Pictures Tell the Story!!!

Hello from California!

I just wanted to say “hi” from California and let you know that I’m having such a great time doing the things of God that I haven’t even had time to do a blog – imagine that! It all started on Thursday with a conference called GodChicks in Los Angeles, then speaking in Sacramento at a “Celebrate America” event with over 10,000 people, and then enjoying a worship service with Natalie Grant and Pastor Greg Fairrington on Sunday, and then lunch and fellowship with special friends followed by two full days of ministry (yesterday and today) at our Lincoln home in the Sacramento, CA area. It has been a great two days for our 40 girls and staff to enjoy the ministry of Jane and Crystal Hamon. It’s been such a powerful time of ministry...so much happening!!! Led one of our residents who has only been here for four days into a prayer of salvation today! She received Jesus as her Savior and is now a new creation in Christ -- SO FUN! I’ll share more with you later and even include some pictures. I hope your week is going well!

Mercy Graduate Adds New Chapter to Her Life…Marriage!

“They told me I was too stupid to go to college,” but God had a different idea...”I am a pre-med student with a 3.7 GPA.” --Maddy

Maddy came to Mercy in 2008 struggling with an eating disorder and choosing to self-harm as a way to escape the pain of her past. While at Mercy, God totally healed Maddy and showed her how beautiful she truly is (pictured right)!

Since graduating from Mercy, Maddy has gone on to college and is really involved at her church leading a Bible study for high school girls. Maddy also met a wonderful guy, Tim, and they recently got married on June 12th! Below is the letter I received from Maddy along with a wedding invitation just weeks before they got married. I have received her permission to share this with you…

Nancy,

First of all, thank you for everything that you have done! Thank you for following God’s calling in your life. I know you get a million letters like this a day, so I will be short.

I was sexually molested when I was 10 years old and that started the 8 year downhill destruction of my life. I was also sexually involved with many guys and my life was full of drugs and alcohol. I had an eating disorder that landed me in a treatment center a couple times. The doctors told me I was a hopeless case and that I was just a waste of fresh air. They told me that I probably wouldn’t make it to age 20. Well I am 21 and more healthy than ever! I graduated Mercy Ministries November 6, 2008 and my life has changed. God showed me for the first time at Mercy that I was truly beautiful and that I am unique! I did not think that could even happen for me! As you can see, I am getting married in a few days to the most incredible man of God. I work as a Bible study leader for high school girls and I love it! I feel that if I got the chance to change, so can they. People told me that I was too stupid to go to college…well, I am pre-med with a 3.7 GPA and am getting ready to start nursing school. I now listen to what God says about me! Thanks to Mercy Ministries for showing me the love of God that I was blinded to.

Thank you, Nancy, for giving me a second chance at life. My life is now built on a solid foundation that I can stand on with God’s help. I cannot express the gratitude I have for Mercy Ministries. My fiancé loves me no matter what my past is. He is a youth pastor and never in a million years did I think I would be a pastor’s wife! Weird how God plans our life! Thank you! Thank you!!

Love always,

Maddy

When I hear stories like this, I can’t help but think about Isaiah 61:7 – “Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.” Maddy is definitely receiving the double portion! So happy for you, Maddy and Tim! Congratulations!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Mercy Ironman Raises Big Bucks for Mercy Ministries in Canada

So many people told John Burns (pictured right), Pastor of Relate Church in Canada, that it could not be done, but he would have none of it! Not too many people would train for a solid year and commit to do 100 holes of golf in one single day, which also means running over 27 miles between holes since no golf cart or caddy was used. The truth is, this would be a feat for a professional athlete in his prime, yet John Burns, a man in his early 50’s, accomplished this on Monday.

You can see John in action in the pictures! Driven by a deep passion to see young women set free of eating disorders, addictions, and the like (which began years ago with his own daughter who struggled for years and successfully overcame an eating disorder), John put his own body on the line to raise money for a cause he so deeply believes in. John’s vision was to get people to pledge the money toward each of the 100 holes with all contributions going to the establishment of Mercy Ministries in Canada. I have to say that I was so moved by John’s commitment that I pledged $2000 myself ($20 for each hole). If I was a wealthy person, I would have given him $200 per hole because he would have earned every bit of it.

Years ago I had the privilege of meeting John and Helen Burns, who are no doubt some of the most wonderful people that have ever hit the face of the earth. I am so in awe of this amazing couple and their entire family, and it is my joy to partner with them to bring Mercy Ministries to Canada. We are days away from taking in the young girls who have patiently waited on a waiting list and are desperately in need. Seven years ago John, Helen and myself, began this journey together, and today we are coming together to celebrate the hard work of many people who have joined forces to make this possible. I want to give John a huge shoutout today for a job well done!

By the way, for those of you who are reading this and are in awe yourself, it is not too late for you to make a pledge after the fact. You can do so by giving online at http://familyvictory.com/relate/giving. You simply need to designate your donation to “Golf-A-Thon.” This is the best way you can thank John Burns for a job well done.

