Backpackmission

January is usually an exciting time, filled with hopeful thoughts of new beginnings and fresh starts for most of us. When the snow arrived a few weeks ago I could not help but feel like a little girl again looking out on a winter wonderland. As day after day went by with a record number of below freezing temperatures the phone calls started coming in for help. Families were stranded without electricity and food.

One phone call was from a teenage boy asking if I could send money to a store so that he could walk a few miles down the road and buy food for his mother and him. They had spent the month of December combing the woods looking for sticks and dead trees to cut up for fire wood. When I visited them at Christmas they proudly showed me the results of all their labor. They had worked really hard to gather and stack that wood and because of their efforts they would be warm this winter.

When the electricity went out, they not only had heat but they could also cook on the top of the woodstove. But now they were out of food and his mother was too embarrassed to make the call herself. She had finally allowed him to call. Later when I called to check on them she thanked me for helping and told me they were having fried bologna and beans for dinner. You could hear the relief in her voice. As we were ending the phone call she very quietly said, “DeeDee, I am so sorry we had to ask you for help. I promise we will pay you back when we get some money.” I assured her that the food had come from the Lord and that she did not need to do anything put thank Him for His love.

The children were out of school from December 18th until this past week because of the snow, ice and sleet. The main roads were cleared but the backroads in the mountains are very shady and remain icy for a long time. It was very troubling to lie down at night and know that the children were not getting their Backpack food each week or their meals at school. Before school had let out for Christmas the teachers had packed as much extra food in the backpacks as they could, hoping to help them get through the two weeks they would be out of school. But as the days turned into weeks, I knew there were some very hungry children that we could not reach.

When the sun came out and the temperatures rose, we all hurried to gather and deliver the food to the schools so that they could fill those backpacks and feed the children again. This last trip we had so much food we had to rent a 22’ truck to deliver it all. What a wonderful, blessed time it was unloading that truck and imagining the faces of the children who had been waiting so patiently for someone to bring food.

Being out of school for snow days is only fun if you have a warm bed to sleep in and food to eat. We are so thankful that school is back in session and the children are carrying home their backpacks loaded with food again.

Thank you for your prayers and for your support. It is only because of you that we can carry out this work for the Lord.

Our excitement is growing as we prepare to deliver Christmas gifts and food boxes to the children and their families to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It has become the most exciting time of the year for me once again, as it was when I was a child. Before working with the children in the mountains I had gotten far away from the true meaning of Christmas and the reason that we celebrate. It is so easy to get caught up in the normal, fast paced activities that surround us during the holidays. The lists of ‘need to dos’ seem to grow each year and we realize that the obligations have gotten out of hand once again. Yet we feel stuck in the same pattern year after year.

This week I received a call from a man who said, “I’ve had enough and I am determined to do something different this year. So at Thanksgiving dinner I announced to my family that the money I would normally be spending on gifts that they do not need, would be donated to someone who needs it. One of my family members said, ‘what about hungry children’, and I said tell me more. She told me about your Backpack program and I am calling you to find out how to help the children.” He is once again excited about Christmas.

Since school started in the fall we have received more and more calls from teachers asking us to help their children. The needs are overwhelming. The jobless rates always hit hardest in the already poverty stricken areas and the children are the first to feel the pain. Every month the need for food increases.

As winter temperatures dip and the cost of heating fuel rises, the ability to buy food decreases. When one of our schools was closed recently due to the flu, mothers called the principal and asked would the kids still be getting their Backpack food that week. They said they cannot feed their children without that food. Fortunately, that school has an incredibly kind principal. He arranged for the bus drivers to deliver the food to the children’s homes.

This is proof positive once again that the Backpack food is vital to these families and without it the children do go hungry. It is with renewed determination that we send out this newsletter asking for your help. The number of children in need of food is growing. They may not have the best clothes or a great house filled with furniture but our belief remains the same……

NOT ONE CHILD SHOULD GO TO BED HUNGRY…..ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW THAT THEY NEED US.

Please keep CHRIST in CHRISTMAS by helping us feed the children and give them the knowledge that someone cares for them. We CAN make a difference in their lives.

I pray your Christmas is filled with wonder and joy and that you are blessed beyond measure. “Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Jesus’ words in Luke 6:38

Thank you for glorifying HIS name by feeding hungry children.

In His love,

Diane Durham
BACKPACK MISSION MINISTRIES, INC.
6657 Valleypark Drive
Nashville, TN 37221
615-943-2760
Website: www.backpackmission.com
Email: backpackmission@att.net

The last few months have been the most active time the ministry has ever experienced. There has been so much more need and so many families crying out to us for help but, the Lord has provided all their needs according to His riches. We serve an awesome, faithful God. In Isaiah 65: 24 the Lord says, “Before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.”

The Lord has always provided every month for the Backpack children. He has without fail made sure that all that we need has been supplied. This school year started with 356 children receiving Backpack food each week. As of this morning, the number has grown to over 700. More mines have closed in the area and many more layoffs. The economy seems to be even more devastated here in the mountains than elsewhere. The ones who were barely getting by before are no longer able to manage even that.

We have teachers and even churches calling us to say, “We heard you are feeding children in the other schools. We have some really hungry children at our school. Will you please feed them too?” Can you imagine the thoughts that come to my mind as I hear this question? If I say “yes”, then we must rush to find and deliver more food. If I say “no”, I see their hungry, hurting faces even as I try to sleep. Once you have looked into the face of a truly hungry child it is not something that is easily forgotten. I pray I never have to say no again.

We are so thankful that the Lord has given us this opportunity to help these precious children. Some of them have become such a part of my life that I consider them my family. I think of them as grandchildren of my heart. They are a special gift from God. One of my boys was homeless for months this year. As I told you in the last letter, he and his mother were living on the side of a lake in a pup tent. They bathed in the lake, cooked on a rusty grill and did the best they could to stay dry during all the steady rain we had last month. They watched out for snakes and bears and people that might harm them. But, we had a prayer team praying for them and God protected them and no harm came to them. We praise you Lord.

We tried three times to rent a place for them but before we could get there the places were already rented. Finally, two weeks ago they found a place and were able to move indoors. We had some very kind people make a donation so we could pay the first month’s rent and get the electricity turned on. When I asked her about the water she said there was a creek in front that she could use for water if they needed to. Thankfully she had an old deposit with the water company and they turned the water on.

We were so happy that they were finally out of the woods and indoors, until we visited them for the first time. When we arrived I thought we were in the wrong place. As John opened the door for us, the smell of a decaying old house hit me in the face. Everything they owned was piled in the front room. The kitchen had no appliances, no cabinets, holes in the floor and was just awful. One of the reasons we were there that day was to deliver a refrigerator and stove for them. The refrigerator was donated to us and apparently had been sitting unplugged for a long time. When we opened the door the odor nearly knocked us down.

We apologized and promised to find something better for her. She assured us that she could clean it and everything would be fine. I have known her for almost four years. They have lived in several different places in that time. No matter what the houses looked like, she always kept them clean. We left there so sad and troubled we could hardly sleep that night. To think that they were homeless and without the simplest conveniences for so long and now here they were in this terrible, nasty place. But, they both kept saying to me, “It is better than a tent.” I was not at all sure that it was better than a tent. I think I might have preferred a tent. At least in the woods they had fresh air.

