Thank you for your continued prayers. I am getting stronger, but not fully back yet! Pastor Joane is doing a fantastic job ministering the Word in our services. Right now, she is going through the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. There is such a wealth of knowledge that if you can not be present, be sure to get her notes.
This past Sunday, we enjoyed an All Church Fellowship in honor of Pastor Joane’s birthday. We had a “pot luck” meal, followed by a devotional. We had a great time of fellowship. Then, on Pastor Joane’s actual birthday, January 13, we honored her again with sandwiches, cake and ice cream.
We are looking forward to the second Sunday of February as a Chapel Anniversary. It was on that day that I came to Port O’Connor at the invitation of six people to help begin a church here. Our first building was on Adams and we were there for almost a year. Then we learned that Mr. Joe Bright was going to begin closing down his businesses, We contacted him and before long, we had purchased our present building, which had housed the Intercoastal Lumber Company and Mr. Bright’s office for his contracting business. It was a great blessing to this young congregation when Mr. Bright asked if he could rent our former church building on Adams. We sincerely appreciated his help in getting us started as a church. That was 1995. We have been here for 25 years and have seen a lot of changes.
Probably the greatest impact on the Chapel, and I know upon my personal life, happened on January 8, 1996. On that evening, at the Chapel, when one of the front doors had been installed that morning, Pastor Joane walked the isle and promised she would marry me! That day is not just a yearly milestone for me, but every day I am blessed by the events of that evening! I would never be who I am today if she had not been willing to move to Port O’Connor and become my wife. The Chapel would not have the benefit of her anointed preaching and teaching. The community would not have been blessed with her counseling and hard work to further the work of the Lord here. She has been a blessing to us all and especially to me, and I love her more today than I did 25 years ago!
This building had to be repaired and cleaned as our first project. We bought pews and carpeted the building and built a platform. Soon, we realized that we needed additional restrooms and space for our grown youth group, which was blossoming under the leadership of Pastor Joane. We knew that our family needed something better than the 10 X 40 trailer that we were living in next door to the Chapel.
We got in contact with the President of the Bank of Goliad and were trying to get him interested in helping us build a parsonage. There were all kinds of delays because we were such a new congregation that it looked like it might not happen for years. A lot of congregational prayers went Heavenward as we asked for Divine Help! It was on a Sunday evening when our friend, Reverend Larry Lamphier, came and dedicated our new Youth Room that we got breakthrough. The next morning, I got a call from our banker friend who told me, “Preacher, start your parsonage! Funds are now available!”
The parsonage was not the only building addition for the Chapel. We had a large “dry storage” building at the back of the property that everyone suggested that we just tear down. But, I could not get a good feeling about destroying something that I believed had such good potential. With the help of my father-in-law, Papaw, we remodeled that old building and made it into a Retreat Center that has been a great blessing to many people from all over Texas and several other states as well.
Year before last, we had an opportunity of buying a former “Army Officers’ Quarters” in the form of a 16X80 trailer. Personally, I was not for such an investment, but Pastor Joane got it it done! We have housed several ministry teams and others in those nice facclities. Right now, Tom Kasti is working to ready me a new office in that building and then we will transform the present office into Pastor Joane’s. We are installing “mini-split” air condition units in the trailer to make it as comfortable as possible.
The work of the Kingdom has not stopped from the day we arrived. Our efforts have not only been to see buildings readied for visitors, but we have done our best to see the spiritual climate of our Community changed. Whether it has been our efforts with the Chapel Pantry, the Community Thanksgiving Service or the Community Sunrise Service, we have always tried to help the needy of our area. We have also been instrumental in bringing the Sea Academy with Captain Robert here about four times each year for Captain classes. Thank you for helping us! We cn do no more than you will assist us with!
I do not know how long I will serve this community, but I plan to be planted in our community’s cemetery within the next 50 years! Pastor Joane and I could never thank you enough for your acceptance in this Community and your undying help and love you have shown in so many areas!
We were not born in Port O’Connor, but we got here as soon as we could!
One will always find a warm welcome at the Chapel. Everyone is urged to, “Come, grow with us!”