Sometimes I feel like I’m the most blessed person in the world that God has put such great people in my life!

John had many people who showed up to cheer him on!

Mercy Multiplied in Chicago...

I wanted to give you guys a brief glimpse of the very special time we had in Chicago Thursday night. It was my great joy to be joined on stage by eight of our graduates from over the years. Each one of them told a bit of their story, and several of them spoke of having graduated from college and going on to professional jobs. Each of their stories was so moving, and one of the girls even announced her engagement at the event with her fiancé in attendance. (See picture below)


After these girls shared, Tara Knott 2008 graduate and her mother Susan came to the stage and told their compelling story. It was such an insightful time as we heard not only what Tara had been through but also what her parents went through. (See Tara and Susan pictured below) Tara’s dad came up to me afterward and gave me a big hug as he fought back the tears of joy. He told me that he would be a supporter of Mercy Ministries for the rest of his life because of their great gratitude.

Tara, Me and Susan

Last, but not least, the night was capped off by popular contemporary Christian artists and Dove Award nominees, BarlowGirl. Not only are they well-known to the masses for their music, but they are well known to Mercy because of their huge hearts. They travel all over the united states raising both awareness and finances for our Mercy programs. We have such a special bond, and we shared a moment afterward with Brightie Lowe, a beautiful young women who over 19 years ago was a newborn baby to one of our residents from 1991. The thing that was cool to me is that BarlowGirl is Brightie’s favorite group. We got to share a special moment together in this photo. (See below) It was such a fun evening; so intimate and so special. Hope you enjoy these pictures! We’ll be posting a web story later this week.

(Pictured left to right)
Lauren Barlow, Alyssa Barlow, Brightie Lowe, me and Becca Barlow

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun…

What an amazing week!!! I had the privilege of speaking for Mark and Dena Trice at Maranatha Church last Sunday (pictured below), and then I also spoke at a women’s meeting for Dena on Monday. I was so blessed by the hearts of these pastors, and thankful for the opportunity to encourage people that they can live a life of freedom in Christ.

It was also special for me because I got to see a number of Mercy graduates from years past, as well as two sets of twins that were placed in adoptive homes. One set of twins (two little girls) just had their 12th birthday and the other set of twins (a boy and a girl) are getting ready to have their 2nd birthday. It was such a great reminder for me, personally, to always remember that when times are difficult, that it is SO WORTH IT!!

After returning from Houston on Tuesday, I traveled to Chicago for an event last night with some truly amazing Mercy supporters and also many more graduates and adoptive families. I will definitely be sharing more about that next week! I just got off the plane and wanted to reflect with you a bit about the impact of changed lives and those that God chooses to intersect us with. I am so thankful that He brings people together for His purposes. Hope you have a great weekend!

For those of you who support Mercy, please remember that you are a part of every single life that I have referred to in this brief blog. ☺

Wanted you to Meet Some of our Top Leaders at Mercy…

We recently updated our website to show everyone a glimpse of those who serve behind the scenes to keep Mercy Ministries operating so that we can continue to take girls in free of charge and see their lives transformed through the power of Christ. Click here to meet some truly amazing individuals. I just wanted to give them a shout out and say thanks for all of your hard work and faithful service!

2010 Births at Mercy…Providing A Practical Way to Choose Life!!!

We wanted to share with you these beautiful photos of babies born to Mercy girls in the last few months. Some of the girls decided to parent their babies, and some of the girls decided to place their babies with loving adoptive families.

Marriage Proposal at Mercy in St. Louis!

It’s not every day that a marriage proposal takes place in one of our Mercy Ministries homes. In fact, this has not happened in the 27 plus years that we have been in existence.

On Wednesday evening, I received a personal email from one of our current St. Louis staff members, who is also a Mercy graduate of our Monroe, Louisiana program from 2003. Obviously not a surprise to our other staff in St. Louis, but certainly a surprise to Ellie when Kevin showed up for his pre-planned surprise – we even have pictures to prove it! It was only a short time after that that I received the following email from Ellie...

Hey Nancy,

I can't chat long as I'm out to dinner with my NEW FIANCE! Just wanted to tell you the cool story that he proposed at Mercy in the dining room with all the girls and staff. It was so precious. He knows my heart for Mercy and these girls and he wanted to include them. He wanted to show them a good, Godly example of love and redemption. It was so awesome. Thank you for helping me live long enough to experience this kind of love!

Love,

Ellie

It doesn’t get more fun for me than this! How cool that after all that Ellie has been through that God is not only using her as an example of a transformed life to the young women she currently serves in our St. Louis home, but is also blessing her life with a wonderful godly man. It is so rewarding for me to share this joy with Ellie, knowing her story and all that she has been through in the past. When God promises to restore back to us what has been stolen, He is true to His word! Please join with us in thanking God for His blessings on Ellie and Kevin’s life and ministry together.

Have a great weekend! I hope you enjoy the pictures from this cool time!

