Lily and her big brother, Aden

Stacy and Lily have been in town since Sunday, June 14th. They were supposed to be here three days – and two weeks later, Dad, Grandpa and siblings needed to leave to go home to work, and Stacy and Lily are here, inpatient, awaiting more tests. Stacy is a brave mom – and one of the sweetest people I have met recently. Andy and Ginny spent some time with them yesterday and I thought I would share Stacy’s thoughts – these were texted to me yesterday:

Stacy: “you just have the most amazing friends. Thank you sooo much for sharing them with us. We had such a nice visit.”
Stacy: “they got here just as Lily was finishing an episode so once she came to she was climbing all over them & playin & laughin"
Mylissa: “oh good!”
Stacy: “they are sooo cute! I just love all of you. If you only knew what [HFH] has done for my family through all of this. [Someone seems to come] when I need it the most.”
Mylissa: “Well that’s Jesus not us!! But I will share this with them they will love to hear it.”
Stacy: “I know but the work he does the work though you…you all could just as easily ignore him but you don’t.”
Mylissa: “we would be miserable disobeying :)”
Stacy: “well thank all of you for your obedience!!”

Andy and Ginny are both really sweet with little ones, and this is a good thing since they will be welcoming their own ‘little one’ in mid-January! Congrats guys! We are so happy for you.

We have recently purchased the constant contact system to begin sending monthly html email updates! If you would like to be on our mail list, leave a comment here and we will be sure to add you.

The following was written by one of the families we have recently assisted.

We are Jeff and Tracy. Our 5 children are Kaylee, Kelsey, Mariah, Marisa, and Davin. Three of our five kiddos have significant special needs of varying diagnosis.
I would like to share with you about what Habitat for Hope has meant to our family. I think the best way to tell you about Davin.

When Davin was 8 months old he suffered from Herpes Encephalitis. He quickly went from suffering to survivor, as it was a miracle he lived through it! Davin spent a couple of years in foster care before coming home to us. Davin was our foster son for a year before we adopted him at almost 7 years old. After much hard work, commitment, determination, perseverance, and love... we went from a kid wearing diapers, having horrible rages, no boundaries, running away, no sign language, etc. etc. to the little man he is today. Today Davin is a 10 year old young man who is all boy! He loves to play outside and climb trees. He loves anything that even slightly resembles a sword, and will beat on anything he comes across with it. He has a smile that lights up the room.
Davin struggled with seizures and they began to increase until he was not able to get through a single day without falling multiple times from "drop attacks". We headed to Memphis, a city we knew nothing about in order to try to get help and hope for our son. Our son spent several days in the Epilepsy Unit, and endured all kinds of tests. At the end of it all we found out some pretty tough information about the severity of Davin's illness. We were told that Davin's best chance of decreasing his drop attacks were to allow him to have brain surgery.
In all of the chaos of the situation I began to worry about how we would pay for another week in Memphis. We had 4 of our 5 children with us, and were in a one room motel on the other side of town in a not so great area. I prayed that God would work out the details of this situation as we were putting our faith in him. I then contacted the social worker and asked for some help. I began to have fear and doubt, until she told us about Habitat for Hope! The light at the end of a long, scary, dark tunnel! That very night, Mo came out to talk with us and offer us a SAFE place to stay, and only a mile from the hospital!
The apartment was wonderful! It meant so much to us to have a safe place to be, and only 5 minutes away from our son. As much as the apartment meant, the kindness of strangers meant so much more. I cannot adequately express in words how I felt the next day when both Mo and Tona showed up. I had been in so much fear about what my son was going through. I felt so alone with all of the news that we had just found out about Davin. There was no one to hold my husband and I and walk us through it all, or to tell us it would be okay. The kindness, warmth, and friendship that they have shown us has been overwhelming! Since that day, and several visits later, we no longer view them as strangers, but as friends!
We have a long road ahead of us with Davin. Since his type of epilepsy is progressive, we will need to continue to come to Memphis to treat Davin. This means we will be making several trips back to our now home away from home. We are so thankful that we have found a place of respite in Habitat for Hope, and our new friends/ extended family Mo and Tona. It truly does mean hope for the families who may have no other place to turn during their time of need. It may be the one place that allows them to keep going when they may feel to weak to continue. Habitat for Hope is just that.

My name is Bella Horrocks. Thank you so much for having us here today. When I was three, I was diagnosed with stage 3 Melanoma. I had four surgeries in Florida, and two here in Tennessee, and was sent to a local cancer hospital. I did 8 weeks of chemo here in Memphis, and completed my treatment from home in Florida. I lost 50 percent of my hair. We came back to Memphis every 2 months for a while for scans in the CT machine. I called the machine the donut. Then we started coming back every 6 months. A few months ago, I finished all 5 years of my scans and was sent to a new clinic and I only need to come back once a year. Two years after I was diagnosed, my parents founded Habitat for Hope. Then we moved here to Tennessee. Life at the HFH House is pretty fun. We have four horses so that kids that are sick can learn to ride or siblings of kids that are sick. We have a big red barn that holds several toys, bikes, scooters and roller skates. There’s a big indoor playground in it too! We also have walking trails and biking trails. The house is 3 stories: the middle floor is ours, the upstairs is for people who come and go, and the basement was made into an apartment. We’ve had two Amish families stay down there, and one Mennonite family! I have a lot of friends that are from different states and countries that have stayed here. Usually we have a monthly family fellowship where volunteers and families from local hospitals come. Kids play in the barn, on the playground, and sometimes we even get the horses out! And then there is worship for the grownups and while they are doing that, the kids usually do a craft, have a lesson, or watch a movie. We also have volunteer fellowship for people that are helping us. The volunteers bring families food while they are in the hospital. I hope you have enjoyed my story.

