Saturday, April 1, 2017

Duggars Visit the Bates

As we shared earlier this week, the Duggars have been on a family road trip out East, and they stopped by to see their friends the Bates in East Tennessee. Both Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and Gil and Kelly Bates have 19 children, and they have been friends for more than 20 years. We just posted a new picture of Carlin Bates and Joy-Anna Duggar, who are six months apart in age and are close pals. Visit our Bates blog to see it.


Photo courtesy duggarfamily.com

60 comments:

  1. Can anyone name those kids from left to right??

    Here's my attempt:
    Josh, John David, Michalla and Jinger, Jill, Erin, Jessa, Zach, Nathan, Carlin, Joseph, Jana!

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    1. Ill take the easy way out trying to name them all by saying that I recognize the Duggar girls wearing those bloomers we've seen them wear in earlier years!

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    2. I know Ellie has done a post about this picture and has named everyone.

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  2. What cute kids they were!Thanks for the memories Lily and Ellie!

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  3. Love the picture! I wish they would name every one from left to right. I know that it's Josh far left and I can pick out more but I want to be sure.

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  4. Why no picture of the two families together on this trip? Perhaps the fact they have rival programmes means they can't which is sad considering the length of the friendship.

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    1. Maybe they don't have one yet? It's nice to see an old picture though.

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  5. Interesting; we haven't seen these two families fellowshipping in a long time (a few at weddings). Nice to see them back visiting.

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    1. Fellowshipping?

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    2. A term used by mostly Protestants meaning to visit with one another and maybe enjoy a meal together.

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    3. 3:41 am Fellowshipping is a word both families use a lot. A LOT!!!!! You must be new to this blog, lol

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    4. Yes, fellowshipping. It's a word nowadays.

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    5. Okay im going to try and ask one more time...the header says...The Duggars visit the Bates...so what I have always wondered is why both families always say fellowshiping...is that a Baptist wording or just a Duggar/Bates saying...I never heard visiting with friends described that way and I cant seem to ever get an answer to that...Im not trying to be rude I just want to know...can someone please explain this to me ...thanks and blessings😊

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    6. We call it *fellowshipping* when we get together with friends. Sharing a meal, laughing, talking about Jesus!
      Fellowship is such an important part of our lives. Doesnt seem like a strange word to me at all 😊

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    7. The word fellowship is used several times in the Bible. It says in I John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." It is used by many Christians to say spending time communicating with each other, sharing your hearts, and enjoying each other's company.

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    8. I never heard the noun fellowship used as a verb until I heard Michelle say it. It does sound strange. There are other verbs you could use instead, such as gathering or meeting or visiting.

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    9. The word is used in the Bible often in referral to having a gathering of believers together for the purpose of spending time together, loving one another, encouraging one another, growing in friendship, etc. Most Christian denominations use the word, not just Baptist or Duggars/Bates.

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    10. It is a word used in many Christian denominations. It just means visiting with one another or in some cases worshiping together.

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    11. It's a common way among believers in Christ to describe time together sharing their mutual relationship in Christ.
      If I were to visit some friends I did not share true Christianity(as many "call" themselves Christians because they have an intellectual knowlege of Christ but He has no effect on their lives) with I would not call it fellowshiping.

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    12. Fellowshipping does not mean just hanging out. In the same way dating and courting are different, so is fellowshipping and visiting.

      To fellowship means to intentionally gather together for the purpose of encouraging each other in our walk with Christ.

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  6. The pic when all was right with the world...

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  7. Josh, John-David, Michael, Little Alyssa, Jill, Erin, Jessa, Zach, Lawson, Jinger, Nathan, Jana

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  8. I always liked the bates okay but when the Duggars had all the problems with Josh and TLC the last few years I was disappointed to see no public support from the Bates. They really owe the Duggars a lot - their home, their fame, etc...yet not one positive supportive comment during those long horrible months for the Duggars. Since then I just have had no desire to watch or read anything about the Bates.

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    1. They may have done this privately, but they probably couldn't publicly for fear of fallout and how it might threaten the future of their own show.

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    2. 11:39 PM...Has it occurred to you that perhaps the Duggars asked the Bates to not comment at all? They did put out a statement saying something to the effect of "their thoughts and prayers were with them and respecting their privacy". I don't know why you believe the Bates didn't own their home BEFORE they were on TV, but they did. And their is a whole backstory to the Bates addition on their house that Jimbob was involved in. TV don't show EVERYTHING! I just think for some reason you are giving the Duggars way too much credit for the Bates fame. Actually, Gil Bates got some bad press over being on the "board" for a "business" and I didn't hear the Duggars say a word in Gil Bates defense. Think the families friendship is genuine and you are seeing things that aren't there.

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    3. Betty- Perhaps their love and support were expressed in private, not for public consumption. Perhaps, they had no desire to call additional attention to what was already a very public fall from grace. While I don't know the Bates personally, I feel pretty confident that they've been continually praying for the Duggars since this whole thing began. It may also be that their own network "cautioned" them against making any public statement regarding the Duggars, which the Duggars would certainly understand being under contracts themselves. I don't think the Bates abandoned the Duggars in any way.

