Mckenzie Parker, older brother of patient Trevor Parker and I got to work today on one of Habitat for Hope’s dirty jobs – scoopin horse poo. McKenzie was eager to help out and proved he is an excellent pooper scooper. With a rake three times his size and a little “ummph oooo yeah” he would sling the poo into the wheel barrow with the “dust” (as he called it) flying and then pray, “Please don’t let them poop again.” Once again I vote for cats. Yes, they can be moody and creepy, but they are physically unable to produce that much waste.
Dirty Jobs
July 26, 2010 By 1 Comment
Teamwork
July 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Several women have asked me lately, “Is it hard to work every day for your husband with Habitat for Hope?”
I often remark that it’s had both blessings and difficulties; that I am learning all the time. But I rarely have time to expound on our history, which speaks into our ability to operate Habitat for Hope together.
Mark and I have been best friends since we were 15 – we’ve ‘dated’ over half our lives. When we were both 19, we were hired to manage a lovely little coffee shop called Kona’s Coffee Beanery in Wilmington, NC. We would open the shop and bake together at 5am – watching the sunrise – and open the doors at 7am to our faithful customers. We scheduled our college classes around our morning work schedule. Shortly after, the owners allowed us the privilege of opening their second location closer to our college campus. Additionally, they rented a small space to us in the shop for us to start our first ‘small business’ – Innersoul Creations. We sold handmade clothes and jewelry – and tie dyed tshirts. I promise you this is not a joke. I think we still have the LLC receipt somewhere.
Once we were married (at the ripe age of 20) we did closed captioning typing together –we shared the work – and actually made decent money at this! When it came time for my thesis project, a one-act play – Mark jumped in as my technical director. After our first child was born, Mark founded a company called Horrocks Consulting, which was quite successful in logo design and website creation. This was night/weekend work, and when we were overloaded, I jumped in here. Once we began the process of founding HFH, we slowly dissolved Horrocks Consulting by sending jobs out to contract.
I share this because it’s sort of funny, but also because it speaks to a larger thing – Mark and I have been working as a team and playing off of each other’s strengths for 13 years. Some things have obviously come easier to us because of our history together, but we have certainly had our difficulties.
One major hurdle we’ve faced is separating some sort of existence for our family from that of Habitat of Hope. Since both of us live and breathe HFH all day long, and are entrenched in its work, it is very easy to let it encompass our reality. We have made some concerted efforts over the past 12 months to distinguish ourselves from HFH – and the addition of incredibly valuable staff members has been the key component.
Another difficulty in our work pattern has been the inclusion of “others” into our circle of trust. Mark and I have functioned as a team for so long, typically tackling some pretty major projects together – that we can almost “forget” about those around us that desire to take part in the work of HFH. As we have learned to delegate and value the important work of others around us – we have realized that this component gives us the framework we need to rest and separate ourselves for a time – so that we CAN come back into the life of Habitat for Hope and love families well, alongside each staff member that God has drawn to work here.
Growing, stretching and learning alongside you,
Mylissa Horrocks
Lead by Example
July 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Recently we were awarded 5% Day at Whole Foods here in Memphis. Quarterly, the branches are given the chance to choose a nonprofit to award these collected proceeds. We applied to be selected, made it through round 1 of the selection process and were notified that we were invited to share our mission and vision along with 2 other local nonprofits. I arrived dressed in my typical blue jeans and blazer, and was surprised to find out that the meeting was OUTSIDE. Not only was it outside…I also discovered that the three presenting groups were speaking before the entire staff. I was immediately impressed with their inclusion of the whole staff – and thrilled when we learned the staff voted for Habitat for hope!
I stayed for a while to observe their meeting, and loved the way they built community among the staff and management, and created a fun, lively and encouraging environment. A few take-homes for me:
- They were a multi-cultural and diverse group.
- The energy was awesome – pre-meeting announcements shared about exciting news, giveaways that night, a hotdog eating competition, all while the band warmed up.
- They CELEBRATED the new staff and gave them an opportunity on an open mic to share about themselves.
- They CELEBRATED successes and achievements.
- They have created a culture of ownership among their employees.
- They empowered their staff by giving them the ability to choose where their charity dollars are given.
- They made clear statements about the local branch of a major corporation impacting the Memphis community.
- They did not talk about profit margins, sales reports, policies and failures.
We are honored to be Whole Foods’ charity of choice on September 14th. Save up your monthly shopping for Tuesday, September 14th and share in what promises to be a fun day at Whole Foods Poplar!
Perspective
July 17, 2010 By 1 Comment
The Steers are in Memphis this week doing some testing with Abby – please pray for peace and wisdom for all involved!
Abigail turned three years old May first. It feels like the last two years have flown by; whereas the first year, well really the first two months… still seem like they lasted forever.
Abby was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in the newborn nursery a few hours after her birth. It shattered my understanding, my faith, my reality, everything…to go from the peaks of joy at her birth to the valleys of despair that followed. The first hospital that we went to sent Abby home on Hospice care. They didn’t think she could ever beat the cancer. It was a grade four Glioblastoma. And they worried that if by some chance she did make it into remission, her quality of life would be devastating.
So when Abby was three weeks old, we were sitting at home waiting for her to die. I wish that I could say I didn’t accept their opinions. I wish I could say that I always knew she would see her healing, but I can’t. I was wallowing in my own pity at that time. My life felt so miserable, so exhausting, that just to get out of bed every day was the most I could mange. Thank God I married Michael. He wouldn’t give up, when we were signing the DNR (do not resuscitate) orders, when the Hospice nurse came to visit, he kept believing.
