A Night to Remember! Celebrating 26+ Years!

I had the privilege of being in Monroe, Louisiana last night for our Founder’s Dinner, an invitation only event, hosted by founding Board member Susan Cordell and her husband, Hardeman, at their beautiful home. There were approximately 300 people in attendance, many of which were involved in the beginning years of Mercy Ministries almost 27 years ago. I can honestly say that this was one of the most fun and exciting events that I have ever been a part of!

It was so wonderful to be with people that I knew from years ago who gave sacrificially and who continue to give to this day to make this ministry the successful program that it is. I was so honored to reconnect with old friends that I have not seen in years, and to personally thank those who believed in Mercy Ministries when it was just a vision. I will never forget how I first moved to Monroe in 1983 and began to speak out what God had put into my heart. It takes very special people to become a part of something they yet cannot see. I call those people visionaries and people of faith. It was my great joy to be able to celebrate our beginnings and thank those who have been such a vital part of making it all possible. The Cordell’s truly made this a family affair as not only Hardeman and Susan, but also their son Hardeman Jr. and his wife, Misti, and their other son, Sherrause, were all so gracious in hosting this event as a family. See their family picture below.

CAPTION: The Cordell family pictured from left to right:
Misti and Hardeman Jr, Susan, Me, Hardeman Sr., and Sherrouse

It was also wonderful to be able to be with Margaret Troquille and her husband, Charles. Margaret is our International Director of Programs below.

Caption: Margaret pictured with her husband, Charles

One of the highlights of my evening was to be able recognize our founding Board Members who were present. It was important to me to also honor the late Bill Husted through asking his wife to stand in as part of this founding director’s picture we took. Those founding directors in attendance were Billy Edmondson, Mary Alice (Mike), Jerry Hightower, Jessie McCormick, and Susan Cordell, (pictured below)

I want to thank all of the many volunteers and supporters who worked tirelessly for weeks and weeks in advance to make this wonderful evening so successful. Most of all, we wish to thank our God for His faithfulness in the thousands of transformed lives over the years and the millions of dollars that have been given to make it all possible. We also have put together a slide show to give you an idea of how great the evening truly was and what it was like. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Story of Total Transformation

We are so thankful for the wonderful medical staff and psychiatrists that God has blessed us with in the various communities in which we operate homes. We are so grateful for the ones who help us in helping the girls cope with what life throws at them until they can work through the pain and hurt of their issues. There are times when some girls need to remain on medication even after Mercy for different reasons, and there are other times that girls are able to get off of their medications altogether. The following testimony is one such time where God helped this young woman work through the issues of her past, and as a result she was able to be off her medications. In fact, the very same psychiatrist who was seeing her before she came to Mercy was the one to gave her the go ahead and blessing to be completely off of all of her medications from now on. He could not believe the miraculous transformation when he saw her after she returned from her time at Mercy. I just received this email from her sharing her story. I hope it blesses you as much as it blesses me.

I graduated from Mercy Ministries in Monroe, Louisiana just over three months ago and this afternoon I was able to see just how much Mercy Ministries has impacted my life in another way, as did my psychiatrist. I was diagnosed with many mental illnesses in my life starting when I was 17 years old. I was labeled with Major Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, an Anxiety Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Bipolar Disorder. Hospital visit after hospital visit, doctor after doctor and counselor after counselor, told me that all I could ever do was try to manage the symptoms. I had chronic mental illness and my brain and my personality were both broken. With so much disorder in my life and a life sentence for that disorder, hope was impossible to find. But Mercy gave me just that. Hope! I have had several opportunities to speak since graduating and that is the biggest thing I speak about. Without that hope my efforts to change were in vain because I knew that I was broken and could never be whole. Mercy taught me otherwise. Mercy taught me the truth. After graduating Mercy I followed up with my previous psychiatrist to determine what changes could be made, hoping to be able to come off of medication all together. This visit was a check up because I have been completely off of medication for six weeks. As I communicated with my psychiatrist how I was handling life and difficult things, like the unexpected death of a dear friend, he smiled from hear to ear and was, at multiple times speechless. At the end of the appointment the realization of something I did at Mercy was made concrete. I broke off every one of those labels at Mercy, but today, they were physically deleted off of the computer system and my medical record. That was an indescribable feeling; knowing that he was doing that. Then he responded with congratulations saying that he had truly NEVER seen such miraculous change in anyone he has EVER known or worked with. He said he was amazed at the minimal amount of time it took to correct things that were a severe and chronic hindrance to my life. He helped me stay alive to get to Mercy, not knowing what it was, but today he sang praises of this program and the work of God, as do I. Not only have I been given my life back, but I have been given that life more abundantly!

