Gil’s Testimony

I attended church regularly as a young boy, but it was out of habit and tradition. I had no idea of the real purpose and fulfillment of a relationship with Christ. As a high school boy I heard the gospel presented by my football coach and was so impacted by the message of Christ’s sacrifice for me that a few days later I was moved to kneel by my bedside and pray for God to save me. At that remarkable moment in my high school years, God transformed me, my goals, and the direction for my life. Little did I know that His plans for me would include my beautiful bride that I married at the close of our college years. Nor could I have imagined that He would have grown our family to include 10 girls and 8 boys after 23 wonderful years of marriage!

 

Kelly Jo’s Testimony

I was raised a “preacher’s kid” hearing the gospel over and over. Each time in fear of dying unsaved, I would pray for God to save me. Only I never had assurance of my salvation. It wasn’t until 9th grade that I understood why. I believed in God and had a respect for those that did, however, I had no conviction of my own personal sin. I had always thought of myself as a good person. But at a youth meeting, I finally was broken over the guilt of my sin and realized that it was my awful sin that Christ died for. That realization changed my life. What had been an awareness of God became an acceptance of Him as my personal Savior.

                                               

     Our Family

 God has blessed us with 18 precious children. We are not a perfect family, as there are no perfect people. We have the same struggles that other families have, regardless of size…Plus a few extra, because of size! But in spite of extra laundry, extra chores, extra diapers, and extra noise; we have an extra measure of laughter, an endless supply of fellowship, and an added dose of faith to get us through it all! We are aware that any successes we have experienced in our family are a result of the culmination of help from many others God has brought in our lives. From relatives, to preachers, to friends whose examples we’ve tried to follow, we have received much help and encouragement along the way. We fail often. We’re humbled more often than we’d like to be and we find that we’re often wrong more than we are right. However, the children’s song “He’s still working on me to make me what I ought to be” teaches us to set our eyes on Him rather than on ourselves and our accomplishment.

 

 

The Bates Children

 

Zach is continuing to pursue his degree in History and Criminal Justice. He completed his last semester of EMT training with a 4.0 and was recently elected as the youngest county commissioner in our state. He’s thankful for the local support he received and for the opportunity to help serve his county. He’s actively involved in working with the sheriff’s department and the volunteer fire department.

 

 Michaella  completed her EMT schooling with a 4.0 and is currently taking on-line courses to gain an English degree. She’s actively involved in the volunteer fire department, assisting with medical needs. Her favorite hobbies are sewing and holding babies (and there’s plenty of opportunity for both around here!) 

 

 Erin finished recording a piano Cd of her own personal arrangements of beloved hymns. She’s continuing her college studies to earn a music degree , along with teaching piano lessons to 30 students. She’s a devoted organizer and helps us maintain order. She encourages us to be actively involved in ministry. She’s often found studying her Bible or praying,  encouraging the rest of us through example.

 

Lawson graduated from high school and is praying about the direction for his future. He manages his own mowing service company. He‘s also our official shopper and money manager, since he has a knack for business and for getting good buys. On the side, he’s our guitar strumming, singing & yodeling cowboy that entertains us with his heroic movie scripts.

Nathan has accepted God’s call to preach and uses every opportunity to study and develop messages. After graduating, his plan is to attend Crown College to pursue his degree. In the mean time, he is Dad’s right hand man in the family tree service company. He’s also our family’s handy man that can do just about any job (and he usually does it before anyone can ask).

 

 

 Alyssa loves to cook and sew (a great benefit for the rest of us!) She also loves photography and spends most of her free time with a camera in hand. Her  favorite past time is reading, especially Sherlock Holmes mysteries or historical books. 

 

 

  Tori takes the initiative to organize and direct her younger siblings on projects needing to be completed. She never has to be asked to do assignments, because she does more than her share. Her organizational skills are a huge asset to our family!

 

 

 Trace is our rambunctious competitor of ping pong, football, or any other sport his older brothers take on. With great determination to make up for lack of years and size, he can overtake them in just about every endeavor.

 

 Carlin is often behind the scenes serving an older sibling by ironing their clothes, straightening their room, or doing their laundry. She made a commitment to read through her Bible in a year and was faithful and consistent to finish, setting an example for each of us.

 

 

  Josie  is all smiles, all the time! She loves to read and read and read. Most girl’s pocket books are filled with all sorts of goodies, but Josie’s is packed with mysteries!  Her love for reading helps her to also be a diligent student in her schoolwork.

 

 Katie is a lot of dynamite packed in a little package! She consistently volunteers to help with the little ones. Before we can blink an eye, she’s snuck off to surprise us by getting their hair fixed, their shoes on, and making sure they’re all in order. Then she often marches her little army of helpers off to clean a room in hopes to be an unexpected blessing!

 

 Jackson amazes us with his tidbits of wisdom at times. The rest of the time, he’s involved in wild escapades around the house with his two younger brothers. We call them" the three musketeers", and adventure is always on the brink when they’re together!

 

  Warden is our working man! He’s the one to volunteer to be a big sister’s helper, no matter how hard the assignment is. Tough as nails, he’s all boy! We call him "Tigger" because he’s full of bounce!!

 

  Isaiah has a smile that will melt any heart. We say he’s going to be a great catch because he spends his day showering the girls with compliments. Having had several critical accidents as a child, he has earned his middle name "Courage". Our house wouldn’t be the same without his tender input. 

 

  Addallee means “The Lord is my strength and refuge”. The double letters in her name remind us that God gave her a second chance in life when she was born with complications that caused her breathing and her heart to stop. She has been a blessing from the start and adds joy to our life.  

 

 Ellie Bridget means "Strong light". She’s a bubbly little ray of sunshine that loves to give hugs and loves to cuddle up in someone’s lap. She loves to smother Judson Wyatt with kisses.

 

 Callie-Anna is the most adorable, most innocent looking little angel…but underneath that sweet grin is a mischievous little adventurer waiting to get into trouble! She keeps us all on our toes and adds sheer delight to our days!

Judson Wyatt is an absolute doll! He’s such a special blessing and his smile steals all of our attention. Everyone begs to hold Judson. He’s the center of every activity!