The Carpenter's Daughter Dance Workshop

As I write my heart is full. I feel as though I received one of the best Christmas gifts of my life--and it wasn't wrapped or in a box! Let me explain what I mean. In the growth of this ministry I have encountered many wonderful people, some of whom also have a ministry and a calling of their own. One of the most beautiful (in every way) people I have met on my journey is Sheba Phillips, founder of a ministry known as "The Carpenter's Daughter." She is the daughter of a carpenter, both in the physical world and in the spiritual realm. Most importantly, of course, she is the daughter of THE carpenter, Jesus Christ. As His daughter, she has been called to worship through her very special talent of dance. She ministers to people through dance and also teaches others how to worship and minister through dance.
I saw her perform for the first time this past March and was moved to tears. I felt the presence of God through her expressive movement and I knew that she was no ordinary dancer. Now, Sheba will tell you that none of this is by her doing--but only by the power and grace of God. I invited her to dance at our Easter Celebration in April and we were blessed once again by her gifts. I sat in the audience watching the faces of those around me, and watched tears stream down the face of the person next to me. When God moves, the experience is powerful!
Last week Sheba offered to hold a "mini-workshop" in worship dance for the girls I work with. I can't tell you how excited I was!! I was anxious to see if God would work out the details to allow this to take place. It was God-ordained, because HE DID! New Covenant was very gracious in allowing us to use their facilities and van today--otherwise we would not have been able to do this at all. (Thank you, New Covenant, for the blessing you are to us!!). It all came together and I was able to escort 7 girls to Sheba's workshop.
As soon as we arrived, I switched gears from being the "teacher" and became the "student." I participated with the girls and was more blessed by my experience than I could have ever anticipated. I learned practical things, such as the six types of worship dance, common signs used in worship dance, and the steps to choreographing a song. I learned a dance choreographed by Sheba to the song, "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful," which was a lot of fun for me to do with the girls. They laughed at me a few times when I was going in the wrong direction, but I laughed along with them and then turned the right way! Above that, I learned something very moving about myself and the girls participating in this workshop today: I learned that the desire, the ability, and the passion to worship our Creator is something innate in all of us. It was there all along, it just had to be tapped and allowed to surface.

I saw "my girls," as I call them, transform beyond their shyness and their insecurities and give their all to Him. I saw unconditional acceptance blossum among girls who are still getting to know each other. I even felt that happen within myself. There was something happening in that workshop today that was above the technicalities of dance, the choreographed movements, and the individuals who were there. God's Spirit was moving among us! Sheba was faithful in her call to minister to us, I was faithful in my call to be there, and He was faithful to His word, "Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you," (James 4:8). Today was a priceless gift, for me.

Thank you, Sheba, for your faithfulness in allowing Him to move in and through you! Your gift to us today was better than any gift we will open come Christmas day!

AWO Christmas Event 2010

My heart is so overwhelmed by the goodness of God that as I write this tears stream down my face. As a ministry, Arms Wide Open has faced much adversity this calendar year. People have gone before us and tried to hinder us in our walk. People have even tried to dissolve Arms Wide Open altogether. God's word is strong, however, and He commanded me to continue in my purpose. I have faced all challenges head on and am here now only by His grace. In the last month, while preparing for this event, I have come to realize just how much the enemy does not want us to succeed in our mission. He has come against us at every turn and at times, I confess, I have been tempted to give up. But I have to give God the glory for what He has done, because for every blow the enemy dealt us, God has bestowed upon us a generous gift. So I walk on. I commit to walk on until my journey on Earth is done. Come against me, enemy, because the Lord my God is for me and He will prevail!

I had to acknowledge God for sustaining me because it has been a battle. Let me now share with you some of the blessings He has poured out over the last two weeks. When my heart was heavy wondering how we would be able to provide music for this event and I was almost in tears thinking of all the kids I might have to let down if I could not put this thing together, I received a phone call. It was the drummer from the band Afterlife, calling to inform me that they would be able to come play for us today. Those words thrilled my heart and my very soul!! That propelled me forward in faith, because I knew God would provide for all of our needs. But as the days went on my heart again grew heavy. How could I feed all the people who might come? We were planning for 100, but what if there were many more? Let me tell you, if God has asked you to do something, He will provide everything you need! Within the last week, a local church donated $500.00, Merita bread donated 100 hot dog buns and 96 snack cakes, and Pepsi Bottling Company donated 125 drinks. Fresh Beginnings and others donated gift cards, goods, and money for our gift give-away. And that is not all!! While shopping with one of our Board Members, Carissa Gardner, on Friday, an anonymous donor handed us a $20.00 bill. There are so many little ways I have seen God's hand in all of this I cannot even recount them all for you. I wish I could do it justice with words, but I cannot.

