Mercy Ministries “Likes” Anderson Hill Consulting

Want to help raise money for Mercy Ministries just by “liking” someone on Facebook?! Anderson Hill Consulting is a Nashville business that specializes in remodeling homes. Owner Eric Poulin (pictured right), recently came to tour our Nashville home and international headquarters and wanted to raise support for Mercy! Therefore, Eric set a goal to raise $1,000 for Mercy Ministries in the month of February. Anderson Hill Consulting will donate one dollar for every new fan they get on their Facebook page, up to 1,000 fans! TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!!! Click here to go to their Facebook page and click on the “like” button. It’s that easy!!!

Special thanks to Eric Poulin and Anderson Hill Consulting for their support!

Hope everyone has a great night!

Too Good to Miss!

Last Sunday morning we had one of the most amazing and powerful radio shows, and the feedback from this particular show has been overwhelming. We actually had a young woman who was in the Mercy program about 10 years ago facing an unplanned pregnancy after her freshman year of college. During Kathryne’s stay at Mercy, she prayerfully made the decision to place her son for adoption. She felt that this was best for him, and would also make a way for her to complete her college education. Fast forward almost ten years later, and Kathryne not only completed her college degree, but she is now happily married and expecting a child of her own. In addition, Kathryne has been working as one of our Intake Coordinators for the past three years. In this position, Kathryne is on the phone every day with young girls who are facing difficult issues and are interested in coming to Mercy. Because of so much positive feedback about this particular show, I wanted to put a link to it here so you could listen – www.mercymultiplied.com.

I have also included pictures so you can see what each one of them look like. Not only was Kathryne in the studio, but she was joined by her husband, John, and the adoptive couple, Greg and Tracey. They shared their story of perfect love and the bond they have with the perfect love of God that was passed on through this. There is a trust and a love between them that only God can give. You are going to love this!!!

Here’s Kathryne at her desk working at Mercy

Adoptive couple, Greg and Tracey, with Jackson today

Jackson as a baby

Kathryne and her husband, John, on their wedding day!

Two Years And Still Going Strong…

I just received a very inspiring letter from 2009 Nashville graduate, Georgianna, and I wanted to share it with you. Georgianna came to Mercy struggling with an eating disorder and self-harm, and is now walking in complete and total freedom. It is always so cool to receive letters like this that truly show how your past does not have to determine your future. I hope that Georgianna’s letter blesses you as much as it blessed me!

Hello!

I just wanted to let all of you at Mercy know that you are constantly in my prayers – God is doing GREAT things and it is a joy to watch Him work through your lives! I am so thankful that He led me to your doors two years ago. He has continued to do a good and perfect work and today I am still walking in freedom and living with hope and purpose! I am currently attending Liberty University with a goal of double majoring in Clinical Psychology and Health Promotions. It’s been a busy, but productive semester so far. I am also serving on Student Leadership as well as playing soccer and I absolutely love it!

The Lord is faithful and I am so thankful that His love is constant and sustaining. He never fails!

“I AM the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. – John 15:5”

Much love to all of you!

Because of His Mercy,

Georgianna

I am so proud of Georgianna and all she has overcome! She is truly a trophy of God’s grace!

Hope everyone has a great night!

Life On The Road…

Hey Everyone –

Hope you had a great weekend! The last time I blogged, I was in Toledo, OH, and the traveling has not stopped. I am currently on my way to spend time with our staff and girls in Louisiana for a few days and then on to St. Louis, MO to do the same. Although I love speaking at churches and conferences all over, my favorite thing is spending time with the current residents in all of our homes. Watching them face and overcome their issues head on is so rewarding – God is so good. They are truly my heroes!!! I will be joined by my special friends, Jane and Crystal Hamon, who will be spending time pouring into the lives of our staff and residents through the teaching of God’s Word and personal ministry to each individual. Please pray for this very special time that I believe will be life-changing for everyone, especially for our current residents in Louisiana and St. Louis.

I’ll talk more with you later. Hope everyone has a great night!

