The Lonely Bates Club: Still Looking for Love

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Oh the poor single Bates.  When will they find love?  How will they fulfill God's plan without a mate?  Discuss them here.

[IndianPaintbrush]

My impression of Lawson is that he'll put off marriage for as long as humanly possible, but I could be wrong. I think Katie will probably be next after Trace. Those Bates girls sure do marry young.

[flyingdi]

Lawson has found love, he just needs to find another person who loves him as much.

[Sew Sumi]

Lawson went after LeBron James on Twitter today. He's the king of keyboard warriors. 

[RebeccatheWriter]

15 hours ago, IndianPaintbrush said:

My impression of Lawson is that he'll put off marriage for as long as humanly possible, but I could be wrong. I think Katie will probably be next after Trace. Those Bates girls sure do marry young.

I think he'll wait until there is a reason not to wait...money, opportunity, etc. If Trace and Katie get married and Nathan spends so little time at home, I could see Lawson not wanting to be the last adult kid at home. 

But I think he'd jump at a relationship if it helped his "career" in music or if it benefited him some other way. 

[IndianPaintbrush]

They must not be officially courting yet, but it seems Katie does have a "special friend."

[Sew Sumi]

Yeah, Travis has been around for a while. However, he just started matriculating at the college his family owns, so it may be a little while before these two wed.

[Temperance]

Yeah Katie and Travis are "special friends".  She just turned 19 and he's still 18. They seem like they have a ways to go before courtship and marriage. I post this next part on the Sweet Fellowship Thread on the Counting On forum, but in case some people didn't see it there; here it is. 

So I was reading the Bates forum on FJ. They had a thread for Katie Bates and her special friend Travis Clark. Travis's grandfather has his own church Solid Rock Baptist Church. At least one of his uncles is a pastor there (and maybe his father? too). His church seems to have their own Christian college. (The college and church share an address and phone number.) It's called Vision Baptist College. 

From their Answers page linked from the Vision Baptist College website:

"13. Are you accredited?

We believe God and the Word of God give us the authority and approval to train Christ’s workers in local church ministry work. We seek no other accreditation."

Travis, himself, wants to be a Christian music star. He's been playing and singing in his family's band. He plays piano, cello, and guitar.  He goes to Vision Baptist College (his family's school). You can find him singing on Youtube. 

[andromeda331]

6 hours ago, Temperance said:

Yeah Katie and Travis are "special friends".  She just turned 19 and he's still 18. They seem like they have a ways to go before courtship and marriage. I post this next part on the Sweet Fellowship Thread on the Counting On forum, but in case some people didn't see it there; here it is. 

So I was reading the Bates forum on FJ. They had a thread for Katie Bates and her special friend Travis Clark. Travis's grandfather has his own church Solid Rock Baptist Church. At least one of his uncles is a pastor there (and maybe his father? too). His church seems to have their own Christian college. (The college and church share an address and phone number.) It's called Vision Baptist College. 

From their Answers page linked from the Vision Baptist College website:

"13. Are you accredited?

We believe God and the Word of God give us the authority and approval to train Christ’s workers in local church ministry work. We seek no other accreditation."

Travis, himself, wants to be a Christian music star. He's been playing and singing in his family's band. He plays piano, cello, and guitar.  He goes to Vision Baptist College (his family's school). You can find him singing on Youtube. 

Of course you don't. Oddly enough God keeps telling me to stay away from people with no accreditation and you guys in general.  

[Lisa418722]

9 hours ago, Temperance said:

From their Answers page linked from the Vision Baptist College website:

"13. Are you accredited?

We believe God and the Word of God give us the authority and approval to train Christ’s workers in local church ministry work. We seek no other accreditation."

Of course, he will never work in the "real" world so he won't need an education that comes from an accredited college.

[BitterApple]

Yay. Another son-in-law looking to go into ministry. Look how well that worked out for Bobby...

[andromeda331]

2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Yay. Another son-in-law looking to go into ministry. Look how well that worked out for Bobby...

