VOX article

*The above photo is from VOX magazine

Recently, VOX reporter Stephanie Smith included Granny's House in their 'Movers and Shapers' series, and we thought you would enjoy reading a fresh take on what happens on Trinity Place! Take a look!

Jump in!

It wouldn't be fall without a big pile of leaves to jump in! Today (even though it was so windy that the leaves were blowing literally everywhere!), the kids decided to make some huge leaf piles and jump in them! Pretty soon we will be making snow angels in the front yard! Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather!--We are!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Spiderman, Power Rangers, Sully and Mike (Monsters Inc) and of course...Micheal Jackson! Have a good one!!

Happy Birthday to you!

Birthdays are always a fun time at Granny’s House. Each child receives a birthday present and a personalized cake, and they get so excited about their gifts, that most of the time, they don’t even make it home before tearing apart the gift bag to see what they got!

Last week, as I was looking through our enrollment forms, I noticed that three of children from Africa (a set of 11 year old twin boys and a beautiful five year old girl) had a birthday coming up! I found them right away and said “Hey guys! What do you want for your birthday this year?” They all looked at me like I was crazy (which by the way is a look I commonly get from many of our kids!!).

“What do you mean?” asked one of the boys
“Your birthday! It’s tomorrow isn’t it?” I said
“I don’t know...” he replied.
“You don’t know?!” I thought

What! Most of our kids remind me months in advance that their birthdays are approaching! Not only that, they come with a list of “ideas” for their present!

It turns out, the kids didn’t know when their birthday was, because they had never celebrated it! In Africa (from what I’ve been told) many of their birthdays are not recorded, and few are celebrated.

Immediately Pam and I decided we needed to make it a big celebration. We bought a huge birthday cake, got the kids party hats, and celebrated their first birthday in America (complete with the “Happy Birthday song” which sounded more like a bunch of kids screaming at the top of their lungs than the actual song!)

The kids had a great time, and what a blessing it was to celebrate their first birthday party with them! Can’t wait till the next one!

BEAUTIFUL BACKGROUND NOISE

He sat at his desk day after day, as weeks turned into months and months to years, doing what many call "numbers crunching." Along with his staff, he analyzed spread sheets and reconciled financial statements, helping his clients understand the bottom line. He did this sometimes-tedious work all to the backdrop of laughter, as he watched kids bouncing balls, and jumping rope. At the time, Jeff Echelmeier, Williams-Keepers CPA owner, didn't know what was going on across the street from his office; all he knew was that he liked what he saw and heard as he looked out the window.

"It was always fun for me to see dozens of young children playing in the yard across the street from my office. I loved hearing the laughter and seeing the fun they were having jumping rope, playing kickball, or tossing a football"

For Jeff, the goings-on across the street provided some "terrific background noise," a happy distraction from the, all-too-often, tedious work of accountancy. It wasn't until he was talking to a friend who was helping organize the annual "Golfing for Granny" fundraiser earlier this year that he realized that this was the very group he'd been watching from his office window watching for years.

While gazing out the window, Jeff sometimes observed neighborhood children who were, obviously, growing up in difficult situations. It always gladdened him to know that the kids he watched day after day "had some fun and laughter in their day when they arrived at Granny's House."

Not long after that discovery, the Williams-Keepers Tax Department sprang into action and organized a silent auction to raise funds for Granny's House. A football signed by some of the MU Tigers, rounds of golf at various Mid-Missouri golf courses, a gift basket full of goodies, and a private airplane ride over Mid-Missouri were some of the items the Williams-Keepers staff bid on and purchased, raising nearly a thousand dollars for Granny's House.

We never imagined that our "background noise" could be so productive!
-Granny Pam

CPR Training

On Saturday September 12th sixteen Granny's House youth ages 5th grade through 12th grade made their way to the University Hospital to learn CPR training. It was a great day filled with a lot of active learning, as well as some great food at the Campus Dining Hall.

Little did we know...a Columbia Tribune reporter would be there! Check out the newspaper article in which two of our girls were featured!

Basketball Camp 2009

For the past 6 years, young men from our Son's of the King group have participated in a three day "basketball camp" to kick off the Son's of the King program. During these three days, the boys not only learn basketball skills, but also discover what it means to live a life of integrity and honor for the Lord.

This year, our group of 12 boys was more diverse than ever before. Several of our boys have participated in the camp in the past, but many of our new Son's of the King members are not only are "newbies" to the program, but are also new to the sport of basketball! Five of the young men moved to the United States from Africa within the last 2 years where soccer is their sport of choice (I had to laugh when I heard one of the coaches say..."now boys lets make sure we don't kick the basketballs okay").