The next day friends of ours were visiting the mountains to bring food and supplies. They wanted to take some lamps, dishes, silverware and other things to John and his mom. Remembering the day before, I tried to explain the condition of the house.

When John opened the door this time we were pleasantly surprised. Most of the things in the front room had been removed and arranged and it almost looked like a living room. She had been up all night cleaning and mopping and the “old house” smell was almost gone. When we went into the kitchen the refrigerator had been cleaned and had magnets all over the front and side. The stove was in place and dishes were arranged in make shift cabinets. She opened the refrigerator to show us that she had been able to remove the odor. She said, “Oh I have moved into a lot worse places than this. I know how to clean up dirty houses.” I would never have believed it if I had not been there to see it. It was remarkably better in just one night. She was trying to make this place a home.

These are the kind of people that just need a hand up. They are so thankful just to have a place to live. They continued to thank us over and over again for our help. She is a hard worker and is willing to do whatever she has to do to take care of her son.

John wanted me to see the room where he had his toys and books. He picked up a cord that went to an old game. It was wrapped from one end to the other with black tape. I asked why he had put tape all over the cord. He said because at their previous house the rats had chewed it into pieces. I thought about the holes in the floor at this house and I shuddered.

Sometimes at night as I lie in my bed in my clean secure home, I think about these mountain grandchildren God has given me and I pray a hedge of protection around them as they sleep in these dangerous situations and awaken to empty refrigerators and cupboards. It is surely motivation for me to get up one more day with determination to make sure that at least they are not without food and the knowledge that someone cares about them.

It is also very reassuring to know that God loves these children even more than I do. He is so great and good. He provides continually for their needs. On August 18th God blessed us in a very big way. MS. WYNONNA JUDD was on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and she chose Backpack Mission Ministries as her charity of choice. That night she won $50,000.00 to help feed the children!!!! We are so grateful for her kindness and generosity. She has been a friend of this ministry since we began and has given hundreds of backpacks and other gifts over the years. The children of Eastern Kentucky are very dear to her heart because she was raised there and remembers friends who lived in the same conditions that the Backpack children do. We thank God for Wynonna and her good kind heart and pray His blessings surround her and overtake her daily.

This gift is the reason we were able to add many more children to the program. When Wynonna was on Millionaire she made this statement, “We are feeding hundreds of children each week and we want to feed thousands.” I pray her words come true. I pray that in the very near future not one child will go to bed hungry.

It costs about $5.00 per week per child to give them 12 to 14 items in their backpack. That translates to $3,500 per week for 700 children and over $180,000.00 a year. When I break it into those figures I could become anxious but Phil 4: 6, 7 says, “Be anxious for nothing but in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” So we pray and God has never failed to provide. This is HIS ministry. He sent us because He wants these children fed. He touches all of our hearts to take care of these little ones because they are so helpless.

Many of you have been taking care of the children with us from the very beginning. Some of you only recently found out about their needs. They need each of you. Even the smallest donations when combined together go a very long way. Thank you for your faithfulness to HIM and HIS ministry.

In Christ’s love,

Diane Durham

We have just returned from a week in the beautiful mountains of Eastern Kentucky delivering food for the backpacks and new school clothes for the children. I received a phone call a few weeks ago from one of “my kids”. He asked me if we could get him some clothes for school. This boy has had as hard a life as anyone I know. He was finally taken from his mother again and placed with his grandparents. While they give him and his sisters a place to live, they receive very little else there. Of course, when he asked for clothes I told him we would be happy to get him some. His immediate question was one he always asks me, “Can you get my sisters something too?” From that question the list for back to school clothes started.

By the next day we had received other requests for clothes from our kids. When I sent out the request to you via email, we had 10 children who needed clothes and shoes. Many of you responded immediately and with tremendous enthusiasm. As the days progressed the list of volunteers grew as well as the list of children in need. In the end over 35 children started back to school this year with new clothes and shoes thanks to you. For some of them it was the first new clothes they had ever received.

Some of you sent clothes and others sent money so we could buy what was needed. It was such a blessing to see God work. As we gathered the clothes, I boxed them and put the child’s name on the box so distribution would be easier. Two of the boys we delivered to were young teenage brothers that happened to wear the same size clothes. The oldest opened his box and on the top was a University of Kentucky sweat shirt. Both of their eyes grew big and a smile came on their faces. He immediately looked at his younger brother and said, “You can wear it first and then I will wear it.” Mary, a dear sister/friend of mine who had brought the clothes to them, said in her heart she heard the words to the song, ‘Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place….’, and truly the Lord was present there in the midst of us in the cramped confines of a dirty, worn out trailer overfilled with family members. These boys have to sleep on the two very old couches in the living room where we stood and yet the first thought he had was to share what he had received with his brother.

During that same visit God touched Mary’s heart to give her shoes to a young blind girl. When she heard what specific kind and size shoes the girl had wanted, she looked down at her own feet and realized her like new shoes were actually meant for this young girl. She said she had been surprised that she had even bought that kind of shoe. They had the bottoms that massage your feet as you walk. God had sent them there for this sweet young girl whose sense of touch has been magnified by her loss of sight. Mary left for home so blessed and overflowing that God would use her to bless someone in such a wonderful way.

A little seven year old girl opened her box and grabbed the clothes without even looking at them, as she hugged them close to her chest and smiled with delight. These children appreciate everything they are given and the used clothes that they usually receive are a true blessing to them. But, there was something so sweet and Christ like about their faces as they looked at those new clothes and realized they belonged to them. It was such a touching scene at every stop we made.

I was having difficulty locating one of the boys who had asked for clothes. In one call John had said I should meet him at a shopping center parking lot. The next time he had said their tire was flat so they could not meet me there and he would have to call me again. I pressed him about why I could not just meet him at his grandfather’s house where he had been staying. Finally in the third phone call he started to cry and said, “Dee Dee, I don’t have anywhere to live. Mama and I are in a tent on the side of a lake over the mountain.” My heart caught in my throat as I told him that we would find them and help them. He told me where they were and gave me directions as best he could.

That day my sisters in Christ, Cheryl and Brenda were meeting with me to deliver clothes. They live “over the mountain” and knew exactly where the lake was and as I followed them up the winding, narrow roads to the lake, I realized once again God’s goodness and love. Without them I could not have found this remote spot. But God knew exactly who could find it. In my bedroom I have the scripture, Isaiah 65:24. The Lord says, “Before they call, I will answer.” Once again He had arranged things before I even knew I needed them.

There at the top of the road in this remote, hidden area we found John and his mama beside the lake. They had a tiny little pup tent with some bed clothes spread out, two coolers and a grill. Their little run down car was sitting there with its flat tire. She was all smiles as we hugged. She had just taken a bath in the lake and was putting her hair up. But he was dirty and had a look that I had never seen on him before. I have had the privilege of loving him for over three years but, I had never seen this lost, frightened look on his face before. He was so sad and my heart broke as I hugged him close.

