NEWSLETTER JULY 2011
COMPLETED ROOF

W.O.W.S. recently had a wonderful mission team from Madill, Oklahoma that came to Sulphur Springs and completed the roof on Chrysalis House...YAY!!! It was a very emotional time as they allowed me to nail the last shingle on the roof. I can say that lots of tears were flowing that last day of work and I was so overcome by my emotions. This has been such a long journey and there are many times I get so depressed and want to give up and quit.  I'll be honest in saying that for the last couple of years, I have felt spent in the energy department. When those times of grief and anxiety cloud my emotions,  I am ALWAYS reminded of the mother's we encounter and the sweet innocent faces of their children.  Those little faces are the ones that deserve my very best efforts in helping open Chrysalis House...they deserve for me to give it all I've got in making sure 'their home' gets opened so they can have a fresh start at a brand new life.

SO, I AM MAKING A COMMITMENT TO MYSELF THAT I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON THEM!!! In the words of Martin Luther King, "I HAVE A DREAM"  ~ but it sounds outrageous,  you may add. What is life if you can't chase those dreams, especially when they are God-given dreams??? He planted them in all of our hearts and sometimes they just never go away. God doesn't give up on us, so why in the world would we want to give up on Him??? His timing is ALWAYS perfect!!! AND in due time, it will happen...just wait and see!!! So go chase after your God-given dreams, don't listen to the world telling you that your dreams sound ridiculous!!! Go chase them...I DARE YOU!!! I AM!!!

So with that little introduction and soapbox out of the way, we are on to the next phase of work at Chrysalis House and that is getting a new fire alarm system replaced throughout the entire building to meet city and state codes before we can start opening one wing at a time. We need to raise between $26,000 and $30,000 to replace the fire alarm system. I KNOW,  that's A LOT of money... right??? NOT to God, He owns the cattle on 1000 Hills according to Psalms 50:10. He has already provided a 28,000 square foot building and 9 acres of land free of charge right off the interstate, why wouldn't He provide the rest in His due time!!! He can even move in the hearts of men and women to give it if He so wills...which is the way I am praying for.

To date...we have raised over $20,000 and  replaced 95 Low-E windows with that money, raised $10,000 to replace sheetrock throughout the entire building, raised over $27,000 to purchase all the roofing materials and with volunteer labor to put it on saving our organization several thousand in labor costs. We have raised even more for paint, flooring, lumber...you name it, the building needs it. We have finished and furnished 36 rooms inside Chrysalis with lots of volunteer help.  We have done all of this from writing grants, having small yard sales in front of Chrysalis and with lots of volunteers and various organizations holding fundraiser's for us. We have a handful of faithful donors that give so that we can pay our monthly bills and that is about all that we have coming in monthly. Our books are open for anyone who wants to take a look at them.

SINCE I AM ON THE SUBJECT OF MONEY AND BOOKS.....???

I have been accused of taking money from the ministry, of not being a legal organization, of mishandling funds and so much more...but can I be transparent and honest for a second without judgement??? I should have been more transparent with the public from the very beginning and I was wrong not to do so, but I had no clue of how to go about it when I started the ministry. It was the furtherest thing from my mind, I just wanted to help single mothers get through some of  life's hard knocks....not realizing hard knocks were getting ready to find me.

Our board of directors elected to give me gas reembursement when I was living 40 miles one way from Chrysalis House and driving everyday to and from. I am a full-time volunteer and our gas bills were killing us. We were in the middle of raising 6 kids ourselves and having the gas money helped at the time. Once I began hearing rumors of it 3 years ago, my husband and I decided to stop taking the gas money because it didn't look good, even though our board had elected to do so.  I apologize profusely for not being transparent from the start. I always thought I had to have a postive optimistic attitude regardless of whether things were going bad financially for us or not. I tried to cover up all of our ministry growing pains and struggles and painted a not so clear picture of how things really were....HARD!!! I was discouraged and depressed but instead of sharing,  I acted happy and postive about life with everything coming up roses and then put on a fake smile.  That's probably a lot of us, we are afraid that people will judge us...NEWSFLASH: they judge anyway, we all do it. I felt that if people really knew how I was struggling, they may not be so inclined to help our ministry. Instead, it backfired and I became fresh meat for some. I won't lie, the rumors hurt and were crushing to my ego...great news, God used all of it to get rid of my huge ego trips that I always loved going on several times a week. Nothing like a good humbling experience....HUH???  Honestly, I needed a good dose of it!!!

Last November, we made the decision to move to Sulphur Springs and are now 5 minutes from Chrysalis House. In May of this year, we became empty nesters so now we are onto the next phase of our lives....yes I KNOW, Praise the Lord, right!!! Let the party get started at our house...whoop, whoop!!!

