Snowy Contentment
The Beauty of Snow and the Warmth of Prayer
A rare snow has fallen upon Atlanta, as well as where many of you live. Isn’t there something just magical about snow? A soft, beautiful blanket of white covers every little brown piece of winter grass and black roads. Isaiah 1:18 tells us: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” What a beautiful promise given to us through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and His righteousness bestowed upon us.
While I am content in my cozy house, I can’t help but wonder: Are my Gatlinburg friends warm today? Do they have enough food to eat while the stores are closed? Is their income impacted by the closed businesses? Please join me in praying for them. I am reminded of Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” God will provide.
A Joyful Year at the Gatlinburg Christmas Project
We had the most joyful year at our Gatlinburg Christmas Project!
Participants: We registered 61 families with over 120 kids and ended up serving over 80 families and 150 children.
Volunteers: Our incredible team included 54 adults and teens, accompanied by 13 kids and toddlers. Everyone worked tirelessly to ensure the event’s success.
The Lord blessed us with sunny weather in the 50s, which is just unheard of that time of year. The children’s smiles lit up the day as they enjoyed crafts, bounce houses, s’mores, games, pictures with Santa, and listening to the Jesus story. Moms got to shop [for free] for themselves and their kids, and everyone enjoyed a delicious homemade meal.
One of the most beautiful moments occurred during the reading of the Christmas story. Ruby, my 9-year-old niece dressed as a little elf, was reading to a group of very young children. Their puzzled faces quickly made it clear that they didn’t understand English. Sophia, a six-year-old girl from our team who is bilingual, jumped in and began translating the story into Spanish. Joy lit up their faces as they began to understand the message! It was a heartwarming moment to witness these young girls living out the gifts the Lord has given them.
The Efforts Behind the Joy
This mission is no small feat! Our team worked tirelessly for two days:
Packed over 120 moving boxes of food.
Bagged more than 120 bags of rice and beans.
Wrapped over 200 presents.
Hung over 500 items of clothing.
My watch showed over 30,000 steps during those two days! We also had the most wonderful group of teenagers serve with us. If you ever hear someone discrediting the next generation, they need to meet this group. Youth For Christ, led by Jeff Shicks and assisted by Melissa Sheridan, is doing an incredible ministry in the Nashville area, and their students are a testament to the bright future ahead.
Whether it was first-time friends joining us or those who have served with us for decades, our team was a fantastic blessing from God. If you’d like to serve with us in the future, sign up early around October 15th, as this trip fills up quickly.
A Story of Hope: Maria’s Miracle
Meet Maria, a mother of four children under five years old, with one more child back in Honduras. Maria speaks no English, her husband is in jail (but without charges), and she signs her name with only her initials. Despite these challenges, she rides a scooter to work with her youngest baby strapped to her back. It’s a dangerous journey, but what choice does she have with so many mouths to feed?
Maria is a faithful member of her church, and Pastor Fatima connected JPM with her after we mentioned a car ready to be donated. Overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, Maria shared in Spanish how she had prayed for just a “little car”—and here she was, receiving exactly what she’d asked God for.
Of course, the reality of poverty means that a car doesn’t solve everything. Insurance, registration, tags, driving lessons, and earning a license all remain challenges. But those details don’t mean we shouldn’t give. When the Lord prompts us to be generous, we must trust Him with the details. As Paul reminded the Corinthians: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”
The Heart of a JPM Christmas
A JPM Christmas is about so much more than coats and toys. It’s about the love of the body of Christ providing for one another, just as the Lord provides for each of us. Philippians 4:19 tells us: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
As the leader of the Gatlinburg mission trip, my prayer is that these children grow up dedicated to and connected with a loving church. If they should ever fall away or find themselves far from the Lord, I pray they remember the best Christmas they ever had and the love of the church that cared for them when they had so little.
As the Snow Falls
As you continue through this new year, please keep JPM and those we serve in your prayers. As the snow falls this winter, take a moment to pray for our Gatlinburg friends:
That their faith remains strong.
That their pantries are fully stocked.
That their homes are warm.
Praise God, who has made our sins white as snow.
Blessings,
Hannah Beth Lee
Gatlinburg Mission Project Leader
