A Summer Celebration of Miracles

Last Sunday, under sunny skies and a cool breeze, board, staff, supporters and graduates of Mercy Ministries gathered to celebrate and thank God for everything that He has done over the last year. After enjoying delicious barbequed delicacies and cool drinks, supporters settled in to hear ministry updates from Executive Director Nicola Bartel.

Supporters enjoy a delicious barbecue and each other’s company

Of course the biggest reasons to celebrate are the lives that have been transformed and the hope that has been restored, to broken lives. 8 young women rededicated their lives to God and 7 were water baptized in the last year alone. Graduates (one who came from Edmonton for the occasion!)  and current residents stood to applause for their courage.

Graduates and residents look on in support as Jenn shares her story

2012 graduate Jenn DuLong shared her moving story of freedom, from sexual promiscuity, and an eating disorder through the counseling, care and biblical teaching at Mercy Ministries.  Then she told of a miracle God performed in her life as part of her journey, just as she was beginning to blossom within the security of the Mercy home:

“At 17, I had started having severe panic attacks, and I developed obsessive-compulsive disorder. I was so afraid of germs that I would wash my hands until they would literally bleed; I would never touch doorknobs; I would never shake hands; and if someone at my mother’s house got sick I would go stay with my dad for a couple of weeks until the sickness was out of the house. When I first came to Mercy I had to wear gloves in order to participate in meals and wouldn’t shake hands.”

The Christmas after I came to Mercy Ministries, someone anonymously donated a plane ticket to me so I could visit my family in Nova Scotia for Christmas – I don’t know who they are but thank you if you’re here. At first, I was really concerned about being away from Mercy; however, God surprised me with a very special Christmas present. While I was home, God randomly took away my obsessive-compulsive disorder. Out of no where, I was able to eat without washing my hands, shake others’ hands, and take communion for the first time in over 10 years! I was initially in shock; all I could do was cry and worship God for the two weeks I was home.  Imagine Mercy staff surprise when I came back after Christmas and had a bite of an apple without washing it!”

“The fact that this happened while Jenn was away from the Mercy home is a reminder that, it is God who does the work, not us.”said Nicola after the testimony that followed her report  to supporters. Nicola reported on the many ways God had provided  and worked through Mercy Ministries since the first anniversary celebration last August. Some of the highlights include:

Nicola Bartel Shares highlights from the last year of ministry

• The family of Ed Spence, an enthusiastic supporter of Mercy ministries who passed  away suddenly from a heart attack,  donated money to construct an external building to be used for counselling  and transitional care.
• Mercy Ministries Canada became the first Mercy home to have a doctor who makes weekly house visits.
• A generous businessman donated a second van and paid for the first year’s insurance. Giving us enough transportation to fill the home to its capacity of 20 girls!
• In 2011 Mercy Ministries of Canada miraculously met budget for the first time in its history.

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (psalm 11:25)

Thank you for the refreshing you’ve brought into the lives of young women who need Mercy!

A Good and Faithful Servant

Anne Marie with Mercy Ministries founder Nancy Alcorn at the gala celebrating the opening of the first Canadian home.

This month’s advocate on the move, Ann Marie Davison,  is one of the most inspirational advocates for Mercy Ministries of Canada.

Since she first heard about Mercy Ministries and decided she wanted to be a part of the ministry, she and her husband Mark have never wavered in actively supporting the ministry. Together, they have given  time, money,  talents, and prayers to see young women’s lives transformed.

Ann Marie had heard about Mercy Ministries before the vision had been cast to build a home in Canada, and her determined prayers and active work helped us realize the dream of completing the first Canadian home in Surrey.

This is how she explains the incredible journey:

“I first saw Nancy Alcorn on TV on the Life Today program in April 2000.  I was incredibly impressed with her integrity and the quality of Mercy Ministries, and I wanted to be part of it.  I emailed Mercy Ministries that very day to ask if I could support the ministry in Canada, and they replied that Mercy Ministries was not a registered charity in Canada.  So I asked God to bring Mercy to Canada.

I’m sure many other Canadians said that prayer after seeing that program with Nancy.  A few years later, I saw on John and Helen Burns’ TV show that Nancy was coming to the Life Women Conference.  I registered, believing I would get to meet Nancy.  At the Conference, Nancy shared her story and testimonies of Mercy grads. I was completely committed to becoming a Mercy supporter.  I signed up to be a Treasure Builder the first night it was announced that Mercy would be coming to Canada.  I was overjoyed when I heard about the Mercy Advocate program because it gave me a way of supporting Mercy Ministries other than just financially.  I was blessed to receive training as part of the first group of Mercy Advocates, and later to participate as a trainer myself.”