I pleaded with her to let me bring them back to Lydia’s House to stay until we could find a more permanent place for them to live. She said she never wants to go back over that mountain again. She has lived in a lot of heartbreak and abuse in that area, so I could understand her reluctance. I asked if we could take them to the local motel for a few nights until we found something else. But again she refused. She was waiting there for a new boyfriend to come and rescue them. She had met him a few weeks before and was certain that he would take care of everything soon. Finally, I relented when she promised that she would leave with me in two days if they had not found a place to live.

John seemed so worn down as he walked over to the van with me to get his new school clothes. I asked him to try on his new shoes to make sure they fit. When I looked down at the boots he was wearing, I could see his feet through the large broken cracks in the tops of both boots. He was so happy that the new shoes fit. He took his box of clean, new clothes and tucked them into the back seat of their car and thanked me over and over again.

He wanted to go to the store with me but she was afraid to stay there by herself and would not leave because she was waiting for the boyfriend to return. We offered to get them food but she insisted that they had plenty. As we drove off, I promised him I would be back. That night as I lay in bed and listened to the rain, I thought about them and the bears and snakes in those woods. Not to mention people who might want to cause them harm. I remembered the hunting knife John had shown me that day as he told me not to worry about him. Then I remembered that the Lord also does not want us to worry. Phil 4: 6 says, “Be anxious for nothing.” So I prayed for them and thought of that Scripture as my tears fell quietly in the night.

Sometimes the sadness gets very heavy but Jesus said we are to cast our cares on Him and so that is what we have had to do with John’s situation. As of today she is still refusing to leave until the boyfriend finds them a place to stay. Please pray for them. I love her too and realize that she cannot help where she is emotionally and mentally. She is doing the best she can considering all she has been through.

There is story after story of the children receiving their clothes and getting excited about going to school the first day with something new. You have blessed them tremendously and shown them the true love of Christ. They will never forget the feelings they had when strangers cared enough to send them these gifts in the name of Jesus. These are seeds of love planted in fertile soil and they will produce a harvest in time. I am so thankful to each and every one of you who provided for them and I know God will bless you richly. I had told some of you that I might be able to take pictures of them getting their new clothes but the Lord prevented me from doing that. I felt it would take away from the purity of the moment and perhaps make them feel somehow ashamed as they sat there in their meager, sometimes dirty surroundings. I just did not want to spoil even a moment of the experience for them. I hope you can understand.

We also delivered Backpack food to the schools last week. At one stop we were handed a folder full of many more requests for food. The mines in Pike County are laying people off and some have even closed. The children are in greater need than ever. When the school year ended in May we had 356 kids needing food each week. That number has now grown to over 500. We have been praying that God would lead us to every hungry child that He needs us to feed and truly He is answering that prayer. Backpack Mission Ministries cannot do this without you. It is a tremendous undertaking but God is so faithful to provide. He needs all of our hearts and hands to get this job done. He provides for them by providing for us. He expects us, His children, to feed these precious ones in His name.

WHAT AN HONOR WE ALL SHARE TO BE ASKED BY THE LORD TO TAKE CARE OF HIS LITTLE CHILDREN. THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS COMING THROUGH FOR THEM.

Blessings in His name,

Diane Durham

Let me begin this newsletter by saying thank you to each of you that contacted me and asked for an update on the ministries.  We sometimes get so caught up in the work that we neglect one of the most important parts, which is to keep you informed and let you know how much your help means to the children and their families.  I do want each of you to be blessed knowing that the children are being fed and their families are being ministered to in the name of the Lord because of you.

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of traveling for several days with a team from Louisville into the hollows and back roads of the Appalachian mountains as we visited the children, families, teachers, and classrooms.  We were all overcome with emotion as we witnessed the lives these children live.

Our first visit took us down a winding country road to a trailer and house sitting against a beautiful backdrop of hills, trees and creeks.  There was a picturesque barn sitting off in the distance and the blue spring sky was filled with billowy white clouds.  But as our eyes focused on the house we were struck by the contrast.  The house was old and run down with a rusting washing machine and other debris piled on the porch.  On the steps sat a young man and woman with a little boy and a couple of dogs.

As we approached them we were filled with sadness at the young woman’s face.  She later told us that in order to keep her family warm, she had been filling a kerosene heater and it had exploded in her face.  Her face was literally melted.  Her eyes were the only remaining vestige of what she had looked like before tragedy changed her life forever.  Here before us sat the brutal picture of poverty.  My heart sank as I realized that had she been near the proper hospital and doctors trained to deal with her burns she would not be spending the rest of her life with a face she no longer recognizes as her own.  Yet she continues day after day to care for her children and family the best she can.

It is so difficult for them in this remote area they call home but, they have no desire to leave because this is the only life they have ever known and the only life they trust.  Her brother also lives in the house with them.  He was blinded by a childhood illness years ago and rarely comes out of the house anymore.  We listened as they told us their stories and then thanked us for the Backpack food that their children receive.

We walked across the muddy yard to a trailer where their mother lives.  There we met a woman truly beaten down by years of poverty and heartbreak.  She wept bitterly as she told us she is raising her four granddaughters alone.  The children had been abandoned as their parents gave their lives over to drugs and alcohol.  She opened her refrigerator and it was practically empty except for four or five items.  Her cupboards were also nearly bare.  Fortunately, one of the reasons we were there was to deliver much needed food.  The other reason was to minister to their hearts and let them know that the Lord has not forgotten them.

Martha, a sweet Christian lady with us, gently laid her hands on this weeping grandmother’s arthritic arms and hands and prayed for God to touch her life and the lives of these children with healing and peace.  As we left her home, she told us she cannot even afford shampoo and soap for the little girls.  This past week this wonderful team from Louisville gave me a huge container filled with soap, shampoo and toiletries they had collected for the children.  Praise God for His goodness and that He shows us the needs and touches hearts to take care of them.  He is so faithful to provide.  It is only through Him that we move, breathe and have our being so that we can serve Him.

After we left Owsley County we traveled many miles through beautiful mountainous terrain and saw the mighty hand of God everywhere.  The beauty here is breathtaking.  God has been so generous in these mountains covered with trees, flowers, creeks and animals.  It is not God that has devastated this land and destroyed the hope of the people here.  But it is God that has sent us to help them and we all felt so blessed to be allowed to minister to them.

The next day we met with Shelby, one of our Backpack Mission teachers.  As she introduced us to her class of Headstart students, she privately shared story after story about their lives.  One little boy was born with part of his heart missing.  Another could not talk until he started to school because no one at home took the time to teach him how. Yet another lived in a home plagued with drugs. A sad story seemed to touch nearly every child we met.  But they all seemed so happy and content there surrounded by her love.  It was so obvious to us the impact she is having in their lives.  Tears filled my eyes as these precious little children sang songs to us and smiled, raised their little arms and jumped at the appropriate times during the songs.  For a moment they were able to forget their home lives, hunger and poverty and just be children.

Shelby had approached me over a year ago and told me that the Headstart and kindergarten students were not receiving Backpack food because they were separate from the other students at school.  She has worked so hard helping us get food to these children and to the other schools in remote areas around her.  Shelby truly loves the Lord and has a servant’s heart.  We feel so blessed to be working with her.

