Greetings from Shanon's House,

Since our last newsletter we've had guests from Florence, Boaz, Phil Campbell, Baileyton, Blountsville, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Waterloo, Al, Nashville, Tn, and Columbus Ga.

During the winter months Shanon's  house was an extra blessing to couples with newborns. They didn't have to worry about icy roads because of Shanon's house being right across the street from their babies. On the night it snowed the young couple staying with us built us a snowman in the front yard.  We always enjoy the energy young couples bring to us. During this same time we received a referral from the ministry of  Manna meals. This guest was  from Nashville.  While we enjoy young couples we also enjoy having guests who are our age.  We discovered while talking with this guest that we had mutual friends. These  two families stayed at the same time and enjoyed getting to know each other.  

We had guests with twins in the NICU recently.  When I gave them the quilts from the tree of life quilters they said "we will tell our babies that Shanon's house was their first home." This couple called several weeks later and needed Shanon's house again, one of their babies had been admitted to the hospital.  While we don't usually have small children at Shanon's house, we made an exception for this family.  This was a very caring mother and father who didn't want to be away from either of their babies. Getting to hold a new born baby that night was a special treat for me!

It's always a special time when a couple adopting a baby comes to stay at Shanon's house. When this couple arrived the first thing the adoptive mother said was "I want to hug your neck because you took care of my brother and his wife when their baby was born two years ago."  We remembered her brother and still had their family picture on the refrigerator.  This couple had waited a long time for a baby and they were so excited. It was so touching to hear how they were so concerned for the birth mother and father. They commented how they have been given the most precious and unselfish gift from this birth mother and father.  While sitting in the kitchen eating one night they said " this feels just like my Mom's  house especially when I look over and see my brother's picture on the refrigerator. " We laughed and talked about how Shanon's house is everybody's house.

Here are a few of the notes we received.

"Thank you so much for allowing us to stay at Shanon's  house while our son was in NICU.  Your kind words and gifts and prayers go along way. Thank you for being so kind and helpful during this rough time. Please pass along our thanks to the Mayfair church of Christ for making Shanon's house possible."

"Words cannot begin to express how grateful we are for allowing us to stay at Shanon's house. This is a wonderful ministry. Thank you so very much."

Recently we visited a church in Florence where several of our guests went to church. They wanted us to tell the Mayfair church thank you again for Shanon's  house.

 We had a guest stay with us that was going to have surgery the next day.  We didn't have any other guests at the time and offered for her family to stay also.  This was a very sweet family. Usually we give the family the quilt from the Tree of Life quilters but this time we were able to give it to the patient.  I always tell them that a quilt means they are covered in prayers.  The Tree of Life quilters have made such an impact on people's lives with the beautiful quilts they make for each of our guests.  Here's the note we received from this guest.

"It's very hard to put into words my deep appreciation of being able to stay at Shanon's house. Myself and my children felt very comfortable there. It was as if we had known you for a long time.   I hope to return when I'm ready for my treatment. Shanon's house is a great ministry.  People at the hospital were amazed by my quilt and the story behind it. May God continue to bless the Shanon's  house ministry."

One of the highlights of the year was the five year guest's reunion.  The week before the reunion it rained every day. I was a little stressed because we had planned to have lunch served in the garden for the reunion. On the day of the reunion it was a beautiful  day!  There were around 60 former guests and their children in attendance .  It was heartwarming to see the children playing and seeing former guests, some of them who stayed with us five years ago. One father stood looking toward the hospital and said with tears in his eyes " I still remember looking out my window and praying for my  little girl.  We will always be thankful for Shanon's house. " 

One family that stayed with us 4 years ago wrote a note saying "when I walked in the house that day at  the reunion it was once again like home to me. We will forever be grateful and feel that staying at Shanon's  house was laid out before hand by God."

Some of our board members helped out with the reunion and seeing all the couples talking and laughing commented how they all acted like they knew each other.  I told them  that they were all part of the Shanon's house family.  Several of our guests refer to us as their Shanon's House Mom and Dad and this warms our hearts.

The reunion was a beautiful reminder how God has blessed this ministry and how Johnny and I have been blessed to be a small part of this ministry.  I asked God for a beautiful day and sweet memories for everyone. God said "yes " to both of those request.  We had guests who came that day that had left Shanon's house with broken hearts and there were guests who came whose lives had been changed in an instant.   Yet they didn't give up.  They have shown us what praising God in the storm looks like. They have increased our faith.  There were babies who were born so tiny and now were running around playing and laughing.  They were testimony to the world of how every life is precious no matter how small. 

