Mission....Accomplished

Today was the last day of the Mission Gunter's weekly Wednesday morning SAM (Summer Arts and More) Club. The children ended this six week program with ballroom dancing lessons. I am sure that some of the boys wished they had slept in...but for the most part the kiddos participated well...and even had a little fun. They learned rumba and swing moves.

It was a bitter-sweet day for me. I watched as these kids danced and goofed off and was reminded that today was our last day...mine in particular. This was my last official day with The Mission Gunter (I'll still be gardening...don't worry!) (http://missiongunterblog.blogspot.com or www.missiongunter.com) and as I was walking through the Mission Hall at the old school it hit me....yes, the water works began! Poor Keelie had to be the witness as the emotional goodbye filled my eyes.

After looking back through old email and just remembering how God has done such an amazing thing in Gunter has made me so thankful to just be a part of it all. When Keelie and I first started talking about starting The Mission 2 years ago, I doubt either of us knew how quickly so many God-size goals would be accomplished.

To date God has allowed us to:

coordinate food drives, distribute food to numerous families, open a clothes closet, begin monthly community meals for free, operate SAM Club for 2 summers, Mission Minds Tutoring program for the middle school, Mission Field Community Garden, Health Fair for 2 winters, sponsor numerous back packs for kids going back to school and more.

Please don't think I am tooting our own horn. I listed all that because somewhere down the road, there will be a day when I need to remember how God worked in my life in a giant way. This is my rememberance. My Ebenezer Rock. I Samuel 7:12 says Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it "Ebenezer" (Rock of Help), saying, "This marks the place where God helped us."
We all need a place where we can come back and remember. This list reminds me of how God:

uses any one who is willing,
provides financially,
is interested in people,
honors obedience,
sees beyond our weakness,
provides wisdom,
loves surprises,
and more and more and more.

It's been my privilege to work with the amazing people affiliated with the Mission. They are moms, dads, students, teachers, housewives, business owners, wealthy, middle class, poor, educated and uneducated...all loving God enough to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their own town. I've been blessed.

I'm so happy to know that God has given Keelie and the Mission Board of Directors the vision to minister to the people of Gunter. It's not surprising that God has worked out all the details. I look forward with anticipation to hear the great things that will be happening!

Now on to the next chapter of my life....I am equally as excited to be available for whatever God has planned! Stay tuned!

More Garden Goodies

The other day a community resident called and said they had excess squash in their own garden and wondered if we could use it to distribute to people in the community!!! She then told me she would be bringing me some every week or so!

The scouts came and picked the green beans.

Thanks to all our volunteers that are coming up during the week. I don't always know when you are there...but can tell by the lack of weeds you have been!

Thankful Thursday

Hop on over to Truth for the Journey for a complete listing of all the bloggers who participate in Thankful Thursdays....who knows...you might want to participate too!

1. A friend who made dinner, colored my hair and took a family picture for me on Sunday.

2. Another friend who I was blessed to have a kid-free dinner with last night.

3. An unspoken prayer request- answered.

4. Teachable moments with my kids

5. A wonderful Mission Gunter Community Meal with over 200 in attendance.

Thank you Lord for your abundant blessings....all of them!

What can you give thanks for today???...leave a comment below!

Mission Meals Report

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, 21- to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Keelie over at Red Writing wrote a beautiful synopsis of last night's first Mission Meal. Please take time to read it. Several times in the evening, as I watched God working, I got misty-eyed. Sometimes it's almost too much for me to take in...the way God has done EVERYTHING!

Click on over to Red Writing and read all about it.

Thoughts on Community

With the diveristy of the United States one would think that Americans would have figured a way to live in community with each other. Instead I find myself continuously bewildered and a little disappointed that there are still ghettos, chinatowns, the other side of the tracks, white trash and other politically incorrect words and phrases that certainly pronounce the differences in our skin color and our ethnicity.

This Saturday night The Mission Gunter is hosting Mmm (Monthy Mission Meals) We have had a generous donor contribute the funds for a delicious meal to feed between 300-500 people. The goal of this meal is to build a spirit of community in our town and to continue to foster relationships with our neighbors...red and yellow, black or white. As a white female, I have asked myself what does it mean to live in community? I think for myself it means that I look past someone's skin color, financial status, car, house, and clothes, and wonder what can I learn from them and what do I know that I could offer them? It's understanding that someone more wealthy than I can teach me a thing or two, and so can the person living on welfare. For some reason along the way we have lost touch with the value of a person....regardless of where they live, how much they own and where their kids are going to college.