I want to thank you for your obedience to God that allows those of us who have been given up on from the beginning, a chance and a hope. I know God is what worked the change in me and continues to do so, but I had to experience the love of God through others before I could even try to grasp love as a positive thing and from a God that seemed so unreal and distant.

-Ivy

We thank God for this psychiatrist, and we also thank God for the faithfulness of our staff in Louisiana who worked so diligently to help this girl work through the pain of her past. Thank you for your support and prayers. May we all trust God through the difficult times in our lives, no matter what those difficulties may be.

Way to Go Runners!!

Our 5K Run in Nashville was a huge success! We had 429 participants and raised $30,000!! Even though it was a bit nippy for the bystanders, the runners tell us it was the perfect weather scenario for them. Our volunteers loved it, our girls loved it, and we got so many great pictures from the event. It was truly a special time, and I wanted to show you some of the highlights from the fun! Thanks to everyone who gave of themselves and their resources to make this all possible.

To learn more about Run for Mercy or to join a team near you, visit our website a www.runformercy.org.

Graduate Celebrates 5 Years of Freedom!!!

Hey Everyone,

I just got this awesome Facebook message that I wanted to share with you from a former Mercy resident. Jayne came to Mercy Ministries in Nashville five years ago all the way from England (before our Mercy UK home was open) searching for freedom. Just this week, Jayne wrote me to let me know that she was celebrating her five year anniversary of graduating from the Mercy program, and she is still walking out her freedom. Her Facebook message totally made my week, and I had to share it with you.

"Hi Nancy,

Today is my 5 year anniversary of graduating from Mercy, so I wanted to honor you and Mercy in my Facebook status today. But I wanted to make sure you saw it as you are a part of how wonderful my life is now, so this is what I wrote…

'Jayne wants to honor Nancy Alcorn, Mercy Ministries, and of course my awesome God today. It is 5 years ago today since I graduated from Mercy in Nashville, and no words can truly express how wonderfully transformed me and my life are. God has truly done more than I could have ever asked or imagined.'

Thank-you Nancy!

With loads of love,

Jayne”

This picture was made at Jayne's graduation from Mercy exactly five years ago.

We are so proud of you, Jayne! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Austins Bridge Visits Mercy Ministries!

Hey Everyone,

This morning we had Austins Bridge, a new up and coming band, sing and lead worship at Mercy. It was so cool to have them here to sing and share with the girls! They each told personal stories from their own lives and shared how God’s mercy is always there to carry us through whatever situations and circumstances we may be going through, which is one of the reasons why their music and lyrics so connect with the heart and vision of Mercy Ministries.

Justin

Jason

Toby

In fact, they just released a new song about mercy that we thought was so descriptive of what we do inside the homes that we invited them to be a part of our official dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for our new Sacramento home on Saturday, November 7th. We hope you’ll take the time to listen to this awesome song.



Here’s what some of the girls had to say:

“I really related to when Toby talked about hitting rock bottom before making a change…realizing “this isn’t me.” He said “It’s okay to struggle in life because that’s how we learn, but God and His mercy will never leave you.” I really liked the chorus of the last song about God’s mercy -- “When feeling hopeless, abandoned or lost, Mercy pleads your case before the cross.” – Beth

“I thought they were amazing. I really liked the stories they each told and especially the last song about mercy – how God’s mercy doesn’t leave you no matter what! I really liked their music.” – Ashleigh

“These guys were awesome. I really enjoyed listening to them. The songs they sang had a great message!” -- Abbey

“I loved the music. Their stories were encouraging, and I felt God as they sang. I’m really glad they came.” -- Hannah

“What an incredible, fun group with so many moving songs and stories. I really liked the song that says “There is a God” – as we look around, how can we not see all He’s given and done for us? Also, the stories they told really touched my heart. I want to have that child-like heart, spirit and vulnerability! Also, the story about hitting rock bottom because of continually turning away from the Lord, yet knowing He’s still there in His loving mercy to lift me up was really encouraging.” -- Meagan

I also thought you’d enjoy seeing some of the pictures of Austins Bridge. Click here to even see a video clip of their time here at Mercy. Austins Bridge is going to be performing at our California Home Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, November 7th. Check out our website at www.mercyministries.com under Upcoming Events for more information – we’d love to see you there!

