Greetings from Shanon's House,

It's hard to believe that we are beginning our 4^th year at Shanon's House. The time has gone by so quickly. We have had over 200 people stay with us and many continue to stop by and visit or send Christmas cards. The months of November, December and January have brought us guests from,

Mentone, Sheffield, Phil Campbell, Eastaboga, Albertville, and Florence, Alabama.

One of our guests was a lady who was 71 years old. Her husband had been in a very serious auto accident. We enjoyed her stay with us. At the same time we had a mother with a tiny newborn. One morning the older woman was sitting at the table encouraging the young mother. Later that day I noticed a note on the young mothers door from the older woman telling her she was praying for her. This made me smile.

This is a note we received from that guest whose husband was in ICU.

“Dear Mayfair Church,

I can never thank you enough for the way you have made me feel so loved and cared for I want to thank all my brothers and sisters at Mayfair for the prayers and support in the most difficult time in my life when my husband was so close to death from the auto accident. I know God heard all the prayers and His hands were with the doctors to heal my husband. I will never forget your gracious hospitality.

Thank you dear ladies for the quilt. Thank you everyone for the get well card. Tell David and Henry  thank you for the Sunday service at the hospital and for telling me about Shanon's House, it has meant so much to me.

Our love and gratitude always,”

Often it's the little things that show you care. This was the case with one guest, she said, “Your church has thought of everything. I needed some hand lotion and remembered there was some in the bathroom gift bag.”

Often we will run into former guests. This happened a few weeks ago. I was shopping and a young mother stopped me and said “Do you remember me? My husband and I had the twin boys who passed away.” I did remember her and noticed she had a baby girl in the stroller. She said “this is our baby girl who was born one year and one day after the passing of our baby boys. Please tell your church thank you again from us. We will never forget you.” The last time I saw this young mother she was broken hearted and now to see her smiling with a new baby was a blessing. This was a reminder to us of how good God is and how people never forget a kindness shown to them.

We are beginning to have repeat guests. Several who had babies in 2010 are once again blessed with another precious baby. Here's a note from a father who stayed with us for the second time.

“To all Involved,

I am writing to very humbly say Thank you. The Shanon's House ministry has blessed our lives twice now. Our two youngest children were both born with Respiratory Distress Syndrome. We are grateful to our Lord that it wasn't worse, but several of you know that when your child is being rushed away to a different hospital in an ambulance you worry. To all who contribute to Shanon's House ministry, thank you. We understand the amount of money that must be poured out to keep a service like this running. Your monetary sacrifices are so appreciated. You all help those in need by leaving us free from worrying about having a place to stay while we tend to our loved ones. That helps take one burden from us allowing us to focus and pray for our loved one. The breakfasts that are prepared also help tremendously. Having one home cooked, nutritious meal aids us all. It some how gives us comfort on those difficult days. In closing thank you all. Your service to Jesus touches many. When I told my mother of your generosity, she wept. So from the bottom of our hearts, we love you and thank you all.”

As you can see we meet some of the kindest people. The statement-People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, is so true. The ministry of Shanon's house tells our guests in a big way that the Mayfair church truly cares about them. Johnny and I continue to be thankful to all of you who support this ministry in any way, large or small. We brag on all of you to guests. We tell them that the Mayfair church is a very loving and giving congregation. When they see the beautiful house and all the special touches that you provide it's proof that you care. We are looking forward to another year at Shanon's House simply doing what so many of you do every day, offering a cup of cold water in Jesus name to those who are hurting. May God bless you all in this new year.

