Abolition!!! Global Anti-Sex Trafficking Crusader Speaks At Mercy Ministries

Today I want to share with you about an amazing guest speaker that we had here at Mercy Ministries in Nashville yesterday. We had a wonderful speaker named Lisa Thompson who has been working to expose the evils of sex trafficking on a global scale for almost a decade. In my view, this is the most powerful and compelling presentation I have ever seen on this subject! I thought you might enjoy seeing pictures and reading the story that we posted on our website about Lisa’s time with us. CLICK HERE to read the full story.

Mercy Supporter, Pam Winters, Highlighted in Achieve Magazine!!!

I just wanted to share with you about one of our amazingly generous supporters who goes above and beyond throughout the year to bring finances to Mercy to help us do what we do. Her name is Pam Winters, and she and her husband, Larry, and their Leadership Team Development (LTD) organization are huge supporters and dear friends of mine. Pam was recently featured in Achieve Magazine where she shares about her heart for Mercy Ministries. I wanted to give a special shout-out to Larry and Pam for their faithful support and share with you what Pam had to say...CLICK HERE!

Matthew West On Mercy Multiplied This Sunday!

Don’t forget to join us live this Sunday from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM CST on SuperTalk 99.7 FM while my co-host, Eve, and I talk to Christian recording artist, Matthew West, and his wife Emily! Listen in to hear how Matthew West got connected with Mercy Ministries!! And don’t forget to call in with your questions…we want to hear from you! (615) 737-9986 If you live outside of the Middle Tennessee area, listen live online at www.mercymultiplied.com! You don’t want to miss it!

Husband Of Mercy Graduate Gives Back

Sometimes people do not understand the ripple effect that takes place when a girl comes into Mercy. Their time in the program not only affects their lives, but the lives of their family members, friends, and even future spouses. 2007 graduate, Krista, came to Mercy with a severe eating disorder. I recently received the coolest letter that totally blew me away from Krista’s husband, Brian, along with a very generous financial gift that Brian had been asking God to provide so that he could give to Mercy as a thank you. With their permission, I wanted to share a portion of the letter with you to show you exactly what I am talking about:

As 2010 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the tremendous changes and blessings that have rocked my world in the past two years. Last year, I met my best friend and fell completely in love. Her name is Krista, and she is a Mercy graduate. Krista is a woman of faith, integrity, honor, passion, adventure, creativity, love, energy and so much more! The fact that you took the time to see all of that in her means so much to ME. It is obvious how deeply you love the girls and show them the mercy, grace and restoring power of God. Krista has taught me so much about God in the way she lives every day of her life. She has a deep and abiding passion for the Lord and loves others for who they are no matter what (me included). In all of this I am immensely grateful to Mercy Ministries. We are now husband and wife on a life-long journey filled with the mercy and grace of God!

I know Krista has always given back to Mercy with her time and finances, and now, as a couple, we want to start giving back to you together. We love you and I personally owe you a deep debt of gratitude for the life you have impacted. Now you are impacting mine every day through Krista!

Your Brother in Christ,

Brian

Special shout out to Brian and Krista – thank you for allowing me to share your joy with others! Also, a big THANK YOU to our Mercy supporters who give to make changed lives possible!

Mercy Residents Attend TN Governor’s Inauguration Concert!

This past Friday night, January 14th, the residents and staff from our Mercy home in Nashville had the privilege of attending a special inauguration concert to honor our newly elected Governor of Tennessee, Bill Haslam. It was really cool for our girls to get to attend a wholesome, secular concert, as well as get a taste of the political world. This concert featured performances by well-known recording artists Sara Evans, Diamond Rio, and Bo Bice. It was such a great time! Here are some pictures highlighting all the fun they had:

Diamond Rio

Also thought you might want to hear what some of our Mercy residents had to say about it:

Every bit of that concert was awesome! I grew up listening to Diamond Rio!! I really liked the energy they brought. – Joclyn

I liked the concert because it was upbeat and fun! – Amanda

I enjoyed the concert. I was exposed to three music groups that I haven’t listened to before. Thanks for inviting us! – Alma

We appreciate all of our elected officials, and we encourage you to pray for each and every one of them – no matter what their political affiliation may be.