I want my kids to grow up around many cultures, to have an appreciation for the person and to learn from the strengths, gifts and talents from others. To isolate them in circles of only middle class white children robs them of the experiences different cultures can bring. Just think how great it would be if my 3 year old could speak a few words of Spanish because he played with a couple of hispanic boys, or if Savannah learned to do a litergical dance from an african american girl she knew...or if I learned to make Mexican food from a willing hispanic grandmother.

In the process of Mmm The Mission desires to demonstrate to each Gunter resident the great love of God. Some of that will be done through our actions (service) and some of it will be demonstrated by participating in conversation and fellowship. I'm looking forward to it! I hope to see tables full of colored people....red, yellow, black and white. What a blessing that would be.

I Heart Peppers

Here's a pic of the first banana peppers from The Mission Field Community Garden. I'll be taking these to Morgan in the morning for her to distribute to a few families. Green beans will be ready within a week, tomatoes in a couple of weeks..and more just around the corner!

Thanks to all those involved!

A Trip to the Garden

These are pictures from The Mission's community garden (aka THE MISSION FIELD). Thanks to Justin Ferguson for all his work this weekend! - and thanks to the Lord for the good rain this morning! It's lookin' good!

Farm Girls

Morgan Waggoner and fresh-from-heaven Baby Samuel, came out to help weed the 'maters and water the garden Wednesday afternoon with me and my family. We couldn't resist getting our pic made...al natural!

Mission Garden...First Fruits

Thankful Thursday

Good Morning! Thanks to Truth for the Journey for encouraging us all to be more thankful!

Here's my list:

1. I am thankful for God's provision. He amazes me on a regular basis by his attention to detail.

2. I am thankful for good friends and neighbors who have helped us get our house ready to sell. Lots of help doing things we don't know how to do has saved us a ton of money! Thanks friends.

3. I am thankful for the TeamKID program at GBF. Savannah has learned so much from the stories, verses, lessons and teachers. I have watched her grow spiritually and that makes me very happy...and thankful.

4. I am thankful for the Mission Community Garden. There are peppers on the pepper plants and other plants that are getting ready to produce. Exciting!

5. I am thankful for an unexpected visit from a friend the other day. Came just in the nick of time...right before I was going to throw a pity party for myself! Thank you God for seeing my need...and thank you friend for thinking of me!

So, what are you thankful for? Leave a comment below!

Mission Auction Tonight!!!

If you live in the Gunter area, don't forget First Baptist Church has a fundraising auction for The Mission tonight at 6:30pm. Bring canned goods and items to donate for the auction. This is a ladies only event....sorry guys! You can check out more about The Mission here. Hope to see you there!

Thankful Thursday

A few things I am thankful for this week:

1. God's relationship with me. His faithfulness is forever. His presence is real and the unfathomable depth of His love leaves me speechless.

2. The Mission's tutoring program has been so enjoyable to be a part of. The kids have even asked if it could go on until the end of the school year. Several teachers have been really appreciative and overall, I think the tutors have really gained something from it.

3. Taxes are done- enough said!

4. The spring- I planted 6 dozen flowers in my yard and they look like they are going to all make it! Love the new life that is so apparent during this season.

5. A friends new baby. Samuel is just a cute one!!!

Click on comment below and share what you are thankful for this Thursday.

Diggin' In

Late this afternoon I had the great privilege of breaking ground on the garden for the Mission. What an awesome site!

At 5:30pm The Garner and Nevil families from First Baptist Church in Gunter arrived and planted 120 cucumber plants. They built 20 large mounds and planted 3 seeds per mound. The kids chipped right in and helped. Unfortunately there are some pretty muddy clothes going home with these families, but the work they put into the garden is very much appreciated. Thanks FBC!

At 7pm the Gunter Cub Scouts showed up and planted at least 100 okra seeds. Krissy Caperton led the efforts there with help from the boys and their parents. What a great job they did. They hoed both 50 foot rows and did all the planting! Way to earn your conservation badge boys.

Things are underway....more planting 8am on Saturday.

TJ has done it again

This guy is amazing! The mission is sure blessed to have this graphic designer on our team!

Mission Minds

In January of this year a group of 6 determined The Mission should pursue beginning a tutoring program in the Gunter Independent School District. Never in a million years would I have forecasted the eternal change this program has made on my heart.

The students we tutor come from different backgrounds. It's been fun watching them interact with other adults and I am amazed at their politeness. They are either really putting on a show...or they are genuinely behaving their best!

The volunteers for the Mission Minds program have been awesome. We have 3 teenagers and 9 adults who have been faithful to work with these kids each week. The great thing about having such a great group of volunteers is that I actually see the kids bonding with their tutor. In fact, just last week I heard about a couple of the girls telling one of the tutors they wished the program would go on until the end of the year! Wow....who would have ever thought we would be hearing that from a student.