I really dont think I could have said it better myself.

And a really beautiful one of Ella Beamon, Madelyn's baby sister...

Death and Healing

May the Risen Christ be your greatest treasure,

Mylissa

…thanks again for an incredible weekend, I came home refreshed and exhausted. It was so wonderful to meet some amazing women and get to know the ones I already knew a little better. I hope everyone is doing well, and is enjoying the season that they are in now a little better now that we were taught by Priscilla to enjoy the season. I kept counting down the rounds of chemo my son has left, thinking I just can't wait for it to be done. But now I am trying to appreciate what we are going through now and when the next season comes I will be thrilled, but I won't have regrets that I didn't enjoy what I am going through now. It was great to be with women that understands what I am going through as a mother, wife, Christian, and friend. I found that many of us just don't have the support at home from people that truly understand.

My sincere thanks to all of you that were a part of making this weekend happen – our donors for making it possible, Tona Ottinger, Missy Taylor and Heather McGugan for their help, and of course my sweet husband for giving me the time I needed to work on this and praying over me the whole way.

This week, there are 15 people staying in this house - luckily many of them are little. The Logsdon's are here for the week with Brenna, Bella and Jalen, and the Johnsons are still downstairs and will be for at least three more weeks.

I know many of you ask "how do they do it?", but it is true that I feel most at peace when there are lots of little ones around, happy parents getting a break and smiling in the sunshine, and laughter and good company. We truely love it and feel blessed to be in this place.

Happy Spring!

I was recently telling someone about Habitat for Hope and where we were located. He responded, “Oh, you’re the place with that big red barn. Do you store hay in there? Have any animals? Etc.

I responded, “Yes, we are the place with the big red barn, but this isn’t your typical barn”. On a recent cold day, with several families on the property for a dinner and fellowship, I made my way into the barn. What drew me into the barn on this cold day was all the laughter and noise coming from inside. As I stepped inside, it become apparent that this was a special place. To my left was a family laughing as they played a big game of ping pong. One of the first times they had laughed since their youngest child passed away a few months before. Over at the train table, two little fellas bellowed “Choo-Choo” as loud as they could as they pushed trains around and around the table, up and down the tracks. Hard to tell that one of the boys had been in the hospital for months and his new friend had chemotherapy that morning. I soon move out of the way as three little boys zoom by on bikes followed by three girls giggling as they chased the boys via roller skates. Fun to see these siblings whose life gets interrupted by hospital stays and doctors visits having fun and being loud outside the quiet waiting rooms where they have lived. To my right, a young daddy lets his 18 month old son slide down the indoor playground. An escape from the reality that tomorrow radiation will begin.

This is not your typical barn, and Habitat for Hope is not your typical ministry. We are in community with families in crisis…mommies with heavy hearts, daddies who for the first time can’t fix the problem, and brothers and sisters who are often scared and always full of questions. In the midst of the meals, the roller skates, the laughter, the tears, and the many questions…we offer one thing: Hope. Hope in a Savior who will meet each mommy and daddy and brother and sister right where they are. A Savior who gives strength to all these kiddos, some chronically ill, others terminally ill. A Savior who gives peace to a mommy’s heart, strength to a daddy’s soul, laughter to a sibling and strength to a child. A Savior who radically changes lives and is the only Hope we can rest in.

For the person driving by the Hope Ranch, they see a red barn. For those inside the barn, it’s a Habitat for Hope.

On February 8th, 2009 David Jones joined his abba Father in heaven. One of the ways Habitat for Hope was able to support the Jones family was by visiting David and rocking him during the week, at the request of his parents. The following was written by Leesa Davis, who faithfully loved and visited baby David. 

What a joy and privilege I have had over the past 5 months with little Baby David Jones. When my daughter in law, Becky Davis, forwarded an email to me that baby David needed someone to visit with him, and to rock him, and love on him...my heart just skipped a beat. Yes, that was something I was very interested in. I quickly emailed Mylissa, found out the details, and set about visiting David every Wednesday for about 1-1 1/2 hours. I would hold him, sing to him, love on him, wiggle his little hands and his feet, talk to him about how much his parents and Jesus love him, and sometimes just pat his little tummy. I would visit with his precious nurses and being a curious " want-to-be a nurse", I asked a lot of questions and learned a lot about kidney function and David’s disease.
I looked forward to each visit, and prayed for him in between the visits. I thanked God for his parents and family, I prayed for his healing-- that he would grow to 20 lbs so he could get a transplant and I prayed for the impact he was making on all of those whose lives he touched. Even as I write this, tears form in my eyes as I remember that little "Curious George" smile. He had a contagious smile...one visit as I held him we just giggled at one another! I would make funny faces and make funny noises and he just giggled back at me. My next visit I could tell he was not happy and very uncomfortable, so I just patted him and told him how much everyone loved him. That would be my last visit with baby David, for the next week he went home to be with Jesus.

God's precious child has been a special blessing to me. I thank Habitat for Hope for opening my eyes to a need that we as volunteers can fill as we give of our time and love to little ones like baby David and their families. What a ministry!! Thank you Mark, Mylissa and all of the staff at Habitat for Hope. May God pour His blessings upon you and the families to whom you minister.