That afternoon Shelby took us to visit some of “her” families.  As we followed her, my eyes were drawn to the beautiful brook meandering alongside the road.  Wild flowers were on the banks and as the water flowed over the flat rock bottom it sparkled in the sunshine.  We traveled miles into a valley and up a holler.  As we turned into a rutted drive we were once again staring into the face of poverty.  Everywhere we looked we saw a valley littered with broken down cars, abandoned appliances and the debris of things that had once served a purpose at some point in the distant past.

We gathered the food boxes and approached the trailer.  The porch was full of several lazy dogs that did not seem to notice us much at all except when they were scooted away from the door.   Once inside we were introduced to a beautiful young woman and her little son.  She was slim built and her auburn hair was pulled back from her face in a ponytail.  Her complexion was beautiful and her eyes were shining as she smiled at us.  She could have been a young woman from anywhere in America.  She was well spoken and polite as she told us her story and the story of her family.

She lives next door in a different trailer with her husband and son.  Her husband works in construction when there is work and she was hopeful about the warm weather bringing more opportunity for him.  She is expecting another baby and looking forward to the birth.  She smiles when she talks about the new baby and her son.  She is sitting on the edge of the open sofa bed that has rumpled bed clothes and pillows, in this tiny living room filled to overflowing with furniture and stacks of clothes.  Her young son has been playing beside her on the bed and smiling at us from behind her back.  Shortly, we noticed that he had fallen asleep.  We were all touched by his innocence as we looked at his sweet little hands tucked up under his angelic face nestled securely next to his mommy.

She starts to tell us about the people who live here.  It is her mother and father’s home.  Nine people live in this tiny, cramped trailer. Her pride at first causes her to tell us that they are alright here and that everything is okay.  When asked further questions, she admits that they do not always have enough food and that the children really do need the Backpack food to eat on the weekends and other days.  As she wipes away her tears she said, “Sometimes it is really hard to be without enough food.”

One of those living here is her little niece, Maggie.  Maggie is a 7 year old quadriplegic that spends most of her time in a wheelchair.  Sometimes she is able to get out of her chair and be put on the floor where she pulls herself around by her elbows. I cannot even imagine placing a child on this floor.  There is scarcely enough room for us to walk let alone for a child to scoot around dragging her body.

This gentle young woman wept and wept as she told us Maggie’s story.  When Maggie was six months old her mother was riding in a car and had Maggie out of her car seat and lying on her lap in the front seat.  Her head was near the dashboard.  Another car ran a stop sign and hit them.  Maggie was thrown into the dash and severe spinal damage resulted.  She was life flighted to the hospital where she received a diagnosis of hopelessness.

Because of her guilt over the accident, Maggie’s mother uses drugs to try and stop her pain and torment.  She has since had two more little girls who are two and three years old.  Her three year old child has Cerebral Palsy.  She is pregnant again even though she is unable to care for any of them.

The day we were there the grandparents were in jail.  They had been arrested over a “mix-up” with the police because their prescription pain medicine was not in the prescription bottle when they were stopped by the police.  They apparently are both on pain medicine due to injuries to their backs which prevents them from working.  The sad stories go on and on in these little ones’ lives.

As we left this young woman we promised not to forget her and that we would be back to help.  Her smile had returned to her face and her courage shined through as she carried her son and walked us to our cars.  Later we would talk about how we saw her as being on a fence and that she could go either way.  One side of the fence is out of this poverty and hopelessness and the other side is following in the footsteps of her family.

Shelby asked if we would like to go back to the school and meet Maggie.  We all said yes and prepared our hearts for what was to come.  When we walked into her classroom I saw the most beautiful tiny little, blond haired, blue eyed girl you can imagine.  She was smiling from ear to ear when she saw Shelby.  We rolled her chair outside into the sunshine and introduced her to the others.  Shelby asked Maggie if she believes she will ever walk.  Maggie nodded vigorously.  Shelby said, “Who is going to make you walk baby?”  Maggie quietly said, “God is.”  She has no doubt that God is going to heal her and that someday soon she will be able to walk.

We rolled her onto the playground where her other classmates were playing.  She has a special swing that she lays in to be pushed.  I watched her and wondered what it must be like for her to see the other children her age running, going down the slides, on the see saws, jumping and laughing.  She told us that when she can walk the first thing she is going to do on that playground is go down the slide.

Shelby told us that Maggie goes to the Shriner’s Hospital in Lexington every few months.  Unfortunately, her family does not always have a vehicle or the gas to take her.  Shriner’s reimburses the gasoline cost but they have to get her there first.  Lexington is many hours away from this remote valley and the obstacles are sometimes larger than they are able to overcome.

They have been waiting a long time for Maggie to get an appointment with a specialist in Pennsylvania where she would be able to get an MRI and other tests to determine if she is a candidate for the newest procedures available for her kind of spinal injury.

Last week Shelby called to tell me that Maggie and her grandmother were to leave early Wednesday morning for the appointment in Pennsylvania.  They had arranged for a ride to Lexington but they did not have the money for a room near the airport Tuesday night.  Backpack Mission Ministries booked a room for them and Shelby loaded the grandmother down with extra Backpack food to take on the four day journey.

Maggie’s grandmother asked me to call her at the hospital in Pennsylvania.  She told me the doctors are very optimistic and call Maggie a “perfect candidate” for the new technology.  She will go through a process of procedures first, one of which is to have both hips replaced.  Her hip joints have not developed properly from lack of physical therapy and from sitting in a wheelchair for seven years.  Next they will do surgery on her hands and work on the tendons that are drawing up.  All these things will be done before they are able to address the spinal problems.

Praise God!!  Maggie is one step closer to her dream of walking.  I promised her grandmother that we will continue to pray about all the many needs of this family and that we will be there to help them.  We also pray God allows us to be involved until every possible avenue has been explored concerning Maggie’s health.  Please place them on your prayer list at home and church.

That same day we met an elderly grandfather who is raising three grandchildren.  One of the grandchildren has to have Pediasure three times a day and the grandfather needs Ensure every day.  Both of these take most of his food stamps and money.

The next day we visited with another of our teachers who fills 65-75 backpacks a week for her school.  She told us the story of a little boy that came back from Spring break extremely thin.  When they asked him if he had been sick, he answered that there had been no food at home for him to eat for most of the last week.  She immediately started sending a backpack of food home with him each day.  Now every time she meets him in the hall he asks, “Am I getting my food today?”  He is so afraid he will be at home again without food.

Each day of our trip was filled with children and families living in situations that are hard to imagine.  But each day was also filled with teachers and others doing the best they can to take care of them.  There is no doubt that the Backpack food is changing their lives.  Because of God’s goodness and faithfulness, every week hundreds of backpacks are filled in school after school and sent home with the children. This food is making an impact on their lives.  Their entire situation may not be changed, but at least they will not go to bed hungry with aching stomachs as long as they receive their Backpack food.  We give all glory and honor to God for His provisions.  He alone is touching hearts and minds to provide for the children.