It was a great week and a lot of fun to watch the boys get to know each other and form relationships with their coaches. Thanks so much to coaches Charles Neville, DeMarco Coleman and Tyler Bannister for making the week such as success!

KAA Recap!

We have been back from KAA for roughly a month now, and I promise we have been going non-stop since (hence the reason we haven't blogged about the many events we have had in the last month!!). Please accept our apologies, and enjoy (hopefully) a more consistent blog schedule!

KAA was amazing this year! In fact, every staff member agreed it was our best year yet. The kids had a blast and built deep relationships with fellow campers, counselors and camp leadership. While we could share about a hundred stories with you that would make you laugh and possibly cry...we thought you would enjoy seeing pictures instead! Thank you to everyone who supported us both financially and through prayer...this experience would not have been possible without you!

Please Pray For Our Kampers!

*click on photo to enlarge

Dear Friends,

On July 20 at 7:30 a.m., thirty-two Granny's House kids and staff members* depart for Kids Across America Kamp. We'll have eight days in what some kampers call “paradise”- a week of canoeing, rappelling, volleyball, swimming, cheerleading, ski-tubing etc., all while being immersed in the beauty of God's creation, His love, and His Word.

For months, the kids have been working diligently, doing chores around Granny's House to earn points to spend at the Granny's House Kamp Store where they “purchase” everything they need to take with them to KAA.

We thought you might want to see all the beautiful smiling faces as a reminder to pray for us while we're at KAA. Would you please pray for our kampers and staff members beginning today and continue praying for us until the day we return to Columbia on Monday, July 27.

Would you please pray for:

• Safe and peaceful travel to and from KAA (south of Branson, MO on Table Rock Lake)

• Health and safety for the kids and staff members, especially during sports-related activities

• Comfort for those who may struggle with homesickness (this is the very 1st time some of our kids have ever been away from mom!)

• Redemptive relationships with cabin-mates and counselors

• To experience God's tender mercies and love in areas of pain, fear, and brokenness

• To grow in leadership and boldness to live an uncompromised Christian lifestyle when they return home

• To grow in their relationship with their Heavenly Father

We are so happy to know that you'll be showering us with prayer during our week at KAA!

God bless you!

Granny Pam

*Granny's House staff members going to KAA: Granny Pam (Pamela Ingram), Angie Azzanni, Granny Vance (Vance Weddle) Mary Kate Loring, Haley Grayless, Lynnette Yarger

Cost Cutters charity event!

Cost Cutters will be holding their 2nd annual "Pick Your Charity Week" during the week of July 19th - 25th! Last year this event raised $7,990 for the charities that were involved and this year the goal is $10,000.

Every customer who gets a haircut during this week will be given a "ballot" with each charity listed. The customers will be asked to check the box next to the charity that they would like to have $5.00 from the cost of their haircut contributed to. The $5.00 will come from Cost Cutters.

Please spread the word about this event to friends and family! Thanks for your help!

Kids Club 2009!

Each summer, kids from Granny's House participate in "Kids Club" at The Crossing where they listen to loud music, play crazy games, build relationships with energetic volunteers and most importantly, learn more about the Lord and how crazy He is about them!

This year, over 400 youth from Columbia were on a "Quest" to find the "True King." Throughout the week, the kids met interesting friends and foes of the King, created medieval costumes, played quest-training games and served the Kingdom through special service projects!

The kids had a blast and as the week drew to a close, we heard things like "when is the next Kid's Club!?" and "I loved my teachers!" Thank you to everyone at The Crossing who made such an incredible impact in the lives of Granny's House kids!

Playin' in the mulch...

Most days at Granny's House, our front yard is filled with kids tossing around the football, playing baseball and blowing bubbles. However, last week when I walked outside about 12 kids were digging in the mulch building this.

To this day I'm not exactly sure what it was. Some of the little boys said it was a "maze" for cars to go through, and others said it was the worlds largest train track. Either way, 12 kids were peacefully building an enormous "roadway" and were incredibly proud of their project. Who needs video games and televisions when you have a huge front yard filled with mulch and toy cars ?! Our kids certainly don't...

Back to the farm!

The Spirit Riders are back on the farm! For the next six weeks, twelve excited Granny's House youth will participate in horseback riding lessons and will learn everything from basic riding skills, to how to properly clean out a stall and care of a horse! Many of the riders have participated in the program before, and are building upon previous skills, but for four new riders it is the beginning of a new adventure!

None of the four new Spirit Riders have ever been on a horse, and although most of them were very nervous and literally shaking as they mounted their horse for the first time, within minutes they were smiling and looked confident riding around the round pen!! In fact...they didn't want the lesson to end!

At the beginning of each lesson, the riders are required to set goals for themselves, and each week they state which "Fruits of the Spirit" they want to work on for the day. It never fails that the top two thing they all want to work on is "self control" and "patience."