With very grateful hearts,
Christy and Johnny

Greetings from Shanon's House of Compassion,

This summer we've had guests from Guntersville, Cherokee, Leighton, Dutton, Wellington, Duncanville, Piedmont, Harvest, Elkmont, Sheffield, Lacy Springs, Pisgah,Florence and Henegar, AL as well as Ridgeland MS, Shelbyville, TN and Austin TX. It was a very busy summer with guests who left us with memories we will never forget. One of our guests was from Austin, Texas. Her husband was in Huntsville on business and became seriously ill. This was a very sweet family. Her devotion to her husband was was evident from the beginning of her stay. She would stay with him most of the day. She made the comment "Every City needs a "Shanon's House." Here's the card she sent to us- "There are no words to express our gratitude for the love, care and compassion that the Mayfair Church has shown us during my husband's critical illness in Huntsville. You were an answered prayer during a very stressful time, particularly being 14 hours from home. Shanon's House has been a blessing to our extended family-a perfect example of how God will provide. We thank you for being "His hands and feet" during our time of need. We will be eternally grateful." Another guest wrote, "Your church truly lives out-Loving your neighbor as yourself. God asks us to show His kindness and love through our actions. You do this with the ministry of Shanon's House."


There are so many stories we could tell you of our guests at Shanon's House. We meet so many kind guests who are going through stressful times. One of those guests was a young couple with a baby that had been born very early. The baby weighed 1 lb 6 oz. When the couple arrived and told us about the baby the father said "God's in control." They told us how this was their miracle baby. We enjoyed getting to know the Grandmother who stayed with her daughter when the father had to go back to work. One afternoon the Mother and Grandmother came back to Shanon's House. The mother looked very tired and commented "I think I've overdone it today" In just a few minutes we were calling 911, the mother was having a seizure. When the ambulance arrived we followed with the grandmother to the emergency room. The Grandmother was holding on to me and said "Christy, I'm really scared." Johnny called the father and told him his wife had been taken to the emergency room. When the father arrived he asked if we could pray and he lead the most beautiful prayer-asking God to spare his wife. In just a few minutes the doctor came in to tell him that his wife had passed away. His first words were "I know where she is, but what am I going to do?" After the family arrived Johnny and I slipped away. As we sat outside in the garden we were shaken by what had happened. We never even considered that something like this would happen here. Johnny remembered how he had talked to the young mother before the ambulance arrived telling her to breathe and he realized he was talking to her like she was his own daughter. Two days later the father called to tell us the funeral arrangements. He told Johnny, "The day she died I went home and opened my Bible. It fell open to Psalm 51. I knew then that God was going to take care of us." He said "I can see God's hand in all that happened. God knew how much my wife wanted to be a mother. God also knew her time was limited so He let our baby be born early so my wife could experience the joy of being a mother and then He took her but left a part of her with me." We were amazed at his faith. One week later he called and asked if we wanted to come to the hospital and see the baby. When we arrived he had the quilt from the "Tree of Life Quilters" that we had given him. He said "Today our baby gets to have her own quilt. Would you do the honors of putting it on her crib?" My eyes were filled with tears as I told him this was the best and sweetest gift he could give me. This little baby got to go home and we are able to keep up with her progress through Face book. We continue to learn so many life lessons from the experiences of our guests. This summer we saw first hand how you praise God in the storms of life. Our guests showed us that God is faithful to be there in the hardest of times and that yes, God is in control.

  This summer we had the dedication of the beautiful garden at Shanon's House. The garden was dedicated to two girls from Kentucky who were involved in a wreck in 2010. The families of these girls stayed with us. The family came down from Kentucky for the dedication. It was a beautiful morning and even though it was the middle of July the gentle breeze we had prayed for was there for us during the ceremony. God is so good. The garden is a very restful and peaceful place for our guests to enjoy after a long day at the hospital. One guest said, "I was so tense, but when I drove up at Shanon's House there was a sense of peace when I saw the garden." Another guest said "just being able to get away from the noise of the hospital and coming here is refreshing."