 When we moved to Huntsville  I asked God to send me friends. Through  Shanon's house we have met some of the sweetest families.  They were our guests but now we call them friends.  We are so thankful for the Shanon's  house Board of Directors, they are our support system.  We are grateful to Shanon's parents for carrying on the legacy of their son, who while on earth cared for and served others.   We along with our guests are grateful to the loving brothers and sisters at the Mayfair Church of Christ for making Shanon's house possible.  Most of all we are thankful to our Heavenly Father who takes our small requests and answers them in the most amazing ways. 

In Him,

Johnny and Christy

newsletter we've had guests from Florence, Boaz, Phil Campbell, Baileyton, Blountsville, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Waterloo, Al, Nashville, Tn, and Columbus Ga.

During the winter months Shanon's  house was an extra blessing to couples with newborns. They didn't have to worry about icy roads because of Shanon's house being right across the street from their babies. On the night it snowed the young couple staying with us built us a snowman in the front yard.  We always enjoy the energy young couples bring to us. During this same time we received a referral from the ministry of  Manna meals. This guest was  from Nashville.  While we enjoy young couples we also enjoy having guests who are our age.  We discovered while talking with this guest that we had mutual friends. These  two families stayed at the same time and enjoyed getting to know each other.  

We had guests with twins in the NICU recently.  When I gave them the quilts from the tree of life quilters they said "we will tell our babies that Shanon's house was their first home." This couple called several weeks later and needed Shanon's house again, one of their babies had been admitted to the hospital.  While we don't usually have small children at Shanon's house, we made an exception for this family.  This was a very caring mother and father who didn't want to be away from either of their babies. Getting to hold a new born baby that night was a special treat for me!

It's always a special time when a couple adopting a baby comes to stay at Shanon's house. When this couple arrived the first thing the adoptive mother said was "I want to hug your neck because you took care of my brother and his wife when their baby was born two years ago."  We remembered her brother and still had their family picture on the refrigerator.  This couple had waited a long time for a baby and they were so excited. It was so touching to hear how they were so concerned for the birth mother and father. They commented how they have been given the most precious and unselfish gift from this birth mother and father.  While sitting in the kitchen eating one night they said " this feels just like my Mom's  house especially when I look over and see my brother's picture on the refrigerator. " We laughed and talked about how Shanon's house is everybody's house.

Here are a few of the notes we received.

"Thank you so much for allowing us to stay at Shanon's  house while our son was in NICU.  Your kind words and gifts and prayers go along way. Thank you for being so kind and helpful during this rough time. Please pass along our thanks to the Mayfair church of Christ for making Shanon's house possible."

"Words cannot begin to express how grateful we are for allowing us to stay at Shanon's house. This is a wonderful ministry. Thank you so very much."

Recently we visited a church in Florence where several of our guests went to church. They wanted us to tell the Mayfair church thank you again for Shanon's  house.

 We had a guest stay with us that was going to have surgery the next day.  We didn't have any other guests at the time and offered for her family to stay also.  This was a very sweet family. Usually we give the family the quilt from the Tree of Life quilters but this time we were able to give it to the patient.  I always tell them that a quilt means they are covered in prayers.  The Tree of Life quilters have made such an impact on people's lives with the beautiful quilts they make for each of our guests.  Here's the note we received from this guest.

"It's very hard to put into words my deep appreciation of being able to stay at Shanon's house. Myself and my children felt very comfortable there. It was as if we had known you for a long time.   I hope to return when I'm ready for my treatment. Shanon's house is a great ministry.  People at the hospital were amazed by my quilt and the story behind it. May God continue to bless the Shanon's  house ministry."

One of the highlights of the year was the five year guest's reunion.  The week before the reunion it rained every day. I was a little stressed because we had planned to have lunch served in the garden for the reunion. On the day of the reunion it was a beautiful  day!  There were around 60 former guests and their children in attendance .  It was heartwarming to see the children playing and seeing former guests, some of them who stayed with us five years ago. One father stood looking toward the hospital and said with tears in his eyes " I still remember looking out my window and praying for my  little girl.  We will always be thankful for Shanon's house. " 

One family that stayed with us 4 years ago wrote a note saying "when I walked in the house that day at  the reunion it was once again like home to me. We will forever be grateful and feel that staying at Shanon's  house was laid out before hand by God."