 We had the opportunity to be part of the Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church missions week. This morning in their worship service, they sang a hymn and it really grabbed me. Maybe it will grab you as well. Sometimes the richness and poetic harmony of hymns just shake me deep. What I love about hymns is that they are timeless. The same hymns sang 100 years ago, still ring true today. They still speak to the hurting and lost world we are in.

Let Your Heart Be Broken - Bryan Leech

Let your heart be broken,
For a world in need:
Feed the mouths that hunger,
Soothe the wounds that bleed,
Give the cup of water and the loaf of bread –
Be the hands of Jesus, serving in His stead.

Here on earth applying, Principles of love,
Visible expression — God still rules above –
Living illustration of the Living Word.
To the minds of all who’ve never seen or heard.

Blest to be a blessing, Privileged to care,
Challenged by the need — Apparent everywhere.
Where man-kind is wanting, Fill the vacant place.
Be the means through which the Lord reveals His Grace.

Add to your believing - deeds that prove it true,
Knowing Christ as Saviour, Make Him Master too.
Follow in His footsteps, Go where He has trod;
In the world’s great trouble Risk yourself for God.

Let your heart be tender and your vision clear;
See mankind as God sees,
Serve Him far and near.`
Let your heart be broken by a brother’s pain;
Share your rich resources, Give and Give again.

Everything we discussed was VERY top secret, so don't go trying to read those giant post-it notes!!

The following was written by Habitat for Hope's meal coordinator, Donna Carter. She has become great friends with the Pauli family, and loved sweet Kaden dearly.

Heaven welcomed home one of their own yesterday, February 1. Kaden Pauli went to be with Jesus, surrounded by his family, after his courageous battle with cancer. Kaden was diagnosed and treated for a brain tumor in 2006. In July 2008, a scan revealed that the tumor had grown back; this was not the news we expected.
Two years ago, when Kaden first came to Memphis for his radiation treatments, I met Kristen and her mother-in-law, Connie, at a women’s bible study at my church, Central Church in Collierville. I was immediately drawn to Kris and her young son, barely one year old, who I came to love as “my sweet baby Kaden”. We visited with the Pauli family often during their summer stay and became sisters in Christ. We met and fell in love with the rest of the family later – Dad Dave, big sister Stacea, big brother Jace, baby sister Macey when she joined the family later, Dave’s sister Liz and Dave’s mom Connie. Around the same time, the family connected with Mark and Mylissa Horrocks and became part of our Habitat for Hope family, who ministered to them by offering love, warm meals, drives to the airport, housing, and continued prayer support. Mark and Mylissa have been a constant presence and a source of encouragement in their lives for the past two years. Habitat for Hope will continue to walk this journey with the Pauli family and be there when needed.
It has been an honor to know this family and to see their testimony and faithfulness to Christ through this difficult time. We stayed in touch, and visited with this sweet family every time they traveled to Memphis for Kaden’s checkup scans. We rejoiced in the good news with them and we cried with them after receiving the devastating news that would change their lives. Through all of this, they never lost hope, they continued strongly in their faith, knowing that Christ would need their every need. Their hope, through all of their pain and suffering, was that Christ would be truly glorified in all that they did as a family.
We grieve deeply with the Pauli family today on their physical separation from Kaden, but we rejoice in the knowledge that Kaden’s name was written in Heaven (Luke 10:20). He has seen the King of Kings already! He is healed! All who met Kaden were blessed to see the joy, love and life in this little boy. Even though his life was short here on earth, Kaden impacted everyone he knew, with his big, beautiful eyes, his contagious grin, and his sweet spirit. You could not prevent your heart from being captured by this sweet child of God.
Please join me in praying for the Pauli family in their difficult days ahead as they continue on the next phase of their journey. May Christ comfort them with His presence today. May Christ continue to be glorified by their walk as a family.
Kris, Dave, Stacea, Jace, Macey – we love you – you are family to us. We will miss Kaden every day, but we know that we will see him again and what a reunion that will be!

As a Christian, I have always ‘wondered’ how it would feel to have the Holy Spirit speak to me and if I would know when it happened. There have been times that I thought He was speaking to me but afterwards was unsure of whether it was that or if I was just exaggerating a ‘good thought’ that I may have had. However, now I know and I can tell you that there is not a better feeling in the world than to know that I was chosen to fulfill a need by the most high God, and for once I actually listened.

Let’s start at the beginning: I first heard of Habitat for Hope through a Caringbridge website. Soon I became involved with this wonderful Christian organization here in Memphis. Through them, I have had the privilege of serving (in person) the families of children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Over the last couple of years, I have grown to know and to love families that have had their children called home to heaven before them. As close as I have been to the situations, I still cannot imagine how these parents do it. However due to various reasons, I have not served HFH as faithfully as I would have liked in the last couple of months.

Last Tuesday, I received an email asking me to deliver a meal to a family. They are a local family here in Memphis and live only 5 miles from where I live so I gladly agreed to provide a meal for them on Saturday. I ask for a little background information because I had never met this family before and was told that Nicholas was an 8 years old child with rhabdomyosarcoma and was home on Hospice, but his mother fully believed he would be healed. Having dealt with hospice situations in the past- I know that even after hospice is called in, some children may still survive for many months. I knew that Nicholas was terminal but had no idea how close the time was.

Wednesday, my father called and invited me to go out of town with him for the weekend. I toyed with the idea of cancelling or rescheduling my meal to this family so that I could go out of town. I decided to wait until later in the week to make the decision. I was shocked to receive an email on Thursday that Nicholas has passed away. I immediately emailed my meal coordinator to see if we would still plan to take meals. Selfishly, I thought this may allow me to make that out of town trip after all but for some reason I still did not commit to go and when dad called on Thursday night- I declined.

