Strong Rock Camp- free week!

We have an AMAZING opportunity for you and your family!  The directors of Strong Rock Camp in Cleveland have blessed us with the donation of a FREE WEEK for a camper, age rising 1st-6th grade, this summer at camp.

At the last two MOPS meetings, we will have TWO opportunities for you to be entered for in the drawing for this prize:
- You will be entered once for donating $10 on Friday, April 26th, for the Moppets workers
- You will be entered again for pre-registering for next year's MOPS program.  You can do this at either the April 26th or May 10th meeting for only $35 (cash or or check to BBC)

The winner of the raffle prize will be selected at the final MOPS meeting on May 10th (you need not be present to win).

April 26th meeting- Tea and Treasure

It's time to officially celebrate spring, and ourselves, at our next meeting on Friday, April 26th, 9:30-11:30am, at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Clarkesville.  Our theme will be "Tea and Treasure"- come a little dressed up (as if "going for tea") and delicious food will be provided.  Instead of an item swap, as in previous years, our "Treasure" is going to be swapping stories and sharing a little more of ourselves with each other.  So if you have a testimony, a special story, or a life-changing experience that you would like to share, come prepared :)  We'll also be having our final discussion of our book, "Give Them Grace," with our tables.

As you may already know, we are VERY blessed to have women who will come serve as Moppets workers during our meetings so that we can enjoy our time (many MOPS groups charge for childcare!) We would like to take some time at this next meeting to thank our Moppets workers, so we ask for two things:
1)  If you are able, please bring a monetary donation to the meeting so that we can purchase gift certificates for our workers, and
2)  If you have a story or testimony about how MOPS and/or a Moppets worker has made a difference in your child's life, please email that to habershammops@gmail.com - we would like to compile these to share with these wonderful women who give up their time to volunteer for our ministry.

What MOPS means to me...

The summer of 2011 was one of drastic change for our family.  On Father’s Day, June 19, our adopted son, Eli, was born, and we brought him home from the hospital two days later- to our home in Duluth, located on ¼ of an acre in a cluster community, within 5 miles of 4 different grocery stores.  But just two weeks later, we moved to Habersham County, into a small farmhouse on 7.6 acres off a quiet country road, with the nearest grocery store almost 8 miles away.  One month later, having transferred from Norcross High School, I started my job at Gwinnett Online Campus, where I worked from home most days, with a new baby, and my day was spent on the computer, with the majority of the communication with my colleagues, students, and their parents through email.  Life had developed the potential to be overwhelming and isolating.

My only connection to the community was Marva Griffith, who owns the Jazzercise Center in Clarkesville, and I began teaching classes for her.  She and Lindsey Brackett told me about a group called MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers.  My first thought was, “Eli’s not a pre-schooler, he’s only two months old!”  A little research on the MOPS website dispelled that misconception.  My next thoughts were, “What would I have in common with these women?  I’m a first-time new mom, with an adopted son, at 38 years old.  I’m not from here, and I’m a work-from-home-mom, not a stay-at-home-mom.  Plus, this is a Christian group and we don’t’ even go to church.”  Boy, was I wrong- about all of it!

At the first meeting, I was assigned to Laura Garrett’s table, and she warmly took me under her wing, making me feel welcome, asking questions to get to know me, and introducing me to other moms.  At our table, I was shocked to find out that not only was I not the oldest mom there, but most of us were from places other than Habersham, including California and Maine.  Many of the moms work their own businesses from home, and I even found a fellow online teacher in Kristi Redding.  While I was the only adoptive mom in the group, I could still laugh and share stories about being a new mom, plus learn from the “more experienced” moms in the group.  I even had an opportunity last year to share our adoption story with the group.  And today, my husband and I are being baptized as new members of Bethlehem Baptist Church. 

MOPS is a ministry for women with young children, but more importantly than that, it’s a group that meets these women “where they are,”- in their lives and in their walk with Christ- to help them be better moms, better wives, and better Christians.  As the MOPS organization says, “Better Moms Make a Better World.”  We seek to provide a safe community for women where they can learn from each other, from our guest speakers, take some time for themselves, and build strong, lasting relationships.  For myself, MOPS has blessed me with some wonderful friends, introduced me to the Bethlehem community, but has also provided a path for me back to God.

(from a testimony shared by Amy Hayes with the congregation of Bethlehem Baptist Church on April 14, 2013)

MOPS meeting and fundraiser

Spring Break is over, springtime weather is upon us, and it's time for another MOPS meeting this Friday, April 12th, 9:30am, at BBC in Clarkesville.  We'll have a hodge-podge of "how-to" sessions for to you, from making pizza dough to how to use your digital camera, so come ready to learn!  Table 5 is providing breakfast, and Table 1 is bringing MOPPETS snacks.  Also, please remember to bring individually-packaged desserts for our fundraiser (see below).

Our annual MOPS Fundraiser is also this Sunday, April 14th, at BBC in Clarkesville.  We will be selling after-church chicken dinner meals in the Fellowship Hall.  We will need people to work from 9am-2pm- packaging the meals from 9-11:30am, then selling them and cleaning up from 11:30am-2pm.  Childcare will be provided after church service, from 11:30am-2pm.  Please plan to be there to support your local MOPS group!