In Toledo With CeCe Winans, Jane Hamon, Lisa Bevere, and Kathi Pitts...

The Impact Women's Conference hosted by Kathi Pitts has been one of the best ever!!! It has been my great joy to speak at this great conference alongside CeCe Winans, Jane Hamon, Lisa Bevere, and conference host, Kathi Pitts. The opening session of the conference was Wednesday evening with both morning and evening sessions yesterday and today. The closing session of the conference will be tonight featuring author and speaker, Jane Hamon, from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

For me personally, this has been one of the most fun conferences I have ever been a part of because all of the speakers are close, personal friends. We have had a great time!! Lots of tears and lots of laughter with God doing a deep work in the hearts of many.

I thought you might enjoy getting an inside look at some of the special moments we have had these last couple of days...

Nancy pictured with Kathi Pitts, Lisa Bevere, and Jane Hamon

Lisa Bevere

CeCe Winans

Celebrating with Canadian Mercy Grads!!!

Nancy with the two graduates

I thought you would love seeing the celebration that occurred at the Mercy Canada home yesterday as we honoured the newly transformed lives of our first two Canadian graduates. The Mercy house in Canada was full of people and full of joy – it was so awesome to hear from these two beautiful young ladies about how Christ has changed their lives and given them a new beginning. Both Jorgia and Sonja are very excited about their future, and both young women plan to dedicate their lives to helping other young women overcome the same issues that they themselves have overcome. It was my honour to be there to mark this first ever milestone for our newest home in Vancouver, BC.

First two Canadian graduates are all smiles

I salute John and Helen Burns for having the heart and vision to start a Mercy home in Canada, and I salute Nicola Bartel for being the great leader she is as our Executive Director and overseer of all of our staff. What a great job this staff is doing!!!

John and Helen Burns

Check out these pictures to give you an idea of the wonderful time we had yesterday as we honoured these two young women…

Nancy gives current Canadian resident, Nancy, a hug of encouragement

Valentine’s Day in Vancouver…

Yesterday was such a fun day, but also a busy one. I did my Mercy Multiplied radio show yesterday morning, and quickly left the studio to come home and pack a bag to head to Vancouver. I arrived late last night, and it was my great joy to walk into the Mercy home this morning to surprise the girls for Valentine’s Day! I had the privilege of teaching class and encouraging each one of the young ladies in their journey. The home here is so special and so beautiful, and the staff are so awesome!!! Tomorrow we will have an official graduation ceremony as we graduate our first two Canadian residents. It is my joy and privilege to be here to share in this milestone moment. These two girls represent hundreds and even thousands of young women who will walk through these doors in the months and years ahead to receive their freedom. Thought you might enjoy seeing a picture of me with some of the residents in our home here in Canada.


Also, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Eight Graduates Means Eight New Residents…

We had three graduations this week – St. Louis, Nashville, and Monroe, LA. A total of eight girls graduated, which means that eight more girls will be able to come off our waiting list. I am so proud of each of these graduates and wanted to share a little bit about them with you…

Nancy pictured with Nashville graduates Jorey, Rachel, Amanda, and Annie

ANNIE:
Annie (pictured right) came to Mercy struggling with depression and anger problems. Annie’s self-hatred led to issues with self-harm and believing lies about herself and others. Through her time at Mercy, she learned the truth about what God says about her, as well as how to truly forgive herself and others. Annie also learned the power in renewing her mind to God’s Word daily. Annie is so excited to return home with her parents and get involved in a community group in her local church. Annie hopes to work for a non-profit organization one day and help others who are dealing with anger issues.



JOREY:
Jorey (pictured right) came to Mercy in June of 2010 struggling with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. While at Mercy, she has been set free from the fear and anxiety that had crippled her life since she was a young child and has moved into a place of true joy and hope. Jorey looks forward to going back home with her mom and finishing her junior year of high school along with getting involved in her youth group at church.