We have been praying for a long time about how to feed the children in the summer when they are not attending school.  This summer many of our teachers have decided to give the families Backpack food all summer.  The families that have the ability will pick up the food at school.  The teachers will deliver to the homes of the children that have no way to get the food.  What a wonderful blessing to be working with such dedicated, loving teachers.

We are so thankful that the Lord continues to take us into the places that are remote and sometimes forgotten.  We have worked in areas of Appalachia that have been blessed with many missionaries and many volunteers to take care of the people.  We prayed to be sent to the children and families with the greatest unanswered needs. God is answering our prayers by leading us to the overlooked and forgotten ones.  He has opened many doors for us to minister to them.  Just last week we received an urgent call for help.  The loving Christian lady that helps us distribute the Backpack food to the schools called to say that a principal from a small school nearby had heard about the Backpack Program and was begging her for food to feed the students.

His school is very small with only 56 students from kindergarten through sixth grade.  She asked how many of the children needed food.  His answer was astonishing.  He said at least 50 of them are in great need.  While we would not ordinarily start taking food to a new school this close to the end of the school year, we could not ignore his plea.  Last week we loaded his truck with provisions so that the children could start being fed immediately.  We will continue providing food for them throughout the summer. Praise the Lord.

We are so thankful to each of you who respond to God’s call to feed these children. Jesus told Peter, “Feed My lambs.”  If Jesus is our Shepherd and we are His sheep, surely these are His lambs. Each little hungry face I see reminds me of the importance of showing them the love of Jesus Christ as we feed them in His name.  Sometimes I can almost see His face as we hand them their food and I am reminded of His words, “When you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto Me.”  Just imagine in your mind if Jesus was hungry and you were the one allowed to hand Him something to eat.  How quickly we would step forward to feed Him.  What an honor it would be to actually feed our Lord and what a privilege it is that He allows us to feed His lambs until we see Him face to face.

God bless and keep you always.

In His love,

Diane Durham

Each year at Christmas time in Appalachia I have left the mountains exhausted and ready for a long rest after all the purchasing, picking up from others, wrapping and delivering the gifts and food.  This year I had asked the Lord if we could just be on the side lines helping others get the food and gifts to the children and families but not have such a major role in the process.  A few weeks ago we helped purchase food for family boxes and delivered hundreds of gifts donated by others to be distributed to the children and families by another wonderful group we had partnered with in the past.  I was thinking how wonderful it was that the Lord was going to allow me to rest this December.  Little did I know the blessings He had in store for me.

When I was delivering Backpack food to one of the little remote schools, the Resource teacher said, “I have a real problem.  Another ministry called me last month and asked for five needy families so that they could provide them with Christmas gifts.  I chose my five neediest families.  I called the families and told them their children would be receiving gifts and they were so excited.  Now that ministry just called me back and said they will not be able to provide for the families after all.  I am so dreading calling these parents and telling them that their children will not have Christmas presents.”

Well my heart was breaking imagining the children without Christmas and how the parents would be feeling, so before I could stop myself, I said, “Let me see what we can do.”  I prepared an email and sent it out to a small group of people.  Immediately one of my dear friends, Phyllis took the project and ran with it.  She prepared a chart with each family member’s name, age, and size and started making suggestions to those on the email list of how we could get this done.  Within days all five families (some of them had five children and two adults) had been “adopted” for Christmas.  I was so blessed and amazed.  Each group went above and beyond what the families had asked for.

Three weeks ago I became ill while working in the mountains.  It was the worst cold I had had in many years.  I was in bed for days at a time.  But the time was fast approaching to make arrangements to pick up the wrapped gifts from the volunteers and deliver them to the families. I was so sick I was not sure I would be able to fulfill my end of the bargain.  One night in prayer I asked the Lord if I could just stay home and let the other two volunteers, Virginia and Karen deliver the presents.

The Lord gently said, “Shhhh, just come with Me.”  In faith I knew He would give me the strength I needed to complete the task.

There were so many gifts, clothes, shoes and stockings and purses full of goodies, we had to drive two vans.  I picked up Virginia and we could barely squeeze in all the things she had collected for the families.  We met Karen a few miles down the road and headed out for the mountains with both vans full.  It was raining most of the trip but the excitement seemed to mount the closer we came to our destination.

Karen had never been to this part of Appalachia before, but she had read our newsletters and collected food for the Backpack Kids and the Lord was surely working on her heart.  I want to share with you something she wrote to me about one of her experiences while we were there.

“As we were driving to Benham, at one point there was a school bus in front of us.  When it stopped, I looked to the left and saw a beat up and rusted trailer sitting on the side of the mountain.  There were a couple of abandoned cars scattered around it and some old beat up sheds.  I would have thought the trailer was abandoned except that there was smoke rising from the little metal pipe chimney.  This little beat up trailer looked like a really bad way to live.  Then two small boys got off the bus, crossed the highway, and began walking up the muddy drive toward that trailer.  My heart sank.  Not only was it not abandoned, but these two little boys lived there.”

The Lord had even more in store for us the next day.

As you know from last years newsletters, the Lord has touched my heart in a special way for three or four children there.  Since I had been sick, I had not been able to take the boys Christmas shopping yet.  We decided that while I took the kids to Walmart, Virginia and Karen would do the grocery shopping for the family food boxes we were delivering the next day.  We unloaded all the gifts from the vans and I was off to pick up the kids and drive the twenty five miles to Harlan.

Once again, it was a trip full of blessings for me.  As we sat around the dinner table at KFC, I listened to their conversations and marveled at how they are growing and maturing.  They talked about school and girls and I realized how innocent and sweet they are and wished I could just hold them there in time and spare them any more harm and pain.  We talked about what they would pick for Christmas gifts and laughed and had a wonderful time.  They were each so excited to be embarking on our long awaited annual shopping trip.  When we arrived at Walmart they set off together to look at games, bikes, phones and toys.  It did not take them very long at all to settle on what they wanted.

Tommy wanted a cell phone.  I told him I had thought he wanted a bike.  He said, “Well when I was in the third grade a boy came into class with a cell phone.  He is a kind of rich kid and all I have thought about is someday I would get a cell phone too.  I don’t care if I don’t have any minutes on it or if it doesn’t work.  Nobody will know that.  They will just see that I have a cell phone like him.”  We got him a cell phone and a $5.00 phone card.  (He has called me twice since I came home, just to say thank you.)

Back in the car the boys started opening their gifts and showing them to each other and I thought how they are like every other child I know.  So full of life, joy and laughter and if you take away the poverty and hardship for even a few minutes the laughter comes rushing out.

I was talking to one of the boys on the way back home and I asked him if he wants to live in Harlan County when he is grown.  He said, “No, as soon as I get big enough I am going to move away and get a good job.  Ms. Diane, I told you someday I am going to have money so I can give other people presents.”  I do believe someday he will serve the Lord by helping others.

When I returned to the Lydia’s House, Karen and Virginia had not only purchased the food but they had filled the boxes and sorted all the gifts by family and were ready to load the vans for our morning trip.

