Blog
- October 1st, 2012
Little is Much
add a comment | talkWhen I was a little girl, I spent one week each summer visiting my grandmother all by myself. My parents would drop me off, I'd give her a big hug, and I'd promptly run to the kitchen for a Little Debbie snack cake or a scoop of her chocolate chip ice cream. We spent our days working at the community thrift store and our evenings at home. We played games like Yahtzee! and Scrabble, and she was happy to allow me to experiment in the kitchen. She even ate my first attempt at Egg Drop soup. (It's a wonder she didn't end up in the hospital with food poisoning.)
After dinner, we'd quiet down. She'd put a Gaither Band special on the television and set to her needlework. I'd grab a book and get lost in my imagination. One song, more than the others, stands out in my memory. The lyrics go like this:
In the harvest field now ripened
there a work for all to do.
Hark! The voice of God is calling
to the harvest, calling you.Little is much when God is in it.
Labor not for wealth or fame.
There's a crown, and you can win it,
if you go in Jesus' name.Every time I look at the work God is doing in and through The Mercy House, that song rings loud in my head. On the stage, for all to see, a maternity home in Kenya rescues girls from poverty and abuse, sharing God's Love in the name of Jesus Christ. But behind the scenes, more than three hundred people fund the maternity home with an average monthly gift of $20. Stay-at-home-moms sacrifice a little here and a little there. Families commit to eating at home one more time each month. Young girls, like Jenny, collect money for their birthdays and donate it to Mercy House.
"Little" gifts, "small" sacrifices...
They all add up to a ministry that has saves babies, changes lives, and shows mercy in a merciless society.
Today, I'm really excited to tell you about another small thing you can do to support The Mercy House. Pure Charity is revolutionizing the way you shop. No, wait, Pure Charity is revolutionizing the way you give to the charties you care about. No, that's not it. Pure Charity is revolutionizing the way charitable organizations raise funds for projects. Or maybe Pure Charity is revolutionizing the way corporate brands pursue philanthropy and mobilize their customer bases to do good.
Actually, Pure Charity is doing all of that!
How? Pure Charity is connecting corporate brands like Target, Apple, Nike, Best Buy, Lowe's, and hundreds more with their patrons for the benefit of charities like The Mercy House. Let me show you how it works:
I signed up for my Pure Charity account. Then, I purchased an outfit for our upcoming family pictures at ModCloth.com (a Pure Charity participating merchant). As a member of Pure Charity, I received free shipping, and ModCloth deposited 5% of my purchase into my Pure Charity Giving Fund. Now, I can contribute the money in my Giving Fund to any of the projects listed on Pure Charity. I chose to back the "Education and Job Training" project at The Mercy House. Once the $2200 project goal is reached, the funds will be distributed to The Mercy House for the girls to continue their education and job training.
$5 doesn't seem like much by itself, but imagine the impact we can make together. Christmas shopping is right around the corner, after all...
With three simple steps, you can join me as I watch God turn little into much:
1. Sign up for a FREE Pure Charity account. - For every person that signs up for a Pure Charity account this week, The Mercy House will receive $2. That may seem little, but little is much when God is in it!
2. Download the Pure Charity web app/browser bar. - You can shop through the Pure Charity website without this download, but this handy app makes a square Pure Charity button appear on all participating websites, instantly reminding you to credit your purchase toward your Giving Fund. It doesn't get any easier than that!
3. Start funding projects! - This is where the fun begins. As you shop, the money in your Giving Fund will increase. If you'd like to contribute even more to a particular project, you can add money to your Giving Fund via a debit/credit card. Then you can browse the current projects being hosted through Pure Charity and contribute to the projects you love!
That's all there is to it. A brand new way to shop mercy...now available at your favorite stores!
Does the place you're called to labor
seem too small and little known?
It is great, if God is in it,
and He'll not forget His own.Little is much when God is in it...
- September 4th, 2012
Dare You Not to Smile
add a comment | talkThe Mercy House is on a mission to rescue girls from the grip of Satan. To give them a home, a safe place where they can experience the love and hope that only comes from Jesus Christ. This mission brings with it a whole host of challenges. It would be easy to get trapped in the muck and mire of spiritual warfare and beaurocratic red tape, if it weren't for these precious moments:
Without Rehema House, these beautiful babies would be at the mercy of a broken world...at great risk of bearing the wounds their mothers are trusting Jesus to heal. Instead, you have answered God's call, partnered with The Mercy House, and given these precious children a chance.
