"Mommy, is this Christmas?"

Our little learning center was overrun with school supplies and people the morning of July 28, 2007. There was not an inch of floor space (or front porch space) anywhere. So many gave to make this outreach to some of the poorest of the poor in Graham County happen.

Special thanks to Crawford Hitt with New Directions Intl. for supplying many of the EduPaks (back packs) and materials. Also a big thanks to the young couples class at Fellowship Bible Church for having a very successful fundraiser to pay New Directions for the materials given. I know that as young married couples, some with little ones, this was a stretch for you to give above and beyond what you already give to the Lord. Thank you for walking in obedience to Him. There were many others who also gave when the numbers of back packs needed grew so rapidly. Great is your reward in heaven!

This outreach turned into a totally amazing window of opportunity. We had an SUV full of men and back packs go one direction and another vehicle full of women and back packs go another. We delivered 40 that day, besides packing the other 10 scheduled for either delivery by DSS or some families that made arrangements to come to the Learning Center for pick up. All the packs that were put together and waiting for DSS or folks not home were all delivered by the following Tuesday. The people with PO Box addresses that did not respond by phone started calling on Monday. The next thing I knew the list grew from 52, to 60, to 68, with a final total of 75! I had to go and buy more back packs, more notebooks and kindergarten supplies and folders.

Delivering these back packs was an eye opening experience for all of us in one way or another. At times we literally needed to use 4 wheel drive to reach some of the homes. Upon arriving at one of the locations, the men were greeted by a man carrying a shot gun. It turns out he was shooting bees nests out of a tree in the front yard. Some houses had steps in such disrepair we wondered how they even get in and out. At yet another house, Bekah Hamrick (Missions Director at FBC) and I were greeted by goats who didn't care about us, but really wanted the back packs we were delivering. They kept trying to grab them out of our hands. Each stop had it's own story to tell. Most shared freely with us, especially after we asked if we could pray with them and their children.

There was a grandmother who called my cell phone while we were out, wondering when we'd be there. Her grandchild was anxiously awaiting her back pack full of supplies. The guys delivered hers. A very rough mountain woman with lots of what we call "Appalachian Art" around. She called back on Monday. She had read the "Am I Going to Heaven?" gospel tract and the Bible Promises booklet cover to cover and had questions. I went out to her place to give her a Bible and shared the Gospel with her. I've followed up with her 3 times now. During the second visit she received Christ as her Savior. Please pray I can plug this family into a church.

Another woman came by the learning center the Monday after the deliveries to get her daughter's back pack (1st grade). When I handed the little girl her back pack she just grinned from ear to ear and hugging the pack, looked up at her Mommy and asked, "Mommy, is this Christmas?". Her story is so heart breaking. "J.'s" husband went back to Mexico in April and left her destitute. She got pregnant in high school and dropped out of school. Her mother and step father disowned her and hasn't had contact with them in several years. She and her daughter have been living basically homeless since April, just bouncing around from friend to friend. A few days later I met with her and her caseworker and I've been put in the loop to help with her GED studies and some one on one mentoring. Life is showing signs of improvement for "J" and her daughter. She now has a job, and her cousin is allowing her to stay there for awhile longer since she can now contribute to the rent and utilities. Before school started, she and I went thrift store shopping for back to school clothes for her daughter. What it privilege it is to be able to mentor this young woman. We've had some amazing answers to prayer that have really encouraged her in her faith. One of those was actually meeting her mother for lunch one day about 2 weeks ago. I drove "J" to Asheville to meet with her mom at a Cracker Barrel (she's living 2 hours the east of Asheville now and Robbinsville is 2 hours west). I sat at a different table to give them their space, but close enough to make "J" comfortable. The meeting went well. "J" is guardedly optimistic about their next visit. Saturday, October 13 her mother is coming to Robbinsville to meet her granddaughter for the very first time! It will be "D's" 7th birthday party. Please pray for the healing of this relationship.

Here is yet another story that has touched my heart and life deeply.

Another woman came by to pick up 3 back packs. I thought it was just going to be a quick encounter, but the Lord had another plan. I had my boxed set of Touch of Life Fetal Models sitting on the table so I would remember to take them to show the children at the summer reading program. When "C" noticed the box on the table she became very uncomfortable and started shaking. She asked me what they were and I told her. "C" broke into tears and asked her children to go to the car to wait for her. It turns out she had an abortion in March, after much pressure from her husband and her family. She was 14 weeks. I prayed with her and she kept staring at the box so I asked her if she wanted to see the babies. As soon as she saw how real and life like they looked, she asked if she could hold on. The models were lying on a pink blanket. She gently lifted one of the "babies" and wrapped it up in the blanket, sat down in a chair and just rocked the baby, crying and talking to the baby through deep sobs and sharing her regrets. She told the baby what she had named her, and that she was so sorry and going crazy over murdering her and not knowing where her little body is now. This went on for almost 35 minutes. She was trying to have closure over what had happened. In the meantime, I just sat quietly, went outside occasionally and reassured the children that their mommy was just looking at some things inside and gave them juice and a snack. Finally, she laid the baby down, covered it with the blanket and closed the box. We got together again that evening from 5:30 to 7:00, just the two of us. I gave her a Bible and shared the Gospel with her, but forgiveness was a real obstacle in her life. She agreed to read the Gospel of John over the next week. I encouraged her to go to the crisis pregnancy center in a neighboring county (the closest one). "C" and I have been meeting weekly now for 10 weeks. She never did go to the crisis pregnancy center, but I was able to give her post abortion syndrome materials that I have at the learning center. After 7 weeks of counseling with "C", she saw the amazing grace of God that was offered to her through Christ's sacrificial death on the cross and His bodily resurrection. Hope has filled her life where there was once only darkness and despair. She has finally come to the place where she can forgive herself and the others involved in the abortion. We're presently working through an 8 week Bible study specifically written for women who have had abortions. Please continue to pray for "C" as she grows in Christ.

For those of you who prayed, who gave financially and/or came to be a part of this outreach, thank you! We will never know this side of eternity how something as simple as pencils and paper can impact the lives of people when they are given in Jesus name.