Yeah, that went well. He's now training a plumber. So Travis will end up training as plumber, or electrician and/or construction while working at the metal factory and/or for Chad.  There's not an unlimited amount of positions opened in the ministry and especially not in theirs do to so many going into the ministry. 

[Evagirl]

I just watched a video of Trace and his girlfriend having a meal with the Bates family.  When her head was sort of down, I could have sworn she was Jinger Duggar!  However, looking at her full on, I can see the resemblance is not that strong.  BUTTTT...if you hold a piece of paper covering her face from the nose down, she looks EXACTLY like Jinger!  Try it and see if you don't agree.

Wow! Nathan has really gained a lot of weight.  I think he's heavier than Zach now.  I bet he's miserable too, with the extra weight.  I know I'm miserable with mine!

[PinkCarnation]

Do I spy a wedding ring on Nathan? (Posted today on the Bates Family Instagram)

[riverblue22]

Maybe it's a purity ring~

 

[lookeyloo]

9 hours ago, riverblue22 said:

Maybe it's a purity ring~

 

That’s funny- I had the same thought!!  But do boys take the purity vow too?

[trimthatfat]

It seems Travis comes from money or at the very least, won’t need to rely on the Bates to support Katie if it came down to it. I don’t think he’ll go the way of Bobby. 

[RebeccatheWriter]

On 1/8/2020 at 10:16 PM, PinkCarnation said:

Do I spy a wedding ring on Nathan? (Posted today on the Bates Family Instagram)

I think some have zoomed in and said it appears to be a smart ring (one that monitors heart rate, etc.) like a fitbit. 

[cereality]

So Law has been in the Philippines since November?? That’s a grown 27 year old man move right there to be away from home for months including Christmas (and maybe Thanksgiving) without 18 siblings and a million nieces/nephews. There’s a little girl there he met on a prior fundie mission needing major heart surgery to survive, so it looks like he’s been trying to coordinate care to bring her here. IDK what he’s really doing as he isn’t a dr/nurse, though he has a gofundme and I suppose a young man can be tasked with filling out paperwork and running it back and forth to the embassies for the right visas, sit in on calls with the US hospitals for logistics etc. - simply bc this girl’s mother needs to be by her daughters side not at embassies and on conference calls.

Turns out though she’s now too sick to travel so a surgery has to be done in the Philippines, she needs 4-6 mos to recover from that, and only then can she come to the US for the full repair. So I suppose Law will leave after that first surgery is done bc I don’t see what he’d do there for 6 mos. The surgery is being done by a U.K. surgeon whose team is coming in for this and Law is asking for prayers for him. 

Interesting that they value medical care — whether this or Dr Vick delivering their millions of babies, yet when it comes to education it’s like - NO we’d never go to regular college bc we’d have to sit next to kids with green hair . . . . They do realize that every single person who is a dr today went to regular college, not college giving the girls degrees in hair styling?? Though who knows maybe the views are evolving with Michael going to regular nursing school — just like how the previously devilish dancing is now soooo classy.

[RebeccatheWriter]

On 2/12/2020 at 12:21 AM, cereality said:

So Law has been in the Philippines since November?? That’s a grown 27 year old man move right there to be away from home for months including Christmas (and maybe Thanksgiving) without 18 siblings and a million nieces/nephews. There’s a little girl there he met on a prior fundie mission needing major heart surgery to survive, so it looks like he’s been trying to coordinate care to bring her here. IDK what he’s really doing as he isn’t a dr/nurse, though he has a gofundme and I suppose a young man can be tasked with filling out paperwork and running it back and forth to the embassies for the right visas, sit in on calls with the US hospitals for logistics etc. - simply bc this girl’s mother needs to be by her daughters side not at embassies and on conference calls.

Turns out though she’s now too sick to travel so a surgery has to be done in the Philippines, she needs 4-6 mos to recover from that, and only then can she come to the US for the full repair. So I suppose Law will leave after that first surgery is done bc I don’t see what he’d do there for 6 mos. The surgery is being done by a U.K. surgeon whose team is coming in for this and Law is asking for prayers for him. 