Anne Marie takes registration at Run for Mercy 2012.

Since taking that training as an advocate of Mercy Ministries, Ann Marie has served tirelessly to spread the word about Mercy Ministries  serving at over 40 events in the last seven years alone! She has used her gift of connecting with people to help bring healing and hope to hurting young women, and she has been blessed in return for her commitment.

“I most enjoy knowing that I’m serving God in a place He wants me to be.  All of the Advocates are wonderful to spend time with.  I’ve attended events as an Advocate that have blessed my life.  Talking is something I’m good at, and I just love telling people about how wonderful Mercy Ministries is.

Mercy Ministries brings freedom, not just recovery, because it is based on biblical principles.

Two verses that jump to mind are when I think about Mercy Ministries are:

Ann Marie with her husband Mark

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (NLT)”

and John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. (NLT)”.

Thank you, Mark and Ann Marie!

The entire team at Mercy Ministries of Canada honours you!

Our Heroes Finish Strong

Do you wonder what it must be like to golf 100 holes in one day, running up and down a hilly course for 11 hours, swinging over 500 times with your clubs on your back? Do you ever wonder what it must feel like to have the opportunity to raise $200, 000 for a cause that is near and dear to your heart.

As they finish the last hole of golf, our heroes, Jodi Reimer and John Burns share what the experience of doing the  golf-a-thon was like for them this year. The passion and exhilaration in their faces is so moving as they explain what kept them going.

Current residents of the Mercy Ministries home,  Mercy Graduates and members of Relate Church , came out over the course of the day to cheer on Jodi and Pastor John

Jodi and John with residents, graduates and staff of Mercy Ministries

We would like to join pastor John and Jodi in thanking everyone who who contributed to helping them reach their $200,000 goal. Every dollar will go towards Mercy Ministries of Canada’s free residential program that gives hurting young women the opportunity to experience God’s unconditional love and life transforming power!

How – and Why – I Raised $5,000 for Mercy

Our top fundraiser for the Run for Mercy 2012 was one of our own former residents, Patricia! We were so impressed by her efforts that we invited her here to share from her heart about how – and most importantly, why – she raised more than $5,000 for the freedom of other young women and won  a brand new Kobo Vox e-reader at the Run for Mercy.

Wow, the Run for Mercy was so amazing. I have wanted to go to one for a few years now but I always seem to miss it. This one meant so much more to me as I had actually been to the program and realized what a difference it really made.

This was my first time in my life fundraising.  I never expected to to achieve that much money.  I started off with a goal of $1,000 and thought I could attain this one.  After one month I did, then a week later I made it to my next goal of $1,500, and then a few days later I was up to $2,000.  Then I thought, “why not try $3,000?” and got that in a week.  I thought, “why not do the impossible and make a goal of $5,000 in the next 8 days?”  It happened literally at the last minute.

I told people how after I got home I realized how much the Mercy staff really loved on me, and that helped me see and accept God.  Mercy really helped a lot, and with them and God, I have transformed into a new person that everyone in my life has never seen before.   I am actually able to be happy, and I want to live life. I know I have God, and Mercy, to thank for that.

With my passion for Mercy, I really wanted to give back.  I asked people in my life to give what was on their hearts from God to give and, well, they gave big.  My family and friends were really into it, too, which helped with getting me donations.  I have to say when I prayed to God, I asked him to do a miracle and do the impossible and help me raise $4,500 and I could contribute the rest.  Praise God because when you believe in Him, He comes through in a huge way.

Here are the Run for Mercy final numbers!

Mercy Ministries of Canada feels like a big, wonderful family for us, and so it’s always a joy to gather together, to catch up on what God is doing in the lives of the Mercy graduates and residents, tell stories, hug each other in real life, and, of course, to run or walk for Mercy!

This year’s Run for Mercy was amazing! Congratulations to all of you!

We’ll have a few stories about the day to share over the next few weeks but we know you’re most interested to hear the numbers right now. We do NOT have final times for all runners yet, only our winners. As soon as we have the final times and all of the photos, we’ll post the link here and on our Facebook page so check back.

Total raised by the end of the day on Saturday: $48,700

Top fundraising team: Congratulations to the Jericho Joggers $6,535

Top Individual Fundraiser Patricia Pearce $5000 – we’ll even have a post from Patricia this week!