Some of our board members helped out with the reunion and seeing all the couples talking and laughing commented how they all acted like they knew each other.  I told them  that they were all part of the Shanon's house family.  Several of our guests refer to us as their Shanon's House Mom and Dad and this warms our hearts.

The reunion was a beautiful reminder how God has blessed this ministry and how Johnny and I have been blessed to be a small part of this ministry.  I asked God for a beautiful day and sweet memories for everyone. God said "yes " to both of those request.  We had guests who came that day that had left Shanon's house with broken hearts and there were guests who came whose lives had been changed in an instant.   Yet they didn't give up.  They have shown us what praising God in the storm looks like. They have increased our faith.  There were babies who were born so tiny and now were running around playing and laughing.  They were testimony to the world of how every life is precious no matter how small. 

 When we moved to Huntsville  I asked God to send me friends. Through  Shanon's house we have met some of the sweetest families.  They were our guests but now we call them friends.  We are so thankful for the Shanon's  house Board of Directors, they are our support system.  We are grateful to Shanon's parents for carrying on the legacy of their son, who while on earth cared for and served others.   We along with our guests are grateful to the loving brothers and sisters at the Mayfair Church of Christ for making Shanon's house possible.  Most of all we are thankful to our Heavenly Father who takes our small requests and answers them in the most amazing ways. 

In Him,

Johnny and Christy

Greetings from Shanon's House,

Since our last newsletter we've had guests from Florence, Boaz, Phil Campbell, Baileyton, Blountsville, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Waterloo, Al, Nashville, Tn, and Columbus Ga.

During the winter months Shanon's  house was an extra blessing to couples with newborns. They didn't have to worry about icy roads because of Shanon's house being right across the street from their babies. On the night it snowed the young couple staying with us built us a snowman in the front yard.  We always enjoy the energy young couples bring to us. During this same time we received a referral from the ministry of  Manna meals. This guest was  from Nashville.  While we enjoy young couples we also enjoy having guests who are our age.  We discovered while talking with this guest that we had mutual friends. These  two families stayed at the same time and enjoyed getting to know each other.  

We had guests with twins in the NICU recently.  When I gave them the quilts from the tree of life quilters they said "we will tell our babies that Shanon's house was their first home." This couple called several weeks later and needed Shanon's house again, one of their babies had been admitted to the hospital.  While we don't usually have small children at Shanon's house, we made an exception for this family.  This was a very caring mother and father who didn't want to be away from either of their babies. Getting to hold a new born baby that night was a special treat for me!

It's always a special time when a couple adopting a baby comes to stay at Shanon's house. When this couple arrived the first thing the adoptive mother said was "I want to hug your neck because you took care of my brother and his wife when their baby was born two years ago."  We remembered her brother and still had their family picture on the refrigerator.  This couple had waited a long time for a baby and they were so excited. It was so touching to hear how they were so concerned for the birth mother and father. They commented how they have been given the most precious and unselfish gift from this birth mother and father.  While sitting in the kitchen eating one night they said " this feels just like my Mom's  house especially when I look over and see my brother's picture on the refrigerator. " We laughed and talked about how Shanon's house is everybody's house.

Here are a few of the notes we received.

"Thank you so much for allowing us to stay at Shanon's  house while our son was in NICU.  Your kind words and gifts and prayers go along way. Thank you for being so kind and helpful during this rough time. Please pass along our thanks to the Mayfair church of Christ for making Shanon's house possible."

"Words cannot begin to express how grateful we are for allowing us to stay at Shanon's house. This is a wonderful ministry. Thank you so very much."

Recently we visited a church in Florence where several of our guests went to church. They wanted us to tell the Mayfair church thank you again for Shanon's  house.

 We had a guest stay with us that was going to have surgery the next day.  We didn't have any other guests at the time and offered for her family to stay also.  This was a very sweet family. Usually we give the family the quilt from the Tree of Life quilters but this time we were able to give it to the patient.  I always tell them that a quilt means they are covered in prayers.  The Tree of Life quilters have made such an impact on people's lives with the beautiful quilts they make for each of our guests.  Here's the note we received from this guest.