I've eyewitnessed hugs initiated by kids. I've overheard wonderful words of affirmation from tutors to students and mostly I've seen Jesus in action. No, we aren't preaching a sermon, or opening our Bibles, but we are loving, sharing, affirming, building up and teaching. And along the way, maybe...just maybe, someone will ask a question, build a relationship or wonder what's different.

This program has really got me thinking a lot about the "church"- and I don't mean the one you might attend. I'm talking about the body of believers. So often we expect lost, hurting or unchurched people to find their way to us...and maybe instead we need to be finding our way to them. Just a thought I am chewing on right now. I'm not sure the church has been as affective reaching out as we could be and I'm wondering if it's not because we have always had an alterior motive...that in reaching out...they will come in to our church. Maybe our goal should really be that in reaching out...we leave the comfort of our churches and go into the streets, neighborhoods and schools and just act like Jesus. Wonder what would happen then?

Life I said, I don't have all this sorted out in my head or heart yet. All I know, is the more I work out in the community the more my heart cries for more strategic ways of reaching others with the sweet message of Christ.

Here's Your Sign

Click below to see the cool signs Red's Writing has made for the Mission Garden.

http://redswriting.blogspot.com/2009/03/heres-your-sign.html

Kindness of Strangers

I don't meet many people face to face outside of church. My work with The Mission is beginning to open doors to meet new people, but it has been a slow process (worth every second). But, recently God brought a few new people into my life. First, we began a tutoring program at the Gunter Middle School and I have been blessed to meet some new, fun, great kids. I find myself wanting to know them more! Along with those kids a whole new group of high school kids, youth workers and adults have volunteered to tutor. This group is awesome. They sacrifice about 3 hours of their time each week to invest in a kids life. Some of these volunteers were strangers to me, but God is bonding us together as we minister. How like Him!

Then just last week I met two men who want to help with the community garden. I don't mean just a little bit either! One man wants to provide the equipment and labor to level the lot, move some dirt to low spots and spread new dirt. Another wants to pay for 300 yards of dirt to be brought in (that's $5000 worth of dirt!)

So, yesterday the process began. A $250,000 piece of equipment leveled the property, moved dirt (it smelled wonderful, BTW) and cleared some debris. Now, if the rain will hold off just enough to get this dirt delivered!!!!

God is always on time- a lesson I am learning as I type this. Last week, just before all this came to pass, I was having a conversation with a dear friend. I was trying to convince myself that I was trusting God to provide what we needed...and yet, I seemed so surprised when He actually did it! I wonder if He chuckled when He saw me doing the happy dance, or when tears of joy were streaming down my face? I wonder what He was thinking when something I should have been expecting...surprised me so greatly.

Thank you Lord for the kindness of strangers, your timely provision...and loving me in spite of myself.

Thanks to KW Utility Construction (Kerry Williams) in Whitesboro, Texas and Classic Reflections Pools (Stan Penner) for their generous gift!

Mission Clothes Closet

Go over to Red's Writing and check out The Mission's Clothes Closet!

Gadget Time!

This post is for all the garden gadget guys and gals out there. Pardon this post if you aren't into this kind of thing...and I understand...I wasn't that into this kind of thing 3 months ago...but my oh my...what a free piece of land will do for a girl's heart!

This is a valve splitter. This will allow me to water 4 rows of my garden at one time. I'm hoping that I will be able to have more than one of these...enabling 8 -12 rows of watering at once, but I need to wait and see what kind of meter thingy the city is going to put on the fire hydrant we are using for water....oh the joys of small town...undeveloped land!

I met with my new best friend...the dirt man...this week. It's unbelievable what he is willing to do for the community garden. $5000 of dirt, leveling the ground and clearing the rock. I'll be posting about a couple of other very generous people once I get pictures.

I'm so impressed, humbled and delighted by what God is doing. Beth Moore describes "hope" as knowing God is going to show up...somehow...someway...in your circumstances. I'd venture to say...HOPE HAS BEEN REVEALED! Thank You Lord!

Watch out for my niftly gadget segments every once in a while. I'm trying to impress you will all my knowledge! (NOT!)

What to say.....

Words escape me right now....but because I've asked so many of you to pray for the Mission's community garden I feel like I need to at least say something!

Today I received a phone call someone who is going to donate $5000 dollars worth of soil to garden. Can you believe it??? Sure you can! That's the kind of God we serve! I will take pictures as it happens!

Thanks for your prayers! Keep 'em coming!