Birthday Doors

Hello!

I thought it might be cool today to give you an inside look at the relational bonds that grow between the girls and the staff at Mercy as they go through the program. One of the cool things that the girls came up with on their own, and it has become a Mercy tradition, is that they keep up with every staff member’s birthday, and the night before their birthday, the girls go and decorate that staff person’s door. They personalize it for that staff person’s lifestyle or interests. For example, I’m a big football fan (particularly a fan of the Tennessee Titans) and I love my dog, Jude, so the girls did a whole football theme on my office door because the opening game of the season for the Titans was on my birthday. The girls love doing this because they know it’s such a blessing when the staff come in on their birthday and their door is all decorated with special notes from the girls.

Here are some samples of the sweet and encouraging messages they leave -

Dear Nancy,

I am always amazed when I think about your love for us girls and our precious Savior. I know this kind of ministry comes with an awesome portion of anointing and favor. I am also taken back by the sacrifice and obedience it requires. I love you and hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Love,
Brandi

Happy Birthday! Thank you so much for all you have done. Your life has touched the lives of so many others and I'm so grateful when you take the time to visit the Nashville home!

-Michelle

I hope you have a very blessed birthday! Thank you for all that you do. May God bless you on this very special day! Happy Birthday!

-Abbey

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a nice, peaceful, relaxing, and extraordinary birthday!

-Lauren

Thanks for all you do! I hope you have a blessed birthday!

-Christin

I just thought I’d share this with you because it’s something that has become really special to all of the Mercy staff.

Have a great night!

Merry Mercy Christmas Benefit

Today, we had a pre-event brunch in preparation for our major Christmas fundraiser, which will take place on Thursday, December 10 starting at 5:30 pm at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. We are calling this our Merry Mercy Christmas Benefit. We have already had some amazing auction items donated. Click here (www.merrymercychristmas.com) to check out what’s available so far.

It was so great to have our planning committee at the brunch today, along with several other friends of Mercy. I thought you would like to see some of the pictures from today as these amazing volunteers came in and shared lunch with the girls and some of our development staff. We got to hear a few of the girls’ stories.

Whitney Cantrell and Heather Robinson, Mercy Ministries Development Team

Bethany sharing her testimony


Jessica sharing her testimony

The couple that has agreed to chair this event is Bob and Marie Parks of Bob Parks Realty. Marie was the host of today’s brunch, and she is pictured below with her honorary chair for this event, Juli Fisher, and myself.

It was truly a great time, and we want to encourage each and every one of you to click (www.merrymercychristmas.com) on the event site and see the exciting auction items and other pertinent details including special guests.

There was only one individual that was unhappy at this event and that was my dog Jude. We closed the dining room doors and he was not allowed to come in and eat with us. He watched us very sadly through the glass window in the dining room door. I had to quickly make up with him right after we were finished because he was pretty ticked.

Good news now – he is happy again and all is well. It’s amazing what a treat can do!!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

You Can Make a Difference…

At the Joyce Meyer Conference last week, Joyce challenged all of us to join her in starting a love revolution. The emphasis was put on reaching out to others to help meet their needs and putting them before yourself. Basically, Joyce challenged us to choose to be inconvenienced for the benefit of someone else. She also encouraged us that real joy comes from giving to others, and we need to declare a war on selfishness.

I was so touched the next day as a young teenage girl approached me with an envelope containing money and a note she had written. I took the time while I was with her to open the envelope, read the note, and then commended her for having a heart for others – no wonder Jesus told us that a little child would lead them. I thought how cool it would be if all of us adults could be as obedient as this young woman is to send such a simple, yet powerful message. Below is what she shared with me as she handed me the money she had raised to help Mercy Ministries:

Dear Nancy and Mercy Girls,

My name is Morgan and I believe you know my mother, Ginger. A couple of months ago, I read Echoes of Mercy after going to a Mercy Brunch in St. Louis. I really felt called to help any way possible. I’ve always had a heart for the broken so I began to pray about how to help them. Around the same time, my mother went to Watoto in Gulu. Orphans and child soldiers always have the power to break my heart. God gave me one word - potential. I realized what Mercy girls and Watoto children have in common. They either had their potential taken or they just don’t see it. However, both Mercy Ministries and Watoto help children of God realize their potential. I had many confirmations so I began raising money – 50% to Mercy Ministries and 50% to Watoto. I’m not done yet, but here is what I have received. Though it’s small, I know God will use it to bless His children and show them their potential.