"It's very hard to put into words my deep appreciation of being able to stay at Shanon's house. Myself and my children felt very comfortable there. It was as if we had known you for a long time.   I hope to return when I'm ready for my treatment. Shanon's house is a great ministry.  People at the hospital were amazed by my quilt and the story behind it. May God continue to bless the Shanon's  house ministry."

One of the highlights of the year was the five year guest's reunion.  The week before the reunion it rained every day. I was a little stressed because we had planned to have lunch served in the garden for the reunion. On the day of the reunion it was a beautiful  day!  There were around 60 former guests and their children in attendance .  It was heartwarming to see the children playing and seeing former guests, some of them who stayed with us five years ago. One father stood looking toward the hospital and said with tears in his eyes " I still remember looking out my window and praying for my  little girl.  We will always be thankful for Shanon's house. " 

One family that stayed with us 4 years ago wrote a note saying "when I walked in the house that day at  the reunion it was once again like home to me. We will forever be grateful and feel that staying at Shanon's  house was laid out before hand by God."

Some of our board members helped out with the reunion and seeing all the couples talking and laughing commented how they all acted like they knew each other.  I told them  that they were all part of the Shanon's house family.  Several of our guests refer to us as their Shanon's House Mom and Dad and this warms our hearts.

The reunion was a beautiful reminder how God has blessed this ministry and how Johnny and I have been blessed to be a small part of this ministry.  I asked God for a beautiful day and sweet memories for everyone. God said "yes " to both of those request.  We had guests who came that day that had left Shanon's house with broken hearts and there were guests who came whose lives had been changed in an instant.   Yet they didn't give up.  They have shown us what praising God in the storm looks like. They have increased our faith.  There were babies who were born so tiny and now were running around playing and laughing.  They were testimony to the world of how every life is precious no matter how small. 

 When we moved to Huntsville  I asked God to send me friends. Through  Shanon's house we have met some of the sweetest families.  They were our guests but now we call them friends.  We are so thankful for the Shanon's  house Board of Directors, they are our support system.  We are grateful to Shanon's parents for carrying on the legacy of their son, who while on earth cared for and served others.   We along with our guests are grateful to the loving brothers and sisters at the Mayfair Church of Christ for making Shanon's house possible.  Most of all we are thankful to our Heavenly Father who takes our small requests and answers them in the most amazing ways. 

In Him,

Johnny and Christy

Greetings from Shanon's House,

Since our last newsletter we've had guests from Florence, Boaz, Phil Campbell, Baileyton, Blountsville, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Waterloo, Al, Nashville, Tn, and Columbus Ga.

During the winter months Shanon's  house was an extra blessing to couples with newborns. They didn't have to worry about icy roads because of Shanon's house being right across the street from their babies. On the night it snowed the young couple staying with us built us a snowman in the front yard.  We always enjoy the energy young couples bring to us. During this same time we received a referral from the ministry of  Manna meals. This guest was  from Nashville.  While we enjoy young couples we also enjoy having guests who are our age.  We discovered while talking with this guest that we had mutual friends. These  two families stayed at the same time and enjoyed getting to know each other.  

We had guests with twins in the NICU recently.  When I gave them the quilts from the tree of life quilters they said "we will tell our babies that Shanon's house was their first home." This couple called several weeks later and needed Shanon's house again, one of their babies had been admitted to the hospital.  While we don't usually have small children at Shanon's house, we made an exception for this family.  This was a very caring mother and father who didn't want to be away from either of their babies. Getting to hold a new born baby that night was a special treat for me!

It's always a special time when a couple adopting a baby comes to stay at Shanon's house. When this couple arrived the first thing the adoptive mother said was "I want to hug your neck because you took care of my brother and his wife when their baby was born two years ago."  We remembered her brother and still had their family picture on the refrigerator.  This couple had waited a long time for a baby and they were so excited. It was so touching to hear how they were so concerned for the birth mother and father. They commented how they have been given the most precious and unselfish gift from this birth mother and father.  While sitting in the kitchen eating one night they said " this feels just like my Mom's  house especially when I look over and see my brother's picture on the refrigerator. " We laughed and talked about how Shanon's house is everybody's house.

Here are a few of the notes we received.

"Thank you so much for allowing us to stay at Shanon's  house while our son was in NICU.  Your kind words and gifts and prayers go along way. Thank you for being so kind and helpful during this rough time. Please pass along our thanks to the Mayfair church of Christ for making Shanon's house possible."

