All Better

Thanks alot Will for fixing the website back to normal for me. It looks much better this way.

Exciting news from Will is that he may be able to go and speak to meetings in Indiana sometime in the month of February. I think it's great that if he can't be here at least he can be sent out to speak about his time here. We do miss him, and Emily alot but we know that the real fight right now is getting the support we need on a monthly basis to continue the ministry here. Unfortunatly funding has to happen and be fluid in order for the center to florish and grow. Oh God can use anything and will move through anybody. And God for sure is using what He has but think about what more HE could do through us if we had enough funding to start our emergency relief back, or could feel free to give freely to those who needed it. I am not saying that we are not doing anything here or that we are not giving, because as those who have been down here can tell you there is more going on here, more giving, then there is time for in the day, sometimes.

I only mention this to mention how important it is that Will is going to be speaking for the center, and how important, if you have been down here, for YOU to speak about the center every chance you get. Corey and I are going to be up the first of March and would love to speak to any group or church, or organzation that will have us.

Keep praying for the work here. Pray for the monthly donations to continue coming and growing. And keep praying for intrest for the center to explode beyond NC Quakers, and Quakers altogether.
Much love <><

Ooops

Sorry about the web page right now. I was playing around with the layout and background and accidently changed things, i've gotta get in touch with Will about changing it back to the original background and format. So please bear with the strange lay out and the half chopped pictures at the bottom.
Sorry a ton,
Jenn

Wheew

Can it really already be the middle of January, it seems as though time moves so fast for us here. It's hard to believe that it has only been a week since the UNCG group and Will were here, and that the kids are out of school monday for MLK day.

The past couple weeks have been good ones, we got to spend more time with the community, and started back to school with a few new students, and Sarah, Mary Ashley, Heather and Will were here doing a fantastic job. So much love was shared and i feel like God is really moving here. I can't tell you how much the work and the group bonding meant to us with the young adult group here. They were a small group but ya know sometimes that is when the most good is done. There is no way we could have gone into people's homes with a larger group, it would have been crowded, and maybe uncomfortable, but with the group we had it seemed just right and you could feel the power of God's love really bringing things together.

I that everything i have written so far seems "mushy" but it is where my heart is this morning.

Please be praying for our youth group kids. A few of them are really outwardly struggling with their faith, and they are sitting on the harsh fence of to "believe/or not believe in Jesus". I just pray that God speeks through Corey and I and that they see not us but a loving and caring Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Please also be praying for some of the upcoming fundraisers and activities that we have coming up at the center.

Enjoy the new pictures i posted of the UNCG group and the youth group!!!

BAMA Bound!

Hi,
So this is my first time visiting the MOWA Choctaw Friends Center and I had a blast. Some of our group from our UNCG campus ministry came down for the week. We had tons of laughs and worked hard the entire week. It was really cool because we were able to meet all kinds of people who live in the community and use the center. Tuesday the kids went back to school so we were able to help the kids in the after school program each day we were here. We would start after school out with a little devotion and a fun game for the kids to play then they would go to their classrooms and work on their homework. On Wednesday we went to the homes of a lot of the elderly women in the community we took them coffee and just sat down and talked with each of them. Wednesday night we were able to do youth group for the middle and high school aged kids in the community. They were so much fun at youth we played games then did a lesson and then we all ate dinner together. On Thursday we were able to visit the elementary school that most of our after school program kids attend. When we were walking down the halls of the school and saw some of the children their faces lit up they were so excited to see us.

This week we not only meet the community but we also did some projects around the center. We painted a room in the school and then fixed up the bulletin boards and put the room back together. We also worked on a secret project for Jennifer and Corey in the lodge! We fixed up the bathroom upstairs. It looks so GOOD! This was a great week and this ministry is doing great things down here in Sanktown! Can't wait to return!

Heather Harris

A New Year, A New Trailer

I've been blessed with the opportunity to visit the Friends Center one more time this past week with a group from UNCG, and we've been having a blast. I'll let the rest of them elaborate on what's been going on, but I would like to talk to you about one big thing we witnessed this week.

Saturday, we helped out with a benefit lunch for Ms. Whitehead in an effort to raise money for her new trailer (she lost her old one in a fire). It was held at Home Gospel Church right up the road, and we served food as people came through with their orders. I believe the original hope was to raise enough money to make the down payment so that they could go ahead and move in the new trailer. The down payment was half the total cost of $5,000, and she needed somewhere around $1,500 to reach the down payment. To our amazement, not only did the benefit lunch (and singing that night) result in enough to make the down payment, the total amount raised was right at $4,000 - virtually enough to make the entire payment! When I think about the financial state of this community, on top of the US economy right now, it was nothing short of a miracle to see that kind of response. It is so awesome to see God work to provide a home for this special lady!

The new trailer is already in place, and several people are helping clean, paint, and set it up. Corey and I were able to help get a refrigerator in the kitchen just the other day. I know Whitehead is excited to see her new home come together!

Happy New Year from Alabama

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Corey and I had a great christmas and a very relaxing new year down here in Sanktown. We hope that all of you out there did as well and that you took time to embrace the meaning of Christmas.
We are so pleased to have a group from UNCG down (Sarah, Heather and Mary Ashley) along with one of our past interns (Will). We love having them down and hope that they get a lot out of being here.
Corey and Will got the big room in the school ready to paint, before christmas, and the group from UNCG hit the ground running by getting the first coat on Saturday, and are working on the second coat today. They are such hard workers!
On Saturday before they started painting we all went up to Home Gospel Church and served food for the benefit luncheon for Ms. Whitehead (which by the way, they raised enough for the guy to go ahead and start preparing the land for the new trailor today) and had a great time serving together and greeting the community in their out pouring of love for Ms. Whitehead. Please continue to pray for Ms. Whitehead and her family during this time of transition.
Well this is the last you will hear from me this week because the girls that are down, and Will are suppose to be posting here on the blog while they are here. This is going to be a new tradition, hearing from the people and groups that come down and getting their point of view, hopefully all good (=
So until next week <><