The year 2008 is proving to be one of moving forward in our efforts to open the doors of Heart of Hope as soon as possible and in God’s time. Since our God is not bound by time, we are prayerful and confident that He is working alongside us and keeping us on track with His plan!

In February, we hosted our first annual fundraising banquet which was an awesome success. The Board has met twice in the past month to set goals for this coming year. We are focusing on 3 major areas of equal importance: 1) Spreading the word about Heart of Hope through presentations for area churches and organizations 2) Creating opportunities for people who want to be involved with this exciting ministry through volunteer service, donations of time and skills, and support 3) Fundraising to provide on-going financial support which will be necessary to successfully implement the vision of this ministry

As you read the newsletter, prayerfully consider how you might be called to partner with us in the coming year. In the past 2 years, we have seen God provide in amazing ways, and we have every expectation that He will continue to do so.

	One Step Closer Campaign You can be a partner in this legacy of HOPE by purchasing one square foot or more for $50.00 each. Foot by Foot we will move one step closer to opening Heart of Hope. $ “My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.”              Psalm 62:5

February 14, 2008, was the first annual fundraising banquet for Heart of Hope, and it was held at Calvary Baptist Church. We knew it was no coincidence that Valentines Day fell on the evening we’d selected to launch our first fundraiser. The theme was “A Heart like His.” Our speaker for the evening was Ms. Beverly Kline, Executive Director of Living Alternatives in Lindale, Texas. FatherHeart, the maternity home she started, is the model for Heart of Hope. Paul Raiford did an excellent job of emceeing the event. We shared the vision of the ministry and unveiled the architect’s drawing of the future home of Heart of Hope. In attendance were about 220 supporters of this new ministry, and, because their hearts were touched to give, we raised $45,000 in donations and monthly pledges. We are already making plans for our next banquet which will be held February 12, 2009. Fundraising Chairman: Jeannie Pederson

Prayer -“the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much!”
James 5:16b

Counting the new members that we gained at the Heart of Hope Banquet, we now have 48 members on our Prayer Team. Due to illness in our leadership, the Team has been rather idle for several months, but plans are now being made to re-activate this vital group. This is our way of plugging into The Source, and we need all the pray-ers who feel led to help us. It is never too late to join. Simply send your name and e-mail address to Sandra Timmons at: stimmons1@earthlink.net.

The banquet gave us such a wonderful means of getting to know others who are interested in building a strong community. I am excited about going into churches and also meeting with organizations to share the vision of Heart of Hope. We are currently developing a presentation which will help everyone see and hear the vision. We will share how the maternity home will help these young girls and their families make the best decision for their crisis and help them all to reach their goal. It is our hope that churches will now feel they have a ministry which can help their own family members which may face an unplanned pregnancy. This is a great opportunity for all to show Christ's love. Contact Ginny Fouts at: ITherapiesllc@aol.com

There has been a lot accomplished in the way of clean-up at the property over the last couple of months. The entire property is being mowed and cleaned regularly for the first time in several years. A local group of Baptist churches conducted a mission project at the property during their DiscipleNow event, and over 80 kids cleaned out the main building of all trash and furniture. During spring break, when many are on vacation relaxing, a group of Church of Christ youth cleaned out and painted the inside of the other buildings. The paint was donated by a local Christian painter. They also helped trim bushes, mow, and weed-eat the entire property. Praise God for the youth! We were also able to get the pond drained and ready to be filled in within a couple of months by another awesome volunteer!

A small piece of the property was donated to the local fire and water districts to help with a future manned-station next door and an extra water well for this area's growing needs. We want to be good stewards of what God has blessed us with and also good neighbors in our community!

The next project we are about to start is the running of a brand new main water line to feed the buildings properly and prepare us for the future installation of fire sprinklers in the main building. This will be an expensive project, but we know that God will provide through His people!

Please be in prayer for the buildings and grounds committee as we work with the architect to design just the right home for the girls! If you are interested in contributing time, funds, or skill in this area, contact: Facility Chairman, Stephen Leone at (318) 925-1516.

Coming Soon!
Did you know we have a website? It is under construction, and we are working to bring it up to date. It will be a place you can check for updates about Heart of Hope, contact us, and read about the vision for this ministry.

Visit: www.heartofhopeministry.com

Prayer Walk: Sunday, June 8, 2008. We will be hosting a prayer tour on the grounds of Heart of Hope. It will begin at 4:30 p.m. and last about 45:00 minutes. We will cover the ministry with prayer and give an overview of our plans for the property. We are located off Colquitt Road, about 6 miles west of Mansfield Road. When you see Community Bible Church on the right, slow down and look for Grawood School Road. Take a right and meet us in front of the buildings.

Ground Breaking: Plans are underway to host an official ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday, June 26th. Senator, Sherri Cheek and City Commissioner, Jim Smith are just a couple of dignitaries who will be present. Stay tuned for the details!

Carnival: Mark your calendars for September 6th. Fun will be had by the entire family with all proceeds going to Heart of Hope.

Volunteers: Helpers needed with a carnival in September at Heart of Hope. Please contact: Shannon Leone, Auxiliary Board Chairman (318) 925-1516.

Support: We need lots of prayer! We also need monthly donors and people who may want to underwrite the carnival expenses. Contact: Stephen Leone (318) 925-1516.

Office: Volunteers to do data entry and to help with sending out newsletters. Contact: Carolyn Hammond (318) 925-2742.

Media: Volunteer to do some website designing and website maintenance. Contact: Carolyn Hammond (318) 925-2742.

Grounds: Volunteers to weed-eat and help with perpetual clean-up and projects. Contact: Stephen Leone (318) 925-1516.

Are you like the rest of us, browsing the internet for things you must know? If you will make GOODSEARCH.com your browsing page and select “Heart of Hope-a sanctuary for women” as your charity, we can earn money every time you look! It’s that easy! And you can check to see how much money you’ve earned for us. Tell your friends about this easy way to support us!