Friday, it was decided that I would still take a meal and I began to make preparations. Typically, I call all of ‘my’ families the day of the delivery and try to get some idea of what they would like to eat. I would hate to take something that they would not eat…. When I made the call, I had no idea what to say. After the preliminaries, I asked her if there was a specific way that I could pray for her family. She wanted extra prayers for her other son. He is 12 years old and was taking the death pretty hard (as I could only imagine). I normally do not buy presents or gifts for the families that I visit. If time allows- I will make them a little bookmark or something small. However, my mouth opened and almost without me realizing what I was saying- I was asking if I could pick up a little ‘happy’ that might cheer him up. After some discussion, I found out that he liked sports and that he had a PSP.

As I was in the store, I headed over to the electronics thinking that I would have lots of choices and I could pick up something inexpensive. There were only 2 sports games and they both cost more than I had anticipated … Have you priced video games lately?!? Anyway, I bit the bullet and picked up the one I thought he might enjoy. Once I had made the purchase, the worry settled in….. If he liked sports, then he probably had this game. What would I do if he had it- or worse yet- what if he hated it? I planned to take the receipt with me (just in case). When it came time to deliver the meal, my husband decided to go with me. He typically lets me do this by myself, because he does not want his emotions affected. But, decided that I did not need to make the trip alone.

We arrived at the house and headed in with the meal and were greeted by some of the nicest people I have ever met. They were delighted to see us and were extremely grateful for our service and our prayers. Before the son came into the room, I asked Dad if he had this game and I pulled the game out of the sack. The fathers face lit up and he said ‘You have just made him very happy. He has been begging for this game’. Relieved, I sat the game down behind me and continued to talk to mom while dad went to get the child…. He came into the room and wondered around behind me and spotted the game and picked it up. There was a look of sheer joy on his face and he screamed “Oh, my gosh….” I have NEVER seen a child more excited to receive something. After hugging both Tommy and I, he took off running to his room. When he left the kitchen, I looked around and everyone in the room had tears glistening down their cheeks. The parents continued to thank me as the son came back into the kitchen to eat- but could not eat because he was trying to play the game at the same time.

I say all of this because there were several things that could have happened differently….. I could have not volunteered to take the meal, I could have gone out of town, I could have not called that morning, the store could have had many games to choose from, the child could have already had the game and so forth and so on…….. However, God had other ideas and in his perfect timing and in his perfect plan, I was able to serve where I was needed. I do not take any of the credit, but thank God for making everything happen exactly as it needed to and for helping me to make the correct choices. Because of his perfect plan- not only was I able to serve this family in HIS way- but Tommy and I were touched in a way that I never thought possible. We finished the visit by surrounding Mom in a hug and thanking God for the perfect healing of Nicholas and for Nicholas’ new home! Silently, my heart was praying a satisfying prayer of thanksgiving for allowing me to witness and be a part of His special plan.

Camden Ottinger, Sam, Izaiah and Ty Waggoner at Monster Jam (guys night!)

Spencer Oswalt at Monster Jam

Neat picture of Andy Gross strumming at a recent worship gathering

Laura Velasco Bertero talking with the Steers at a recent worship gathering. Laura is here with her sister Julia while she gets treated for relapsed ALL. They are from Bolivia.

Mylissa:

It by Craig Groeschel
Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman
Deeper than Tears: Promises of Comfort and Hope
My Love by Mark Horrocks (a little photo book Mark made me for Christmas)

Mark:

Tribes by Seth Godin
L'Abri by Edith Shaeffer (well, this one's on the floor)
The Father Connection by Josh McDowell
Ask Vance by Vance Lauderdale (fun Memphis history book)
several issues of Time, Relevant and Gourmet

Mark and I love to read. I particularly love to have at least one novel started.  What are you reading? Leave us a comment and let us know.

I know so many of you enjoyed the pictures of Abby Steer on the last post. Shortly after I wrote that post, Abby went into the hospital with a high fever and virus. She had a seizure, and since has had a couple more. She is experiencing paralysis on her left side. They have been released from the hospital in Springfield, and will come to Memphis mid-week. PLEASE pray for Abby's symptoms to reduce, and for peace of mind for Rachel and Michael. Abby's sweet big brother is Andrew, and we would love if you would pray for understanding and peace for him too! You can follow Abby's story at www.caringbridge.com/visit/abigailgracesteer

I wanted to share a special blessing with you, although this took place about 10 days ago. About 18 months ago, we were connected to Michael and Rachel Steer - whose daughter Abby Grace had been diagnosed as terminal upon birth. It was found that she had a massive tumor taking up nearly half her brain, and the doctors in their home area thought it would be best for her to go home on hospice. Once home, Michael and Rachel quickly organized a dedication for her at their church, and even had a party at their house for Abby afterwards. Rachel tells of taking a moment alone with Abby that day, literally lifting her up high in her arms to the Lord and asking for his mercy over her sweet child. Shortly, Michael had done extensive internet research and found that St Jude was willing to take Abby (go St Jude!). 18 months later, Abby is cancer free, and here are a few pictures from her visit to our house. It was wonderful to spend some time with our precious friends.  We are so incredibly thankful to see her beautiful face...she is a miracle. All Glory to God in the highest!

Happy Birthday sweet Maddie. Miss you each day, and ever thankful that we enjoyed your presence in our lives.