Love,

Morgan

I was so moved by this young woman that I asked if I could have my picture made with her to commemorate this special time (pictured below).

A special thanks to Morgan for having such a heart for others!

Hello from St. Louis!!

I am in St. Louis hanging out with the Mercy girls and staff at the Joyce Meyer Annual Women’s Conference. There are somewhere between 10,000 – 15,000 women here, and Joyce actually paid for a charter bus to bring the Monroe girls here as well. That means Mercy has a total of 50 girls present. They are having an absolute blast! So far we have heard from Pastor Tommy Barnett from Phoenix, Arizona, Joyce Meyer, and Christine Caine from Sydney, Australia. I thought I would share some of the joy with you by showing you pictures of the girls experiencing this great time together. I’ll share more on Monday! Have a great weekend!!!

Mercy girls checking out the St. Louis Arch from
the bus on the way to the conference

A Very Special Day in Charlotte

First of all, I want to say what a great time I had yesterday in Charlotte, North Carolina with the amazing people who are leading the charge there for our future Mercy home. I want to give another shout out to Jim and Karen Noble who own Nobles restaurant! Thank you so much for hosting this event, and for anyone in the Charlotte area who is interested in a fine-dining experience, you need to check out Nobles. For those of you more interested in casual dining, they have a sister restaurant called Roosters. I can honestly say that I travel around the world and I have not eaten at a restaurant that’s any better than Nobles. In fact, it may be my very favorite! I wanted you to see the owners of the restaurant, Jim and Karen (pictured below).

By the way, I also had the privilege of meeting Jean Ford yesterday, who attended the luncheon with several of her friends. Jean is actually the sister of Billy Graham (pictured below).

When I told Jean that Nobles is my favorite restaurant of anywhere I had been in the whole world, she looked at me, smiled, and said, “You know what, I eat here often and I have to tell you that I actually agree with that statement.” So now you have it out of the mouth of two or more witnesses. Noble’s is the place to go!

Now back to the luncheon… It was such a special day. I couldn’t help but be excited when I had a chance to hang out with Pastors Derek and Sarah Turner of The Branch Family Church (pictured below).

It was Derek and Sarah and their awesome church who gave us the eight acres of land where we plan to build the future Mercy home in the Charlotte area.

We had an opportunity to mix and mingle some during the luncheon. Check out this small segment of that actually happening in this particular picture of people enjoying their meal.

I also wanted to say how excited I was to have as our special guests, graduates from North Carolina, Bekah and Nicole (pictured below).


Bekah graduated from the St. Louis home in July 2006 and Nicole graduated from the St. Louis home in September 2006. These two girls spoke so powerfully about how their lives were torn apart and how, during their time at Mercy Ministries, they received total restoration. Bekah is now married (pictured right with her husband) and is currently working on her Master’s degree in counseling with hopes to come to work for the Mercy Charlotte home upon completion of her degree.

Nicole (pictured left with her husband) told a very moving story of how she tried to get help for her eating disorder from all of these different places who were all about treatment and charging large sums of money, but instead of getting better, she kept getting worse, and only through her time at Mercy did she receive the healing and restoration that she needed. One of the highlights with Nicole was that she brought her grandfather to the luncheon and on his name tag, he wrote “Pop.” I got a big huge hug from Pop because he was so moved by how his granddaughter has been healed and restored. He actually had tears in his eyes as Nicole was sharing her story.

As if everything that I have shared wasn’t enough, something pretty emotional for me happened at the very end. This man came up to me who looked familiar with a little boy named Chase. It wasn’t until he began to talk to me that I realized who he was – one of our adoptive fathers from years back who had brought his son to the luncheon so he could see me. I haven’t seen Chase since he was a little baby, and it was so cool to be able to give him a big huge hug and see how handsome he is (pictured below).

All in all, it was such a wonderful day and there was not one negative thing about it. I can’t wait until we actually get to build the home and fill it up with girls. Hope you guys enjoy hearing about all the awesome people in North Carolina. We truly have a God-sent team there!

New Mercy Homes!