Interesting that they value medical care — whether this or Dr Vick delivering their millions of babies, yet when it comes to education it’s like - NO we’d never go to regular college bc we’d have to sit next to kids with green hair . . . . They do realize that every single person who is a dr today went to regular college, not college giving the girls degrees in hair styling?? Though who knows maybe the views are evolving with Michael going to regular nursing school — just like how the previously devilish dancing is now soooo classy.

I mentioned this on another board. I'm just not feeling that everything is legit on his whole campaign to help this girl. Some of the photos showing her have him photoshopped in (the perspective is way off on some) and he is doing a gofundme but not using any of the family's media coverage to get the call out wider? Even his latest posts sound very medical and technical, clearly not written by him.

I'm getting cynical in my old age, but this is just odd to me. 

[cereality]

He has only been posting the gofundme on his IG but then his family has been reposting his initial plea + his updates on their own IGs, as have people like Jana and Joy Duggar, so I think fundie world has picked it up.

I’m not super clear on what he’s been doing there for 3+ mos and why HIM?? Sure maybe the family needed some help with visas, communicating with US doctors etc but it seems like a task for a drs without borders type of outfit, not an uneducated rube who knows nothing about cardiology. And now that the little girl has had surgery #1 and it was successful, she needs 4-6 mos recovery time before they can do the bigger surgery in the US. What exactly is Lawson needed for as the family waits?? I mean he’s not a fundie girl so it’s not like he can cook for her to get her strength up?!?

I’m super curious how he’s spending his days, though I’ve always had that curiosity with these fundie men who don’t seem to go to school or work full time or a FT job is when Chad gets a construction project and needs more hands so you go help for 4 days and get some $$ for it. 
 

Is he just bumming around Filipino bars all day until the family asks him to do a task once a week? Is he in a get to know you period with a Filipino girl so he had to come up with some project to be over there??? Though his IG post asking a girlfriend to present herself (with mommy commenting no girl is good enough) seems to suggest there isn’t a girl . . . .

 

[RebeccatheWriter]

I'm curious how he is managing his visa. There are pretty strict rules about not overstaying a visa there. 

Edited February 21, 2020 by RebeccatheWriter

[Sew Sumi]

Lawson is home. I imagine he had a 90 day visa.

 

[3 is enough]

Mama is proud that he "put his music career on hold" to help this girl.  

Yeah... he was really going places with that, wasn't he? 🙄

[Temperance]

For a minute, I thought I was Jill Rodrigues talking about Tim. I wonder if any girl will be good enough for Lawson in Kelly's eyes. Also I think it's interesting that Esther's last name is almost the same as their last name.

[cereality]

In a way maybe it’s sweet to see a family that’s so close that they put up signs and all gather to welcome home their brother who was away. In another way, it’s like OMG welcome to the real world Kelly. I’m sorry it broke you heart that your baby boy was away for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s day and 3 more nieces. But in the real world, this is what 27 year old MEN do.  They pursue their lives. Sometimes that means missing holidays because they are stationed half way across the world; sometimes it means missing them while living an hour away because they are medical residents or nurses or EMTs who are on call or they are lawyers preparing for the bar exam or a trial that will go on for 3 mos and requires round the clock work, and thus they can’t ditch work every time one of their 97 sisters squeezes out a kid.  You’d think he is someone who has one sibling and will thus have 2 nieces/nephews in a lifetime; yet when you have 18 siblings and will have 100+ nieces and nephews, does it even matter? Whose kids were born in the last 3 mos – can’t even recall? Carlin, Josie maybe and who else? I mean I guess I could go back to IG and check each of the girls’ gushing tributes that they post to their men after labor because their strong men stand by their side and hold their hands even when they act cranky as they push and they owe the men so much for their patience in labor . . . one of their tributes literally said that.

Also kind of disconcerting that they threw Lawson’s “party” at 3 pm on a Friday and Bobby, Evan, Trace, and Chad were all there. Guess they don’t believe in the men folk working long hours to make the $$$ for the family? The headships can be home eating cake in the middle of the afternoon . . . .

So he goes back again in a few months after this little girl recovers from her first surgery and it’s time for her to make the trip to the US for the bigger second surgery. He will travel back with the US dr. I can totally see why they want a US cardiologist for the trip. Still begs the question why they want Law and what he’ll be doing? Maybe he can carry the cardiologist’s luggage?

