Since May of 2008, we have seen many of our old Tanton Memorial Baptist Church Friends.

In May we went to FL to see Dan’s two younger sisters walk and receive their college diplomas.  Then the next day, Lillian (the youngest), got married.  While we were down there we got to see some friends at our church down there.  Though we didn’t go to the church, as they have had troubles since we left there in 2002, we did get to see some of our friends.

We went to church with Pastor Bill and BJ McNeely, Luis and Amber Roman, and Charlie and Monica White.  It was wonderful to see all of them again and to see Luis’ little boy.

Bill was the pastor of the first church I ever joined and Dan worked there for a total of 5.5 years under him. 

Luis was a PCC boy, who finally married Amber a PCC girl.  They had dated for while, and then didn’t, and then did and finally got it finalized with “I do’s.”  Luis, Frank, Dan, and I hung out while in college. 

Charlie had attended PCA while in grade school and he when he came to the church ran into all of us PCC people.  He said he had no idea that PCC people could be so much fun.  He ended up meeting and marring Monica who attended TMBC with her family.

Then in the fall while, I was trying to teach Anna, Dan called and told me that there were a couple of people down at the church who wanted to see me.  I told him that the house was a disaster, but I guess they could come.  Since he said that he was bringing them out, I figured that these weren’t church people.  So I got to cleaning up the living room so we could have a place to sit and talk.  Well, who should arrive?  Peggy Moore (now Peggy Graham) and her husband Otis.  Peggy was Anna’s “grandma” down in Florida.  Peggy loved to hold and spoil Anna while we were down there.  [We moved from FL when Anna was nine months old.]  Peggy and Otis did stop by once and stayed a few days with us up in New York State.  This time, we had no idea that they were coming and they stayed in the prophet’s camber, since our guest room was not set up yet.  It was good to see them again.

Later on, while Dan was at a preacher’s meeting, he ran into the father of one of our other TMBC friends.  Dan found out that our friend had had some struggles in the ministry and wasn’t currently in any ministry and lived a few hours from us.  So Dan invited him and his wife to come down the church.  Nathanial Hill was a music man and Dan had him do some specials for us.  We were hoping to have them move down here and work with us.  Nathaniel was just looking for a non-ministry job for awhile and then working in a church (without pay).  We thought that we could be an encouragement to them while they were an encouragement to us.  But they decided not to move down.  It was nice to see him and his family.

Then in January, Joel Simkus (who also worked out at TMBC) and his family came and stayed with us about 10 days as they ministered in the church.  Joel is on his way to South Africa as a missionary.  It was a blessing to have Joel and his wife here.  Their son had fun playing with our dog and with Anna.

While Joel was still here, another PCC boy who worked out at TMBC, came by for night to see us and Joel.  Frank DeVries had been down in south Florida, but had just returned back home to NC and he wanted to see us and Joel again.  Frank also gave us a visit up in New York State. 

Tough we haven’t been to FL for a little under 6 years it was nice to go back and then to have old Tanton Memorial Baptist Church people stop by and visit us.  It is always nice to see old friends again.