This morning when I left, I stepped out in faith, trusting that God would work everything out. I prayed that the people who needed to be present would be there, and that God would provide enough food but that there would not be an excess of food. I prayed, "Let it be like the loaves and fishes, God. Let it be enough." I am not sure how many people came today but my best guess would be 150 or so. We had 96 hot dogs and somehow every person there got at least one and several people had two or three. We kept preparing to go buy more food, because surely we didn't have enough, but every time we looked at the table it looked like we still had plenty. We had three extra hot dogs when everyone was gone. You don't have to tell me how to explain that--I KNOW!! I know what God has called me to do and I know that if I am obedient He will bless my way before me and provide for my every need. Thank you, God!!

There were many people there today, the majority of which I have never seen before and will likely never see again. In addition to about 30 AWO kids that I personally transported, there were homeless, vagabonds, thieves, single mothers, foster children, families, alcoholics, addicts, and more. The hurting and lost from Lowndes County were there. God answered my prayer to reach the most needy and He somehow brought them to us. Afterlife blessed us with awesome worship music and praised Him in a glorious way! Pastor Chuck Sayers brought an anointed message about sowing seeds on fertile soil! Several of the AWO girls performed a worship dance unto Him! We celebrated His birth with everything we are!

In the midst of our celebration, though, let me share with you how the enemy was working to disrupt, distract, and destroy what we were working so hard to do. One AWO kid, a boy, had his iPhone stolen. The police were called but the thief refused to let them search her car, and without a warrant they could do nothing. Another AWO kid, a girl, won a $5 Wal-mart gift card during our gift give away, and that was also stolen. Those thieves needed to hear our message as much as anyone else. Disagreements arose between several individuals in attendance which had to be resolved (and these occurred in the midst of the preaching of the word and prayer, of all times!). One individual in attendance was intoxicated and caused a bit of scene as everyone was leaving.

Something else I have learned through ministry work is that when you are doing God's work, the devil doesn't like it. He will do anything in his limited power to stop you. Let me reassure you, GOD prevailed!! Lives were touched, hearts were opened, and seeds were planted today at Scott Park. To God be the glory!! Let's do it again next year!

Our Month of Giving Back

The kids and I were so touched by our experiences this weekend!! I am so grateful to NCC for allowing me to do what I do, because without the use of their vans I would not be able to. We rehearsed our songs on Friday, then we wrote out Christmas cards to give out to the residents at Lakehaven Nursing Home. When we finished, we packed up some sack meals (sandwiches, pretzels, raisins, etc. in a brown bag) and went to the places in Valdosta where we know homeless people hang out. We didn't go into a soup kitchen, and we didn't go into LAMP--no, we sought out the most isolated and most needy individuals we could find. The kids with me were nervous and a little scared, though it was strong on their hearts to help others. The first girl worked up her nerve and handed out the first bag to a lady with a shopping cart full of her worldly possessions. She was overwhelmed by the gratitude and the situation of the homeless lady. After that the kids were fighting over who got to give out the next bag! The last bag was given out to a man near Sam's. The little girl who handed him his bag is so shy and bashful so I was really proud of her for even getting out of the van and seeking him out. She teared up while she chatted with him and returned to the van speechless. This is what we saw: the last man peeked in his bag, his face lit up, and he turned around and danced a little jig of joy! He then took a candy cane out of his bag, hung it on his hat, and sat in the parking lot greedily eating his newfound food. It was one of the most humbling things I have ever experienced. I know it was God's will for us that day to do exactly what we did! The kids were so overwhelmed and touched by this experience that they are already planning to make a hot soup delivery on a really cold winter day. I should clarify that none of these kids are wealthy, or even middle class. Not one of them. Many live in government housing and their parents support them with the assistance of food stamps and hand-outs from the community. Some of these kids have even been homeless themselves. They know what it is like to be cold and hungry better than we do. Their compassion for others is strong. Yet, giving to others is not something they are accustomed to because they are so used to being the ones given to. This month I have sought out opportunities for them to experience giving for them to see why God calls us to give out of our abundance. I believe God is using these experiences to make a life-change and even a heart-change for these kids. They are talking less and less about what they want to get for themselves, and more and more what they want to give to others.

I thank you for your support, without which this would be impossible!