Special Message from a Current Resident.

Hey!

I know you hear from me a lot, so I thought it might be cool if you could hear from a current resident in one of our U.S. homes. Rachael has been here for about 4 months and will be graduating soon. Rachael’s mom contacted us about six months ago asking us to pray for her daughter who was strung out on drugs and living on the street somewhere. Her heart was broken because she really didn’t even know where her daughter was and hadn’t heard from her for months. She also said she wanted to know how to “Sponsor a Mercy Girl” by becoming a monthly partner with the ministry as a way to sow a seed toward seeing her own daughter set free from drug abuse and turn her life around. We joined with Rachael’s mom in prayer for her daughter, and just a few weeks later, I was able to sit down and meet Rachael face-to-face before she came into the program. I wanted you to see what Rachael had to say about her own experience and what she’s learned since being here at Mercy.

“I hadn’t spoken with my mom for a few months, and I remember getting a call from my mom saying, “Rachael, there’s this woman I want you to meet.” I remember telling her that I was not going back to rehab and my mom told me, “Rachael, this is not about you going to rehab. I wrote a letter to this woman, and God only knows how many letters she gets across her desk everyday, but she responded to me and said that she would like to meet you. She’s going to be in Monroe on May 18th – will you please meet her?” I told her that I would, and I remember my cousin dropping me off that day to meet Nancy. As I sat with Nancy and two other women, they prayed over me and spoke truth to me. I started crying because Nancy was just so real with me, and I knew that this was the only truth I had heard over the last eight months of my life. Nancy told me that they had a place for me if I wanted help, but that it was my choice. She met me at my level and was just so real to me.

I had been to another rehab before for a year that was Christian-based, and I was determined to not have religion shoved down my throat. So for Nancy to say that she didn’t want to just give me religion, but give me truth, that’s when I knew I was supposed to come to Mercy. I have learned since being here through the staff speaking truth into my life that what I read from God’s Word is direct truth. I don’t have to be recovering for the rest of my life, but I’m already recovered – I’ve been set free and now it’s about fighting from that point. I’ve also learned the basics of how to eat right and live a healthy balanced life. I was a competitive gymnast, so I’ve learned a lot about how to live a healthy life, which is something I never took advantage of and lost throughout my drug use and lack of maturity.

God has been so real and so faithful to speak to me each and every day. He has shown me that what I have gone through is going to be put to good use. The pain and suffering that I experienced is going to be put to good use. What the enemy meant to use to conquer me, God is turning it around for something great, and I don’t know what that is but I’m excited!”

Awesome Testimony – Check it out!!

Hey Everybody!

I hope you have had a great week! My week has been very busy but also very good. I just received this email from Steve Gambill, Founder of the major youth conference in Europe called RockNations. I was privileged to be one of the guest speakers at this week-long conference held in Bradford, England in August. Steve forwarded to me an email that he received from one of the conference attendees, and I wanted to share it with you. It really encouraged me greatly. In case you’ve forgotten about that conference, here is a link to the blog I did earlier about it so you can look at some of the pictures that were previously posted - . Have a great weekend!!

Dear Pastor Steve,

Hi, my name is Rosie, I'm 17, and I run the Christian Union at my school, Devonport High, for girls in Plymouth. I came to RockNations this year for the first time after going to other conferences in the years before. I am sending you this email to encourage and thank you, as God is doing amazing things down here in Devon. I want to thank you for choosing Nancy Alcorn to speak at this year's RockNations Conference. All the speakers were truly inspiring and I took loads away from each talk, but God really spoke to me through the topics that Nancy spoke about. It was during her first evening that I was inspired for an assembly topic at our school. So, today, myself and 7 other Christians preached the message of Mercy and God's incredible and unending love to our entire school!

