Things are moving quickly at the Chapel. We have been seeing ideas become realities. The remodeling of our Sanctuary has begun and our “cross project” is progressing rapidly. It is so exciting when one feels things that will help the congregation and community are being accomplished! Many people are lending their expertise and making the projects come together with excellence.

We were honored to host the ministry of Pastor Don Nordin from Christian Temple in Southwest Houston. We have been partnering with this congregation in food distribution and they have helped us with many projects. They are leading the lighting phase of our remodeling. Pastor Don’s message on Sunday evening, May 3, was surely on point for several attendees. His message on Monday morning, May 4, touched the lives of our area ministers who had gathered for our monthly fellowship. Several from our congregation put on a great “fish fry” for those ministers to talk about for months and ask when they will be meeting again in Port O’Connor. Special thanks to all those who worked so hard to make this time meaningful and memorable.

Pastor Joane brought our Mother’s Day message and every lady received a special hand-crafted gift. It was a very special day. On that evening, the congregation blessed me with a “stringer” of gifts for my “29th” birthday celebration. Time is flying so quickly I have to have a calculator to keep up with my age, so I remember that I am at least 29, but do not remember for how many years! Thanks!

Next, it is off to San Antonio for our annual Church Conference. This year the highlight was the ordination of Hermano Jesse Alderete. On May 14, Pastor Jesse received this special recognition of what the Lord has been doing in his life as he has committed himself to the Lord’s service. In his honor, Hermano Jesse was honored by the congregation on Mother’s Day evening with cake and ice cream. He will be ministering in the morning service at the Chapel, May 17, at 11:00 a.m. Everyone is welcomed to attend.

Next, Carol took the lead in our official “egg cracking party”! On Friday, May 15, we will be cracking and mixing 225 dozen eggs in preparation of our big party on Saturday, May 16. For the Warrior’s Weekend, the Chapel, with the help on many friends in this community, will serve 2,500 breakfast tacos! This is a special way for us to show our appreciation to those who have served us in the Armed Forces. We are involved in several other projects like assisting in the meals for the sand sculptors and providing desserts for the evening meals, but our special part is the Saturday morning tacos. This is a project that is far too large for us to do alone and we appreciate all those who partner with us year after year to accomplish this task. Thanks!

Next, Pastor Joane will be leading a Ladies Retreat at our Retreat Center on Friday and Saturday, May 22 and 23. Besides the local ladies that will be blessed by this event, we have about 40 ladies coming in from out of town for a refreshing time. There are all kinds of events planned and all participants will leave hoping for an opportunity to do it again! Most of our Chapel ladies are involved in this effort and we appreciate all of their creativity and skills.

Next, our Fisherman’s Bible Institute (FBI) is completing another semester of study. Their graduation will be on May 31, here at the Chapel. Each student has been required to spend about ten hours weekly on a Bible study workbook and participate in the two-hour Bible study on Tuesday evenings. This takes a three year commitment and those who have successfully completed this semester will be honored.

Next, we have two retreats scheduled for the month of June at our Retreat Center and a men’s retreat at the Farm. We have a group from Weslaco and one from New Braunfels who will be retreating here. Our men are planning another time together at the Farm and are wanting to take as many boys as we can with us. We believe that when men help boys, both are strengthened – so this Retreat will be centered around helping boys have a great time. Dads, you are welcomed to come and bring your boys to this special event. Single Moms, call us and let us take your sons for a retreat they will not soon forget!

Fisherman’s Chapel is an interdenominational congregation that endeavors to minister to the entire family. We have Bible study classes for all ages at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays and our Sunday morning service includes all ages at 11:00 a.m. Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m. are special times for the families and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. are excellent times for a midweek boost. One will always find a warm welcome at the Chapel and are urged to, “Come, grow with us”!

Nuestra Madre

La biblia nos demuestra que Dios nos dio una madre para poder tener una vida llena de cariño y amor. Sabemos que nuestra madre tiene un amor incomparable para nosotros sus hijos. En el libro de Proverbios capítulo 31 versículos 10-30, nos dice como es la mujer que demuestra las virtudes de una buena madre. Tome el tiempo para leer estas escrituras y verán como
Dios creo la mujer para ser el ejemplo y testimonio del amor de Dios y para instruir y educar sus hijos en el camino recto y puro que le da honra y gloria a él.
En este mes no dejes pasar el tiempo en que tú puedas darle el cariño y amor que to madre merece. Dile que la amas y que agradeces todo lo que ella a echo por ti. En ese momento veras que Dios de bendecirá y podrás desfrutar del amor tan hermoso y bondadoso que solo tu madre puede dar.
Que Dios los bendiga y los llene de bendiciones. Su hermano en Cristo Pastor Jesse C. Alderete, Fisherman’s Chapel.

“Mother’s Day” was observed this past Sunday and the Church recognized all Mothers. After Raymond Grant’s Children’s Sermon, the Children presented each Mother a beautiful Carnation. God has blessed the Church this year by adding new Mothers to our attendance.

Children’s Camp at Palacios Encampment is only a month away. Children will depart for Camp on Wednesday morning, June 10, and return to Port O’Connor on Saturday afternoon, June 13. This camp is for children who have completed the 3rd. through the 8th. grade. If you know of a child or grandchild who would like to go to this camp, please contact the Church quickly for proper enrollment.