The refrigerator has pictures covering it of babies whose parents have stayed with us. When we get a call from the NICU we don't know what's wrong with the baby only that it's in NICU. When new parents arrive they are worried about their babies. We often show them the pictures of babies that started out so small and then show them how they are thriving after 2 years. One young couple arrived and we could tell the mother was very stressed and worried. I showed her the picture of the mother and baby that stayed with us 2 years ago. The picture on the refrigerator was of a mother who had requested to adopt a Down Syndrome baby. When I finished telling her about this mother, she looked down and said "Our baby has Down Syndrome." I thought about this later and wondered why out of all the pictures on the refrigerator,I chose that mother and baby to show this young mother. The only explanation was God was answering our prayer-the prayer we pray for God to guide us in this work.

Thank you to all who have come by to encourage us. The 5th and 6th graders from VBS made gift bags for our guests. Several have brought by paper products and breakfast foods. A Life group from the University Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa made bags to give to our guests. This ministry as in all ministries has times when the devil sends discouragement but God is so faithful to send us encouragement and it comes through your generous gifts, visits, phone calls,cards and prayers.



  It's hard to believe that in December we will be finishing our third year at Shanon's House. We've had over 200 people stay with us and many of them continue to send us updates of their families. We've become friends with our guests and also with the social workers at the Hospital. Johnny and I are so grateful to the elders and the Shanon's House Board and all of you. We are blessed to be here and we always know we couldn't do this without God's help and the encouragement from all of you. We are thankful to be a part of a congregation that lives out the commandments of our Lord to care for the hurting. As one guest wrote "We were strangers and you took us in."

 

In Him,

Johnny and Christy

Greetings from Shanon's House of Compassion,

It's been very busy the last couple of months. We've had guests from Florence, Vinemont, Arab, Kennedy, Killen, Waterloo, Decatur, Tuscumbia, Gulf Shores, AL and also from Collinswood, TN.

As the new year started we received cards and pictures of families that stayed with us in 2010. We are always enjoy it when our former guests keep us up to date with their babies who are now toddlers.

In February we had a family who had a 16 year old that had been in a very serious car accident. One day the young man is healthy and an active athlete and the next day he is fighting for his life. This was a very sweet family. Each night they would give us an update on their son. Sometimes it would just be something simple like he squeezed their hand, but they were thankful for the little things that we so often take for granted. They told us when their son got better the first thing they wanted to do was to come to Mayfair and tell all of you thank you. Several from Mayfair visited this family and they appreciated it so much.

Here's a few of the statements we have heard our guests say that made us smile.
"I told my brother the Church of Christ is taking care of us."
A guest told a friend "I'm going home now" He was referring to Shanon's House. Another guest said "Shanon's house is better than a hotel-it's like a home."

One special treat came when a man and his wife came to see us. He had just been released from the hospital and Shanon's House was the first place he wanted to visit. His sisters spent one night with us and he wanted to tell the Mayfair church "thank you." He was in his early 50's and was battling cancer. He told us his doctor also attended Mayfair and how kind and compassionate the doctor had been to them. He told us his goal was to get well enough to come to Mayfair and tell all of you how grateful he was for the cards he received and for Shanon's House. Johnny and I were so touched by this visit. It's times like these that renew our energy. We say many times how blessed we are to be able to meet so many kind people.

There are many lessons we continue to learn from our guests. One of these lessons came from a young mother. I have hesitated on writing this because I don't like talking about ourselves but this guest gave us a powerful reminder of how our lives speak loudly to those who are in the world. So I thought I would share it with you. Often times we encounter young mothers or fathers who have not been blessed with good parents to guide them. This young mother was one of them. We find ourselves telling the mothers what their own mother should be telling them. This mother didn't want to spend much time with her newborn baby. So we talked to her about the importance of being with her baby. The next day she decided she needed to go home. What she then told me I hope I will never forget. She said "I want what you have." Puzzled I asked her "What do you mean?" She said "I want the joy you have in your life. I want to learn to talk to my husband like you talk to Johnny." I was very humbled by this response. I realized then how she had been watching us. I had just a few minutes to talk to her and told her that while Johnny and I had our struggles, it was our foundation in the Lord that helped our marriage. I talked to her about her relationship with the Lord. She said "I understand what you are saying but I can't understand the Bible." I remembered my "Easy to Read" New Testament that I kept in my purse. It had years of notes and also the plan of Salvation in the back. I gave her this Bible. We wish we had been able to have more time to study with her. The lesson for us and everyone is that the world is watching us. They are looking to see if our Christian faith is being lived out in our everyday life. Our hope and prayer for this mother is she will find the joy she is seeking when she opens up God's word.