I just landed in Charlotte, NC for the purpose of two very important events for the future of Mercy Ministries in this city. In case you have not heard, The Branch Family Church (Pastors Derek and Sarah Turner) have donated eight acres of prime property to us for the purpose of establishing another Mercy home. As we prepare to start receiving girls in our first West Coast home on October 1st, I can honestly say that our waiting list just continues to grow. It is for this reason that I am so pumped about this property and the fact that we are already laying groundwork for the next home even before we open this new one just two weeks from now.

I am very excited about being here because we are meeting with key community leaders at a special luncheon tomorrow at
Noble's Restaurant . A special thanks to our dear friends Jim and Karen Noble for hosting this event. For those of you who live in Charlotte, this is the finest restaurant in the whole area in my opinion. If you haven’t eaten there, you need to stop what you’re doing right now and make a reservation. Just ask any of the Carolina Panther football players or the Charlotte Hurricane hockey players – they will tell you it is the absolute best!!!. Obviously I am excited about eating at Noble’s, but even more exciting to me is the ground swell of excitement from key community leaders and pastors across the board. I cannot wait to meet each and every one of them tomorrow. I wanted to give everyone a head’s up that there will be a home in Charlotte, NC in the future. Please pray for all the miracles we will need in provisions and supporters for this to become a reality.

In closing, I want to encourage you with a scripture that I often encourage myself with. It is found in Habakkuk 2:2-3 – “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

Obviously this applies to Mercy Ministries and the homes we have established and the homes we will establish in the future, but this also applies to anything in your life that you have vision for and are having to wait on. Know that God is faithful to do what He has promised as we step out in faith and obedience to take the steps needed toward the fulfillment of the vision.

Please pray for our dinner tonight with community friends and leaders we have already established relationships with, as well as our broader luncheon tomorrow to be held at Noble’s. Have a great night!

Up Close and Personal with the New York Mets!

Hey everybody, I guess you know by now that Cassidy and Katelyn “hijacked” my blog on Wednesday and told everybody that I was yet another year older. I guess that happens to all of us at least once a year, right? If you are out there today and turning another year older soon, just learn not to sweat the small stuff. I don’t feel a bit different today than I did this time last week. I think age is a state of mind. At least that is what I tell myself at this stage, ha!

I had a great time with my friends in New York City, and thought I would share some of the highlights from the two Mets games I attended. First of all, I want to give a huge shout out to my friends Jerry and Renette Manuel. It was such an honor and such a joy to stay in their home and experience their amazing hospitality. Not only did my friend Heidi Stevens and I get to stay with Jerry and Renette, but we got to experience an inside look and a behind the scenes tour of the new facilities at Citi Field. Any of you who keep up with baseball would totally know that the Mets have been decimated this year with injuries. The personal friends of mine who were involved in Major League Baseball, have told me themselves that they have never seen a team that has been so beat up by injuries. I know that it’s been a disappointing season for the Mets, but I have every confidence that they will be back full force next year with an amazing championship run.

New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel takes time
during batting practice for a quick photo op.


Up close and personal with the team during batting practice


Sharon and Steve Kelly, Ranette Manuel, Heidi Stevens, and me!

I wanted to share with you some of the pictures from my trip. What a great time I had not only with Jerry and Renette Manuel, but also with fellow ministry leader Heidi Stevens and Pastors Steve and Sharon Kelly, of The Wave Church in Virginia. Even though Steve is Australian, he was actually born in Queens, NY and has been a Mets fan since he was a little boy. Speaking of a little boy, he felt like he was a little boy who was being given an amazing treat to be able to personally meet Jerry Manuel and some the players. We had a blast, and it was so fun being with such amazing people. At the end of the day, it

is all about great relationships, and these are some of the people that I definitely have great relationships with.

Hope you get to spend some time this weekend with people that you have great relationships with as well.

Love to All,

Nancy

Happy Birthday Nancy!!

Nancy is currently out of town, so we (Nancy’s Executive Assistants, Cassidy and Katelyn) asked if we could write something for her blog today! Many of you probably don’t know, but tomorrow, Thursday, September 10th, is Nancy’s birthday! Nancy has touched so many lives and helped so many people find freedom that we wanted to make sure you had a chance to voice your birthday greetings on her special day! When we asked Nancy what she wanted for her birthday, she said, “I want a New York Mets win tonight, a Titans win
against the Steelers tomorrow, and some new Mercy donations and monthly partners!” Please join with us as we help her cheer on the New York Mets to victory tonight and the Tennessee Titans tomorrow!!