The Eating Disorder Professionals Said She Would Die…

In December 2003, Mary Ellen walked through the doors of Mercy Ministries full of fear and fighting for her very life. Only 14 years old and battling with a life-threatening eating disorder. Her parents’ eyes were filled with tears as they told us how the doctors who were eating disorder professionals told Mary Ellen that if they did not do something, she would die. NOW, almost seven years later, Mary Ellen has returned to Mercy Ministries once again…but this time, she is here as a junior in college doing an internship with our Nutritionist who works closely with our girls who came to Mercy struggling with an eating disorder.

Mary Ellen stood in front of all of our staff and residents in our Nashville home this week and told her story of victory and complete freedom! It was such a powerful time and so encouraging to our girls who are sitting in the same seats that Mary Ellen once sat in. I had a very busy day on Monday, but I made it a priority to be there to introduce Mary Ellen to our girls and be there to hear her story firsthand. Even though Mary Ellen and I have kept in touch and her story is very familiar to me, I still wanted to honor her and be a part of this special time.

I also wanted to be there firsthand so I could share with you about the impact Mary Ellen had on our current residents. It was so cool to watch it all unfold, and I have included pictures (see below) to see what it was like as the girls gathered around afterwards to ask questions. It is so exciting to me to see how she’s come full circle and is about to graduate from college and use her training to help other young women get through the same struggles that she has now overcome.


I thought it would be cool to take you back in time and show you our Mercy magazine that we did in 2004 when Mary Ellen had just graduated from the program and had gone back home to finish high school. This gives more of the details of what it was like as a family, straight from the heart of her dad, as well as her own personal account at that time. Click here to read the magazine article about Mary Ellen.

Please share this with others so they too can be encouraged, and thanks to all of our supporters for making this possible.

A Book I Dare You to Read…

It’s not often that I recommend a book without any hesitation, because so many different people have so many different schools of thoughts about so many things. However, I just finished reading a book that came out this year called The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. I was very challenged by this book, and I hope it rocks your world as much as it did mine. I dare you to read it! Please email me your thoughts after you read the book (nancy.alcorn@mercyministries.com). I would love hear what you think!

Nancy

2006 Graduate Gives Back to Mercy…

I just got this card in the mail along with a significant financial donation to the ministry. This was too good not to share…

“When I stop and look at my life and where I am today, I have to say thank you to Mercy Ministries. The first weekend of May I graduated from college. I was one of the first students to graduate from that school with a B.A. in Early Childhood. In a few days it will have been four years since I graduated from Mercy. At my college graduation my youth pastor commented on what a blessing my life is to others. He knew me before I went to Mercy and was the person I ran to when I felt like giving up. He impacted my life like so many other people God placed in my path during the six years of my struggle. I honored them at my Graduation Party. Now I want to honor you and say thank you. – Stephanie Green

Thanks for all your support. You helped make this changed life possible!!!

Nancy

Great Weekend for Mercy Canada!!!

Good things take time, but great things take more time… that seems to sum up the journey for Mercy to be established in the nation of Canada. John and Helen Burns, television co-hosts and founders of Relate Church in Surrey (Vancouver area), put their hands up over 7 years ago for Mercy to be established in Canada.

Me with Pastors John and Helen Burns of Relate Church
and Mercy Canada Board Members

The seven year waiting period involved taking their time to find the right piece of property, as well as opening the home debt free. The decision to take a longer period of time also involved the decision to take in more than 20 girls at a time rather than a much smaller number. Because John and Helen Burns made the decision to make room in their already busy lives to help even more people, others have come alongside to make it all possible. Pictured right/left with me are: Executive Director of Program Operations, Margaret Troquille; Executive Director of Mercy Canada, Nicola Bartel; me and Co-Pastor of Relate Church and Mercy Canada Board Member, Helen Burns.

Those decisions and the desire to choose best over good all culminated this past weekend in a major time of thanksgiving and celebration. I thought you might enjoy seeing some highlights from the weekend in Vancouver, including our Mercy Gala on Friday evening at The Vancouver Club.

Two young women from Canada who graduated from Mercy in the US came to tell their personal stories, and to help celebrate this great milestone.

Me with two Mercy graduates from Canada, Andrea (left) and Natasha (right), who shared their stories at Friday night’s Mercy Gala in Vancouver

People were so touched as they told of all they had to overcome, and are now in university preparing to be able to help others with the same problems they themselves have been through. It was such a great evening!

On Saturday afternoon, even though it was raining, we had a great turnout for the Grand Dedication and ribbon cutting for this new facility.

Cutting the ribbon after the prayer of dedication and
declaration over the Mercy Canada home and property.

Thanks to all the brave people who came out to be a part of this event, in spite of the weather! Nothing could dampen the mood of the people who have prayed and worked and believed for this for so long.

Me braving the rain!

Guests at Mercy Canada Grand Dedication

I then had the opportunity to speak at 3 different church services on Saturday and Sunday, and the weekend culminated with a special meeting on Monday with our Mercy Ministries Canada staff. I was joined by John and Helen Burns, and also Lindsay Willis, who is one our International Board Members. It was a great weekend! More details to come later this week when we post a web story with more pictures.