The more experienced riders were able to ride freely in the pasture and are even thinking about setting a goal to see how many miles they can ride each week!


We will keep you updated on the program as the weeks progress!

Mother's Day

If there is one thing the kids at Granny's House love to do...it's make things for their mom! On a daily basis, I hear "Can I paint a picture for my mom?" or "Can I make an extra craft and give it to my mom?" It's pretty sweet.

Altrusa International for two years now has captured this idea perfectly by providing (for lack of a better term) a "picture studio" in which they take pictures of each child and allow the kids to decorate a picture frame for their mom! The kids love that they have a gift for their mom on Mother's Day, and usually end up running home right away to give it to their mother early!

A big thank you to all the women of Altrusa who not only provided all the materials and "man power" but also provided pizza for all the kids (which if you know our kids...is a HUGE deal!)


Thank you again to everyone who showed so much love to the kids!

Graduation Time!

On a daily basis, the staff and volunteers of Granny's House get the opportunity to see into a child's heart. Sometimes it's seen in little love notes left on the floor at the end of the day that read "I love Granny Vance because she makes me nachos." Other times, it is seen as we are pulling out of the parking lot and hear "WAIT!!! I need to get a hug before you leave!!" I'm pretty sure we get to work with the most loveable kids in Columbia :)

On April 26th, family, friends, counselors, teachers and even principals got to witness what we experience everyday as the young men of The Son's of the King, and the young ladies of The Princess Academy shared what they have been learning in their programs during our annual graduation ceremony. Each member of the groups spoke about what God has done in their life this year, and what they have learned about honor, strength, courage, purity, dignity and integrity. We got the opportunity to see into their amazing hearts and got to witness all that God has been doing this year.






We are so very proud of all the young men and women who were a part of this years programs. The girls looked beautiful in their graduation outfits and the boys never looked more handsome. They are all such incredible leaders...

Extreme Makeover…

I've always wondered what it would be like to be on one of those cable television home makeover shows. Well, today I got to find out.

As I walked into the newly renovated “Learning Loft” at Granny's House for the very first time, “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” just kept spilling out of my mouth. “Oh MYYYYYYYYY gosh… OHHHHHHHHH my gosh,” then came one long “Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!”

I had trouble taking it all in: the new chalkboard painted onto the wall, the brand new computers and printer… the well-stocked bookshelf, the posters, the dry-erase board… every single thing that was on our “wish list,” with lots of extras tucked around every corner. I finally plopped down onto the new cherry-red beanbag chair and laughed hysterically. I simply couldn't believe the transformation.

Then I stood up, flung my hands into the air and shouted “THANK YOU GOD!” For the past year, we've been helping Granny's House kids with school projects in any empty corner we could find, often using our crowded storage room amidst bags of rice, cans of tomato sauce, and reams of computer paper. We dreamed of the day when we'd have an uncluttered space where we could help the kids with their school work. Today, that dream came true. (See our Friday, October 24, 2008 blog: “The Learning Loft”).

Ashton Honeycutt and her S-MSTA (Student-Missouri State Teachers Association) colleagues and faculty advisors did a beautiful job of transforming our former storage room into an “effective learning environment.” They raised the money, planned, shopped, and came to Granny's House this weekend to transform our bare-bones room into a cheerful place for kids to learn. I can't wait to see the kids' reactions when they first see their brand new “Learning Loft!” -Granny Pam

Going Home

Going home. That's exactly how we feel as we travel that long, dusty road that leads to Granny JoAnn's house in northern Boone County. We knew she'd be waiting to greet us at the front door with great big hugs and that there would be a nice hot meal waiting for us. And as our guest speaker, Adonica Drake Coleman and the G.I.R.L.S. ("Experiencing God In Real Life Situations") arrived, they were not disappointed.

We started the G.I.R.L.S. group last year so that we could continue nurturing the young women who had outgrown "The Princess Academy," and whenever we have a guest speaker, we like to highlight the event by hosting it offsite at places like Granny JoAnn's home.

Our special speaker, Adonica, talked frankly with the girls about all the heavy burdens she collected during her rebellious teen years. "The problems I collected were like these big, heavy balls and you may have to carry them around for the rest of your life," she said as she named and added one after another burden to her tote bag: debt, pregnancy, broken relationships, shame, and guilt were just a few of the heavy consequences she placed in her bag. Though her khaki tote bag felt heavy to the G.I.R.L.S. who carried it, the real burdens they represented were even more so until her life radically changed after surrendering to the Lord.

Weeks later, the girls who sat around that table are still talking about the evening: "It was awesome. She was so real." She was, indeed, a living letter from God:

"God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4