Does Kelly think no woman is good enough for any of her baby boys, or is this a special bond with Lawson? She has said it about Lawson -- as recently as valentines day this year. Has she said it re all her sons?

 

 

 

[Temperance]

11 minutes ago, cereality said:

In a way maybe it’s sweet to see a family that’s so close that they put up signs and all gather to welcome home their brother who was away. In another way, it’s like OMG welcome to the real world Kelly. I’m sorry it broke you heart that your baby boy was away for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s day and 3 more nieces. But in the real world, this is what 27 year old MEN do.  They pursue their lives. Sometimes that means missing holidays because they are stationed half way across the world; sometimes it means missing them while living an hour away because they are medical residents or nurses or EMTs who are on call or they are lawyers preparing for the bar exam or a trial that will go on for 3 mos and requires round the clock work, and thus they can’t ditch work every time one of their 97 sisters squeezes out a kid.  You’d think he is someone who has one sibling and will thus have 2 nieces/nephews in a lifetime; yet when you have 18 siblings and will have 100+ nieces and nephews, does it even matter? Whose kids were born in the last 3 mos – can’t even recall? Carlin, Josie maybe and who else? I mean I guess I could go back to IG and check each of the girls’ gushing tributes that they post to their men after labor because their strong men stand by their side and hold their hands even when they act cranky as they push and they owe the men so much for their patience in labor . . . one of their tributes literally said that.

Also kind of disconcerting that they threw Lawson’s “party” at 3 pm on a Friday and Bobby, Evan, Trace, and Chad were all there. Guess they don’t believe in the men folk working long hours to make the $$$ for the family? The headships can be home eating cake in the middle of the afternoon . . . .

So he goes back again in a few months after this little girl recovers from her first surgery and it’s time for her to make the trip to the US for the bigger second surgery. He will travel back with the US dr. I can totally see why they want a US cardiologist for the trip. Still begs the question why they want Law and what he’ll be doing? Maybe he can carry the cardiologist’s luggage?

Does Kelly think no woman is good enough for any of her baby boys, or is this a special bond with Lawson? She has said it about Lawson -- as recently as valentines day this year. Has she said it re all her sons?

So True! I agree with so much of this. 

The least three nieces born were Carlin's Layla (January 31), Erin's Holland (born late Novmber) and Zach's Khloe (born early November).  Josie had Willow in July 2019.

[crimson23]

I am going to give Kelly a pass on this one. I have brothers, cops and one was in Afghanistan, Moms worry.  Lawson wasn't exactly on tour or in Vegas playing golf. He was in a devastated country, where we don't know what conditions are or what communication was available

Plus electricians, plumbers and construction owners don't necessarily work a 9 to 5, especially on weekends. 

[Temperance]

Lawson posed a picture saying he's looking for a girlfriend.

[lookeyloo]

3 hours ago, Temperance said:

Lawson posed a picture saying he's looking for a girlfriend.

Uh huh.  

[Temperance]

3 hours ago, Temperance said:

Lawson posed a picture saying he's looking for a girlfriend.

I meant posted, not posed. sorry

[BitterApple]

22 minutes ago, Temperance said:

I meant posted, not posed. sorry

Lulz! I think she was being sarcastic because it's speculated Lawson may not be into the fairer sex. I don't think it was in reference to the typing error.   

[Sew Sumi]

It was essentially his Valentine's Day post.

 

[3 is enough]

Kelly’s comment: “Lawson, there’s just no one good enough in Mom’s opinion !!!!”

🤢

Interesting that Kelly marries off her daughters ASAP,  but no one is good enough for her sons.

[LynneH]

14 minutes ago, 3 is enough said:

Kelly’s comment: “Lawson, there’s just no one good enough in Mom’s opinion !!!!”

🤢

Interesting that Kelly marries off her daughters ASAP,  but no one is good enough for her sons.

I'm sure just about every mother of a son believes the same as K. 