Please remember to keepCaleb, Mark, Maria, Mark Jr and Victoria in your prayers. They are relying on God's mercy and grace.

Andy Gross – signing off on my first ever blog post. I look forward to sharing with you again…

Faith (brook's sister) and Bella

Ginny and I, getting food ready

Andy and Ginny carving up the bigger bird

The precious Morgan family, and sam of course - who is always in the middle of everything. The Morgans' daughter Shannia had passed just 3 days before Thanksgiving. They are currently in our housing.

The little kids table - Westin and Emma Dietz, my kids, and the Ottinger kids.

Hailey and Ali, with their Mimi

Julie and Mark dishing it up

We thank you for your prayers and promise to post some new pictures soon.

Blessings,

Mylissa

Sam, Zach Nason, and Izaiah

Mark and I are visiting our sweet friends, the Nasons, down in Mathiston, MS. We became close friends while their son was in treatment in Memphis, and we've continued that relationship after Brent's passing. We are so thankful for that! Today we will visit the Shawas and the Oswalts, and head home tonight. We'd also appreciate your prayers for Andy and Ginny, as they move into their new home this week!

Blessings,

Mylissa

Shannia Morgan is a precious girl that has been in Memphis for treatment for nearly 3 years.  We had met them and helped a few times in the past, but recently mom Michelle called to say that Shannia's condition had worsened and she would need to stay in Memphis for an additional year. Shannia and her family are from St Vincent, and have been apart most of this time. The Lord provided the funds for HFH to fly dad and brothers to the states, and we began to work on the details. While in the midst of planning this, Shannia took a turn for the worse. She is now in ICU and doing poorly - and by the grace of God and lots of phone calls, we were able to bump up her family's tickets and get them in tonight. Mark dropped them off a little bit ago, and tonight Shannia is once again with her family. Please pray for healing for Shannia, rest and peace for their whole family.

Friday November 14!!

We are so excited.

Fall Fellowship 2008

Prettiest time of year

Mark's newest creation for our upstairs house guests

Happy All Saints' Day!

First of all, let me say that shortly after we returned home, our sweet Amish family from downstairs took their son Ervin home to Illinois.  Ervin passed into eternal glory on Wednesday, October 15th. Mark and Andy were so glad to be able to travel to the services the following Sunday.  We dearly love the Chupps and hope to take the kids to IL to see them sometime soon.

Another family in our housing, the Copelands, lost their little boy Quinn the same week.  And we learned that two more of our precious families' children relapsed.

A dear friend and colleague once said that experiencing loss regularly is like "ripping off a scab - again and again".  I can say that this past few weeks has certainly felt so.

This Saturday, we will have our annual Fall Fellowship.  This is always lots of fun for all of us - those we minister to and our volunteers as well. HUGE thanks to Cyndi Rushing for handling all the food this year!

And I have been working diligently alongside Chris from 1Perspective to get our new site live. We are close...stay tuned!

In His grace,

Mylissa 

The theme for Catalyst 2008 was "together". The idea was to celebrate pushing toward unity in the body of Christ, and to help the church think about the possibilties of relieving suffering all over the world when we act united.

So Mark and I visited the Atlanta IKEA today. Nothing shocking there; we usually make a trip when we are near one. After a while, Mark remarked, "You know, IKEA has done a phenomenal job creating product that is desired across racial lines, cultural lines, and even the old people like it!" As we looked around the store for the remainder of our visit, we realized we were sorrounded with african americans, indians, singles, married people, musilms, middle eastern people, people advanced in age, asians...and the list goes on.  We began to ask questions of each other. I suggested that it could possibly be because the product line is not typically American.  Mark suggested that price was a factor. I thought that maybe its a correlation, since many IKEAs are located in major cities (where the population is more diverse).  But then I realized, most of the people in my life appreciate goods from IKEA, whether they are located anywhere near one or not.

As I was thinking about this, I realized a few things. You know, IKEA's designers and manufacturers are paid well, and employed mainly in first-world countries. The quality remains high and the cost remains low. They also create their product with environmentally sustainable methods. Green is the name of the game for IKEA. They have recycling bins in the store for everything from eyeglasses to cell phones...

And 4 months ago, they began offering an immediate 3% credit back to all customers that use a debit card. They are essentially rewarding us for paying cash.

I have no idea whether any of the managing partners of IKEA are believers. But it occurs to me that they have somehow managed to reward our thoughtful financial choices, profit humananity (low cost, recycling programs, living wages), the earth (green practice) and bring us TOGETHER. Interesting.   

Tony Morgan, of NewSpring Church, is sort of twitter-blogging all of the sessions here at Catalyst. Just in case you are interested...

http://tonymorganlive.com/

And a quick self portrait from a pizza place after Labs...

I know some of you may have questions about Catalyst, and the very interesting mix of speakers they bring to the stage. More on this soon, but I want you know that for many of us that attend Catalyst, we recognize that the team is striving to give us a picture of the climate in the church culture today. For many, its an oppurtunity to rethink our programming, or to re-up our message to be sure we are doing battle for hearts and minds in the appropriate arena. As Mark and I, God is speaking us, and we are renewing our passion and bringing home great concepts to help launch Habitat for Hope into the next stage of its development. We are seriously considering bringing a team of key players here next year for renewal and learning.

At the moment, Mark is at a session and I am laying down at the hotel - I seem to have picked up one of the many bugs that are going around Memphis right now. I hope to be back in action for Dave Ramsey's session in a couple hours.