Kristi

REACH 2010

I want to share with you about the Christian concert, REACH 2010, we took the kids to this past Saturday. The NCC vans were busy but God was pressing us to make a way to get there in spite of that. David and I planned to each drive our own cars and we were praying for another driver to step forward because we had so many kids who wanted to go. We were able to find a third driver and escorted 14 kids there! The music and worship was awesome and God-filled! The Spirit of God moved and 11 of the kids we brought went down to the stage to accept Jesus during a powerful altar call!! They were crying and very emotional, and all thanked me for giving them the opportunity to be there. I am so glad God worked it out and that I was obedient!

So many of our kids are seeking a relationship with Jesus now (which is what we have been working toward and praying for) that we are being led to start a group Bible study with the kids in addition to the other things we are doing. We want to really get them in the Word and give them some basic lessons on what being a Christian is really about. Please be praying for us as we search for a facility to use regularly for this purpose. We need God to provide a facility as well as transportation on a regular basis. We have been meeting once a month with the kids but God is calling us to try to meet at least twice a month in the upcoming year. We have been holding a large event with a guest speaker, scripture reading, an altar call, and always a strong Biblical message. We do not plan to stop doing those because so many of the kids are just coming in for the "fun" and haven't yet accepted Jesus. Many have, though, and for them we need to step it up and give them a more intimate discussion of the Word, how to have a strong prayer life, and what it really means to be a Christian. As more accept Jesus we will be able to incorporate them into this study, as well. As always, our heart is to never limit how many kids we can take. Our only limitation now is how many we can transport and we hope that number will increase as God provides for us.

We are praying and waiting to see where God leads us in this upcoming year. We have our Christmas event tentatively planned for December 11 at 1:00 pm and are trusting God to provide all of our needs for that event, as well!

Thank you so much for your support of us and all you have done and are doing to help us!!

Kristi Godwin

Summer Camp 2010

Our second annual summer camp was held August 3-5, 2010, at the 4H Camp in Lake Park, GA, and housed 36 youth for three days and two nights. Nine of these campers are current residents of LAMP's New Horizons shelter which provides emergency and transitional housing for the homeless in Lowndes County. Other campers live in low-income or public housing and all come from very low-income households. Many are from single-parent homes and some from foster homes. This camp was the highlight of the summer for most campers who attended and all had a wonderful time, thanks to you!

Among the events we held during the three days of camp were seminars on health careers in Georgia, gang resistance, abstinence, and financial wisdom. Sprinkled amongst these seminars were swimming, fishing, volleyball, a waterslide, and other fun outdoor activities. We also held our very own church service on the Wednesday evening which included two different presentations of the Gospel and a wonderful live worship service provided by Xchange Ministries. This service was followed by a talent show, of sorts, during which our campers changed the lyrics of popular songs to reflect a Christian message. This special time was the favorite activity of all the campers and the Spirit of God was evident throughout. The focus of all of our activities is to share Jesus Christ with the children we come into contact with and to help them learn to foster a relationship with Christ. During the Wednesday night service each camper received a copy of the Bible, given by the Gideons. No one left our camp without hearing about Jesus. Each evening the camp counselors led a devotional which included reading of scripture and a journaling exercise for the campers to do individually. I believe this time was blessed by relationships formed and a real move of God in our midst.

We look forward to our next venture in the community and extend a heartfelt thank you to all who have supported us and contributed to our 2010 Summer Camp.

God is GOOD!!

Kristi Godwin

Our Second Year, 2010

In January of 2010 we partnered with another ministry to launch a Girl's Mentoring Program and added a Boy's Program in June of 2010.

We held monthly events throughout 2010, including:

*Attending our local Pure Love Conference in February 2010
*Attending Southside Rec's Abstinence Seminar in March 2010
*First Annual Community Wide Easter Celebration in April 2010
*End-of-Year Celebration May 2010
*Peach-Picking Field Trip in July 2010

*Our Second Annual Summer Camp in August 2010

*Our Planning Meeting in October 2010

*Attending REACH 2010 in November 2010, where 11 of our kids accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior!!!

**Our Giving Back Projects in November, which included Feeding the Homeless and volunteering with Kingdom Compassion at Lakehaven Nursing Home**

*First Annual Community Wide Christmas Event in December 2010

In August 2010 we held our 2nd annual Summer Camp, in conjunction with H2H and LAMP, during which we hosted 36 local children free of charge at the 4H camp in Lake Park, GA. This was three days packed full of important seminars, fun outdoor activities, and our very own chapel service (music provided by Xchange Ministries) on Wednesday night. So many people came together to make this possible and we appreciate all of your support!

