Mercy House Wedding – Part One

I need to share a little story with you about the Mercy House.  I was asked to visit the Mercy House a year ago by my friend Amy.  This is Amy, I’ve known her since 4th grade and we have been through ALOT together.  She knows more about me then most:

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Amy knew that I needed to come here because of my own personal journey.  I have been through my share of places like this as a resident, more than a volunteer.  I am personal testament to the Power of God’s Grace so I know places like this are crucial to the wounded and broken.  However, when I was saved from myself in 2006, this place was just getting started.   The Mercy House is an organization that was started by Kevin and Karen Thompson to serve the homeless in Dallas.  These two opened the organization as a homeless outreach service to share the power of God’s ministry through caring for individual’s physical needs as well as their spiritual needs.  In their words, “We have seen victory as well as defeat. We have witnessed God’s love and life changing, miracle working powers at work in the lives of the men and women at Mercy House.”

It is my mission to support places like this in the way that God calls ME to serve them. So when I visited this place a year ago, I met this girl named Laura:

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Laura is very special to my heart as we share the almost exact same story of survival.  I know her more than I think she understands.  She looks at me today and thinks that it is not possible that I have lived in her shoes.  But, that is how GREAT God is!!!

“He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness.”~C.S. Lewis

So, Laura through God’s loving grace has and the help of the Mercy House has been blessed with a new life.  It was here at the Mercy House, that she met her now-husband, Christian.  They were wed a few weeks ago.  So, of course I was called in to document this special day and share with you the power of the Mercy House.

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Mercy House feeds at least 30-40 men and women every Saturday and Sunday.

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Today we had cake too!

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I love meeting with the people of Mercy House.  You can really tell when God’s spirit fills a place and this place is like a “home” for these guys.

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All the groom’s men gathered to support Christian.  Keven, the founder is on the very right.  If you ever get the chance to hear him preach, you will be moved. I promise you that.

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And all the bridesmaids: Kevin’s wife and ministry partner is on the very right, Karen.
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Amy has been a huge supporter and encourager to Laura as well as myself.  Friends like this are hard to come by. And sometimes just one positive influence like this can truly change lives.  I got kind of emotional photographing the two of them together.

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She’s also a bit silly:Mercy House 14

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Christian’s enthusiasm is so contagious.  We had so much fun celebrating together. I have to say that they were the probably the most excited, fun, and grateful couples that I have every photographed.

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Laura has started back to school and is becoming more an more like the dazzling, radiant woman that she really is!! I am extremely proud of her!! I know how tough it is to start from nothing and scrape your way up.  But, she inspires me to keep on going.

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I was extremely humbled to be able to serve Laura & Christian on this day.

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Thank you Jenny Land for your assistance and support too.. Love you Jenny LOO!!!

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Mercy House is possible through prayers, partnerships, loyal volunteers and generous financial donations received from individuals, groups, and churches that believe in their mission and support this ministry of God. You can volunteer and donate to them by visiting their website.

This story and many others will be continued.  I am privileged to photograph this young man in September and his lucky fiance.  Stay tuned:

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Comments

2 responses to “Mercy House Wedding – Part One”

  1. Adolphus Stuart Avatar

    LOVELY…TRULY LOVELY!

  2. Jennifer Banner Avatar
    Jennifer Banner

    WOW-thanks for sharing girl 🙂 What an amzing story of God’s love and power. The photos rock too 🙂

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