BACK ON TRACK

Our ministry has come so far and I know that some of you may say that it is taking too long to open this place up and that it will never get open, all of which I have heard for 8 years now. BUT, can I remind you of Noah from the Bible...it took him 120 years to build the ark that saved all those stupid little moles and gophers that tear our yard up as well as Noah's entire family. Moses wandered in the desert 40 years after leaving Egypt, not knowing where God was taking him and the thousands of people following him. Joseph, how many years had it been from when he was sold into slavery by his brothers, going to prison and started interpreting dreams did it take for him to be elevated by the king??? No SERIOUSLY, I'm asking on that one...I forgot! There are countless other Biblical men and women I could name. BY NO MEANS am I comparing myself to them, BUT I AM comparing the timing of Gods. He is in NO hurry!!! Why are we always in a hurry???....I think we live in a microwave society where everything has to happen so quick or else we just think it isn't going to happen or that God isn't going to answer our prayers. We are so used to getting everything fast and so we crave it. I know just for this internet connection, I DO!!! Those great men and women of the Bible served the same God we are serving and they loved and trusted and had faith in the same God we love and trust. So together, let's BELIEVE that He is going to accomplish His will in and through each of our lives and that Chrysalis House will one day be open. Regardless of how long it takes to open it...I STILL BELIEVE. Can each one of us truly say that we will trust Him even if it never happens in our lifetime??? Was it King David or King Solomon that never saw the temple finished in his lifetime??? I can't remember that either...see what happens when all 6 kids leave the nest. STILL, they BELIEVED!!!

At this point in the newsletter/soapbox/book/whatever this article is, I just really feel like the donkey in Shrek and want to start singing, "I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE"... remember the part??? it was one of my favorites.

THE NEED

Okay, I will get back to why I am writing. I want to lay out our needs for the ministry and update you a little on some things that are going on with us. Some good and some bad! Please bare with me for just a few more minutes and I will give the "why's" too!!!!

We recently had a city inspection and these are our needs according to city and state.

Our number 1 need at this point is MONEY, no doubt!!!...we need it for the fire alarm system. We have received a bid from Performance Fire Equipment of

$25,522.61  a couple of years ago and with inflation...we are sure this price will be a little higher. After the fire alarm system is in the entire building, we will then be able to start working on and opening one wing at a time. Why didn't we try to do it this way to begin with??? you may ask. Well, refer back up to where I was talking about ego's and you will have your answer. Not pretty!!!

To open one wing at a time, we need to replace all electrical wiring in each wing that isn't already in conduit. After wiring is finished in each wing, we will then start the plumbing. We have already started the capping off part of the plumbing and some of the wiring as well, but still have more to do. We will also need money for this as well....if someone feels more comfortable just purchasing the materials, we will certainly let that happen. After the wiring and the plumbing is finished in each wing, we are all set to go and open our first wing and will have completed Phase 1 of Chrysalis House.

NOW THE "WHY"

Most all of our non-profit organizations across this great State of Texas has taken a huge hit because of the economy. People are hurting more than ever and are in greater need of assistance in every area....not just single mothers. We have been getting calls from families including the husbands.

The people that were able to give and donate money and time to help no longer have the luxury of doing so. In our rural East Texas areas, and I am speaking specifically more of Hopkins County because our organization is here, all of our non-profits are suffering financially yet the needs have grown. That is why at this crutial point, we are now getting ready to join forces in Hopkins County. Our organization owns a building with no mortgage on it, and so we are now in a position to help our fellow non-profits who are burdened with rent and mortgages. We are opening up one wing to house 3 more non-profit agencies from our area so that we can share the burdens with one another. Isn't that what we are all called to do, share in one another's burdens??? We believe it!!!

As much as we want to do this now, we still need help. That means more PRAYER, more MONEY and more VOLUNTEERS helping with fundraisers and making phone calls for a Fall fundraiser we plan to have. I am asking each one of you to please pray about where God would have you give of your time, money and energy. It doesn't have to be just our organization if you don't feel led, all  non-profits  are in need of all of the above.

Just please GIVE in some way!!!

In case you feel God tugging on your heart strings to give to our organization, here is our address:

Women Offering Women Support
P.O. Box 237
Sulphur Springs, TX 75483

BREAKING NEWS

Because our building is not yet open and being used for its intended purposes of housing women and children, we will now have to pay taxes on the building before the end of the year which will be $7002. If you would like to help in this area, we would love to have it. We have already had $500 donated toward relieving that tax debt. We did get a hearing before the appraisal review board which I have to add were such a wonderful group of encouraging people...they had to abide by what the law said, and it was a tough heart wrenching decision for them to make.  A few of our board members went and all of us got the same scripture in our hearts and heads which was Matt. 22:21,

"Give to Caesar what is Caesar and to God what is God's".

So we will be obedient to God and man in paying our taxes. Doing what is right doesn't feel good all the time, but we are called to a higher purpose.

EVEN MORE NEWS...

We have recently encountered someone who said they wanted to raise money for our organization. We hadn't made any type of agreement with them before they took it upon themselves to go to local businesses in town soliciting money on our behalf wanting to filter the money through their organization when they weren't yet a 501c3 tax exempt organization. Our board of directors felt that it was in the best interest of our organization that we cut all ties with them. We didn't want people making donations thinking it was coming straight to our organization and then expecting tax-exemptions and not be able to get them at the end of the year. I am not sure where that particular organization stands as far as their exemption status and wish them the best of luck in what they are trying to do. BUT, we have cut all ties with them.

One rumor that has come back to me is that we are not a legal organization.  Let me just squelch that....we are a legal 501C3 organization.  

Please feel free to check out our validity:

 Go to www.guidestar.com where you can find all the legal organizations throughout the United States. We are under our legal name of Women Offering Women Support in Sulphur Springs.

MANY THANKS!!!