"Words cannot begin to express how grateful we are for allowing us to stay at Shanon's house. This is a wonderful ministry. Thank you so very much."

Recently we visited a church in Florence where several of our guests went to church. They wanted us to tell the Mayfair church thank you again for Shanon's  house.

 We had a guest stay with us that was going to have surgery the next day.  We didn't have any other guests at the time and offered for her family to stay also.  This was a very sweet family. Usually we give the family the quilt from the Tree of Life quilters but this time we were able to give it to the patient.  I always tell them that a quilt means they are covered in prayers.  The Tree of Life quilters have made such an impact on people's lives with the beautiful quilts they make for each of our guests.  Here's the note we received from this guest.

"It's very hard to put into words my deep appreciation of being able to stay at Shanon's house. Myself and my children felt very comfortable there. It was as if we had known you for a long time.   I hope to return when I'm ready for my treatment. Shanon's house is a great ministry.  People at the hospital were amazed by my quilt and the story behind it. May God continue to bless the Shanon's  house ministry."

One of the highlights of the year was the five year guest's reunion.  The week before the reunion it rained every day. I was a little stressed because we had planned to have lunch served in the garden for the reunion. On the day of the reunion it was a beautiful  day!  There were around 60 former guests and their children in attendance .  It was heartwarming to see the children playing and seeing former guests, some of them who stayed with us five years ago. One father stood looking toward the hospital and said with tears in his eyes " I still remember looking out my window and praying for my  little girl.  We will always be thankful for Shanon's house. " 

One family that stayed with us 4 years ago wrote a note saying "when I walked in the house that day at  the reunion it was once again like home to me. We will forever be grateful and feel that staying at Shanon's  house was laid out before hand by God."

Some of our board members helped out with the reunion and seeing all the couples talking and laughing commented how they all acted like they knew each other.  I told them  that they were all part of the Shanon's house family.  Several of our guests refer to us as their Shanon's House Mom and Dad and this warms our hearts.

The reunion was a beautiful reminder how God has blessed this ministry and how Johnny and I have been blessed to be a small part of this ministry.  I asked God for a beautiful day and sweet memories for everyone. God said "yes " to both of those request.  We had guests who came that day that had left Shanon's house with broken hearts and there were guests who came whose lives had been changed in an instant.   Yet they didn't give up.  They have shown us what praising God in the storm looks like. They have increased our faith.  There were babies who were born so tiny and now were running around playing and laughing.  They were testimony to the world of how every life is precious no matter how small. 

 When we moved to Huntsville  I asked God to send me friends. Through  Shanon's house we have met some of the sweetest families.  They were our guests but now we call them friends.  We are so thankful for the Shanon's  house Board of Directors, they are our support system.  We are grateful to Shanon's parents for carrying on the legacy of their son, who while on earth cared for and served others.   We along with our guests are grateful to the loving brothers and sisters at the Mayfair Church of Christ for making Shanon's house possible.  Most of all we are thankful to our Heavenly Father who takes our small requests and answers them in the most amazing ways. 

In Him,

Johnny and Christy

Greetings from Shanon's House,

The summer and fall months have brought us guests from Athens, Hartsell, Florence, Albertville, Falkville, Danville, and Scottsboro, Alabama as well as Texas and Kentucky.

It's been a busy few months at Shanon’s house.  A knock at the door a few days ago brought us one of our first guests. His baby boy weighed less than 2 lbs when he was born. Now he is almost 5 years old and healthy. The next week a family that stayed with us two years ago stopped by to see us. This last family has been especially encouraging to us. Every few months we will get a card from them just saying they were thinking of us. They told us every time they look at the quilt from the " Tree of Life Quilters," they remember Shanon's house. They told us to tell the Mayfair Church "thank you" again.