Isn't it a lot easier to marry the girls off because G&K have a bit more "control" over them and by marrying them off, they are less of a financial burden? 

Whereas, based on their religion, the sons in the family are supposed to be able to support any women they marry.  K probably knows that Lawson isn't making enough money with his music career, so how is he supposed to support a wife?   I'm sure G&K are not in a good enough position financially to support the sons AND their wives and children.  So that may be a reason why she is in no "hurry". 

[3 is enough]

@LynneH: You make a good point about Lawson being in no position to support a family, and no doubt marrying off the girls certainly has eased the financial stress on Kelly and Gil.

However, as a mother of sons, I have to say I absolutely love my daughter-in-law and never had the attitude that no one was good enough for my boy. He's a grown man capable of making his own decisions, and I trusted him to find the right partner. I never meddled, which cannot be said for Kelly.  Based on her past actions she gives off a mother-in-law from hell vibe.  I would not be surprised if a lot of potential girlfriends/wives in their social circle whisper about staying away from the Bates boys.

[sATL]

16 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

It was essentially his Valentine's Day post.

 

it is odd that no dad in their group has made hints to Lawson or Gil to marry off his daughter... 

I understand that the sons-in-laws need to be able to support a wife/ unlimited growing family, but its not they were rolling in the cash when they married the bates girls..

[drafan]

Gil Bates is morphing into Matt Roloff .

Ok. Pic with the rose. Is he trying out for "Fundy Bachelor 2020"?

He's cute but I think he knows it.

[RebeccatheWriter]

7 hours ago, drafan said:

Gil Bates is morphing into Matt Roloff .

Ok. Pic with the rose. Is he trying out for "Fundy Bachelor 2020"?

He's cute but I think he knows it.

My ex used to make the comment, "s/he is not as cute/hot as they think they are." It echoes in my head with Lawson. 

[floridamom]

How is Gil Bates morphing into Matt Roloff?

[IndianPaintbrush]

GQ Fundie anyone? That picture is hilarious. Lawson is most definitely aware that he's the #1 dream guy of fundie girls everywhere, and I still doubt he'll be marrying anytime soon. 😉 

[drafan]

On 2/25/2020 at 5:25 AM, floridamom said:

How is Gil Bates morphing into Matt Roloff?

They look like reality show twins!

[Temperance]

Nothing definite, but it would surprise me if Katie and this boy break up. They're so young and he has a few more years of classes. 

[Sew Sumi]

Nathan's ex, Ashley Salyer, is engaged. This guy has an Ivy League education, but still holds wretched beliefs.

 

 

[3 is enough]

Wow.  That was fast. Wonder how  Nathan feels about this news?  
The problem with broadcasting all the details of your life on social media is that when things don’t work out you have no privacy.

ETA:  My mistake.  I was confused with Trace, which is why I said it was fast.  But still, I'm sure it stings for Nathan.

Edited May 3, 2020 by 3 is enough

[cereality]

What are the details on Eric? Which ivy did he go to? Looking really quickly at her insta it looks like they met/made it official bf/gf at the end of January and just 3 mos later, engaged. Sounds par for the course for a fundie relationship; they'll wedding plan for 3 mos and be married by this fall -- pandemic notwithstanding. See Bates boys you only have to hold onto a girl for 3 short months and you too could be married; all you need is to act like you have some ambition/life goals/money making ability and make your meddling mother and sisters appear normal for 3 mos -- or more easily conduct the courtship in HER hometown -- and you too could be set.

[Sew Sumi]

He went to Penn. Very active in politics and started a student pro-life group. I believe he's working in politics (maybe policy?) at present. 

[cereality]

3 minutes ago, Sew Sumi said:

He went to Penn. Very active in politics and started a student pro-life group. I believe he's working in politics (maybe policy?) at present. 

Yikes. I too went to Penn. He must be a rare breed over there as I doubt it's changed THAT much since I was there in the last decade. Will have to look him up. Do we know his last name?

[Sew Sumi]

Hoover.

[Temperance]

The Bates are teasing a new courtship in the commercials. It's rumored to be between Nathan Bates and a girl named Esther Keyes. 

FJ has the details.