Youth Summer Camp, for high school youth will be July 6 through July 10. Youth Camp this year will be at Highland Lakes Baptist Encampment in Austin, Texas. All those interested in going please see Raymond Grant.

The Church was open all day Thursday, May 7, 2015 from 7:00 a.m. to midnight for any who wanted to stop in and pray. The lights and air conditioner was on to make it comfortable to pray for our Country and around the world.

Vacation Bible School will begin next month and will be held daily from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon June 15 to June 18. This exciting VBS title is “JOURNEY OFF THE MAP”. Children will be treated to an exciting journey each day in Bible Study, Mission Trips, Specialty Crafts, Wonderful Music, Bouncing Exercise and daily refreshments. The Church Van will pick up children daily and take them home after VBS. If you are a Parent or Grandparent or Friend and would like to volunteer your services, please contact Candice Stryker.

Don’t forget “WARRIORS WEEKEND” this weekend, May 15 – 16. Let’s all participate by honoring our MEN AND WOMEN serving in the Military. JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION!!

See you in Church this Sunday!

It’s rather appropriate that this year’s Armed Forces Day celebration falls in the middle of Port O’Connor’s annual observance of Warrior’s Weekend. “Many Americans celebrate Armed Forces Day annually on the third Saturday of May. It is a day to pay tribute to men and women who serve the United States’ armed forces.”

The very first celebration of Armed Forces Day took place on May 20, 1950, some 65 years ago. However, though Warrior’s Weekend wasn’t founded until 2007, its founders and facilitators are no less enthused about, and engaged in honoring our brave men and women of the military, who have sacrificed so much to protect these United States of America from the onslaught of terrorism. Our debt of gratitude is obvious. Therefore, Port O’Connor and its fellow participants in Warrior’s Weekend, willingly and cheerfully open our arms and hearts to those who have served this country so faithfully.

Perhaps the following poem will make clear our grateful sentiments:

Here’s to the men of the red, white, and blue;
Whose patriot’s hearts burned high…
To the women who served us on land and on sea,
Some even in the sky.

I’d like to say, “Thank you, that we’ll never know
The outcome if you had not gone,”
And to tell you, “I’ll never forget your deed,
As long as my life lingers on.”

For, I was a child, when the great war came,
And you just a dozen years more.
Some of you fought on a distant beach,
Some died on a foreign shore.

I’d hate to forget those heroes of old,
From the ‘War to end all wars.’
Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm
Proved that men fight evermore.

God, help us all when brave men say,
“Not today. Let’s just wait and see.”
For, tyrants come in so many ways
And I’ve heard of complacency.

When integrity falls in the dust by the way,
When conviction fails to command,
When there’s no one to bugle or carry the flag,
What will become of our land?

So, here’s to the heroes and heroines true!
Here’s to the brave and the free!
With my hand on my chest as the flag passes by,
I remember what you did for me!!!

Tribute to Armed Forces Day by Joan Clifton Costner

Greetings fellow culinary enthusiasts! As suggested by the Dolphin editor, I have been working my way through a Community Service Club cookbook that was published nearly twenty years ago. I have featured two recipes from the appetizer section and am now in the soup, salad and sauces section. Taco salad is a good choice because it’s a salad that can also be served as an entrée. It was always my Grandma Ima’s signature covered dish for church suppers and family gatherings. This salad is popular with the crowd but requires some last minute preparation and leftovers, if any, don’t keep well. I will offer this recipe as originally submitted and suggest some alternatives to decrease preparation time, increase nutritional value and longevity in the refrigerator for any leftover.

TACO SALAD

This recipe was submitted by Doris Grimes. Doris writes that you should choose 4 cups of your favorite green salad, Catalina or Wish-Bone dressing, 1 can of jalapeno pinto beans, grated cheese and small-sized corn chips. Toss your favorite green salad with the dressing and use about half to layer a dish. Drain the canned beans and spread over the greens. Add a layer of grated cheese, top with remaining greens and then add an additional layer of grated cheese. The corn chips should be slightly crushed and added on top of the salad just before serving. This sounds delicious but the last minute corn chip addition can be problematic. It may be inconvenient once your dish has arrived at its destination and this addition will most likely result in a salad on a time clock. The corn chips will become soggy very soon making it undesirable to late comers and leftovers are certainly not an option. I would suggest serving the chips on the side to let people add onto single portions. Another suggestion to corn chips might be to make your own baked corn tortilla strips. You could add chili powder or other seasonings to them.

Other ideas to increase the longevity of your salad include the absence of salad dressing. You could put the bottle of dressing on the side or not offer it at all. I find that seasoning my salad greens with lime salt is quite delicious. Lime salt can be found in a cute little bottle in the beer section of your grocery store. Also use drained and rinsed beans to decrease sogginess. For added nutritional value you can add your favorite vegetables or even meat like seasoned ground turkey. I would not recommend hamburger meat because it will make your salad greasy. I hope this recipe makes you a hit at the next dinner social and that you will be forever known as the person that brings that awesome Taco Salad. Thank you to Doris and her family for this recipe. Enjoy!

Three new Directors were sworn in at a special meeting on April 28 of the Port O’Connor Improvement District.

The new Directors are: Allen Junek, Joe Newsome and Bryan Redding. Along with current Directors, Leon Brown and Marshall Bradford, they comprise the Port O’Connor Improvement District Board of Directors.