Fortunately most people who stay with us leave with a happy ending. But of course that's not always the case. The summer months brought us two families with newborns. One baby was born very early and the other baby was born only three weeks early. Both families were here at the same time and so appreciative of Shanon’s house. The baby who was born three weeks early only lived four days. This family touched our hearts. Up until the time they came to the hospital they were expecting to take a healthy baby boy home. We got word that the baby was not expected to live and they would not be coming in that night. The next morning we saw their car and thought maybe the baby had made it through the night. When they came in the kitchen I knew from their faces that their precious little one was now in the arms of Jesus. I said, "I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to make it easier for you." They said, "we don't understand why this happened, but we know God does and we will never stop serving the Lord." They wrote in a blog about Shanon’s house and how it was a blessing. They said "we were staying at Shanon's house right next door to the hospital in fact you could see the house in the window where our baby’s bed was. This was a "God thing." Shanon’s house is a ministry of the Mayfair Church of Christ. The house was beautiful and immaculate and welcoming and the blessing of it all was it was free of charge. God is so good!"

The other couple with the tiny baby touched our hearts also. They had a six-year-old little girl while we don't usually have children stay with us we made an exception for this family. She needed them and they needed her. While she was here she was a delight and she brought smiles to her parents and to us. Their baby lived two weeks and then he passed away. Like the other couple they came back to Shanon’s house for the night. The next morning the little girl told me "my baby brother got to go see Jesus last night." Her sweet parents are heartbroken but even in their grief they were thankful for Shanon's house. They wrote "thank you so much for the kindness and love you have shown us. Staying here was an answered prayer. You will always hold a special place in our hearts." Both families mentioned Mayfair and Shanon’s house in the obituaries.

One of our guests found out about Shanon's House through Manna meals. Her son had been in ICU for three months. She also went to the Church service that Mayfair provides at the hospital. After spending over 100 days in the hospital, her son was able to go home. He called Johnny to personally thank him for letting his mom and fiancé stay here.

"This feels just like home" is a comment we hear so many times from our guests. One guest wrote "Thank you so much for all your kindness and generous hospitality. What a wonderful service you provide. It is truly a home away from home."

Another guest wrote in a blog, "We were staying at Shanon's House.  The house is lovely and very accommodating. Just when we thought it could not be any nicer they gave us a beautiful quilt. The quilt is to remind us that we are covered in prayers. The house is a ministry of the Mayfair church of Christ. This place is so special and we feel blessed to be here."

Here are a few notes we received. "Thank you so much for allowing us to stay here. You were an answered prayer. I pray that God will bless you and the church for all you do to help people in our situation. I know you have blessed us."

"I have enjoyed my visit at Shanon's House. I appreciate all you did for me. The hospitality was wonderful. May God bless you in your work. You made my stay so much easier."

 When one family was leaving they said with tears in their eyes, " how can we ever repay you? When we add up how much it would have cost and how hard it would have been to be so far from our baby, we are so thankful for this ministry."

One day two couples who stayed with us almost two years ago came by to visit with their babies. They call us their Shanon's house mom and dad. I took a picture of all of them and posted it on facebook. The grandmothers of both of the couples commented, and one of them said "Thank you and Mayfair Church of Christ for what y'all are doing to help families. I was so proud that my kids had a Christian place to stay so close to my grand baby while she was in the NICU. May God bless you in this mission. In Christian love, a grandmother." The other commented, "Yes, Thank you Mayfair Church of Christ for what y'all did for my kids and all the parents who stay there, it's truly a blessing from God."

Shanon’s House is a unique ministry in that all ages can help with different projects. The 4th grade class bought paper supplies and came over to deliver them. Several couples in the Life Savers class used Service day to host a luncheon at Shanon's house for the widows in the class and their service project was to bring supplies of paper products. The teen group did a great job doing yard work this fall. It is such a blessing to work with all these groups.

It's hard to believe that we have been here five years. I think back to 2007 when we received a call about my nephew who was in ICU in Little Rock, Arkansas. We rushed to be there with my sister and brother-in-law. We witnessed people sleeping in chairs and eating out of machines. We saw how the Pleasant Valley Church of Christ reached out to my sister and brother-in-law. They provided food and an apartment for them to stay in. I remember us saying, "The ICU waiting room is an untouched ministry. We wish there was some way we could help with a ministry for hurting people." Then in 2010 God answered that prayer with Shanon's house. We have learned so much from this ministry. We have met so many sweet people. Many have become friends that we will always cherish. We have had close to 500 people stay with us over five years. Our prayer is that other congregations will use Shanon's house as a model and more houses will be opened for hurting people.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Shanon's house and this is the season the world is focused on giving. Johnny and I appreciate the Mayfair church for giving to so many hurting people all year long through Shanon's house. We are so thankful for all of you who support this ministry financially and for those who pray for this ministry. We are very humbled to be able to work in this ministry along side all of you. We truly receive more than we give. God has been so faithful to provide everything we need. We tell our guests that while they may only see us, there is a whole congregation of loving people that makes this ministry work. We appreciate so much your kind words and encouragement. Johnny and I, as well as our guests, wish all of you a Merry Christmas and many blessings in the New Year.

