. 

Miss Vivian remains in the unit and was on the ventilator all day yesterday.  Keep praying. 

Jay Black was in one of the morning services yesterday so that is good news.

Sommer Brock has a friend, Tim Holston, who has just been diagnosed with cancer.  Actually, he is a teacher in her program.  She asked us to pray for him. 

Forrest Staley is married to Paula Staley (Amy Northcutt’s mother) and he suffered a heart attack this past Friday night.  He is in an Atlanta hospital as they placed a stent in one of his arteries on Saturday morning.  Pray for Mr. Staley. 

The senior adults arrived home around 5:45PM yesterday.  I assume they had a good week. 

I am told that we had good services yesterday at Friendship.  I appreciate Bro. Robbie preaching and Dale Bosarge doing the Spanish service. 

The weekend in Guatemala was blessed.  (As blessed as it can be when one has to miss a Bama game – LOL!)  The DBC team left the mission house around 8:30AM.  Lisa, Mark Mast, and I went to the GBS graduation which was at 2:00PM.  Wow, about 900 folks were present and I had the privilege of bringing the message to the 39 graduates and the others in attendance.  We then attended a meal for the faculty and Dr. Tico presented Lisa & me an absolutely beautiful oil painting of an area near Lake Atitlan.  I was humbled by the preaching opportunity and the gift!  Who am I to receive such graciousness?  God is good!

Lisa and I attended the 7:00AM service at Alpha y Omega before heading to the lake (my first visit).  We stopped at Paulinos for brunch and it was awesome!  We arrived at the lake before 11:00AM and spent a very rainy day just chillin’.  We did manage to walk through town and get about a thirty minute boat ride in before the proverbial bottom fell out. 

Now the focus shifts to the pastors’ conference.  Mark & Tina Mast are here from the previous week.  Terry & Cookie Rainey and Eddie Burdette arrived Saturday afternoon.  Abel Garcia arrived last night (I assume).  Jerry & Gloria Whitmore, Travis & Amy Northcutt, Johnny & Judy Tucker and Bro. Robbie Howard will all arrive today.  We will have a team meal tonight and then begin the conference at 9:00AM tomorrow morning.  Pray for this conference and the 250 folks who will attend.  Yes, we are at capacity – praise the Lord! 

Even though I didn’t see/listen to the Bama game, it was good to hear that they won.  However, the weekend wasn’t completely good as UT won.  ND didn’t win but they didn’t lose either.  AU played poorly in the first half which ultimately cost them the game against those Hogs.  They will rebound against UK this week.  I know USA won but I don’t count that as reall college football yet – sorry Josh Woods!

This post has been too long – sorry about that!  I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus.

Miss Betty Taylor will have surgery today.  Please pray as Dr. Spencer does the procedure that everything will go well and the report will be favorable.  Again, Miss Betty has such a sweet spirit and is a vital part of the Friendship family. 

I did not get any other updates yesterday so I am assuming that everyone in the hospital, battling cancer, et cetera is basically the same.  If there are any significant changes, Bro. Jerry is always faithful to keep me informed.  Keep praying!

I heard from the KY group and all is well there too.  They will begin the journey home tomorrow and actually arrive home on Sunday. 

Lisa arrived in Guatemala safely yesterday around noon.  I was so glad to see her and I am very happy she is here with me.  She and I attended the banquet for the seminary’s graduation last night.  It was very nicely done with great music, food, and fellowship.  John & Laurie King did an excellent job in helping host that event.  Thanks to Dr. Tico and his wife, Lisa, for the invitation. 

The DBC team went to the city dump, to Casa Aleluya, on a tour of the farm with Paul Leytham, and they then hosted the girls from Jack & Carolyn’s dorm for haircuts, manicures, laughter, pizza, and an overall great time.  Jack & Carolyn are good friends of GRACE Ministries and we are certainly going to miss them when they return to the States.  No, wait they are going to Arkansas not the States! 

Today, we will dedicate the fifteen houses that have been built by this team.  I think that are then going back to CPNA and then into Antigua as they haven’t seen that city yet. 

I pray that the members of the Friendship family will be faithful to attend the Bible studies and worship services this Sunday.  Bro. Robbie will be preaching in both morning services and the evening service. 

Unless something happens, I will most likely not post again until Monday or Tuesday.  Pray as our pastors begin arrving tomorrow in preparation for the pastors’ conference.  By the way, we have 232 officially registered and Dr. Tico feels for sure that we will reach capacity (250) plus by next Tuesday.

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

I heard that both the 10:00AM & the 7:00PM services went very well yesterday.  Again, I appreciate Bro. Robbie preaching in my absence. 

Miss Vivian Ladnier condition seems to be improving some but she still has a way to go.  She was to receive a unit of blood yesterday.  They did take her off of the ventilator for about thirty minutes.  So, just keep praying for her and the family as they wait faithfully beside her. 

Jay Black should have come home from the hospital yesterday.  I don’t have any updated information on his condition so I live by the “no news is good news” theory here. 

Miss Betty Taylor will have surgery tomorrow.  Pray for her.  She is such a faithful member of the Friendship family. 

The team here is doing great.  They are going to the city dump this morning.  All 15 of the houses were completed yesterday and will be dedicated tomorrow.  They will be hosting one of the dorms from Casa Aleluya tonight. 

I will be going to the airport this morning to pick up my wife as she is scheduled to arrive at 11:30AM.  We will then be involved in a seminary graduation banquet tonight. 

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

Better news regarding Miss Vivian Ladnier as she was much more alert yesterday and more responsive to folks around her.  Obviously, she still needs our prayer support.

Carla Kyser is seeing her doctor today to be checked for a new treatment.  Actually, the medicine is the same as used on her seven years ago.  It can be a bad medicine concerning the same effects and it can be hard on the heart.  So, they will check her heart before proceeding.  Please keep Carla in your prayers. 

I am assuming (which is always dangerous for me) that Jay Black came home yesterday.  He is not having the skin grafts at this point in time. 

As you know, I am in Guatemala and things are going well.  I appreciate Bro. Jerry and Lisa keeping me updated.  Bro. Robbie Howard will be preaching in the 10:00AM & 7:00PM services today and Ralph Rimmer will do the 8:00PM young adult Bible study.  I pray that the Friendship family will be faithful! 

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