We know she would love to hear from all of you as she celebrates tomorrow, so feel free to leave your comments wishing her a Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Nancy!!! We love you so much!!

The Gift that Keeps on Giving…

Yet another Mercy graduate, out on the mission field, being a world changer and a history maker!! What a difference one life can make and how it continues to multiply into the lives of so many others. Check it out for yourself. This is really cool!!

A Vessel... Once Broken, Now Restored

So today I was wondering how many people believe the lie that they are eternally broken or shattered. It really is a lie that limits us from reaching our full potential! The enemy wants us to believe that we are lost causes and too far for redemption. The truth is that the arm of our Abba is not too short. We are within His reach! He will even reach down into the midst of disgust and turmoil to rescue us from the pit of death and destruction, to free us from the pain and wounds of our past!

I count it a sheer blessing to know this as truth in my life! I believed for a long time that I was too far gone to be redeemed, too shattered and broken to ever be restored, too lost to ever be found, and too numb to ever experience joy... However, a love was offered and extended to me through a vessel of love known as Mercy Ministries. My Abba saw me and He desired to wash over me with His perfect love. As His love washed over me, healing, restoration, and freedom came into my life. A woman once without hope experienced dreams and visions for life, and life in abundance! A woman once marred by abuse, rejection, abandonment, and self destruction, was seen, heard and restored. She was found and accepted, was freed from the chords of death, and given the opportunity to experience fulfillment!

All of this being said, on a daily basis I now have the opportunity to share this same love with those around me, those here in the village of Panimaquin, Guatemala. I have the privilege of sharing this amazing truth with them, that they are seen and not forgotten, that they are found and not lost, and that they are redeemable! They are not too broken to be restored and made whole!

This same truth is open for acceptance and faith for each person who may read this post! You are not forgotten! You are not too far gone! You are seen, loved, and freedom is available to you!

Hope this made your day like it did mine. So proud of you, Kim! You keep on keeping on girl!

Everyone have a great holiday weekend. I’ll talk to you next week!

Yet Another Amazing Story…

Yet another amazing story of a girl who received help through our Mercy For issue-related books Cut and also Beyond Cut. I want you to hear her great story.

Hey Nancy,

My name is Emily, and as of the 30th of April 2009, I've been free from self-harm. I haven't been through the Mercy Ministries program, but you have played a huge part in my journey to quitting. My best friend's sister gave me Cut: Mercy for Self Harm, and for the first time, I realized that there is mercy for what I was doing to myself. I think I may have read it many times before I had to give it back, and I ordered it from the internet so I could read it again. What you wrote struck so many chords with me, and I began looking up Mercy Ministries on the internet, looked up how it all began, the testimonies of the girls who have gone through the program, etc. As I looked through, I had hope that I could become better, and be completely healed from self harm. One evening at my youth group, I had cut a few hours before, and I realized I didn't want to be like this the rest of my life. I broke down in tears and asked God to heal me, and pour his love over me. That night, I heard the phrase, "By His stripes we are healed," it was only later I found it in my Bible, in Isaiah 53:5. This year has been extremely difficult, yet for 3 months and 15 days, I haven't cut or had the urge to. The things that normally would have triggered me, haven't. One night when I couldn't sleep, I suddenly had the thought that somewhere out there, someone is self harming. I couldn't shake it off and it really, really got to me. I really want to do something, I want to reach out.

Emily, pictured right

Emily, pictured right

I really want to thank you, because if it wasn't for you, Mercy Ministries, the books you wrote (My best friend recently went to Rocknations and got me Beyond Cut, which I also loved), and the dream you had all those years ago, I don't know if I would have managed to stop cutting, I don't know if I would even be here, and that's the same for so many girls that you have helped throughout.

Thank you so much!!!

Emily

Once again, if you are suffering from this issue or any other issues, let me know by sending me an email at nancy.alcorn@mercyministries.com and I will send you a gift copy of whatever book you request if you include your mailing address.

Have a great night!!!