The next morning was cold and overcast but not raining as hard when we set out for Letcher County, about 15 miles away from Lydia’s House.  We stopped at Arlie Boggs Elementary and picked up Marie, the Resource teacher.  She had arranged for us to deliver to each of the families while the children were in school so the gifts could be hidden away for Christmas morning.

We journeyed around winding, narrow roads passing treacherous looking driveways that led to some very sad looking homes.  The first place we stopped was not as bad as some of the homes we had passed.  We were met by a sweet lady named Junell.  When we went inside she said, “Excuse my house but I did try to dress up for you and put on some makeup.”  She touched our hearts with her smile.  She thanked us over and over for the gifts and food.  We asked her if we could pray for her.  She said, “Yes, and I want to pray for you too.”  She later told us that she could barely read and write and that she has been praying for someone to come and teach her to read better so that she can read her Bible.  She said, “I love my Bible, but I can’t really read it very much.”

Junell’s daughter is one of the Backpack Kids.  She has been abused by her father and he has thankfully been removed from the home.  They are having a very hard time.

Our next stop took us to a little red house that is in very bad condition.  The steps leading up to the front door are rotted and worn out.  I could hardly maneuver them with the boxes in my hands.  When we were inside I noticed the old coal stove used for heat and the buckets of coal sitting next to it.  The elderly lady we were visiting had to carry those buckets of coal up those steps each day just to stay warm.

Inside her tiny house were picture of family lining the walls.  Right in the midst of all these pictures was a large picture of Jesus.  Ms. Nola too had dressed in her best to greet us, but she also had on a large pair of dark sunglasses.  She apologized for keeping them on.  We noticed the large gash with stitches over her left eye.  We later heard that she had been cut by one of her sons while she tried to break up a knife fight in her house a few days before.  The little grandson she is raising had called the police to help her.  He too is one of our Backpack Kids and she thanked us for all the food we send home with him.

As we were leaving Ms. Nola handed me a card.  In the car I opened it, and on the front was the Scripture Matt 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”  Inside she had written “Love you and pray you and your loved ones have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.  God bless you.”  Love and Prayers, Nola   She is praying for us to be blessed!

A little further down the road we went into the trailer that housed the largest family being helped.  A mother, father and six children live in a two bedroom trailer.  Two of the boys were sick and on the living room couches where they regularly sleep.  Over in the chair sitting cross legged was a young woman with a great big smile. When we spoke to her we realized that she was blind.  She had had meningitis when she was a child and it had blinded her.  Her teachers had gotten her a scholarship to a school for the blind but her parents would not allow her to leave home.  She told us she loves to sing.  I asked her if she sings in church and she said, “I don’t go to church much but, I would like to sing in church if I could.”

None of us was prepared for the next house we visited.  We drove up the long drive though deep trenches and mud holes.  The yard was full of debris and piles of old tires.  The yard and porch were littered with animal droppings.  Sharon opened the door for us to come in.  As we brought in the boxes of gifts and food, she sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands and started to cry.  Marie asked her what was wrong.  She said, “I don’t deserve all of this.”  We all started to cry.  She was so humble and sad.  Her husband had left her and her children a few months ago.

When we looked around her house we could hardly believe our eyes.  The couch she was sitting on looked like she had gotten it at the dump.  There were no visible cabinets in the kitchen, just a table in the middle of the tiny room with some bowls sitting on it.  The floor in the kitchen had rotten all the way through in places and the mud was showing under the plywood, as if the floor was sitting directly on the dirt underneath.  There was a hole in the floor big enough for a dog to fit through.  The thought of her and her children lying down to sleep at night with all kinds of creatures able to enter the house gave me a strong chill.

She had recently started working at McDonalds.  It is the first job she has ever had.  Sharon does not drive and McDonalds is over the mountains about 15 miles away.  Her sick father has to take her and pick her up.  She is so proud that she has a job and is trying to take care of her family.

We prayed with her and assured her that we would be back to help her and that she is not alone.  As we were leaving, I looked back to see her standing in the doorway with a look of sadness and desperation.

The Jenkins home was the last stop we made that day.  Mr. Jenkins wife was murdered last year and he is left to raise his children alone.  He asked us not to come into the house because he was ashamed of how it looked.  He tried to get us to let him carry all the boxes to the porch as he thanked us repeatedly.  We could see the years of hardship on his face.  He waved goodbye and kept thanking us.

In all the years I have been there, I have never seen worse poverty and lack and I have also never experienced so much gratitude and appreciation from the people being helped.

As we were leaving the mountains to return to Tennessee it started to rain harder.  The faces we had seen that day were etched in our minds and on our hearts.   The Lord had shown us things we had never seen before.  Things we would never be able to forget. We had to stop driving once because of the tears blinding our eyes. I was reminded of His words to me, “Shhh, just come with Me.”  He had poured out a new refreshing; a refreshing that has filled me with renewed energy and reminded me of why we are there.  He has sent us there to let these precious people see HIM and HIS love for them.

I pray that each of you has had a Christmas season full of love, hope, family, joy and happiness as you celebrate the greatest Gift ever given.  I thank you all for helping us feed these children and families.  But, most of all, I thank you for showing me JESUS in all you do for HIM.

God bless you,

Diane Durham

Backpack Ministries has been truly blessed with wonderful caring people who have a heart for hungry children. This past week I unloaded over 500 backpacks that were donated by a church and individuals who are on fire for the Lord’s work of feeding His children.

Each time I delivered food to the schools last week, I was met with the same question, “Can you give us extra food? We need to add more children to the Backpack Program.” Unfortunately, I had to tell them that we do not have extra food at this time. We now have the backpacks to feed over 650 each week, but we do not have the food yet to fill them.

I received an urgent email from one of the Resource teachers saying she has given out all of her food and needs more by this Friday. We had delivered a normal months supply two weeks ago. There are just so many hungry children and she cannot say no to them and neither can we.

One teacher said some children met her in the hall and said, “Can we get our backpacks early? Do we have to wait until Friday?” She said they come to school so hungry each day they are the first in line for breakfast and eat everything on their plates.

Another told me of a mother who is out of work and sick. She is trying to do the best she can but, her children are sometimes hungry. It breaks her heart, but there is nothing she can do.

One father lost his job and he spends most of what money they have taking his wife back and forth for her cancer treatments. Their children came to school and asked their teachers for food and help because their Mama is sick. The teachers collected their own money and purchased food for this family.

Backpack Ministries provides food boxes for families too whenever we are aware of a need. God has called us to feed His hungry children and we are trying to help anyway we can. We are asking you to pray about collecting food at your church, office or school and help us meet this urgent need. It does not have to be a huge amount. Each of us can make a difference. Every little bit helps and added together it makes a lot of meals. One lady and her husband heard about the program through their daughter’s church and started buying a little each week. When she met with me last month she had collected half a van load of food!

As I traveled up and down the mountains last week, our little 1998 Plymouth Voyager van was having difficulty again. I prayed all along the way that I would make it home without breaking down. Praise the Lord I did make it home safe and sound. The last time it broke down I made it right to my driveway! God is so good to protect us.