Have a great night!!!

2003 Mercy Grad Just Received Masters In Social Work!

I’ll never forget when Heather walked through the doors of Mercy in 2002, the journey of her coming into a place of freedom in Christ, and then her Mercy graduation in 2003 and her sharing her dream for the future. Today she is living that dream! I just received word from Heather that she just graduated with her Masters in Social Work, and she also just bought her first home. Back in 2002, she was literally fighting for her life, and today she is giving life to others. She was once told by the experts that she would be a casualty in the eating disorder war, but she has proved them all wrong!!! Today she is deliberately working in a secular place where she can reach out to others and let her light shine. Heather knows that her very life is a message of freedom and a lighthouse to others who are still fighting to survive. Check out these awesome pictures and her story – very cool!!

Dear Nancy,

Merry Christmas!!! This truly is my favorite holiday. Not because of the snow, presents or Christmas trees but for the birth my Savior, Jesus Christ! If you would have told me a couple of years ago that I would be alive today and living life to the fullest, I would have politely smiled as I cringed inside. Back then I did not believe I would live this long, nor did I desire to. The pain of being sexually abused and having so many losses at such a young age was eating away at me, literally. The pain took the form of a severe eating disorder and self mutilation. I was in so much emotional pain that I did not believe that even Heaven would bring me relief -- I just wanted to cease to exist all together. I had been labeled with Major Depressive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Anorexia, Self-harmer, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and also as having an Anxiety Disorder. But those disorders were not who I was or who I am. I am a PRINCESS. Not in a snobby kind of way, but humbly I say what an honor it is to be a daughter of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!! That is who I am and to whom I belong!

After graduating from Mercy, I was still healing. But it is so true that who the Son sets free is free indeed! I returned to college and finished my bachelor degree in social work. Then I finished my masters in social work 10 months later. During this time I had amazing opportunities where God really used me in different internships I had. Before I even graduated, I had several job offers on the table and I took one where I work in homes with families to intervene and provide services to at-risk families that have been involved with Child Protective Services. I absolutely love it and as a child who was abused, my heart lies in being a voice for those who have no voice yet. I think that was one of the greatest gifts God gave me at Mercy, my voice back.

Just a week ago I became a home owner. I bought my first house for me and my dog Gizmo. It is such an exciting time in my life. So many new beginnings. Still waiting for God to bring me a husband as I desire to be a wife and a mommy but as I stated before, if you would have told me where I would be today and that I would be happy, there is no way I would have ever believed that!

Nancy, I know that you have been so faithful in your walk with God and being His hands in this ministry. I am in awe of all God has done. I am so thankful to have my life and to be living it in abundance just as my Heavenly Daddy promised. I pray that God blesses you more than you can ever think or imagine. Thank you Nancy for being an instrument in saving my life. I love you!

Love, Heather Johnson




So proud of you, Heather! You are truly one of my heroes and one of our Mercy champions!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Dayton Basketball Team Visits St. Louis Home!

As a fan of college basketball, especially women’s basketball, it was our great joy to host the Dayton Flyers in our St. Louis home last night. Counting players, coaching staff, and assistants, there were a total of 25 people representing Dayton. They are in town to play tonight at STL and our Mercy girls will definitely be in the house to cheer them on!!

It was such a special time as our girls bonded so closely with this team in such a very short period of time. Our girls are so excited about tonight’s game – so much so that they are making signs and preparing to cheer them on to victory! I thought you might want to see some of the pictures from the Flyers visit last night so you can see how special it really was…







For more information about Dayton’s team and two sisters that play together, check out this recently posted article on ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=5999050


GO FLYERS!!! GO MERCY GIRLS!!! – AN UNBEATABLE TEAM!!!

