The Bash!

Wow! It is hard to believe that months and months of Tuesday morning meetings are now finished and Darlena Goodwin, Leslie Wilson, Denise Takes, and Joycelyn Armstrong and I don't have a lot to do! Seems unreal to go in Staples or Walmart and NOT analyze the prices of the supplies for school!

HOW grateful we are to ALL who made this weekend possible. From the prayers of the team, to the support of the area churches and businesses, to the fact that PEOPLE are STILL bringing in supplies b/c there were some high school students that did NOT get what they need, to the kind lady who left 11 o'clock worship yesterday and gave me her number on a piece of paper so I could contact the young man who left without getting a hair cut and that was the only reason they came - we THANK YOU!!!!

Saturday not only were the lives of the people in the community changed, the lives of WCUMC were changed. We are living in the reality of changing lives, changing the world. Just like Jesus called us to do!



There were so many stories - for me, the biggest was the email I received from a lady who does not attend Williamson's Chapel sharing with someone else, "If this is what heaven looks like, people loving and helping each other, then I am ready to go." Her grandson received supplies and she said all night he was packing and unpacking his new bookbag.

One young girl going into 6th grade had never had a new backpack.

Another boy was going into middle school and had received a haircut one time in his life prior to Saturday. We had to close off the haircut line at 1 b/c there were too many people and not enough haircuts BUT we are already working on a plan for next year. Every room downstairs will be FULL!!!!!!!!!! Certainly that is a need!

Also, people stood in line for 1 1/2 hours to get a pair of tennis shoes they had never seen, had no clue if it was a "cool tennis shoe" or not . . . and then responded when members of the team said they were sorry because they were having to wait in line so long, "Oh, I've only been here 1 1/2 hours, that's not bad for something like this!" WOW!!!!!! What grace!

And the other thing that just rings in my mind - people were telling me the kids picked out their mechanical pencils as if they were choosing gold. They went through each pencil carefully, looking for their special color. Wow. . . . wow!

Feet were washed, children were prayed with and for, supplies were distributed, and fun was had.

The Methodist Men cooked over 4000 hot dogs and at some point yesterday I found myself saying in my sermon, "Isn't it amazing that faith could be rolled up (w/ a lot of other things too) in a hot dog?" and then I started rambling about how hot dogs were nasty! REALLY ANDREA . . . JUST HUSH! BUT WOW! The men were so dedicated and gracious - they were truly appreciated!

BUT - the biggest story from Saturday for me is a Thank You to you! The other 4 women on the team were phenomenal . . . and ALL the sponsors were so gracious . . . Jeff Nanney and Lake Norman Screen Printing waited til Wednesday afternoon to finish the backs of the volunteer shirts because the sponsor list kept growing! YET nothing would have happened if you did not take the vision.

Either you guys just don't want to hurt my feelings when I come up with some crazy idea or you are able to see bigger and you know that if we just open up and give it all to God, the one much bigger than us, it will all be ok. Not just ok - it will change the world.

I hope you had a chance to read the link in the Statesville Paper!

Correct statistics now are:
2100+ students served
557 volunteers from ALL OVER
5000+ people walking around and creating community, a true Mooresville Community

We're still giving out shoes and supplies to some so the gifts just keep giving!

In fact, The Cove called today. "IF you need anything please let us know. We will put out a call to The Cove and make it happen!" And they will . . . what an amazing church! And how cool it is to partner together!

It was amazing to work with other churches and NO ONE CARED about denominations, who gave what, did what, where it was, etc. The ONLY thing people cared about was serving the young people in our community, and serve we did!

This Scripture verse jumps at me . . . Luke 12:48: "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

We are living out that call from Christ as we ARE the church, reaching out and changing lives and changing the world!

Truly this weekend was one in which the church lived out being the church God calls us to be!

We can't WAIT to see what God holds in store for next year!

And now . . . I'm 'heading West'!!!! And I can't wait to see what God is going to do!

It really is a privilege to be a pastor at Williamson's Chapel and now "the" pastor for our West Campus! I NEVER thought that would be a reality - to be "the" pastor unless something bad happened and the conference had to pull me to use me in that capacity! Now . . . here we are . . . and you know what, tonight I ran by Michael's to get something and I saw statues of Pigs with Wings. "When Pigs Fly!" . . . Guess what - at Michael's they fly!

Let's go FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

Love, Grace, and Peace,
Andrea