We've done assemblies before, but we've never felt the presence of God like we did at this one! Since the assembly, we've had girls praying for their teachers. We've also had girls who wouldn't say boo to a goose getting up on stage in front of 400 people and proclaiming the gospel! Nothing can stop us, and I have you guys at RockNations to thank because had I not gone this year, I may never have heard from God through Nancy’s teaching on mercy, and 850 girls would never have heard the message we preached today! I'm believing for changed lives because nothing is impossible with God, and He can do more than I can possibly ask or imagine!

This is my last year at my school, and I'm more excited than ever because I've taken advice from Nancy. I'm being the change I want to see! I'm praying for girls who have had miscarriages and who have been hurt and misused by so many men. I'm praying for revival in my school, and seeing girls who thought they were nothing realizing they are something incredible because of God! I try as hard as I can to live by example, and sometimes I do get it wrong, but by God's grace, I get up and start again! I have not written this email to boast about achievements, as everything that's occurred and is going to occur, is because of God, not us, and all glory, praise and Honour goes to him! Thanks for the stirring up of enthusiasm for God that you're encouraging in this nation. Abundant Life and RockNations is incredible, and I just wanted to let you know what an impact God is having in the UK through your ministry! I will continue to email you to let you know of the incredible miracles that God has done in our school! Thanks for all of your wisdom and enthusiasm for young people.

Keep being amazing :)

Many thanks and Prayers,

Rosie

Mercy Graduate and her Family Give Back!!

It is always amazing to me to hear about the creative things people do to help support the work of Mercy Ministries. We are so blessed! I just received a letter in the mail from the family of one of our graduates sharing about how they wanted to help give back to Mercy. They are so thankful for the transformation they have seen in their daughter, Autumn’s, life that they have started having annual yard sales to raise money for Mercy. This annual event not only raises money for Mercy, but it has really started to make an impact on the people in their community. I thought I’d share with you the letter they just sent me along with a donation to Mercy, sharing about their most recent sale so that you could see just what kind of impact this family is having – we like to call this the ripple effect! I hope this blesses you as much as it blessed me!!

Dear Nancy and all the staff at Mercy,

It is that time of year we refer to at our house as “The Mercy Sale Time.” This was the 4th Mercy Sale we have had, with all of the items donated by friends, family, and leftovers from other people’s garage sales. We collect items for months and store them in our garage, although this year we had so much donated that we had items overflowing into the yard, filling a trailer, and also our van!

The morning of the sale, we hauled everything out, arranged it into categories, put up the Mercy Sale signs all over town, put out the donation jar since we do not price things, but simply ask for a donation to Mercy, put the packages of M&M’s (for Mercy Ministries) into a basket for everyone who makes a donation, turned on Christian music, said a prayer for the sale that we would be witnesses for God and for Mercy and a blessing to all who come to the sale, and got ready for an exciting, blessed day!

We always have a notebook for people to write down prayer requests that they may have. This year we had three pages full! The first couple who came wanted to know what a Mercy Sale was, so we gave them a short explanation that we have typed out for everyone, and after they read it, they looked at each other and started to cry. Their best friend’s daughter was in the hospital struggling with an eating disorder.

Thank you so much for the box of books and magazines you sent to us to give out to people! Almost every magazine and book was given away. One woman could not stop crying because she was abused as a child and has been a cutter for 15 years. She took home the book “Cut,” we prayed for her, and the next day she came back to the sale. She had read the book and said, “I saw myself on every page! Where can I go for help? I want to get well!”

Our daughter was home for five weeks this summer with her two children while her husband was in Afghanistan. She helped with the sale and could not believe how many people donated items, came to the sale, and how much money people gave. In the picture below, you can see her two year old, Austin, who greeted everyone who came to the sale, and her five year old daughter, Audrey, who sold pens the first day, candy the second day, and artwork the third day.

The other picture is of Jim Glasco and myself. He was the lead singer in the Calvarymen Quartet for 20 years and is now a singer with the Master’s Men Quartet. He and his wife have come to the sale for the last two years.