In Him,

Johnny and Christy 

Greetings from Shanon's House,

The summer and fall months have brought us guests from Athens, Hartsell, Florence, Albertville, Falkville, Danville, and Scottsboro, Alabama as well as Texas and Kentucky.

It's been a busy few months at Shanon’s house.  A knock at the door a few days ago brought us one of our first guests. His baby boy weighed less than 2 lbs when he was born. Now he is almost 5 years old and healthy. The next week a family that stayed with us two years ago stopped by to see us. This last family has been especially encouraging to us. Every few months we will get a card from them just saying they were thinking of us. They told us every time they look at the quilt from the " Tree of Life Quilters," they remember Shanon's house. They told us to tell the Mayfair Church "thank you" again.

Fortunately most people who stay with us leave with a happy ending. But of course that's not always the case. The summer months brought us two families with newborns. One baby was born very early and the other baby was born only three weeks early. Both families were here at the same time and so appreciative of Shanon’s house. The baby who was born three weeks early only lived four days. This family touched our hearts. Up until the time they came to the hospital they were expecting to take a healthy baby boy home. We got word that the baby was not expected to live and they would not be coming in that night. The next morning we saw their car and thought maybe the baby had made it through the night. When they came in the kitchen I knew from their faces that their precious little one was now in the arms of Jesus. I said, "I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to make it easier for you." They said, "we don't understand why this happened, but we know God does and we will never stop serving the Lord." They wrote in a blog about Shanon’s house and how it was a blessing. They said "we were staying at Shanon's house right next door to the hospital in fact you could see the house in the window where our baby’s bed was. This was a "God thing." Shanon’s house is a ministry of the Mayfair Church of Christ. The house was beautiful and immaculate and welcoming and the blessing of it all was it was free of charge. God is so good!"

The other couple with the tiny baby touched our hearts also. They had a six-year-old little girl while we don't usually have children stay with us we made an exception for this family. She needed them and they needed her. While she was here she was a delight and she brought smiles to her parents and to us. Their baby lived two weeks and then he passed away. Like the other couple they came back to Shanon’s house for the night. The next morning the little girl told me "my baby brother got to go see Jesus last night." Her sweet parents are heartbroken but even in their grief they were thankful for Shannon's house. They wrote "thank you so much for the kindness and love you have shown us. Staying here was an answered prayer. You will always hold a special place in our hearts." Both families mentioned Mayfair and Shanon’s housein the obituaries.

One of our guests found out about Shanon's House through Manna meals. Her son had been in ICU for three months. She also went to the Church service that Mayfair provides at the hospital. After spending over 100 days in the hospital, her son was able to go home. He called Johnny to personally thank him for letting his mom and fiancé stay here.

"This feels just like home" is a comment we hear so many times from our guests. One guestwrote "Thank you so much for all your kindness and generous hospitality. What a wonderful service you provide. It is truly a home away from home."

Another guest wrote in a blog, "We were staying at Shanon's House.  The house is lovely and very accommodating. Just when we thought it could not be any nicer they gave us a beautiful quilt. The quilt is to remind us that we are covered in prayers. The house is a ministry of the Mayfair church of Christ. This place is so special and we feel blessed to be here."

Here are a few notes we received. "Thank you so much for allowing us to stay here. You were an answered prayer. I pray that God will bless you and the church for all you do to help people in our situation. I know you have blessed us."

"I have enjoyed my visit at Shanon's House. I appreciate all you did for me. The hospitality was wonderful. May God bless you in your work. You made my stay so much easier."

When one family was leaving they said with tears in their eyes, " how can we ever repay you? When we add up how much it would have cost and how hard it would have been to be so far from our baby, we are so thankful for this ministry."

One day two couples who stayed with us almost two years ago came by to visit with their babies. They call us their Shanon's house mom and dad. I took a picture of all of them and posted it on facebook. The grandmothers of both of the couples commented, and one of them said "Thank you and Mayfair Church of Christ for what y'all are doing to help families. I was so proud that my kids had a Christian place to stay so close to my grand baby while she was in the NICU. May God bless you in this mission. In Christian love, a grandmother." The other commented, "Yes, Thank you Mayfair Church of Christ for what y'all did for my kids and all the parents who stay there, it's truly a blessing from God."