Dean, Alicia, Mia and Zach Norwood. The Norwood's son Bryce passed into the Lord's hands last February, after battling cancer. Dean and Alicia  invited Mark down to a fundraiser they were having for St Jude families two weeks ago. He so enjoyed his time with them. 

I delight greatly in the LORD;
       my soul rejoices in my God.
       For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
       and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
       as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
       and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 
 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
       and a garden causes seeds to grow,
       so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness 
       and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:10-11 (from this week's 'bible in one year' readings) 

Please forgive me for not updating more recently! Mark and I have been busily attending to all the projects, relationships, and meetings that we left hanging while we were in New York. I have been working to get the new website up and running – it should be live within the next two weeks. More importantly, we have been enjoying the Chupps immensely – the new Amish family that have been staying with us at the HFH House. There are 8 of them here. The children are so well mannered, obedient, loving to each other, selfless…all the qualities I’d love to see more of in my own kids. Also, the boys are fantastic with the horses, and they have been whipping mine into shape. They have also encouraged Bella to be a bit more of an aggressive horse-woman, and Izaiah’s been right in the mix riding the pony as well. Its been a great season, even though we drive them to the hospital and pick them up every day (affectionately named the ‘Amish Express’). 

Andy and Ginny left Monday for the Triennial Conference for New Mission Systems International. This is a conference/retreat of all NMSI missionaries from all over the world, and it happens every 3 years. The first week is in Sofia, Bulgaria, and the second week is in Greece at a Spa hotel. Of course, Mark and I should be there, but it simply wasn’t in the budget this time around. We hope we can have the people in place as well as the funding to attend three years from now! Instead, Mark and I will head to Atlanta next week for a few days to attend Catalyst Conference 2008. Mark, Andy and I attended Catalyst together in 2006, and really enjoyed the worship and the sessions. Its produced by INJOY and lead by a neat team of guys that are affiliated with Northpoint Community Church in ATL. I am especially looking forward to the worship…its always amazing to worship together in that setting (around 10,000 attendees). 

Tomorrow, we will have dinner with the Welsh family – they are new to Memphis and have come off the mission field in Ecuador to seek treatment for their daughter’s brain tumor. More on that very soon.  

     I want to thank each and every one for coming today and joining us in this celebration service for my Dad.  I'm sure each one of you has a story about my dad and I wish we could sit here for a few hours to hear those stories.  As most of you know, my dad was a story teller.  He always had a story to tell... something about the Navy days or something about the bachelor pad days or something about growing up with a bunch of cousins on the lake.   Rick, Jerry, Maynard, Craig...I'm sure each of you has some dirt on my dad that we would all love to hear.  I remember stories my Dad told me about driving from CA to NY straight in just a couple of days.  I remember my Dad telling us about all the times he hitchhiked back from Connecticut to see a girl named Margaret, who later became Ralph and then I knew as Mom.  My dad recently shared with me the only time he ever asked his parents for money was when he had a bad poker night in the navy and had to call home for money because he was broke.  This, I understand, was the last time he played poker in the Navy.   I remember hearing about the glory days of bachelorhood after the navy and the all night card games, the guys having their own meat cooler and being tough guys with corvettes and motorcycles.   I know there are 1000's of these stories and I hope that many of you will share these stories with us later today. 

            Today I would like for you hear a story about a good man, his name is Gary Horrocks.  I would like to share with a few things that you may or may not know. My father was one of the most caring, selfless and giving Gentlemen I have ever met.  Growing up as a kid, I never realized it, but we made do with little money.   As I began to have children of my own, I began to think back about what my father was like when I was a kid.  One of my greatest memories as a child growing up was our summers at the lake; something that my family and I were able to do with my dad just a few weeks ago.  My dad's vacation time revolved around summer.  He would set up his vacation so he would spend as much time as possible with his family at the cottage.  Most of you have been fortunate to have spent some time at the Conesus Lake Estate.  All 250 sqft of it!  But as many of you know that cottage is bigger than just its size, it's a living memory of times with Dad. During our summers growing up, when John and I were out of school, he would work 2 weeks, take 2 weeks off, work 2 weeks, then take 2 weeks off.  I'm sure many of us fathers here wish we were able to do that with our children.

            Looking back I see a man who gave of himself and his time relentlessly.  He spent over 20 years of his life living next to his mother in law Helen....Now that is a true test of patience!   From what I know about Helen, she was quite a whipper snapper and my dad and her sure had their moments.  I think he knew just how to push her buttons.  Later in Helen's life I remember my parents giving their all to take care of her in the last days of her life.  Round the clock care was given to keep her in the comforts of home until the end of her life.  During this time and shortly after I remember my parents giving their time and help to Walt and Peggy McLaughlin.  My dad and mom taking care of all their needs and once again walked Peggy and eventually Walter through their last days here with us.  As my Aunty Lillian's health declined and my grandparents mental health slowly declined I remember our visits becoming more frequent.   Once again they walked with another close relative and did all they could to support Aunt Lillian through the last days of her life.   Shortly after Aunt Lillian’s death my paternal grandparents’ health began to decline rapidly.   I remember between home healthcare and my parents weekly and sometime daily visits to do all he could to keep them in the comforts of their home and make sure all their needs were taken care of.  He gave his time, his resources and his love day after day.  He humbly had to take care of his own father in ways that he could have never dreamed of.  When he had no other choice, but to put them into assisted living, he was so faithful to go in and see them as much as possible until their time expired here on earth.   As many of you know my parents had a close bond with Uncle Harry and Aunt Mary and they used love to visit and spend time with them.   As if my dad did not have enough going on, his own parents’ best friends needed some help and assistance and my parents were the first ones at the door to help.  After Charlie's death it was very apparent that Edna would need weekly help getting to her doctors’ appointments, getting her groceries and helping out around the house.  This was something that my dad was very experienced in doing and had great compassion to do...he continued to do this up until last week.  Edna, not having any family of her own left, said in her own words just a few days ago that Gary was family to her and she loved him like he was her own son.  Did I mention that in the midst of being able to reach out and help those in need, he even dropped everything to come be with my family during all of my daughter’s surgeries and treatment after her cancer diagnosis?  And on top of all that he was active in the local food pantry and bringing groceries to those who could not get out to get them on their own.