A Chance for Friendship
A Chance for Love and Affection
(Whether they want it or not...ha ha ha!)
A Chance for Faith and Family
Faith, taught and modeled by a staff who loves Jesus, who loves like Jesus.
Family, bonded together by a common faith, a loving Father.
Thank you for helping us love mercy and give these precious girls and their children the chances that God has always intended for them to have. The Mercy House couldn't exist without its sponsors. Your support is priceless.
- August 27th, 2012
We're OPEN!
add a comment | talkAfter a short break for the summer, The Mercy Shop is OPEN for business!! Check out a few of our new items:
We're thrilled about these new items and designs, and we hope that you are, too! Starting today, you can order these items (and dozens more!) at The Mercy Shop. And if you use coupon code REGRAND at check out, you can save 20% on your entire order! Thank you for helping us love mercy by shopping mercy!
Which new item is your favorite?
- August 20th, 2012
Mercy House Shop: Grand Re-Opening!
add a comment | talk
One week from today, we'll be re-opening the Mercy House Shop. Make sure you stop by to check out your old favorites, as well as some great new products like these gorgeous bangle bracelets:
We'll also be unveiling the newest Mercy House t-shirt designs and a new bag! We hope you'll join us and maybe even bring a friend or two with you. Thank you for supporting The Mercy House by shopping mercy!
- August 8th, 2012
Welcome, welcome!
add a comment | talkLast week, we said goodbye to Annette, Mercy House's first-ever housemother. We mentioned that it was going to take two people to fill her shoes, and, this week, we're happy to introduce you to the newest members of our Mercy House Staff. Meet Jessica, Pauline, and Winfred:
One of our goals for the coming year is to recruit more girls to The Mercy House. 16 girls and babies need a lot of care and support, and, as we add more girls, that need will only increase. The administrative duties will also grow. In order to prepare for these changes, we have hired two new housemothers, as well as an administrative assitant to help Maureen with accounting and paperwork.
Jessica, 46, is an experienced mother, and we believe she will be a huge blessing as we recruit more girls in the Spring.
Winfred, 50, is also a mother, as well as a widow. We are excited to welcome her into the Mercy House family, and we know she will be a great addition to our staff.
Finally, Pauline is a recent graduate of Daystar University in Nairobi. You wouldn't believe the amount of administration and paperwork it takes to run a maternity home in Kenya, and Maureen is grateful to have Pauline as an assistant.
Please help us welcome Pauline, Winfred, and Jessica by leaving them a note in the comments section. We would also appreciate your continued prayers for smoothe transitions and wisdom as we move forward. Thank you for your support!
- July 30th, 2012
A Grateful Goodbye
add a comment | talkWhen we opened the doors of The Mercy House 18 months ago, we had a very specific goal of providing good, stable jobs for local members of the community where Rehema House is located. And when Annette came to us, we knew she was just the person for the position of Housemother.
Over the past year and a half, 16 children under the age of 17 have entered The Mercy House, and Annette has served and loved each one of them well. However, the time has come for Annette to serve her community in a different way in order to be reunited her own precious children.
Annette has been working diligently to save money with the hopes of opening her own restaurant, and we are so happy to let you know that her dream is becoming a reality. She has been such a great blessing to The Mercy House, and we hate to see her go. We are thankful, however, for the time we've shared with her and for the opportunity she has been given. Please begin to pray for Annette as she moves into the next chapter of her story: pray for her family, for her new business, and for her faith.
Annette's shoes are so hard to fill that we've hired two new housemothers to help run Rehema House. We'll be sharing more about these new members of The Mercy House family next week, but we'd appreciate if you would already begin to pray for a smooth transition.
Dear Annette, thank you so much for all of the time and love you invested in The Mercy House. You have been a great blessing to each person who has entered this home. We wish you all the best in your new endeavors, and we look forward to seeing what God will do next in your life. Thank you for loving mercy!
Mercy House Sponsors - You are changing lives by sharing what God has shared with you. We're honored that you've chosen to partner with The Mercy House, and we hope you know that you are never taken for granted. Thank you for loving mercy!