Congratulations to all our runners, walkers and joggers and especially to our winners

10k Top Runners

Male

1^st Ian Smith  in a time of 38.55 minutes 

2nd  David Yakishiro

3^rd Glen Murray

Female

1^st Stephanie Musgrove in a time of time 52.01 minutes

2^nd Lauren Doubroff

3^rd Kristin Brown

5k Top Runners

Male

1^st Willy Phiri

2^nd Jason Alcott

3^rd Jordan Elenko

Female

1^st Veronica Fox

2^nd Glenda Lush

3^rd Jade Candle

There aren’t enough exclamation point to express how THANKFUL we are right now! (Well, thankful and TIRED!) Thank you to every one that showed up to run, walk, wheel, and cheer on Saturday. Thank you to our tireless, cheerful, hard working volunteers! Thank you to our staff for organizing such an incredible event. Thank you to our sponsors! Thank you to our donors! Thank you to each one of you that followed along and cheered the Run from afar. What an amazing day.

Donations towards the Run for Mercy will be accepted online until this Friday May 18th at www.runformercy.org/canada2012.

A Letter to a Perfectionist

Graduation day at Mercy is always a sacred time. There is a tangible presence of God in the room, and we all feel like we’re witnesses to miracles. This past week, two of our residents graduated and, as always, there were so many moments that stand out in our mind as we look back at the experience. We’ll likely share a few of those powerful moments over the next few weeks here at our blog, so make sure you subscribe!

Katy, our amazing counselor, wrote a letter to one of our graduates and then read it aloud to her at the ceremony. This precious young woman had waged a life-long battle with perfectionism, a battle that she often lost as she daily cut her own flesh, and starved herself as punishment, even as relief from her emotional pain.

Today, her life has been transformed, she is walking in freedom and wholeness.  

Dear K:

Until now, I see the dance of your life with God as a classical ballet.  Drill, form, perfection.  Learning steps prescribed from hundreds of years ago.  Stretching, training, denying your body, dancing till you bleed; never excellent enough, always worried about keeping in time with those around you.  A half beat late or an artistic flick of the wrist is severely reprimanded by the director.  Dancing Swan Lake where one error means bringing down the entire production.

As an audience member, I come away from a ballet with visions of fairies dancing on a pedestal of perfection and epic soundtrack music, and the keen understanding that I am inadequate.  I’ll never be able to move like that.  Don’t get me wrong, I love ballet – but it is no way to live your life.  Hiding, fear, restriction, perfection.  You lived your life dancing for a “god” who was waiting for any chance to pounce on your inadequacies, even after a good performance, to demand you work harder and harder, never satisfied.

But now… a new dance has emerged – the tango.  You threw away a pair of slippers and wandered down the street until the strong beat from a studio drew you in, hanging out in the background you thought you could watch till you felt confident you’d mastered each step.

But God took your hand and drew you out from that wall – he is a partner that already knows you intimately, able to predict your half-beat behindness and adjusting to your wrist flick so that it deepens the beauty of the dance.

This dance is SO different.  Steps are present to be sure – but the best performances, the most engaging moments, are when technique is thrown to the curb and passion rises.  Daughter, there is a fire that burns inside of you, and in that, there is freedom!  The God you know now is to be enjoyed, trusted because he is dancing for joy over you in the heavens.

After watching a tango, I sneak into my room and turn on the soundtrack from Havana Nights and twist and turn till my abs hurt!  I don’t know the steps the professionals do – but they’ve allowed me to feel human emotion and that is something I can connect with and it inspires me.  This season, honey, is not for striving.  It is not for slicked hair or tutus that stand at ridged attention – it is for connecting to the heart of those who watch you, so in that process you might find deeper the heart God has placed inside of you, and for big flowers in your hair!

It was our God who made the transformation in you – and it is for that reason alone that I have full confidence that He will finish the good work he has started. 

Not because you know the steps so well, but because He is a generous partner.

Love Katy

We are so proud of you, K! You are loved.

P.S. Today is the last day to register online for the Run for Mercy on Saturday 12 May! (But don’t panic. You can still register on-site if you miss the deadline.)

Ballet image source.  Woman dancing image source.

I Run for Mercy Because…

On May 12th, people from all over the Lower Mainland will be joining together to Run for Young Women who need the opportunity to experience God’s unconditional love and life-transforming power.

Each one will come for their own reasons. Graduates who have experienced Mercy for themselves, parents of young women who have struggled, friends, church leaders, and volunteers all coming together to support the freedom of young women who struggle.