     My father, Gary Horrocks, was man who put others before himself.  To me he was one of the greatest examples of loving others.  Jesus said in the book of Matthew, "in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." This is exactly what my father did. Maybe he had a problem and just could not say "NO".  Maybe my mom and he didn't realize that people get paid good money to do what they have been doing for the past 15 years.  I'd like to think that is not the case. I'd like for all of you to remember that my dad gave it his all.  That if he saw someone that needed help, he would drop everything to help that person.  In the book of Proverbs is says that "a generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”  My father did prosper.  His riches were not in fancy cars, big houses or expensive vacations, my father's riches were in his family, his friends and the relationship he had with those he cared for.  Proverbs 13:22 says that "A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children".   My own children will reap from knowing what an incredible man and servant their grandfather was.

    I would like to close this morning by asking you to take a look at your own life.  How are you serving others? Are you putting others before yourself?  My dad changed the world around him by making it a better place and I hope and pray that we all can have that desire.  This afternoon I want to encourage you share some stories about my father… my mom, my brother and our family would love to hear about the imprint of Dad's life upon yours. Finally, in Proverbs 22:1 it says that "A good name is more desirable then great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver and gold."  My dad had a good name and I pray that I could be as selfless and giving as he was.  I miss my Dad. I, like many of you, just wish that I could have one more day with my dad.

We learned early this morning that Mark's dad, Gary Horrocks, died suddenly around 5am. We truly believe he is now in the loving arms of Jesus. He was not sick, and in fact had played in a golf tournament the day before. Because of his past heart issues, we believe he had a heart attack. Please continue to pray for our family - especially Mark and his mom, Margaret Horrocks. Mark gets to NY by plane in about 2 hours, and the kids and I are following by car.

Hi all!
The past couple of weeks have been heavy with meetings regarding the expansion of the HFH property. Today, we can happily report that the Shelby County Commision and the Memphis City Council unanimously approved the rezoning of the property and plans for long-term use. Praise God!

We have begun moving the blog to its new location on the new website. Bear with us while that exchange occurs.

Blessings!
Mark and Mylissa

Melissa and Evan Thomason; Quincy, Ben and Leighann Russell and the Horrocks kids sharing a meal on the deck

Quincy, Evan and Mr. Mark being silly

This week, our associate pastor from VCCFM, Steve Morriss and his wife, Susan came to see us. They were only here one day; our time was too short! It was so lovely to spend that time with them. We are truly kindred spirits in many ways.

I will admit life has been a little strange lately; Habitat for Hope has been blessed in so many ways, and yet we are sobered and quieted by the circumstances of many families we assist. Your prayers are evident; God is hearing them. Please continue to lift us up as we do the work of this ministry and Habitat for Hope up as it marches ahead in God’s design.

We love you,Mark and Mylissa

So many of you have prayed for Andy and Ginny as they moved through the stages of dating, engagement and now marriage. We are so thankful to have them as part of our lives, and part of the HFH team. Rather than a bunch of words from me, I thought you might like to share in their celebration of marriage by viewing their pictures here.


Many congratulations, sweet friends. We love you.

And a less heart-wrenching change for us this month, but equally interesting…Mark and I took the kids on a short three-day vacation last week, and during the night there was a nasty windstorm (Branson, MO). We woke to find this:

We are so thankful that Joe and Mary Abraham had allowed us to use this car for the past 18 months here in Memphis. It enabled us to lend out our 2000 Sienna Minivan, which has been used by many families over the past year and a half. Obviously, the insurance company totaled the Yukon, and Habitat for Hope will receive a check for slightly less than $2000. At the moment, we are driving the Sienna minivan again, and asking the Lord for clarity on how we will move forward with a vehicle. We have found that the loaner vehicle can be a great blessing to families we assist, and would like to continue to help in that way.
In the past month we have also contracted with Chris Chaffin of 1Perspective, Inc. to design and create our new website. We are so thankful to be working with her, and are excited to offer a new and improved Habitat for Hope website soon!
Blessings to you,
Mylissa