- July 25th, 2012
A Precious Birthday
add a comment | talkIt's hard to believe that our first Mercy Baby is already a walking, talking one year old! Last week, we celebrated Precious and enjoyed a party in honor of her first birthday:
It has been an honor to love Quinter and Precious and witness their first year together. At The Mercy House, we've decided to commemorate our babies' first years by gifting them with their first Bible and a yummy birthday cake. Precious also received a new dress and shoes. :)
Maureen says, "I feel the Bible is the most important gift to receive as a first birthday present as she will grow in the Word and be well rooted. It is special in the sense that first we are charging her to seek first the kingdom of God. I asked her mom, Quinter, to keep it safe and clean and to ensure she reads to her. Even at this tender age, she will grow knowing that every night her mom reads something special."
Precious sure loves her Mercy House Family, and she was eager to share her cake with everyone, especially Grandma Maureen:
It was a fun party, and it wouldn't have been complete without a silly faces photo:
Happy Birthday, Precious! We're so thankful to have you as part of our Mercy House Family!
- June 28th, 2012
A Beautiful Heart
add a comment | talkDo you ever wonder if your contribution is truly making a difference? Maybe you see that $25 dollar donation each month and think, "What in the world can $25/month actually accomplish?" Maybe you look at your $3 donation and convince yourself that 8 girls and 8 babies won't ever notice if $3 goes away.
But I need to tell you that every. single. dollar. counts. Because $3 + $3 + $3 adds up, and that money pays for rent, food, medical care, life skills training, clothes, diapers, and a million other things that can't be described on a line-item budget.
Things like heart changes.
About a year ago, Cindy came to Mercy House (Rehema in Swahili) with a hardened heart, frustrated and disillusioned...unable to love and unsure of whether she wanted to keep her baby.
This is Cindy today:
Do your contributions make a difference? Cindy thinks so. And I agree with her.
Thank you so much for your support of The Mercy House. Because you give, girls like Cindy learn about a God who loves them fiercely. Because you give, babies like Nicholas are given the chance to live and mothers who are able to love them. You are making a difference, and we're so thankful for you.
If you aren't yet a monthly sponsor, please consider helping us change hearts by donating here. You'll gain access to private sections of the website where you can learn more about the girls and their babies, and you'll be the first to know about new updates at The Mercy House. We'd love to have you join us as we love mercy.
- June 27th, 2012
Mercy House By the Numbers
add a comment | talkThe Welch Family has invaded The Mercy House, and everyone's having a ball! Babies are being snuggled, smiles are being shared, and memories are being made. If you'd like to know a little more about what's happening in Kenya, head over to Kristen's blog, We Are THAT Family, and check out some of the numbers behind The Mercy House...
- June 14th, 2012
Two Sides of the Same World
add a comment | talkPlaying an active role in the leadership of a ministry that exists and functions on the other side of the world isn't an easy task. In fact, just a decade ago, it was nearly impossible. Modern technology has blessed us with tools such as email, Skype, and Facebook. Tools that allow us to communicate with our loved ones in Kenya on a consistent basis and take care of necessary details...all the way from Texas.
In just eight days, the Welches will board a plane bound for Kenya. They will spend time doing all the things that simply cannot be done with a computer and an internet connection:
Hugging Loved Ones
Snuggling Precious Ones
Catching Up with One of Our Favorite Ones...
Face to face!!
Everyone's been busy preparing for the trip, and the Welches took packing to an extreme... They packed *all* their belongings and sold their house! Don't get too excited. They're not moving to Kenya (yet), but they've felt led to live differently.
For the immediate future, however, they'll simply focus on loving their incredible extended family in Kenya. Will you please commit to praying for everyone (the Welch family, Maureen, the staff, the girls, and the babies!) as they live together and love together for the next couple of weeks? Here are some general requests:
- Safe, Smooth Travels
- General Health
- An Enjoyable and Productive Visit
We're hoping to get the blog updated with nearly real-time pictures and stories during the Welches' visit. We'll also be updating the girls' private pages. If you'd like to get specific updates about our girls and babies, all we ask is that you help support their health and wellbeing with a $10 monthly donation to The Mercy House. You can give here. If you're already a supporter of The Mercy House, thank you! You can access the girls' pages by clicking here.Thank you again for your support and prayers!
