Friday, December 17, 2010

December Update!


Dearest Brothers and Sisters,

I hope this update finds all of you doing well and getting geared up for Christmas and New Year’s! It is so hard to believe that another year is almost finished. It is such a blessing to be able to spend time with friends and family throughout these weeks but I pray that each of you are finding time to spend with our Savior and to reflect on all of the ways that He has worked in your life this year. Most of all, let’s not forget to be thankful for the reason we have to celebrate in the first place… and I do not mean that in a cheesy “remember the reason for the season” way. I mean it in a, “God became flesh and chose by His own free will to leave His throne in Heaven to suffer rejection, humiliation, denial, and ultimately crucifixion to save the same people who caused Him to suffer those things in the first place” way. Praise the Lord… that is what we have to celebrate!

Things have been going well at On Eagles Wings this past month. The Lord has continued to refine us and push us to trust in Him in many ways. He has also opened many doors for ministry! Finally, He has blessed us with a young lady that we have begun working with. She is such a joy to be around and is extremely motivated to work with us which, to be honest, is not really a typical attitude of these victims… but is greatly appreciated. Her situation is a little unique and therefore, we are only working with her a few days a week for a few weeks before we make a decision regarding her becoming a resident with us. We are excited about working with her in many ways, including home schooling, counseling, equine therapy, art therapy, life-skills and job training, and social skills. Please remember her and in your prayers as she begins this journey with us!

We are also right in the middle of our Christmas strip club outreach, which now has attained the title of “Rahab’s Hope.” Last night, a group of staff and volunteers gathered and assembled over 100 gift bags for dancers. Throughout the day Saturday we will be delivering those bags to clubs in Asheville, NC, Hickory, NC, and Greenville, SC. The bags were stuffed with nice bath and body items, Francine Rivers’ books, Bibles, and hotline numbers should anyone who is being victimized need a resource for help.

The Lord has also potentially blessed us with another property we may be re-located to within the next couple of months. Something that has been on our hearts a lot recently is to establish second home for victims over the age of 18 and to have both of these houses on a single property. The family of a dear friend and supporter of our ministry has offered to let us utilize a property they own for this purpose. It has 2 houses and a cottage, as well as over 30 acres of land situation on top of a mountain, right next to a river in western NC. It is absolutely beautiful and would be perfect for our ministry. We are in the process of zoning and getting approval from the county it is located in to use it for shelter for these victims and any prayers regarding that process and favor with the county would be greatly appreciated!

Personally, the Lord has blessed me so much this month. Thanksgiving and the Christmas get-togethers I have already had with my family have been wonderful. I have a renewed thankfulness and appreciation for all of them. This year I got to attend a Christmas party for my Mom’s side of the family and I haven’t seen many of them in years. I have missed them so much and we had such a wonderful time! I have also had the absolute privilege of becoming an official part of the church family of Biltmore Baptist in Asheville, NC. I have made many new friends and have begun getting plugged in. I have never been so confident in a decision to be a part of a church and I am incredibly excited to see what the Lord is going to do while I am there!

Thank you all so much for reading and for your continued love and support! I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Blessed,
Shannon

Monthly Supporters:
Don’t forget to send in your support for the month of December!
Check to: On Eagles Wings PO Box 9737 Asheville, NC 28815 (“Shannon support” in Memo Line)
OR
Online: @ hopehousenc.com (“Shannon support” in box for extra information after you submit your donation)

Prayer Requests:
Victims that the Lord would have to come to Hope House!
Our current client – healing for her and wisdom for us
Rahab’s Hope Outreach! – soft hearts and open doors to share the Gospel
Decision regarding relocating our facility
Softened hearts for awareness of the issue
Victims who are separated from their families during the holidays
New relationships/friendships/opportunities at Biltmore Baptist


Contact:
Facebook – www.facebook.com/shannonfromwelcome
Group – Shannon’s Ministry Partners
Blog - http://saoshano.blogspot.com
Email - saoshano@gmail.com
Phone - 336-596-5898