Mercy Girls Special Guests Of Joel Osteen…

Pastor Joel and Victoria Osteen were recently in Sacramento doing “A Night Of Hope” event and had our staff and girls come as their special guests. This past Friday night, they did the same thing for everyone in St. Louis. Both staff and girls from each home had an amazing time!!! Check out the pictures from this past Friday night in St. Louis…

Several years ago when we did the ground-breaking ceremony prior to building our Sacramento home, Pastor Joel and Victoria and the entire Osteen family came and spoke at our ground-breaking ceremony (pictured below).





It’s so cool now to have that home built and filled with 40 residents at all times! To have the residents in Sacramento go and hear Joel speak was extra special. Special thanks to Pastor Joel and Victoria for your amazing support of Mercy Ministries and for hosting our staff and girls as your special guests! To learn more about “A Night Of Hope,” CLICK HERE.

I Dare You To Watch This...

On Tuesday, January 4, 2011, our country declared the month of January as the National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. In fact, 90% of all U.S. human trafficking involves the sex trade. Mercy Ministries has been helping victims of sex trafficking for several years, and we continue to receive more and more cries for help from young women who are victims of this horrific crime.

It’s hard to believe that the average age of entry into sex trafficking is 12 to 14 and according to the Polaris Project, over 200,000 American youth are at high risk for commercial sexual exploitation each year. I came across the below video this week about how one pre-teen was manipulated and lured into this dark world, and it just reinforced to me the urgency of how much we need to take action NOW in order to bring these girls from death to life.



Since many victims of sex trafficking are abused, homeless and in danger, one of the major keys in helping them is to provide a residential program. We are on a mission to not only provide a safe place free of charge, but to surround these young women with the unconditional love of Christ who is the only One who can set them free and transform their lives!

We have launched a new website to serve as a resource and to give you an opportunity to help provide hope and a future for these victims – check it out at www.endsextrafficking.com. I dare you to get involved and partner with us in this fight!

Mercy Graduate Thanks Supporters…

I always get so excited when I receive a college graduation announcement from one of our Mercy graduates. It means so much to see how they are moving forward to be successful in all areas of their lives.

I recently received yet another graduation announcement from a young woman who graduated in 2008 from our St. Louis home. After graduating from Mercy, Laura just graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne University with a degree in Psychology in December. However, the thing that blessed me the most about Laura’s announcement is the personal note she wrote to me that came with it. With Laura’s permission, I wanted to share her note of appreciation to not just me, but to all of you who support Mercy both prayerfully and financially…

Dear Nancy,

I wanted to send you my graduation announcement, along with a huge thank you! I graduated from Mercy in St. Louis in November 2008, and I’m so thankful for my freedom in Christ. I will be starting graduate school in January, pursuing a degree in Counseling. My hope is to reach other young women and help them, as the ladies at Mercy did for me. Thank you, Nancy, for following God’s plan and starting Mercy. I know so many lives have been touched by Mercy – not just the girls that go, but their friends, families, churches, and so on. Mercy has such a special place in my heart and I will remain forever grateful to you, and everyone who supports Mercy, prayerfully and financially. You’ve helped make a way for so many people to experience hope and life like never before. Thank you.

Love,

Laura

I am so proud of you, Laura!!! Special thanks to all of our supporters who give so generously and sow into the lives of the young women we serve – you are truly making a difference!

Daily Double – God’s Word and Starbucks!!!

Today is my first day back at work, as I’m sure the same is true for most of you. For me, the break was a special time for me to watch sports and hang out with good friends and family. But, I wanted to share with you my favorite hangout buddy from the holidays - my best buddy, Jude. I have had Jude since he was a puppy and he just turned 12 on December 28th. He and I spent a lot of time reading the Word and drinking Starbucks together. Just like me, he is a little bit older and needs reading glasses. Thought you enjoy this picture…




He is one of the great joys of my life God has blessed me with. I am desperately trying to understand all the cat people in the world, but I hope all of you will remember that there must be a reason that dog is God spelled backwards!


Hope your 2011 is your best ever, and if you want it to be just that, then please remember this: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” -- Proverbs 3:5-6 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” -- Psalm 119:105 “Direct my steps by Your Word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” – Psalm 119:133