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Andrea Ross (left) with Mercy Ministries Founder Nancy Alcorn

“I am running for Mercy Ministries because this program changes girls’ lives. I personally have experienced freedom and a changed life because of Mercy Ministries and I am so grateful beyond words for this amazing program. The girls that walk in the doors of Mercy are so valuable and all of them are trapped, they need a holistic answer, and Mercy Ministries is able to give that to them. Mercy would not be able to operate without financial support and that is why I am running. I am running for their freedom.”  Andrea Ross (Mercy Graduate)

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Mercy Ministries' Volunteer Jena Klemke

I am running because, God is truly doing some incredible things with Mercy Ministries, and it so wonderful to hear the difference the ministry is making in lives of girls all over North America. I am so excited to be a part of this amazing event. I became involved with Mercy Ministries last year when a friend of mine asked me if I would like to volunteer for the Run for Mercy. I am so thankful that she did, because it is such an amazing cause. The run is a great way for people to make a difference in a fun and social environment. As a team we have been working hard to make this a fun and memorable day for everyone. Look forward to seeing you all there  
Jena Klemke (Volunteer)

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No matter where you are on May 12th you can join in the Run for Mercy and help spread the word about the amazing life-transforming work at Mercy Ministries

Register Today and the tell us, here or on our Facebook page  why  you Run for Mercy?

On your Marks… Get Set… Go!

The countdown is on!

46 days to go!

The registrations are coming in, teams are building, the word is spreading, and the fundraising race is on.

It’s Run for Mercy time!

We are running for the freedom and wholeness of our beautiful girls – for the physically and sexually abused, the sex trafficked, the prostitute. We are running for the drug and alcohol addicted, the broken, the hurting. We are running for the anorexic, the bulimic, the exercise obsessed, the depressed, the frightened, the anxious, the self-harming. We are running for our daughters, our sisters, our friends, our mothers, for all the young women in Canada that still need Mercy.

And we are running because we believe that God has a plan and a purpose for each one of His daughters; it is a plan for good and not evil, a plan of hope and freedom.

This is the one day, every year, when all of our supporters gather together to raise money and awareness for the work at Mercy Ministries of Canada.

The Run for Mercy: 5K Leisure Run/Walk or 10K Competitive Run

When: Saturday, May 12, 2012

Time: Registration starts at 9AM, Race starts at 10AM

Where: Campbell Valley Regional Park, Langley, B.C.

How to sign up: www.runformercy.org (Choose “Canada” from the drop down box)

Here’s how you can get involved today: 

1. Register a team. Then recruit team members from your church or youth group or workplace or friends. In addition to supporting Mercy through your team’s fundraising goal, it is an excellent opportunity to foster community as you train and fundraise as a team. Nothing like a little 10K to bring people together!
2. Spread the word for us. Put a blurb in the church bulletin, post about it on your Facebook page, announce it on Sunday mornings in church, tell people at work. Ask for donations, recruit team members, share the Mercy story – it all matters!
3. Become a sponsor. We have sponsorship package levels ranging from $250 – $5,000 for businesses, churches or individuals. Give us a call to talk it over.
4. Volunteer. Gather a group from your church to volunteer on the day of the Run as race marshals or at the registration table. We could always use an extra set of hands!
5. Be a virtual runner! If you can’t make it to the run, please know that you can still be a part of the day by registering and fundraising from afar. Consider yourself a virtual runner – you’re part of the team, as far as we’re concerned.

We have a website set up at www.runformercy.org to register individuals or teams, track fundraising efforts, send out emails – everything you would need to make this a good experience for you.

PLUS: The first 200 registrants receive a FREE Mercy Ministries foldable, BPA-free water bottle.

Join us over at our Facebook page for frequent updates as we countdown to Race Day.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Messy Mercy Brings Healing

By Katy Kaseburg

These women!  These women seeing their sister step out and proclaim truth boldly came not to judge her for a weakness but to join her.

Director of Counseling Katy Kaseburg

I have been asked ‘Is it really wise to have that many people with that many issues all together in one place?’  The face of this question has been a parent, a colleague , my own family and even a resident after her first week of being in the program.  On that face has been a look  – for lack of a better phrase – of holy fear.  All those broken people in one place?  Really?  You think that’s going to work?

Yes I say, and again I say yes.