Shanon’s House is a unique ministry in that all ages can help with different projects. The 4th grade class bought paper supplies and came over to deliver them. Several couples in the Life Savers class used Service day to host a luncheon at Shanon's house for the widows in the class and their service project was to bring supplies of paper products. The teen group did a great job doing yard work this fall. It is such a blessing to work with all these groups.

It's hard to believe that we have been here five years. I think back to 2006 when we received a call about my nephew who was in ICU in Little Rock, Arkansas. We rushed to be there with my sister and brother-in-law. We witnessed people sleeping in chairs and eating out of machines. We saw how the Pleasant Valley Church of Christ reached out to my sister and brother-in-law. They provided food and an apartment for them to stay in. I remember us saying, "The ICU waiting room is an untouched ministry. We wish there was some way we could help with a ministry for hurting people." Then in 2010 God answered that prayer with Shanon's house. We have learned so much from this ministry. We have met so many sweet people. Many have become friends that we will always cherish. We have had close to 500 people stay with us over five years. Our prayer is that other congregations will use Shanon's house as a model and more houses will be opened for hurting people.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Shanon's house and this is the season the world is focused on giving. Johnny and I appreciate the Mayfair church for giving to so many hurting people all year long through Shanon's house. We are so thankful for all of you who support this ministry financially and for those who pray for this ministry. We are very humbled to be able to work in this ministry along side all of you. We truly receive more than we give. God has been so faithful to provide everything we need. We tell our guests that while they may only see us, there is a whole congregation of loving people that makes this ministry work. We appreciate so much your kind words and encouragement. Johnny and I, as well as our guests, wish all of you a Merry Christmas and many blessings in the New Year.

In Him, 

Johnny & Christy 

Fortunately most people who stay with us leave with a happy ending. But of course that's not always the case. The summer months brought us two families with newborns. One baby was born very early and the other baby was born only three weeks early. Both families were here at the same time and so appreciative of Shanon’s house. The baby who was born three weeks early only lived four days. This family touched our hearts. Up until the time they came to the hospital they were expecting to take a healthy baby boy home. We got word that the baby was not expected to live and they would not be coming in that night. The next morning we saw their car and thought maybe the baby had made it through the night. When they came in the kitchen I knew from their faces that their precious little one was now in the arms of Jesus. I said, "I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to make it easier for you." They said, "we don't understand why this happened, but we know God does and we will never stop serving the Lord." They wrote in a blog about Shanon’s house and how it was a blessing. They said "we were staying at Shanon's house right next door to the hospital in fact you could see the house in the window where our baby’s bed was. This was a "God thing." Shanon’s house is a ministry of the Mayfair Church of Christ. The house was beautiful and immaculate and welcoming and the blessing of it all was it was free of charge. God

It's hard to believe that we have been here five years. I think back to 2006 when we received a call about my nephew who was in ICU in Little Rock, Arkansas. We rushed to be there with my sister and brother-in-law. We witnessed people sleeping in chairs and eating out of machines. We saw how the Pleasant Valley Church of Christ reached out to my sister and brother-in-law. They provided food and an apartment for them to stay in. I remember us saying, "The ICU waiting room is an untouched ministry. We wish there was some way we could help with a ministry for hurting people." Then in 2010 God answered that prayer with Shanon's house. We have learned so much from this ministry. We have met so many sweet people. Many have become friends that we will always cherish. We have had close to 500 people stay with us over five years. Our prayer is that other congregations will use Shanon's house as a model and more houses will be opened for hurting people.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Shanon's house and this is the season the world is focused on giving. Johnny and I appreciate the Mayfair church for giving to so many hurting people all year long through Shanon's house. We are so thankful for all of you who support this ministry financially and for those who pray for this ministry. We are very humbled to be able to work in this ministry along side all of you. We truly receive more than we give. God has been so faithful to provide everything we need. We tell our guests that while they may only see us, there is a whole congregation of loving people that makes this ministry work. We appreciate so much your kind words and encouragement. Johnny and I, as well as our guests, wish all of you a Merry Christmas and many blessings in the New Year.

In Him,

Johnny and Christy