The back yard at Shanon's House has been turned into a beautiful and peaceful garden. A generous donation made in honor of one of the families who stayed with us in 2010 made this garden possible. When all the work is finished the plans are to invite the family to come back for a dedication.

Shanon's House is often referred to as a "Hospitality House" It's interesting to realize the root word in "Hospitality" is hospital. A hospital- a place where you go when you are hurt or sick with the hope of leaving feeling better. That's our prayer for the work at Shanon's House. Mayfair church continues to provide a home where people can stay while they are hurting and leave with just a little lighter load knowing that there is a group of Christians who are located at 1095 Carl T. Jones who cared about them.

Thank you for your prayers and help in this ministry. You are continuing to touch many people. One of our guests came to church with us recently. He came in late and sat in the back. He told us later who he sat by and how so many of you spoke to him. He was very impressed with the service and by the programs he read about in the bulletin. Thank you so much. By being so kind to him you helped open up doors for conversation later that night. We tell our guests that while you may only see us here, there is a congregation of loving Christians at Mayfair that make this work possible. Our guests are thankful for all of you and the Johnson's are grateful and feel very blessed to work with all of you at Shanon's House. We continue to ask God to send us seekers and we give our Heavenly Father the praise for this ministry. In Him, Johnny and Christy

Shanon's House Fall update

Seasons Greetings from Shanon's House of Compassion,

Once again Shanon's House is looking festive for the holiday season. The tree is up and thanks to some dear friends the house is decorated beautifully.

The months of September, October, November and December have brought us guests from Decatur,Toney, Auburn, Birmingham, Tuscumbia,Adamsville, Muscle Shoals, Killen, Scottsboro, Rogersville,Russellville and Tishomingo, MS.

We can have an empty house and in a matter of minutes it can change to a full house. This was the case one Monday morning. Johnny's cell phone rang, at the same time the house phone rang and a few minutes later my cell phone rang. In ten minutes we had a full house.

One of our guests was from Birmingham. All we knew before he arrived was his wife was in the hospital. When he arrived we asked him how his wife was doing. He paused for a few minutes and looked down. We could tell it was very painful to talk about. We assured him he didn't have to tell us if he didn't want to. He said "My wife and two daughters were in an accident. One of my daughters walked away and my baby girl passed away. My wife is in a coma and doesn't even know our baby girl died in the wreck." Our hearts went out to him. He was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He spent all day and most of the night by his wife's side. He was encouraged one day because she had squeezed his hand. One night he came in and I saw he was carrying his Bible. I said "I see you've got the Good Book with you." He replied "yes Ma'am that's the only way I can make it through the day." We gave him the quilt from the Tree of Life Quilters. It was a beautiful pink and brown quilt. I told him that it was a "girl quilt" and it was to remind him that many prayers were covering his family. He took the quilt and with tears in his eyes held the quilt close to him and whispered "thank you." So many times at Shanon's House we are reminded how life can change in a moment.

One of our guests had twin boys in NICU. The babies had been born very early. They both weighed around one pound. Each day was a roller coaster for them. The babies would be doing good and then they would get a call to come to the hospital immediately. Being able to be so close to the hospital was a blessing to them. Both babies lived 2 weeks and then passed away. Our hearts ached for them. Their hearts were broken, but even in their grief they were thankful for Shanon's House. This is the note we received from them. "Thank you so much for allowing us to stay at Shanon's House. Shanon's House was an answered prayer for all of us. It was so nice to have the ability to come home there without having the burden of worrying where we are going to stay and how we can afford it. Being so close to our babies at night gave us so much peace. Thank you for the prayers for our sweet boys. What Shanon's House does for the people who stay there means more than you will ever know."