He believed in the promise of God that he received the night before my ultrasound. That night he said “I think it’s going to be a girl, and I think we’re supposed to name her Abigail. (We later found that Abigail means “Her Father’s Joy” in Hebrew.) That was his promise, and he would not give up.
He emailed her information to various medical centers during Abby’s time on end of life care. He prayed that if it be God’s will to attempt the surgery, that the gates of Heaven would open and we would have surgeons knocking down our door. They didn’t come knocking, but they came calling. Within two days, three surgeons had called eager to perform the surgery.
We decided on Dr. Boop in Memphis. Abby underwent the surgery when she was five weeks. She started chemotherapy at six weeks. She was given less than a ten percent chance initially. She soared through twelve rounds, finishing just before her first birthday. She has been in remission almost two years now, and as for her quality of life- it’s a miracle. She is walking, running, jumping, singing, dancing, fighting with her big brother, and wrapping her Daddy and I around her little fingers. She is the happiest child ever! We are so very, very blessed. There are many times that I have seen God work in Abby’s life. There are so many specific prayers that have been answered that I don’t think I could ever list them all. But the first answer, the first miracle came before Abby had ever been conceived. God had already written the journey out while Michael and I were still dating. Even before that He had planted the seeds of stubborness and determination in Michael, the very traits that he would need to fight for his daughter’s life. He had given Michael a promise before either of us could ever know what it would mean. It’s in the looking back that I am always amazed. It was always part of God’s plan for Abby to get sick, for Michael to fight for her, for me to trust in God and my husband even when I was getting no answers in prayer. His plan is still unfolding, and it is magnificent to behold. I don’t know for sure if Abby is cured forever, I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that her life, our lives are all part of his perfect plan.
Rachel Steer
Safety Chains
July 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Last Friday, I was getting the property and house ready for our quarterly volunteer fellowship. I quickly enlisted my boys’ help to do some cleanup work. Since I had little time, I thought it would be easiest to load things that had to be moved
on to the black trailer we tow behind our 4-wheeler. It was then that I made a truly stupid decision. I realized the wrong hitch was on the 4-wheeler, and that the trailer wasn’t connecting quite right. I figured it was no big deal – I would just drive slower! My boys were waiting for me down a slight decline near the garage. And you guessed it – as I drove down the incline, the trailer popped off and began to head down the hill – straight for a parked car. Miraculously, I “caught” the edge of the trailer with the 4-wheeler tire. Once it was stopped, I had to PUSH it back up the hill, and of course I had just gotten my nails done. One glaring, tactical error – I never attached the safety chains.
I was rushing, making a quick decision; I had very little time. And the error I made could have cost us much more than a story; the moving trailer could have hurt property or even my kids.
What are your safety chains? Are there processes or tactics that guide you as you move through your day and make critical decisions? Or even better, who are your safety chains? Do you have people that will help you stay connected and rooted in to the Lord when you have to make a move? Will they “pull you back in” with love and grace?
Grateful today for my safety chains – from my Father in heaven and my friends here on earth!
Soul Survivor – Philip Yancey
July 2, 2010 By 1 Comment
Philip Yancey’s book Soul Survivor highlights the lives of thirteen mentors that helped his faith survive the church. One such mentor was Dr. Paul Bland, co-author with Yancey on The Gift of Pain, In His Image, and Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. Dr. Bland founded a leprosy center in Vellore, India named Karigiri. Dr. Bland stated, “I thank God for pain..I cannot think of a greater gift I could give my leprosy patients.” The pain system protects the human body from attack. He reminded Yancey that he treats a person, not a disease and that doing so was the true meaning of rehabilitation. After a visit to the leprosarium, Yancey concluded that it was unavoidable to learn about the infinite worth of human beings.
I was struck by Bland’s life and many others in Soul Survivor. How they saw God’s people and their role as a Christian was inspiring to say the least. I often think about the people out “looking for God” or “trying to find themselves”. I wonder if they’ve ever tried serving the sick. God is there.
Whole Foods 5% Day
June 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
After participating in a “vote-off” by Whole Foods (Poplar Ave Memphis) staff, Habitat for Hope was awarded the privilege of a 5% Day at the store. We will receive 5% of total profits that day, and even more exciting, we will be hand at the site with fun activities and giveaways for customers!
Read Whole Foods blog here:
Where does my money go?
May 17, 2010 By 1 Comment
Habitat for Hope is unique in that all donated funds go directly to programs and services. Our staff members raise their support independently of the charity – which reduces our overhead cost to less than 5% of funds.
What can your donation provide?
$25 provides a fun toy, book or art supply gift to a child in the hospital
$40 provides a restaurant meal for a family of four
$100 provides gasoline for a family to drive 150 miles round trip for an appointment
$300 pays for a sponsorship to our yearly respite retreat for moms
$500 provides much-needed car care and rehab so families can transport safely
$1000 provides one month of free housing with included utilities in an apartment
$5000 can purchase a share in one of our new 1200 square foot homes that will be built on the HFH property
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Pick our Costumes!
May 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Tucker and Becky Davis and Mark and I are competing in an adventure race for Habitat for Hope this weekend in Nashville, TN! We are on relay teams and get to wear any possible costume. We would LOVE for you to help us meet our fundraising goal of $5000 – only $2,875 to go!
So in order to meet our goal, we are offering a REWARD – the two largest donations recieved between now and Friday, May 21st get the privilege of picking our team costumes!! Help us help HFH and get to embarrass us in the process! What could be better?
Click HERE to make your donation…
And for more info on where your donation goes, please visit this blog post.