RACHEL:
Rachel (pictured right) came to Mercy with an eating disorder and struggling with self-harm. Before Mercy, Rachel’s life was filled with fear and pain, both emotional and physical. While at Mercy, God has totally transformed every aspect of Rachel’s life. God has restored her joy and ability to laugh. This has brought about incredible freedom and Rachel is now full of hope. Rachel is so excited to return home and plans to go on a mission trip to Africa with her mother this summer, which has been a dream of hers for some time.



AMANDA:
Amanda (pictured right) came to Mercy last June after hitting rock bottom and struggling with depression, an eating disorder, self-harm, and drug addiction. At Mercy, Amanda has learned her true worth and value in Christ and is walking in the freedom to be herself. Amanda is so thrilled to return home with her parents and get involved in her church by volunteering in the children’s ministry and attending youth group. Amanda also hopes to go to cosmetology school one day!

St. Louis Program Director, Melanie Harbert, pictured with Ashley

ASHLEY:
Ashley came to Mercy struggling with a never-ending cycle of drugs and alcohol and very unhealthy and unsafe relationships to the point where her life had become unmanageable and out of control. While at Mercy, God has restored Ashley’s personality and zest for life along with her dreams, passions and desires. She knows that God truly loves every inch of her and that He will never leave or forsake her. Ashley is excited to move to North Carolina and experience a new start. She also plans to go to Bible college in the future.

Monroe Graduates, Malorie (Left) and Lisa (Right), pictured with Program Director, Sharon (middle)

LISA:
Lisa came to Mercy dealing with anger problems, an eating disorder and depression. While at Mercy, Lisa has learned that she is valuable and that God has given her more peace than she has ever known. After Mercy, Lisa would like to eventually attend a school for the arts in preparation of opening up a dinner theater with a ministry for the homeless.

MALORIE:
Malorie came to Mercy struggling with self-harm. She had exhausted all her efforts and was at rock bottom. While at Mercy, God has shown Malorie true love, grace and mercy. The biggest revelation she received at Mercy was that God planted His purpose and destiny in her way before she was born. Malorie is so excited to finish her degree in Athletic Training while prayerfully waiting on God to open the doors for her to pursue her music career in ministry.


I am so proud of each and every one of you! Can’t wait to see all that is in store for your future. Jeremiah 29:11

Have a great weekend!

Honoring 20 Years Of Service And Dedication To Mercy…

This afternoon, the Nashville Mercy staff and residents gathered together to honor Judy Jones as she is celebrating her 20th year with Mercy Ministries. It was so cool to see the look on Judy’s face when she saw her husband, kids, and grandkids in attendance for this special surprise! I still remember Judy’s first day at Mercy in February of 1991. Little did I know she would still be here 20 years later, but she has proven to be one of the greatest blessings that God has ever sent our way. She was our first full time staff in Nashville, and today we have over 60 staff members who look to Judy as a senior leader. Judy is such an amazing person, and a huge asset to our staff! (WE LOVE YOU JUDY!!!) I want to share with you some of the pictures from our special time together this afternoon…

Judy's family looking on...

Judy and her husband, kids, and grandkids

Feel free to leave a comment and congratulate Judy. I will be sure to pass on the congratulations! Judy, I am so thankful for your many years of service and dedication to Mercy Ministries!!

SUPER BOWL FUN AT MERCY!

There were 130 girls yesterday in four different homes in the U.S. that had an awesome time watching the Super Bowl and enjoying the creative commercials. It was a great experience and a lot of good food, laughter, as well as some healthy competition about who was going to win. Thought you might enjoy seeing pictures from the homes in Sacramento, St. Louis, Nashville, and Monroe, LA. Different people had different ideas about who the winner would actually be, but Jude had it all figured out from the very beginning. In case you have forgotten, Jude is my dog and he enjoyed being in the Nashville home. For him, it was Packers all the way. Check it out…

Sacramento Home

Monroe Home

St. Louis Home

Nashville Home

My dog Jude!

