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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

LBDR repairs damaged roofs at Portuguese camp

By Baptist Message staff PATAIAS, Portugal (LBM) – An Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association Disaster Relief team recently wrapped up a week of work at a Portuguese ministry camp that sustained heavy damage. The team of five worked Feb. 13-21 at Agua de Madei Ros Acampamento Baptista in Patais, Portugal, which is two hours north of the country’s capital city of Lisbon. While there, the team repaired roofs on three buildings and place tarp on three other structures on the campgrounds. According to DR team member Howard Turner, the camp serves as a focal point for the work of the two missionaries use the camp for ministerial efforts including 10 weeks of summer camp, weddings, retreats and other training sessions. Turner said highlights of the trip included conversations with the two missionaries and the more than 100 students who assisted in the clean-up efforts. “It was a wonderful trip all the way around,” Turner told the Baptist Message. “The two missionaries told us once, if not a hundred times, how much impact we had. One of them sent me a text message while we were there and said this was the first time he had seen some of the staff laugh and smile since the storm hit. He said we will never understand the impact … [Read more...]

Compassion Center Bible distribution: Bread of life ‘better than food’ for one

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer MONROE, La. (LBM) – Compassion Center staff and volunteers recently witnessed Matthew 4:4 in action when 170 recipients of a food distribution, Feb. 17, were elated to receive Bibles. “We had so many testimonies of people who were happier to get a Bible than they were to get food,” Com[1]passion Center Director Matt Hancock told the Baptist Message. “Many of them just talked about how much it meant to them. We had one lady who kissed her Bible and said, ‘this is better than food,’” evoking allusions to Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” For several months, a staff member had prayed that Bibles would be donated for distribution by the Compassion Center, which is housed in a 16,000-sq.-ft. facility on the campus of the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home and Family Ministries. The Bible would be in­cluded with food, school supplies, diapers, shoes, new clothing and other life essentials the Com­passion Center provides. Those prayers were answered in early Feb­ruary by a gift from two individuals which was enough to purchase 500 Bibles. Hancock said he expected all the Bibles would be distributed in a week, and … [Read more...]

La. Baptists among state’s longest married couples

By Baptist Message staff BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Three Louisiana Baptist couples are among the runners-up for the distinction of longest-married couples in the state, released by the Louisiana Family Forum on the day before Valentine’s Day: Billy and Billie Crooks, members of New Friendship Baptist Church, Dry Prong; Margaret and James Mohr, members of Broadmoor Baptist Church, Shreveport; and Bobby Earl and Pat Hicks, members of First Baptist Church, Marion. Louisiana Family Forum is a pro-life, pro-family, faith-based think tank that also advocates for First Amendment and limited government public policies. Based on submissions LFF received, Leland and Gussie LaCaze of Robeline were named the longest married couple (79 years). The LaCazes and ten runners-up were honored with a proclamation from Gov. Jeff Landry and by induction into LFF’s 2026 Marriage Hall of Fame: — Marion and Jean Hess, Metairie, 78 years — Billy and Billie Crooks, Dry Prong, 77 years — Angelo James and Josie Lewis, Shreveport, 75 years — Margaret and James Mohr, Shreveport, 74 years — Jeanette and Harrison Matherne, Raceland, 74 years — Bobby Earl and Pat Hicks, Marion, 74 years — Nettie and Conrad Simoneaux, Shreveport, 73 years — … [Read more...]