The ministry of Shanon's House reaches more than just the guests who stay here. One relative of our guests who we had never met sent this email. "There are not enough words to adequately express my appreciation for all Shanon's House has done for my niece and her husband. They have been touched by your compassion and hospitality. Shanon's House is an answered prayer for our family. Shanon's House has truly been a shelter in the storm. I praise God for Shanon's House and all those who make this incredible ministry possible. Shanon's House will be included in our prayers."

So many times when guests first arrive at Shanon's House the words they use are, "Wow! What a blessing." We've come to realize that some people have never experienced Christians giving a gift without expecting anything in return. When guests come to Shanon's House they are not expecting to see a beautiful and comfortable home. Often they will ask "How much does it cost to stay here?" We tell them there is no cost, that Shanon's House is a ministry of the Mayfair Church of Christ. So many times there are tears in their eyes and you can see the relief in their faces.

Here's an update on our guests from Tuscaloosa. She is now in Birmingham. She called and wanted to know of a church she could attend. Johnny called the Homewood Church. They contacted her and picked her up for services until she could get transportation. She calls and tells us how wonderful the Homewood church has been to her. She told us that Homewood was serving a meal to the homeless on Thanksgiving and her and her husband would be helping them serve. This warmed our hearts. If you remember, her and her husband lost their house in the the tornado. We are so thankful for the God's plan in establishing His Church. The Homewood church has picked up where Mayfair left off and is helping this sweet lady and her husband to continue to grow in the Lord.

It's hard to believe that in January 2012 we will begin our third year at Shanon's House. When we count our blessings we include our Mayfair family. We are thankful for the elders who support and encourage us in this ministry. We are thankful for the Shanon's House Board of directors who have encouraged us and come along side of us to provide everything we've needed. We are thankful for those of you who stop by and visit and pray for this work. We are thankful for those of you who are so faithful to contribute to this ministry. Most of all we are thankful to God for sending His Son to be our teacher and Savior. Jesus taught us the true meaning of compassion and showed us when we give of ourselves to others is when we will be truly happy. Shanon's House has been a blessing to so many this year and also to the Johnson family. With grateful hearts Johnny and I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and many blessings for the coming year.

In Him,
Johnny and Christy

Listed below are those who have contributed for the year of 2011-Thank you!

In Memory of
Bill Shade
by
Mr & Mrs. Terry Davis

Noble Holland
by
Scott Blankenship
Carl & Judy Cole
Alison Courtenay


Buford Smith
by
Mr & Mrs. Denton Kimbrough
Mr. & Mrs. Noel Tallon
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Kelly
Donna Pate

J.B. and Willie Jean
by
Ron Brown

Marie Lowe
by
Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Bentley
Mr. & Mrs. Denton Kimbrough

Anita Bradley Virgin
by
Mr. & Mrs. Gary Bradley

In Honor
Cleo Strickland's 90th Birthday
by
Larry Hall
John Black

Meagan Grobmyer's Graduation
by
Mr. & Mrs. Denton Kimbrough

Phillip & Betty Bentley's 50th wedding Anniversary
by
John & Betty Black

Jessica and Katie Russo
by
Hornsby, Watson,Hornsby

Mollie Holland
by
Shane Powell

Mr. & Mrs. Jason Milligan
by
Cassie Schade

Mr & Mrs Jason Hall
by
Cassie Schade

Mr. & Mrs. Larry Hall
by
Cassie Schade

Contributors

Murray Warren
Mr.& Mrs. Lynn Smith
Robert Shearer
David Haddock
Mr. & Mrs. Phillip Bentley
William Pittman
Justin & Allison Legg
Patricia Hall
Dr. and Mrs. Mike Brown
Mrs. Ione McFolin
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Lockhart
Briggs Chiropratic Clinic
Radiant Day Spa
State Farm Insurace-Joe Demos