This year, a friend of mine who is a professional photographer made a special donation of one of his framed photos. We held a silent auction with the photograph going to the highest bid. We called the people who won and when they came to pick up the photograph, they told us that they knew they would win because their daughter had almost died from an eating disorder. She got help for it in Tennessee and is now doing great! The daughter was with them as we rejoiced with them and prayed for all who would be helped with the proceeds from the Mercy Sale.

We praise God for each one who donated items for the sale, for all who came to the sale, and for all who donated money to Mercy. The grand total this year was $1,100.55! Thank you, God! Thank you, Mercy, for being there for our daughter. May this money give help, hope, and healing to others at Mercy. We love you so much!

Dawn and Jim

Way to go all you Runners!!!

I just wanted to give a special shout out to all the runners that participated in the Run for Mercy 5K fundraisers that took place in St. Louis, Missouri and Lincoln, California (the location of our new home just outside of Sacramento). We had such a great turnout, and everyone had so much fun!!! I wanted to thank not only our runners, but also the many volunteers and staff that worked tirelessly to make these events successful. You can tell by these pictures what a great time everyone had.

St. Louis Run for Mercy

We had 250 runners join us to raise money for Mercy in St. Louis and they raised approximately $26,000! We also had 350 runners in Lincoln and they raised $20,000 for Mercy! I thought you’d like to see some of the pictures from both of these events.

California Run for Mercy

We are actually getting ready to do a similar event in the Nashville area. If you want to participate in the Run for Mercy 5K on Saturday, October 24th or to participate in a city near you, check out www.runformercy.org for more information.

Hope to see you there!

New Girls Entering New California Home!

Hey Everybody,

I just wanted to give you a good report about how things are going in California in our first full week of operations there. We currently have 14 girls in the program, and we will eventually build up to a full capacity of 40 girls. We are so grateful to be able to take 40 more girls off of our waiting list, and start them on the journey of restoration and transformation. As you know, the average length of our program is approximately six months. I thought you would enjoy seeing a couple of pictures of our new residents – one in the classroom and one in the dining room. Please pray for these new girls as they enter the program that they will adjust quickly and be fully committed to the healing process. Have a great weekend!

Love to all,

Nancy

Mercy girls in the classroom

Mercy girls in the dining room

On the Run – Another Exciting Week in Ministry!

Hello!

Just got back from a great conference in Toledo, Ohio at Cornerstone Church with Pastors Michael and Kathi Pitts. I had a great time! I got to hear Bishop Eddie Long on Monday night and Paula White last night. I was totally blown away by the worship and the Word. What a great church – what a great conference! These two sessions were life-changing for me.

I just got off a flight this morning to go into three full days of Dr. Neil Anderson being here to speak in person. We have used his books “Victory Over the Darkness,” “Bondage Breaker,” and “Freedom in Christ” for years. Dr. Anderson is here to personally take the girls through the steps to freedom in Christ as he leads two morning sessions and two afternoon sessions today through Friday. Please be praying for our girls as they go through this awesome time of personal ministry. We thank God for the wonderful men and women of God that He sends to us – He always sends the best!!!

What an amazing weekend - James River ROCKS!!

What a privilege it was to be invited to speak at the annual Designed for Life women’s conference, hosted by Debbie Lindell, co-pastor with her husband John, of James River Assembly in Springfield, MO. The theme of the conference was SO LOVED, and I can tell you that by the time the weekend was over, there was no doubt that all 2200 women in attendance received that message loud and clear. It was my privilege, first of all, to be a part of this conference for the first time, along with guest speakers Charlotte Scanlon-Gambill from the UK and Lisa Bevere from Colorado Springs, CO.

It is always special when God bonds people together for His purposes, and I certainly felt that bond with conference host Debbie Lindell – what an amazing woman she is!! Not only did I get to experience that bond, but Debbie and her team graciously invited the girls in the Mercy Ministries St. Louis home to be their special guests. Not only did they allow the girls to come free of charge, but they lavished gifts upon them by creating a whole store of pajamas and toiletries for the girls to go shopping one day to pick out brand new things!! Every girl got to pick out 5 items – pajamas, house shoes, etc! It was so funny when Debbie Lindell decided to model one of the robes for everyone!

