Meeting Recap - November 17, 2011

Tea and Thanksgiving was theme of today's MOPS meeting.  Several ladies blessed us with testimony of the ways God has worked and is working in their lives.  But first we had a few announcements and reminders:

• Our MOPS Christmas party is December 2 at 6:30.  If you have not rsvp'd please let your table leader know today (11/17/11)!  Childcare drop off begins at 6:15.  Older kids will be getting pizza but younger ones will need to be fed prior to the party.  We will be notified of those exact age groups soon.  Also we will be doing a gift exchange, so bring a wrapped gift from your home.  The gift can be anything: silly or serious, awesome or ugly!  One gift per couple please.
  
• Don't forget to bring a wrapped Christmas ornament to our next MOPS meeting on December 1.  We will be doing an ornament exchange that day.
  
• We are looking for stories for our December newsletter.  If you have a favorite cookie recipe and some warm holiday memories surrounding it we would love to talk to you.  Please post to our facebook group, or email Kelly Pedone or Allison Bird.  We are also looking for those awesomely tacky Christmas decorations that you love to bring out each year.  Do you still lovingly set out great Aunt Ida's "scary" Santa figurine?  Please post a picture of it on our facebook group, or email Kelly Pedone or Allison Bird with the details.
  
• Hope Community Center will be taking donations for a fundraiser soon.  Please contact Marianne Tolley for more details. 

Next up we had our Guess Who game.  Looking for a Mom's Poker group?  Emily K. loves to gamble and play poker!  Who secretly loves snow boarding, rock-climbing, and mud bogging?  Marianne T.!  And one of you ladies has managed to get out of seven speeding tickets - hopefully we can find out who you are (and get some pointers on how you managed that) at our next meeting!

We then had a few door prizes.  Winner of the On Time Save Time Meal provided by Kathy F. was Allison B.  Laura P. took home a cookbook and sprinkles to make some cookies with the kids.  In keeping with our theme of "Tea and Thanksgiving", Kelly P., Beate T. and Erin D. took home gratitude journals, and Wendi Z. and Michelle C. won some herbal tea.   

Using all of our responses to last meeting's "I am thankful for..." cards, Jenn C. put together a funny and touching slide show.  Lots of gratitude out there for coffee, sleep, awesome husbands, sweet children, and the Lord's gift of salvation.  Thank you Jenn!

Elizabeth shares about her trip to Israel.

Next we heard from Elizabeth K., who shared with us about her amazing trip to Israel this past summer.   She and her husband went on the trip with her pastor from their church in Colorado and several other young adults.  She shared some facts about Israel and its population, explaining how this affects the climate of the country. 

Beautiful art Elizabeth saw on her trip.

Elizabeth visited several amazing historic sites including the Church at Cana, where she renewed her wedding vows, Bethlehem, Gethsemane, the Temple Mount, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  They were also able to visit a Palestinian refugee camp, and see first-hand the living conditions there.  She emphasized several points including: the Holy Land is truly a "holy mess".  The American concept of freedom is unique and precious in this world.  And always remember the cost of the cross.   What an amazing experience!  Elizabeth said now that reading the Bible or taking Communion will never be the same.

Erin D. shares her son Charlie's amazing story.

Next we heard from Erin D., mom to four wonderful children. Today she spoke to us specifically about her fourth child, Charlie.  At her twenty week ultrasound of her pregnancy with Charlie, Erin was given the devastating diagnosis that her baby had a rare and lethal genetic disorder.  Many babies with this disorder die before they are born.  When she received the diagnosis her husband was deployed.  Thankfully she had a wonderful, godly physician caring for her and Charlie. 

Charlie was born at 36 weeks, and God provided a way for Erin's husband to make it home for his birth.  Charlie stayed in the NICU for four months, and now he is surviving and thriving at home!  Just last month Erin was able to hear him cry for the first time via an assistive device.

Erin's son Charlie today!

Thank you so much Erin for sharing with us about your precious Charlie!

Mentoring mom, Lee S.

Our final speaker of the morning was Lee S., one of our mentoring moms.  Lee's husband has a daughter from a previous marriage that has been absent from their lives for many years.  They had no idea where she was living, although they had tried to find her several times over the years.  Out of the blue one day Lee's husband Lindsay received an email from her, and over subsequent emails it was discovered that she had been in the same room with him at one point, when she was working as a nurse at a local hospital and he was visiting a patient.  God providently brought them together, unbeknownst to Lee and Lindsay at the time.  God used that meeting to open a door.  Lee and Lindsay are praying that they will be able to re-establish this relationship, and for the salvation of their daughter.  Thank you so much for sharing Lee.

Our next MOPS meeting is December 1; hope to see you there!