Our First Year, 2009

A.W.O.'s First Annual Summer Camp was a resounding success!! We held this camp at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park in Madison, FL, in July of 2009. We offered the children the opportunity to fish, engage in a nature hike, express themselves artistically through various mediums (including theatrical skits they wrote and performed themselves), swim, play outdoor sports, make s'mores, roast their own hotdogs, and even sing Karaoke! The children had a wonderful time! On Sunday morning we held our own private Chapel service with live worship music and praise. We employed a skit-like sermon that the kids really enjoyed. Noone was ready to leave, and they all want to know can they come back next year. It was an awesome opportunity to pour into these young lives and hopefully make a lasting impact for their futures. Thanks to all the awesome volunteers who came out to help make this camp such a success--it would not have been possible without you!!

Following our first camp we did outreach in Ora Lee West in December of 2009, holding a Christmas party for the children in the community center. We had 32 kids attend our program that week!

The Vision

I have felt His call on my life for many years. As a young girl, and a new Christian, God gave me a vision of reaching out to the world's unwanted children. He gave me a real LOVE of children which has never wavered. My vision was that I would someday open an orphanage where I could welcome HOME the abandoned, abused, and unloved children with ARMS WIDE OPEN. It is my belief that every person, and certainly every child, deserves to be loved unconditionally, as only Jesus can. There are children in this world, children in the United States, and even children in Valdosta, Georgia, who have no idea what being loved is like. My vision was to create a true home where the children who lived there knew they could stay, and would never be kicked out or passed on to a stranger in a new place. A home where they would be accepted for who they are, loved unconditionally, and instructed and disciplined in His word.

My vision was so strong that, at age 12, I committed to pursuing a counseling degree so that I would be experienced in dealing with abuse issues and so that I would be eligible for the appropriate licensing such a pursuit would require. Well, life (or should I say the enemy?) has a way of changing our plans, putting up seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and distracting us from His true will for our lives. Over the next fifteen years I somehow gave up my dream of having an orphanage and began to pursue something "more realistic." Even with my goals set much lower, at times I thought of giving up. At times, I thought of taking an alternate route. Each time those thoughts would creep in, He would always pull me back and strengthen my resolve. Well, here I am, nearly twenty years later, working as a Marriage and Family Therapist, counseling with this area's most damaged, most abused, and most unloveable (by the world's standards) children. About six months ago I surveyed my progress and asked God in prayer, "Well, I've finally made it. I am doing exactly what you would have me do. I am working with the children Your heart bleeds for, doing my best to bring them your Hope and Love. Isn't this where you would have me be?" "My child," He answered, "I have so much more in store for you than this. Have you forgotten the vision I gave you so many years ago?"
From my heart sprung forth the same vision of my youth. How could I have forgotten it? Wasn't it my life's work?? Yet, weighted down by the cares of this world, I had long ago given up.

So, here I am, ready to obey. I am not wealthy. My resources are very small. I, of my own ability, cannot fulfill this vision. It is IMPOSSIBLE. But, with God, it is POSSIBLE!! Since that day, I have been researching the state and federal requirements, the rules and regulations, and the necessary funding required. I am reminded daily how IMPOSSIBLE this mission is. But I will not be deterred. God has sent me people along the way who had great information, wonderful wisdom, and a similar heart. This ministry is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation which is governed solely by a Board of Directors and operates only by the service of faithful volunteers and financial gifts from our supporters. We need help!! We are always in need of prayer warriors, volunteers, and financial and material donations. Please partner with us in our mission!

ARMS WIDE OPEN MINISTRIES, INC.

ARMS WIDE OPEN MINISTIRES, INC.

Arms Wide Open Ministries is a non-profit organization formed in October of 2008. This organization was founded by a local counselor who saw a tremendous need in our community for more support and resources for children and teens. We seek to fill in the gaps for these kids who are "lost" in our society. Our plan is multi-faceted and complex but we have attached a detailed explanation of our three phases of development. We are currently working on completing Phase II. What we are doing is so broad that we cannot do it alone--we need the aid and support of many, many people in order to be successful. We hope you will choose to partner with us in some way to help us reach the children and teens of Lowndes County!

ARMS WIDE OPEN MINISTRIES, INC

This corporation is organized for the charitable and educational purposes of providing guidance, direction, unconditional love, support, and housing for the children and young adults of Lowndes County and surrounding areas.

PURPOSE:

We desire to educate the community as well as aid in the education of our youth. We want to extend open arms to the children others turn away. We intend to provide housing for abused, neglected, abandoned, and delinquent children of this area, to provide after school programs which provide supervision, abstinence and drug education, tutoring, and therapeutic services to local youth, to provide transitional housing for local homeless teens, and to provide various summer camps for children who seek healing from traumatic experiences.