Our story starts tragically with two words – childhood cancer. A devastating diagnosis that no parent should ever have to hear. At best, there is a 30% chance Evan will survive 5 years, they say. We pray. Pray for wisdom, strength, courage, and miraculous healing. Emotions are raw, ranging from angry to scared to determined to helpless. We prepare for battle. We suit up for the fight of our lives – the fight to save our most precious treasure – our son. We scream, we cry, we ask “God, why? WHY?” “Where are you, God?”
We step foot through the doors of our hospital and our battle begins. This battle is long – the outcome unforeseen and the end nowhere in sight. We are desperate, we are heartsick, we are overwhelmed. We are seemingly all alone in a strange town with NOONE. Noone to turn to for advice. No one to cry with. Noone to confide in. Noone to help us sort through our feelings – to tell us that they understand, to point us in the right direction. Noone to pray with us, to hold our hand, to show us that we would be okay.
Enter the Horrocks family and Habitat for Hope. Within a day or two of arrival, I receive an e-mail from a Mark Horrocks – Habitat for Hope. He’s praying for us. He claims he can help. Enter Mylissa Horrocks – we had just spent our first night in the hospital. Evan had had a bad reaction to anesthesia and we wound up inpatient for a night. She meets us in the hallway and offers to bring us dinner - a homecooked meal – something we hadn’t had since leaving Birmingham a week earlier. Our relationship with Habitat for Hope begins.
Soon, we are invited out to the Habitat for Hope House. We meet up with other families enduring the same heartaches, the same experiences. We worship together, we pray together. Other volunteers enter our lives and we find ourselves blessed with support in all aspects. A place to go when we need to get away. Homecooked meals just when a break from the cafeteria is needed. A shoulder to lean on when the going gets tough. A group to belong to – a network of and who we soon could call family to provide us with the social, the emotional , and the spiritual aspects of dealing with a life-threatening illness. Moral support as we faced a tough test or a tough day. Someone to talk to when the lonelies set in. A friendly face in the hall. A listening ear when we just need to vent. Someone to pray with us when a situation is almost too much to bear. Someone to pray for us when we just can’t find the words ourselves. Someone to sit in on that dreaded conversation with the doctor when one just needs another set of ears to understand and decipher the medical jargon. Someone to praise God with when we receive good news, to cry with when the news is not so good. Spiritual guidance to help our family discover the grace and love that God provides for us and to understand and cope with how this journey fits into our spiritual life. These bonds are essential for any family undergoing such a difficult experience and has proven to be a God-given gift to our family.
Our family has spent countless afternoons at the Habitat for Hope House, sharing a meal and fellowship. Evan loves playing on the playgrounds, swinging on the swing, riding the four-wheelers and the horses. We always feel safe – we always feel welcome – we always feel at home. I can’t begin to tell you how many times Mylissa and Mark have dropped everything to talk, to ease my fears, to provide needed guidance, to be at the hospital to sit and just hold my hand. We have formed a close relationship – one of family. One that I truly could not have survived this experience without.
But the impact of Habitat for Hope doesn’t end with our family, of course. Friends came along with different needs then ours. These needs were met too. A need for housing for large families that need to be together during treatment. A rocking chair to rock their baby with a brain tumor. A car to drive when needed. Someone to babysit when a parent needs to run to the grocery store and the patient child is too sick to go. Somewhere to go on Easter, Christmas, Fourth of July when a family is separated and can’t be with their own families. A place to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, a special occasion when a family can’t be at their own home. And then there are needs that no parent wants to endure, but Habitat for Hope came through to help. Endless vigils as they watch their child slip away. Help with planning end of life celebrations, an ear and a shoulder for the families that grieve the loss of their child. Love and guidance, helping to cope.
And the story continues…Our son is now on a drug that only requires a quick trip to Memphis each week with an extended stay for scans every three months. Families have come and gone and new families are in need each day. Some of their needs may be the same – others may be different. We have come to consider the Horrocks and all of the Habitat for Hope volunteers part of our family. It is comforting to know that our family is prayed for through the Prayer Partners. It is comforting to know that, while in Memphis, not only will our medical needs be met through the hospital, but we have a group to turn to and belong to at all times.
So, where is God in our story? God is in our hearts, guiding us to make the right decisions for our son. God is in the doctors and the nurses that provide for my child’s medical needs every day and God is in Habitat for Hope as they work endlessly and tirelessly to provide the support that families of children with life-threatening illnesses need to find God in their story.

Thank you, Melissa, for a beautiful tribute to our efforts as we fulfill our calling. We love you!
More pictures of the event are at www.habitatforhope.org/hfhbenefit

The Perkins Family

Thanksgiving was truly a blast here at the HFH House…we had tons of fun enjoying great company, watching some football, and cooks lots of food. HUGE thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers who made dishes and desserts for us to share – it was GREAT! For the past several months, many of our families have been in isolation…meaning that their children have a particular contagious virus that prevents them from interacting with other kids. So Sunday after thanksgiving, we celebrated ‘turkey day 2’ with one of our isolation families that we have grown to love dearly. It was the first time since summer than we have gotten together with the WHOLE Higgins clan, and we had fun making another bird and enjoying great fellowship.

Mark and I thank you for your continued love and care for us and for the families we assist. We pray that your holiday is one filled with joy and peace!

And then there was race day…Mark and I were so pleased to be a part of Team Shae for the St Jude Marathon once again this year, and huge thanks to all of you who donated to our family! Unfortunately, Mark and I were unable to run that morning as we woke up tired and worn out from the tail end of a stomach virus that had swept through our family. We did, however, still throw our post-race party for teams Shae, Evan, Christal, and Emma Grace. What a treat to share some time with new and old friends alike! Just like sweet Trish said, laughter and joy among friends really is the best medicine. Dawn Pierce was a HUGE help to us in getting dinner and snacks prepared…Dawn, you rock!!



Christal's mom Chris and Shae's mom Dawn



And just this weekend, we were blessed by the sweet owners of Once Upon a Time store in Bartlett in providing a princess party for HFH little girls and siblings. The kids had a blast, and we mommas decided we should all have a room just like this in our homes for impromptu princess parties! What fun.


Keely and Elli getting their nails done