Congratulations to Aaron Rodgers and the entire Packer nation for a great season with an amazing end! Hoping my Titans will make it back at some point…

An Update From Mercy Graduate In Australia…

Australian Mercy Ministries graduate, Clare, just sent me the coolest update! With her permission, I wanted to share some great news with you and show you her beautiful face. We love passing on to you the excitement that we feel when we hear a report like this. Here is the good news that Clare was excited to share with me…

Hey Nancy!!

Just wanted to let you know that I've been accepted to study Psychology and Counseling. I’ve been out of Mercy Australia for nearly 2 years and finally found what I want to do. I'm so excited because I was so worried that I wouldn't get in but I DID!! YAY…

Hope that the girls are doing well and lots of them are having amazing breakthroughs!! They're part of an amazing Mercy family!!

Love,

Clare

We are rejoicing with Clare and are very excited about what God has in store for her future (Jeremiah 29:11)!

For all of you football fans out there, I am going for the Packers! Will be fun to see how the Super Bowl plays out.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

The Super Bowl and Sex Trafficking…

Our friend who spoke at Mercy last week, Lisa Thompson, is the National Liaison for the Abolition of Sex Trafficking for the United State’s Salvation Army. Lisa just forwarded this story to me today about how there is so much happening in the sex trafficking industry around the international stage of the Super Bowl coming up this weekend. I hope you will take the time to read this and educate yourself to the reality that this gross evil and injustice is happening right here in the United States of America. We at Mercy know this to be true because we are taking in these young women who have been used and abused in the most inhumane ways. Yes, my friend…it is happening here in America. Here’s a bit of what Lisa Thompson sent out today…

Bikers rally in DFW to expose child trafficking during Super Bowl week
By Robert Engler

The slave trade is thriving in the Dallas-Fort Worth MetroPlex and business is booming during Super Bowl week for the pimps and human traffickers.

That’s because, among the football fans flooding the Big D for the big game, there are hundreds-maybe thousands-of morally hollow men who will pay the pimps so they can have sex with runaway teens and thrown-away children who have been forced into prostitution.

But a cohort of motorcyclists are also heading to the MetroPlex with a different agenda.
On Saturday, February 5 - the day before the Super Bowl - hundreds of bikers from all over North Texas will fall in behind an 18-wheeler flying a banner "Kids are NOT for sale" for a parade around Cowboys Stadium.

“We are speaking out for the children who are bought and sold for profit and pleasure, raising awareness about this appalling crime, and fighting to stop it," said Suzy Hemming, a member of the Christ Church Plano Riders motorcycle club.

The ride is being organized by Traffick911, a Fort Worth-based non-profit committed to rescuing enslaved children and helping them recover from the nightmare of being sold for profit and sexual pleasure, and the EPIK Project, a national network of men fighting to end the perverse demand for sex with children. Over 74,000 people have signed a petition asking the Super Bowl Host Committee to endorse Traffick911’s “I’m Not Buying It” campaign to raise awareness and deter potential johns. Dallas Cowboy, Jay Ratliff, is also on board and made a public service announcement entitled "Real men don't buy children. They don't buy sex.”

Traffick 911 PSA 10 from Nate Bernard on Vimeo.

TO READ MORE, CHECK OUT:
http://www.examiner.com/motorcycle-in-plano/bikers-ride-to-expose-child-trafficking-during-super-bowl-week

Mercy Ministries Hits The TV Airwaves In Support of Coach Jeff Fisher!!!

Hey Everybody!

I was crazy busy over the weekend! I spoke at five weekend services, four of which took place on Sunday. I may share more about that later, but I apologize that I haven’t taken the time to do a blog. Last week was a very busy time for me on a number of levels. One being that the Nashville news media sought me out to comment on Jeff Fisher’s decision to leave the Tennessee Titans. I thought you might enjoy getting an inside look at this story which was featured in Nashville, TN on Channel 4, WSMV TV, which is the NBC affiliate in Nashville.

Here’s a link to the story that we posted on our website as well as pictures of our relationship with Jeff and the Tennessee Titans.

I will talk more with you later!