Almost two years ago, God’s Appalachian Partnership began the process of building on Elk Ridge. At first we had envisioned that our first phase would be building GAP’s office/distribution building. However, because of several factors that were out of our control, the Lord directed that Phase I would be GAP’s Mission House. We are so excited to announce that the Mission House is completed! God miraculously provided for this building which houses GAP’s executive director’s family, summer interns, and small mission teams.

In the building of the Mission House, we have seen the amazing provision of our Father in Heaven.  As you know, GAP did not publicize a huge building campaign in order to build Phase I. God provided by working in the hearts of individuals, companies, and numerous talented laborers to complete an overwhelming building! A local contractor and his team worked tirelessly for the glory of God. This building is a visible reminder to all around that God is Jehovah-Jireh. It is a mighty display of His power and how He accomplishes the impossible! The Morris family moved into a portion of the Mission House just a few days before Christmas. Now we need to look at furnishing the apartment section that will be used by mission teams and interns. We need your help. Following is a list of needed items to furnish the apartment and an estimated cost of each. Would you please consider partnering with us by providing the financial cost of these items? Perhaps you as an individual, your Sunday School Class, or your church could partner together to purchase these needed items.

Bedroom 1 = $2,776 

• Twin Bunk Beds – $731
• 2 Twin Mattresses – $450
• Queen Mattress/ Box Spring Set w/rails – $1,000
• 2 Night Stands – $215
• 2 Lamps – $40
• 2 Luggage Racks – $40
• Curtains & Linens/Bedding for all beds in room – $300

Bedroom 2 = $2,776

• Twin Bunk Beds – $731
• 2 Twin Mattresses – $450
• Queen Mattress/ Box Spring Set w/rails – $1,000
• 2 Night Stands – $215
• 2 Lamps – $40
• 2 Luggage Racks – $40
• Curtains & Linens/Bedding for all beds in room – $300

Common Area = $2,310

• Couch & Love seat – $2,100
• Coffee Tables – $100
• Lamps/Rug – $110

Kitchen = $2,074

• Stove + 5 Year Protection Plan – $629
• Refrigerator + 5 Year Protection Plan – $946
• Microwave/Hood Combo + Year Protection Plan – $329
• Dishes/Silverware – $50
• Cooking Pans, etc. – $120

Utility Room = $1,116

• Washer + 5 Year Protection Plan – $558
• Dryer + 5 Year Protection Plan – $558

This is a great project for you, your Sunday School Class, or church! You can click the “Donate Now” button at the bottom of the newsletter email to give online. Please just note in the memo section your designation. You may also call me with any questions or to discuss your intentions with this exciting opportunity. Please prayerfully consider joining the Lord in completing the Mission House for His use!

Spring is just around the corner which means it’s almost time for GAP’s annual Community Easter Egg Hunt, Hunting for the Truth. This annual ministry event is our biggest one-day evangelistic event of the year. Depending upon the weather, we usually have between 500 to 800 people. We are excited about the opportunities the Lord will give us this year, on April 4, 2020, to share the Truth of Easter with our community.

As we plan and prepare for this exciting ministry event, we need your help! There are several ways you can partner with us:

• Pray – Please bathe this event and its planning in prayer. Ask the Father to reveal Truth to those who have been blinded by this world. Pray that the Gospel message will be at the front of everything that is planned and done.
• Volunteer – We need volunteers to come Saturday to work at the event. Volunteers need to arrive by 8:00 am and will be done by 2:30 pm. (Lodging accommodations can be made) Volunteers are needed to work games, serve food, work registration, and share the gospel at the Truth Pavilion. Please contact John if interested in volunteering.
• Gathering & Filling – We use approximately 2,500 plastic eggs filled with non-chocolate candy. We need individuals and/or groups who would collect and fill plastic eggs for our event. We need to know how many you or your group will be doing and we need them one week prior to the event.
• Financial Partners – We need several financial partners to come alongside us to help sponsor this ministry event. Supplies needed for purchase range from food, drinks, paper supplies, door prizes, and supplies for the Truth Pavilion. We need between $1,100 to $1,300.

Please mark April 4^th on your calendar. Begin praying for this exciting day of ministry. If possible, join us on this day to share about the resurrection of our Lord with our community. If you have further questions or need more information, please contact our office.

Due to Christmas and the fact we do not have distribution in the month of January, it has been nearly two months since we have seen some of our families. February 4^th was the first Distribution of 2020 and we could hardly wait to be reunited with them again. It’s hard to express how much we miss seeing everyone. During the month of February, we specially designed our bulletin boards and hung balloons to point our families to the love of Christ. We have also made each person a Valentine with an attached piece of chocolate candy.

The purpose of the Valentine is to let everyone know how much we love and missed them and as a reminder to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Prov. 3:5). It has turned out to be a constant reminder and source of strength to us as well, as we carry the burdens and extreme hardships that our families are faced with. Our hearts are broken almost daily as we desperately yearn for them to know the hope found only in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Just during our last distribution we mourned with a sweet widow suffering from the loneliness and heartache from the death of her spouse, a woman devastated by financial struggles and the possibility of losing her home, a starving drug addict faced with the consequences of her bad choices and desperate for a plate of food, as well as many others facing difficult problems and health issues.

Please join us in praying for our families. We love each and every one of them and want them to know the love of Christ!

God’s Appalachian Partnership held four Christmas Stores and the Parents’ Store in the month of December, as well as our normal four days of Distribution. It was a busy time of wonderful ministry. There were a total of 696 children shopped for during the Christmas stores and a total of 143 children shopped at the Parents’ Store.

It was Leslie’s (name changed) first time at the Christmas Store. As she sat in the cookie room waiting, she had lots of questions on how things worked. She was so excited about being able to shop for her little girl that her face was beaming. Finally, her name was called and her personal shopper greeted her and began to explain the shopping process to her. As she began she was quiet and focused. Then she spotted a Baby Alive doll that her daughter had been wanting. She asked if she could have it and the reply was yes, plus you still have more points. Leslie began to explain that this doll was all that her daughter was wanting and that she didn’t know how she was going to get it. Her personal shopper explained, “God provided this doll for you to show you that He will provide for your every need. He cares about even the smallest needs in our lives. He also provided this to show you both how much He loves you! But, as wonderful as this gift is, He gave an even greater gift. It was the very first Christmas gift ever given. It was His Son Jesus.”

Thank you for partnering with us to purchase this Baby Alive doll and providing the opportunity to share the Gospel with Leslie and others like her this Christmas. We continue to pray that every toy will be visible reminders of the Gospel and God’s love to each family that received them this past Christmas.

On November 2, 2019, God’s Appalachian Partnership’s Board of Directors held our second annual Thanksgiving Meal for our GAP families. Our board and friends prepared a feast of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, rolls, cake, and pumpkin pie! However, the best part of the day was the sweet fellowship we were able to have with our precious families. It was wonderful to sit around and talk with each family and find out what they are thankful for this year. Too often at Distribution it is so crowded and busy that it is hard to have a one-on-one conversation. This ministry event allows us to serve our families and sit around and just talk, building relationships with the whole family. It was great to meet family members that we have heard so much about and prayed for throughout the year.

Our staff cannot express in words how much we enjoyed this year’s Thanksgiving Meal. We are thankful for our Board of Directors and all those who helped make this year’s event a success. A special thanks to Carol Cooley Jefferies who took a family photo of each of our families and then printed them to give as a gift during our first distributions of the new year.