The van has many thousands of miles on it, and most of them have been serving the Lord. I have really grown attached to that little van and its faithfulness to perform, no matter where I have taken it or how fully it was loaded down with food. It has served us so well for so long but, the time had come to start looking for a replacement that had more stamina and less miles. (I sure hope the Lord doesn’t think that when He looks at me!) We put it in the shop this week and found out that the repairs would be over $2,000.00. But before I could get this newsletter out with a request, the Lord answered our prayers with a new van!

A wonderful couple who have been helping the ministry with food found us a wonderful van and we will be picking it up tomorrow. Praise God! Just in time to pick up and deliver food to the children next week. Thank you Don and Peggy for being so obedient to the Lord’s voice.

God is always so faithful and good but, I am still in awe of His goodness and His timing. We give Him all the glory and praise.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you have all been so faithful to help us and we thank you for everything you have done to feed these precious children. Thank you all so very much.

It has already been the start of a wonderful Christmas season in the mountains of Kentucky. The weather has been cold and crisp and we even had snow last week. The mountains all covered in snow are such awesome displays of God’s beauty and majesty. Lynch is at the foot of Black Mountain, the highest mountain in Kentucky. The five mile stretch that is Cumberland, Benham and Lynch is surrounded by mountains topped with beautiful blue skies and as I look up I always see breathtaking views. It is only when my eyes shift downward that I see the tattered houses and broken lives that are the result of the poverty here. But even in the depths of their poverty and pain the children still look forward to Christmas and the hope of what it may bring.

Last week I awoke thinking about a twelve year old boy named Tommy that I had not seen in awhile. He has had one of the hardest lives of any little guy I know. His family is constantly moving around and it is a challenge to keep up with him. I drove around to the places I thought he might be and asked different people if they knew where he lived now. Finally I found him with some friends playing basketball with an old, broken goal and trying to stay out of the mud holes that made up their “court”. He and his best-friend, Clay were all smiles when they saw me. They came running over to the car as I rolled down the window to talk. I told them how much I had missed them and asked them what they wanted from Jesus for Christmas. Tommy said, “I don’t know what I want. Just anything will be good enough.” Clay said, “I know what I want but, it costs too much, so I know I can’t have it.”

We made plans to get together and go shopping soon. As I was about to leave one of the boys spotted a bag of apples on the seat of my car. He asked me what they were. I told him and asked if they wanted one. They both shook their heads aggressively as I handed them each a red, juicy apple. When the other kids they had been playing with saw the apples they came running to the car for theirs. Shortly the entire bag was being eaten by hungry little boys. Those are the times that make my heart sing and I thank God for His provisions.

A few days later I picked Tommy up for our trip to Christmas shop. We went to the Walmart in Harlan, about twenty miles away. When we arrived he headed straight for the bikes. It did not take him long to pick out a beautiful, shiny, blue bike. He looked at the price and with big eyes, quickly looked at me and said, “Never mind. It’s too much” as he put it back in its spot. I looked at the price and it was the cheapest one there but, it didn’t matter, the look in his eyes when he saw it made it worth a million. I told him he could have it. He could hardly contain himself as he pushed it down the aisle. Just as we were leaving the toy section he saw a tiny little girl’s bike sitting on the floor. He stopped and looked at it and said, “Ms. Diane, I will put my bike up if you will let me get this one for my baby sister.”

I did not even know he had a baby sister. I asked him how old she was and he told me she was almost three and lives with her Daddy, not with him and his Mama. Of course, we walked up the aisle pushing two bikes! Just as we approached the cashier he suddenly stopped and looked at me with a surprised look on his face and said, “I don’t want this bike.” I asked him why not? He said, “I want my Mama to have something for Christmas.” I cannot even write this without tears in my eyes. This child who has been neglected, abused and left many times without food or care is so tender hearted that he is willing to give up any gift for himself to make sure his Mama and baby sister are taken care of. So, here we happily go up the aisle with two bikes and a necklace he had picked out for his Mama!! Praise the Lord. He told me he is going to hide it under his mattress and surprise her Christmas morning.

How wonderfully blessed I am to be around when God is at work in a child’s life. The last thing he said to me when I dropped him off at home is, “Ms. Diane when I grow up and go to work, I am going to spend all of my money on other people and making them happy.” And you know…….I bet he will. He accepted Jesus a few months ago. I can only imagine how the Lord will use him to help others.

The next day it was Clay’s turn to shop. When I picked him up I asked him what he was wanting that “costs too much” as he had said before. He said it was a skateboard here in Cumberland at the movie rental store. Clay’s mother left him when he was very little. He has a really kind, loving Daddy who drinks. But as Clay said, “He never gets drunk, just almost.” Clay is always in need of a good bath and clean clothes but, his Daddy really does give him love and kindness.

There is never enough food and he said he really likes to get the Backpack food each week. He has one of the sweetest smiles I have ever seen. It just melts my heart. As we drove to the store we talked about how he is doing. He started talking about his mother and step-daddy not getting him anything for Christmas last year but, he quickly added, “I still love her.”

When we arrived at the store he showed me the skateboard of his dreams. Once again, it was the cheapest one in the store. When I took it off the shelf and put it on the counter to pay for it he was in shock. He said, “Are you really going to buy it for me?” I said, “No Clay. This is not from me, it is from Jesus. He wants you to have it.” His face lit up and he said, “I have been praying for it all summer. I asked God if there was any way for me to get it someday. I just can’t believe He is giving it to me.” I told him how very much God loves him and how important he is to the Lord. He said, “I know. Every since I asked Him into my heart I am happier.” What more could I say????

When I took Clay home, he turned and looked at me and said, “Ms. Diane, the happiest day of my life each year is when you say, ‘Clay what do you want for Christmas?’ I love you Ms. Diane.” As you can imagine, that recharged me and I am ready to face any obstacle to help feed and care for these children.

Backpack Ministries is honored this year to join forces with a wonderful husband and wife team here in Cumberland to provide Christmas gifts and food boxes for families in three counties here. We have been collecting gifts and are about to purchase the food. The boxes will be taken to their homes just before Christmas. There will be food and gifts for all the Backpack Kids Christmas morning. Praise the Lord!!! He deserves all the glory.

I wanted you to know about some of the wonderful stories that are happening because of your contributions and love. These children really are benefiting from the food and gifts you send. They know they are loved and that Jesus is caring for them.

Thank you for all your tremendous love and support. Backpack Ministries would not be possible without you. I hope that knowing what a difference you are making in the lives of these children will brighten your Christmas and bless your New Year.

It is good to be in the mountains of Kentucky. The weather is still hot in the daytime but so nice in the evenings and early mornings. The children still brighten our days with their hugs and smiles. They are so appreciative of everything we do for them.

One day when I was visiting with one of the families I saw a young boy about 10 years old standing off to the side. I recognized his face but could not remember his name. I went over to say hello and asked him his name. He said, “I’m Joey. Are you giving out food today?” I told him I was and asked if he needed some. He said, “Yes, I am really hungry today. I don’t need it every day but, today I do.”

When I told him I would get some for him he said, “Can you bring some for my brother and my mama too?” That is such a typical response from these children. They are always concerned about their siblings and parents. When I returned with the food, Joey was all smiles and very thankful that they would not be hungry.

