Never A Dull Moment

It has been a while since we last let you know what Friendship House is up to. Since the last blog we have experienced the Strawberry Festival, more Up2HOPE Fun Days, the start of our summer program for Up2HOPE, the Southern Baptist Convention, and of course......SUMMER! It has been extremely hot and humid this year. We ask for your prayers in a safe, fun and hurricane-free summer.

The fun never stops here - no matter the season. I mentioned to one of our Up2HOPE girls that I was trying to write a blog and she decided that she would write it for me. It was great to see how she views the summer program.  She basically said it was "awesome" and "cool." For those that may not be familiar with our summer program we call Up2HOPE, it is an intensive preventative program geared for girls ages 8 and up. We want to encourage girls in our community to dream and reach beyond their circumstances. We are able to offer this camp for free because of your generous contributions. The HOPE stands for Helping Others Prepare and Equip. We want the girls to be part of a community that assists them in preparing for adulthood in a positive way.

Please continue to pray for the girls that attend, we have registered 62 girls for the summer. Our theme is Fearless. The remaining 3 weeks will discuss the Fear of the Unknown and the Fear of Success and Failure. We want our girls to know that God has a plan for them even if the world tells them otherwise.
Pray also for our other ministries as we continue to serve over 200 people a week through snack packs, hygiene kits, showers, and clothing. Pray that we would be Jesus to everyone who we have an opportunity to come in contact with.
Pray for the families in our transitional housing program. Pray they would be encouraged during this time and would seek the plans God has for their lives.

We always appreciate your support through your prayers, giving, and service.

Special Gift

I've been holding on to this. Below is a brief essay one of our kids wrote in February for school. The question was: "Have you been given a gift before." His initial response was: "Homeless people around my house was." Read below to see his thoughts. It touched our hearts.

"I gave a gift to a homeless person that didn't have clothes to put on. I gave them some clothes and a hygiene kit to take a shower, be nice and clean. Then when when they get out of the shower, I gave them a snack pack to eat. We let them watch t.v. We played video games with them. They had so much fun. 
They felt special, loved, helped and cared for."

[A.T.-9years old]

Through the eyes of a child. We don't typically play video games or watch t.v. with everyone who comes in, but our families who call Friendship House home, do.

A.T. is a hardworking, sweet young man who loves to play with all the younger kids. He is like their big brother. This is home. He feels at home which is our hope and prayer for everyone who comes through the doors. We pray that they feel "special, loved and cared for."

The Family Room

The "family room" of any home should be a place of love, acceptance, and celebration. Ours in no different. We have a refrigerator in our cafe, which acts like a dinning/living room. One of our kids brought home her artwork from school. She went to every person showing them her master piece - much like any kid would do when they came home to a large family. She is five and so much fun. She was so proud of her artwork and so was her Friendship House family. She asked if she could put it on the refrigerator. Of course we said yes. It got me thinking about how much like a big family we come to be at Friendship House. The kids and their moms (and some staff members) call it home.

Like any home should, it is full of celebrations and laughter.  We celebrated birthdays of staff, kids, and a graduation for a GED student that got her diploma. One of the kids shared a birthday with a staff member. She was so excited when she walked in she found that staff member and helped her count down the days until the actual birthday. She enjoyed having someone to share it with.

We also welcomed our girls from the summer to enjoy a day of fun. We love this time with them. They get to experience a day that was designed just for them to relax and have fun with friends. We appreciated having a special guest, Kimberly, from the Louisiana State WMU office to come and share about Acteens with our girls. We, basically, already do Acteens with our girls with service projects, Bible Study, etc. Now we will be able introduce them to the opportunities that Acteens have to offer.

Below are a few pictures from the month of January. Thank you for taking the time to pray with and for our families.

Christmas Celebration

This past weekend, we celebrated Christmas with our families. Because of some very special "elves" our families were able to have a great Christmas. Each child was able to open gifts and found exactly what they wanted. They (and their moms) are very thankful for those that gave. I one of the kids said that it was the best Christmas ever! When asked why, he said because he was able to open gifts with all his friends and family and see their faces light up.
We thank everyone for their time, gifts, and especially the prayers that you send. Thank you for choosing to be a part of the ministry here. Each part you play in the ministry - prayer, giving, etc. - does not go unnoticed. We are thankful for each of you. We hope you and your family had a Very Merry Christmas.
Have a Happy New Year!

Relaxed Holiday??

During this time of year, relaxation is not a word that comes to mind; however, giving does. Volunteers from a local church gave of their time and talents to serve our girls from the summer. Our Up2HOPE December event was filled with laughter and relaxation for our girls as they enjoyed "spa treatment" from the ladies (some of our staff took advantage of it as well). They also had a time of devotion. It was a blessing for all involved. Please pray for our girls as they take a break from school to spend it with family. Pray for them to celebrate the reason for the season - Jesus' birth.

The Family Table

When we think about Thanksgiving, we think of family. The term "family" can take on so many meanings and go beyond our traditional definition. People we call family can be close friends, mentors, etc. Each year, Friendship House sets the table for our family - our community. We invite our community and volunteers to share a table and a meal. Volunteers prepared and served turkey, ham with all the sides one could ask for. Volunteers also helped organize items to be given away. Most importantly, our volunteers visited with and shared conversations with those in attendance. Tables were full of laughter and prayer. We were greatly blessed to have local churches and individuals participate with us this year.

Please pray for our community. Many deal with hunger, grief, addiction, etc. Pray that the light of Jesus would be seen and felt throughout the community as we approach the Christmas season.

Feelin' Girlie

Saturday, November 19 we hosted another Up2HOPE Fun Day. Acteens and their leaders from South Mississippi hosted this event. Two of the volunteers gave devotions related to how God defines beauty. The day was full of being treated with manicures and make overs. They could also choose to make two different crafts. The girls were able to feel pretty on the outside and but given the opportunity to learn about inner beauty as well.
Our girls love to serve as they are served. As the volunteers finished painting their nails, our girls returned the favor and painted theirs. It was a great day for everyone.
Please continue to pray for the girls as they complete their fall semester of school.