I must express my extreme sorrow over the recent sudden death of my dear brother pastor and friend, Rev. Mandla Khumalo from St. Peter’s Confessional Lutheran Church in Middleburg, South Africa. He was a vibrant preacher as he boldly shared the gospel of Jesus Christ. In June of 2019 Rev. Khumalo shared the Good News with the members of my congregation in Michigan while I was teaching at his congregation in South Africa. Mandla had invited...

Back in my summer camp counselor days, a favorite song at camp was “Friends Are Friends Forever” as sung by Michael W. Smith. The key line to that song is what follows the title…”Friends are friends forever, if the Lord’s the Lord of them.” In Jesus, friendships can, indeed, last forever. What a JOYOUS message that is! I experienced a taste of the enduring power Jesus gives to friendships on my family’s...