Mercy is a wildly miniature, intensified version of the rest of my life.   A small ripple is felt as a wave because of how closely residents and staff are knit together.  Let me show you –

In my counseling  I like to throw curve balls every now and then, challenge a resident to see themselves in a completely new way, to turn their world upside down.   One of the residents let me challenge her last week.  I asked her to say,  in the fewest words possible, what she most needs to believe about herself.  She replied ‘I am worthy of love.’

Perfect. Accurate.

Honey, you are!  Okay, here is what I want: “honey when I say your name I want you to add ‘is worthy of love.’   Every time okay?”  doubtful looks and nervous giggles start,  then  “I guess I could.  Okay.”

Let’s practice.  “Honey…?”  “is worthy of love?”  “Honey…?”  “is worthy of love.”   “Honey…!”  “is worthy of love!”

I walked her through the house, replaying this scene till everyone knew what to expect from her.  It made staff come out of offices and residents smile in the most understanding way.

photograph by Rachel Ray photography

Here’s the part I want to share, the part that gets us back to living all smashed up together like this:  four days later, I was transcribing some assignments on my desk.  Instead of a name at the top, there was simply “Is worthy of love.”  I knew who she was.   But the next one, and the next ones had phrases too!

this darling, “hears from God,”

this precious one, “is covered in grace”

this treasure, “is free.”

These women.  These women!  These women seeing their sister step out and proclaim truth boldly came not to judge her for a weakness but to join her.

James 5:13-16 exhorts “Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray. Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous man is powerful and effective (emphasis mine).”

James tells me to be intimately and desperately connected into relationships, to a point of putting my weakness right out there.  Which is completely opposed to the powerful voice in my head telling me to RUN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AWAY FROM PEOPLE!  Especially those who know me. Especially those who care.   Especially those who are open to the Holy Spirit’s leading, for he might lead them right into my shame.

God is giving me a step-by-step guide to healing.  Get into community.  Get honest.  With wisdom, show your vulnerabilities.  Respond to God, not to situations. Get prayed for.  Get healed.  [For those of you wondering, there is a healthy dose of waiting and surrendering in the process!]

The moment I admit to myself, to God and to my community that I am one messed up human being is the moment that I have opened the door for God to move in my life.  That is the thing about Mercy, in coming to a place like this you have to be pretty sure you need help.  When a new resident walks into the house she sees residents sitting on couches, making meals or stretching post-fitness and she KNOWS each one of them has declared ‘I am not okay!’

There is an openness to such humility that is very approachable.  I’ve never had a resident say about another “I’m so confused, I didn’t know that she had any problems!  I trusted her and now I’ve found out she is just as messed up as I am.”  Again and again I hear “I’m so confused, I didn’t know anyone else struggled with this too.  I thought I was the only one and it feels so good to know I’m not alone!  If she can do it, so can I.”

See, messy is not just Mercy.  Messy is actually why God gets all his people together in places we call churches.  Out of messy, comes pruning, refining, and defining.   When a resident at Mercy has a transformation of soul is it undeniable by every other resident and staff because we have SEEN the messy and we know just how deep it ran.  There is no better encouragement than this.

So yes, issues bump up against issues here.  But they do in our homes and churches too.

Give a Mercy-filled Christmas

The Mercy-filled Christmas project is in full swing and we’re getting excited by the response we’ve had so far.

With a month to go before our Christmas celebration in the home, almost all the gifts from our gift registry have either been bought or pledged by supporters. Gifts are being provided by women’s groups, bible study groups, churches and individuals.  Thank you!

For many of the residents, Christmas can bring back painful memories and this project is a great way to remind our residents of the community that surrounds them and is rooting for their freedom.  To get a glimpse of just how much this will mean to the residents, read about last year’s  Very Mercy Christmas Party in the Speak Mercy archives.

There is still time for you to get involved in this worthwhile project; here are some ways you can do that:

• Check out the gift registry to see what is left for purchase. Choose a gift that you would like to provide for residents then buy or join forces with others to provide 12 of each item.
• Think of a gift that you would like to provide for the residents and let us know by emailing info@mercyministries.ca.
  

  $165 covers the cost of a day at Mercy

• Provide a day of Mercy.
  All our young women attend Mercy completely free of charge. As a gift to our residents you can cover the cost of counseling, meals, biblical teaching, and fitness instruction for a day at Mercy Ministries. Of course with our matching campaign going on right now, you would be providing for 2 days of Mercy with this gift. Simply go to our gift registry and purchase One day or Half a day of Mercy. 

No matter which option you choose, you will be helping to transform lives and restore hope.