We had such a great time as only 2,200 girlfriends getting together can: lots of laughter, lots of tears, and lots of heartfelt prayer and ministry. No doubt that lives were transformed through this amazing event. The hearts of the young ladies in our program were very moved by the great love and hospitality they experienced.

Me and Lisa Bevere pictured with the St. Louis Mercy Girls!

It was also very special to me personally that there were several graduates of Mercy Ministries from over the years. One such girl actually attends James River Assembly Church and her name is Sarah (pictured below with me and Debbie).

It was such a special time, but there’s no way I could even begin to express how powerful and special this time really was. I thought I would at least try by showing you some of the highlights from the actual event. We also have a special slide presentation so you can see the speakers, hosts, and the girls as they were shopping and all the things that were brought.

My fellow speakers are married with their own children, and two of them just had their first grandchild born. They were so busy showing off their families that I decided I should show mine off too so I decided I had to put a picture of my boy, Jude, up on the screen too!

The conference itself was amazing, but then I had the opportunity to speak in their three Sunday morning services at their Wilsons Creek Campus. It was such a great time, and I can’t wait until I get to go back! Hope your weekend was as good as mine!!

History Made in California Today – Mercy Ministries Opens First West Coast Home!

Hi Everyone!

I just landed in Springfield, Missouri to speak at a conference called Designed for Life and hosted by Pastor Debbie Lindell of James River Assembly. Chris Caine has told me that this is one of the top five churches in the whole United States, and I am so pumped about being here for the first time! Not only do I get to speak in this amazing three day chicks conference, but I also get to speak in three Sunday morning services at the Wilsons Creek James River campus. It will be tons of fun speaking with my fellow conference speakers and close friends, Lisa Bevere and Charlotte Scanlon-Gambill. We always have a great time, and the conference is expecting over 2,000 people to be in attendance. Check out the website at www.jamesriverwomen.org if you want to know more!

NOW BACK TO THE MAIN STORY!!! (What can I say?! I am like every other girl I know – prone to rabbit trail!) Today, October 1, 2009, is definitely a day of history and another huge milestone in the Mercy journey of 26 plus years. The doors of Mercy Ministries in California opened today and have officially taken in the first four girls. Pictured below is the very first girl walking in – a young woman named Beth.

First West Coast resident, Beth, arrives at Mercy Ministries in Lincoln!

No doubt that lives will be completely transformed, and I am already anticipating attending the very first graduation to see her graduate from the program. This home is so beautiful, and as I have told you before, we will be able to take in 40 more girls off our waiting list and approximately 100 more girls each year. I give all the praise to God for His provision and all the thanks to our supporters who have given so sacrificially to make this possible. A special thanks to Buzz Oates for giving us the land and providing the huge financial resources to build the building.

Our team there is amazing!!! Even though I was not there to see the first girl walk through the doors since I am in Springfield, I did want to officially introduce you to our California staff led by our Lincoln Program Director, Cheryl Bangs.

Our awesome California team!

We have a great team out there already, and our leadership team has been very busy over the last few weeks training them for such a time as this. This home is located in Lincoln, California, and for those of you who do not know where Lincoln is, it is located in the Sacramento area. We are so thrilled as we open our first West Coast home.

When we opened the St. Louis home five years ago, God gave us a word that just as the well known arch located in St. Louis marks the gateway to the west, so it would also be in the spirit – the St. Louis home would mark the gateway to the west, and our next home would be on the West Coast and that we would receive the double portion. Not only did we believe for the double portion anointing, but also for the double portion literally because our next West Coast home is scheduled to open in January in Vancouver, British Columbia, north of Sacramento into Canada. This is a thrilling season for us, and we anticipate much more as we are already laying groundwork for the property we own in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Panhandle of Florida. Please keep us in your prayers. We celebrate today, but we look forward to all that God has for us ahead!

Beth pictured with Lincoln Program Director, Cheryl Bangs


California Staff excited to welcome new residents!

As I close, would you please pray for the new girls that will be entering the California home in the next few weeks? We are so excited for what God is doing, and we also envision a future home opening in the Los Angeles area. Thanks for sharing the joy with us!!!