Pastor's Blog

Miss Nell is scheduled to have her hip replaced today at 3:45PM.  Obviously, that time is not set in concrete.  Pray for her as this will be a difficult surgery for a 97 year old person.  She is a sweetheart and a precious saint of God.

Bro. Chris sent an e-mail update to say that everything went great the first night.  There were three salvation decisions.  You can view photos at www.gocampevents.com.

Our students arrived safely to camp after experiencing a flat tire on the bus and Atlanta’s rush hour traffic.

The first day of VBS was a typical first day of VBS.  The attendance was down but will hopefully rebound this morning.

Thanks to those from the Friendship family who attended the visitation and/or service for Eric’s day yesterday.

Amy Walker’s paternal grandmother passed away this past Sunday.  The visitation with the family takes place tomorrow night, 6/5, from 5:00 – 8:00PM at the Serenity Funeral Home.  The service will be Thursday, 6/6, at 2:00PM from the funeral home chapel.  Pray for the Walker family.

Now the doctor is saying that Miss Nell Mulkey does have a broken hip.  Plans were for hip replacement surgery yesterday but she was running an elevated temp and they will not operate until everything is normal.

Visited with Tanya Love and there is no change.

Attempted to visit with Miss Barbara Nevin but they were working on her so I simply left a card.

Lisa Thompson goes to M.D. Anderson tomorrow for a couple of days of evaluations.

Bro. Kerry’s surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Kent Blaylock has been diagnosed with colon cancer.  The plan calls for surgery possibly next week but that is not a definite.

No 10:00AM service tomorrow due to VBS.  In our 6:30PM service, I will be sharing about the proposed distribution of our 2013 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.  Note the earlier starting time!  That starting time is now the norm!

Evangelist Johnny Tucker will be our guest on Sunday, 6/16, and then Evangelist David Miller will be our guest on Sunday, 6/30.

Need to hear from any couples who have been married for 50 years or longer.  This includes widows/widowers who were married that long before their spouse passed.  We will recognize these folks in our 10:30AM service this Sunday, 6/9.  Must hear from you by tomorrow, 6/5.

Noticed that John Milton has a new partner in crime.  Yesterday afternoon, JM and Phil Sims were “looking” at JM’s garden but they spent most of their time peering over the fence with plans to visit.  Those plans were spoiled when they realized that I was working in my garden.  You have to keep a constant eye on those deacons!

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

I learned yesterday afternoon that Miss Nell Mulkey had fallen and had been taken to a local hospital.  However, I did not know the extent of the injuries.

I basically never have my cell phone on on Sundays.  This morning, I received a couple to texts telling me that she broke the femur bone next to her hip.  I will visit this afternoon and give an update in tomorrow’s entry.  Pray for Miss Nell.

Big day today!  Our students leave for camp around 7:00AM.  They will be traveling to Toccoa, Georgia.  Bro. Chris is obviously leading the camp while Pastor Michael Rowell will be the camp speaker/pastor.  Pray that this week will be a spiritual time for our students.

Our 2013 VBS begins this morning at 9:00AM.  Bro. Jerry Hovel is our VBS pastor and Myrtle Bowden is our VBS director.  Pray for the children and the workers.

The visitation with the Harvey Collier family takes place this morning beginning at 10:00AM.  The service begins at 12:00PM.  Everything takes place from the San Souci Baptist Church.  Thanks to Amy Huhn for coordinating the meal for the Collier family and for everyone who helped.

Another blessed day in our services yesterday.  Mercedes Bryan made a public profession of faith in our 10:30AM service having received Jesus as her Saviour in a student ministry service on 2/13.  Andrea Timberlake joined the Friendship family by transfer of letter.  God gives the increase and we continue to give Him the glory.

Jeanette Bates, Brad Hutto, Lynda Sims, and Randall Broome did a nice job of leading our musical worship yesterday.  It will be a group effort from this point forward and I am very confident these folks and others will do a nice job of leading us.

Jeff Holifield did a nice job of sharing with us in the service last night.  God is doing some great things in Jeff’s life.  To God be the glory!

Gotta hit the garden early before going to drive a bus for VBS.  I get the distinct privilege of working alongside Jason Husband this week.  Folks, this is not our first VBS and, if we want to go grab a bite to eat, so be it!  LOL!

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

This e-mail came yesterday, 5/31:

Pastor,

Greetings from our final abode in India. We flew in this morning from Kotchi and was met by almost unbearable heat and what seemed like half of India’s 1.2 billion people all driving at the same time.

There are so many more motorbikes and cars than I remember from my last visit. Alex says the common man in India has discovered “credit” and now almost anyone can get at least a motorbike and many a small car whereas until about five years ago you had to pay full price cash for any vehicle.

Wednesday night I shared at a church service held in Alex’s family home. About 70 people attended. There were rugs and mats placed down on the floor and everyone say down. The electricity went out just as I began but it does that here very regularly….anytime …. anyplace. be prepared for it to go dark. The people never miss a beat, they just go right on doing whatever until it comes back on so as I was sharing they just broke out the candles and flashlight and we kept right on. Afterword everyone was fed. As people finished eating the mats were taken up and once everyone had finished and left Alex’s family gathered around the table for their meal. It was a a very special evening for Gloria and I.

Sunday I will be speaking at the PTL Center church here in Delhi. Alex predicts there will be about 200-300 in attendance.

We may make it a tourist day Monday with a trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal but that is not set yet. Wednesday the 5th we will start our journey back and arrive in DC on the 6th.

Thank you all for your continuous support and prayers for Gloria and I and for the Saints in India.

Jerry and Gloria.

I was not going to post an entry today but decided otherwise as I so much want to be like Dr. Jack Bailey!  (He posts an entry daily)  He is my inspiration!  (Or something like that!)

Bro. Kerry’s surgery has been scheduled for Wednesday, 6/5, at 11:00AM.  The doctor has told him to just “do nothing” until then so he will not be leading our musical worship tomorrow.

Yesterday, I posted the arrangements for Eric’s dad.  Everything takes place on Monday from San Souci Baptist.

Parent/Child dedication tomorrow during the 10:30AM service.  Family members need to be on time as that will take place early in the service.  Our deacons need to be prepared to take part in this service too.

Worked in the garden and yard yesterday from mid-morning until dark thirty.  Picked almost another bushel of snap beans after having picked over a bushel on Monday and the same on Wednesday.  The pea plants have set peas and I saw at least one pod of okra yesterday.  (I hesitate to share this information as John Milton tends to migrate toward my garden following these reports!)  I will most likely break out the spray today for the peas, okra, and corn.

Had to change the blades on my mower yesterday which meant I used Charles’ mower jack.  He only charged me $79.99 for the first fifteen minutes and $29.99 for every five minutes thereafter.   Said it was the going rate for mower jacks?  I finished in ten minutes and he charged me $19.99 for not using the entire fifteen minutes.  Wow!

I hope to see many members of the Friendship family in our services tomorrow.

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