That same day one of the women who lives next door to Joey told me about a man and his three year old son who were about to be put out on the street. This man was one the Lord had put on our hearts to minister to last year. He accepted the Lord and has been attending church. His son, Seth is severely challenged both emotionally and mentally. Seth’s mother abandoned them shortly after he was born. Because of all the problems that Seth has there is not a daycare in the area willing to keep him. As a result his father is not able to work.

They receive subsidized housing and food stamps from the government but other than that they can barely get by. A mistake on the part of the Housing Authority had left them owning $155.00 in back utility costs.

When I went to their apartment the father was in tears. He had packed the car and was ready to leave. The car did not look like it would get them down the street. I asked him where he was going and he said they had no where to go so they would live in the car. You see to him $155.00 may as well have been $10,000.00. He did not have it and no way to earn it.

This is a good man trying as hard as he can to face life’s challenges. He loves the Lord. He is just not able to overcome these obstacles by himself. Backpack Ministries was able to take care of this need so that little Seth would not be homeless.

When you give to Backpack Ministries you are not only feeding the children, in some cases you are literally keeping a roof over their heads, shoes on their feed and clothes on their backs.

We have story after story like Joey’s and Seth’s. It is with great joy that we give God glory for all He is doing here. Day after day He puts us in the right place at the right time to fulfill a need for one or more of His children. They come in all sizes, shapes, ages and colors. They are all looking for someone who cares. We are so honored to serve such an awesome Lord who has all the answers. He works through all of us to care for the “least of these”.

Jesus said, “When you do it unto the least of these you have done it unto Me.” It brings me to my knees to think that we are taking care of Jesus when we minister to these children. I am so humbled by the honor of serving Him.

I heard a quote today that is so descriptive of what is happening here in the mountains. “Take the hand of a child, touch the heart of a parent.” One by one the parents are opening up and responding to us because of the care we are giving to their children.

The Lord is flooding me with ideas of more and more ways to help the children and their families. He is not satisfied with just their bodies being ministered to. His main purpose is their salvation. He has given us favor in their eyes through the feeding program. Now is the time to start ministering to their spiritual needs. They are so lost and living in a sense of hopelessness. But He always has the answer if we are willing to allow Him to work through us.

There were backpacks and food in my apartment all summer. From time to time I would pray over them and ask God to direct me to the children who need feeding. School started back here on August 2nd. That same day God made me aware of a very small school 15 miles from here in a more remote location where there are hungry children. When I visited the Resource teacher I heard the same sad stories of children in need. We were able to deliver food and backpacks to that school and now the children are carrying home their food each weekend. Praise His name.

We started in Cumberland High School last year feeding about 6 students. This year we have over 35 who have been receiving food each week. God is directing us to more and more children who need food and His loving touch.

Because of you and your contributions of food, backpacks and money we are able to feed and care for children who would otherwise go hungry and in some cases be homeless. Thank you for your loving concern for these children here in Appalachia. They need you and the Lord needs you. Please pray and ask God how He would have you help Him take care of them.

Finally, some warm weather to get us all recharged and ready for the joyful season of rebirth and life ahead of us. We have just returned from a trip to Appalachia carrying food, love and encouragement to the children. We were greeted with warm smiles and big hugs from the kids we saw. It seems the children we encounter who have the least are always the ones who appreciate everything the most. Even the least little thing brings a big response from these children. Thanks to your help and Kershaw Baptist Association in South Carolina, we were able to provide enough food to fill the backpacks for the rest of the school year! And we give God all the glory for that. He has been so faithful to provide.

At one point, when I walked through the cafeteria, different ones of the “backpack kids” would see me and call out “Miss Diane, Miss Diane” until I saw them. Then they would stand up and hug me as I walked by their table. Some of them asked me, “Are you coming back for the summer?”
Some of you will remember that I was able to spend all summer there last year and participate in a lunch feeding program. We delivered around 400 meals per day to the children in a sort of meals on wheels type program. Several of the missionaries who live there full time have a regular Monday night meeting in order to coordinate efforts for the children and their families. The highlight of the meeting this past Monday was the summer feeding program. We are praying for a more organized effort that makes the food available to everyone who needs it and that we will be able to provide more one on one time with the children each day in order to get to know them and how best to serve them.

My time spent with these children and their families last year delivering meals door to door was the greatest blessing I could have imagined. As I have expressed to you before, there is something very special that happens in the hearts of the parents when you feed their hungry children. This is one of the greatest ways we can show them Jesus. It has opened so many doors for us to minister to them both physically and spiritually. Jesus loved to feed people in Bible times and He still loves to feed them today. Thanks to all of you and your continuing donations of food, money and time we are all able to show them Jesus.

Please be in prayer that God will open the doors and make the way clear for us to find a place to live so that we will be able to be there full time once again this summer to feed the kids and minister to their needs. I know it is hard for most of you to imagine not being able to find a place that is clean and safe to live but, that is the situation we have been facing since September of last year.

We have located a small house in Cumberland that is fully furnished and for sale. A widow lady lived there until her recent death. The asking price is $33,000.00. There are some things that need to be done to it before we could live there so we are going to try and negotiate the price. As you all know….if God guides, He provides. Please be in prayer about this house. The small amount of money that we have in the ministry is designated for food and the transporting of food. If we can purchase this house, not only could we have a place to live but, it would be a wonderful location for ministry of all kinds for the children and their parents. Please be in prayer about this. We need to make a decision soon.

God has also put it on our hearts to start a new program for the Backpack Ministry. It will be called “Adopt a Month”. We need each of you to prayerfully consider adopting a month during the school year where your school, church, Sunday school class, or office will provide and deliver the food for the backpack kids for that month. If you are not a very large group we could team you with another small group that wants to adopt a month. If you would like to provide the food but do not have a way to deliver it, we could work with you to get it picked up and delivered. However, there is nothing that compares to the blessing of delivering the food and seeing the children that you are feeding. Some of you prefer to collect money and let us purchase the food and that is still an option. If you are in Nashville or surrounding areas Tim and I will still be happy to pick up and deliver your food, just pic k a month and let us know which one you want to be a part of. I know we have schools that love to get their students involved in giving to others. This is an excellent opportunity to get on the calendar with us, and it would give you plenty of time to organize and implement your food drive. PLEASE BE IN PRAYER AND CALL US SOON so that we can have the best year ever feeding and loving these precious children who have such great needs. We need about one hundred of each item per week, i.e. 100 cans of beenie weenies, 100 breakfast bars, 100 juice boxes, etc.

ABC News is doing a special program about the children from different parts of Appalachia. One of the eight children they have chosen to have in the documentary is one of our Backpack Kids. They have already filmed her and parts of her life. She is one of the most loving, vivacious, beautiful children you will ever see. They are supposed to be airing the program in the next few weeks. We are restricted by the school from putting pictures of the children on our web-site. So be on the lookout for this program and hopefully it will give you faces and stories to further understand what these children are going through.

Once again, thank you all for your continued support of this ministry. Without you this could not happen. It is such a privilege to serve Him with you. May God’s blessings cover you and your families and follow you everywhere you go.