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    4. You know what ? the support didn't have to be made public !...
      They are close Christian friends. .. There didn't need to be a public
      statement......I'm sure they offered support to their friends......
      Both families have shared part of their life on tv,,,
      but we shouldn't assume they owe every waking day ,week ,month ,,,
      and every private thought to their FANS.....☮✝

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    5. Then why are you reading this blog???

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    6. The Bates said they were praying for them how more positive can you get?

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    7. Praying for them like they said they were doing was very supportive!

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    8. Maybe the Bates contacted them, and the Duggars asked them not to say anything publically. The Duggars wouldn't want to hurt their friends or their show.

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    9. Respectfully the Bates had a home the duggars did not provide them with one. I feel TLC took the opportunity for a storyline regarding the remodelling of the Bates home. It often strikes me that people think the Duggars pay for these things out of their own pockets, they don't. The fame was a happy accident people wanted to see more of the bates family, their show didn't work out on TLC but has been a sucess on UP. You also do not know what support they gave to the Duggars in private.

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    10. I admire the Bates family and they show tactful and respectful manner.
      I'm certain the Duggar family has remained in their prayers and they don't need to validate their relationship to anyone.
      The Duggar family would not have visited if their were concerns.
      I have a lot of respect for them educating their kids and supporting through relationships and marriage.

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    11. What happened has nothing to do with the Bates.

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    12. The Bates publicly stated they were praying for the Duggars. What more were you expecting, accolades for Josh?

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  9. God bought these two families together, and their lucky to have each other.

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    1. They're. As in "they are".

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    2. Correcting grammar is very stuck up.

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    3. I'm not sure it's nice to be the grammar police unless you're a teacher in a classroom or were asked to edit someone's work. Also, sometimes people dictate these comments on their cellphones, which get the grammar wrong. I know that happens to me.

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    4. In this day and age, grammar needs all the help it can get. College graduates don't know how to use the basic "they're, their, and there" anymore. After all, they say "Your dinner vs You're dinner; one leaves you nourished, the other leaves you dead. Correct grammar: it Saves lives!"

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    5. Agree 11:19, but autocorrect thinks it knows better than every English teacher and student combined! Sometime it will correct a typo in a totally different direction than what you meant, and you don't catch it before you hit Submit. Or take something that wasn't a typo (J-i-n-g-e-r's name, for example) and turn it into one (Ginger).

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  10. My attempt: Josh, Zach, Michael, Little Alyssa, Jill, Jessa, Erin, John David, Lawson, Jinger, Nathan, Jana
    (how close am I?)

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  11. Josh, John-David, Michael w/ Tori in front of her, Jill, Alissa, Jessa, Zach, Lawson, Erin, Nathan and Jana

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  12. starnge to say there close FRIENDS! first time have seen them together in a LONG TIME just sayin mary kiem hambden twp ohio liberal mennonite

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    1. Not strange at all. Close friends are the ones that are just as dear to you whether they live just around the corner and you see each other daily, or you live far apart and there are years between visits. Besides, in this technological age, how do you know how much they are in touch?

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  13. You guys are forgetting joy-anna.

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  14. lily & ellie, could you name the kids in the picture? only one i'm for certain of is josh on the end.
    thanks

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  15. how come i am not buying that story about carlin and joy anna being best buddies. they have never really seem to be close and when Joy and courting or got engament no video or her saying how happy she was for her. not buying that story. the duggar children do not have best friends outside of her family members. Jill her best friend.

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    1. How do you knw or not if they talk everday...im sure its not all filmed daily for our pleasure...I knew they were besties.

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    2. Again , everything , every thought , every action......doesn't have to be made public..🙄...GOOD GRIEF....❗️ You don't know ,,,,,they may talk every weekend...

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    3. Anon 4:06 AM you do realize that Bates and Duggars are on different networks and that that videos are posted by the Duggar family right? We don't see every single thing the families do and we don't need to.

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  16. My guess from left to right Josh, Zach, Michaela w/Alyssa,Jill,Erin,Jessa,John David,Lawson,Jinger,Nathan,and Jana.

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  17. Going by the age of the kids and the way they are dressed. My guess is josh, john David, michaela with Alyssa, Jill, Erin, Jessa, Zach, Lawson, ginger, Nathan and Jana. And I think the pic was taken around 1996.

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  18. Question to anonymous at 10:10 p.m. above- just wondering why you ended your comment with the cross of nero right next to the Christian cross? Those two symbols definetly dont belong together and i know the duggar family would be offended by that as well as Christians.

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    1. It's a peace symbol to me. And a cross.

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    2. Not everyone knows the peace symbol was originally Nero's broken cross. I didn't know either until I read a book about Christian martyrs and there was a picture of what I recognized as the modern day peace sign. Nero was a very evil man and many early Christians died under him. I don't think 10:10 met any offense.

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    3. I took it as a Peace Sign..
      ..I guess I'm an ignorant heathen...😉

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  19. The words "visiting" and "socializing" are not bad, ungodly words. I do get a bit tired of their 'church speak' with everything. I grew up being taught that 'fellowshipping' is when you're at a church function in the social hall.

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    1. At our Baptist church, they called it the "Fellowship Hall."

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