Winter 2008 M-News

It’s been a busy time at Mercy Ministries New Zealand, with our first graduates from the Auckland home, and the launch of our brand new website. We’ve updated our look and are working to provide an online donation facility, so stay tuned... Auckland Home Graduations We’ve had three young women graduate from the programme over April – June. It’s been awesome to see the growth and change in their lives. Here are some of their stories: “I entered Mercy August 2007 as a 25yr girl and graduated in March 2008 as a 26yr woman! My future is a lot more hopeful and bright now. I realise that life is not always going to be rosy, but Mercy has equipped me with the tools I need to get through the storms that life brings. I pray for God’s blessings to be continually poured out upon Mercy Ministries and the incredible work it invests into young women’s lives.” “On entering Mercy Ministries NZ, I struggled with anorexia, severe depression, self-harming, and felt life wasn’t worth living anymore. I felt the Mercy programme was my last hope, the place that I would find freedom. Through the programme, God changed my life incredibly and brought me more freedom then I imagined I could have. Having graduated from the programme I am so excited about all that God has in store for me and at 18yrs old I am pleased I can finally live as a happy, healthy teenager. I am so excited about life and my future, thanks to my time at Mercy Ministries.” Mercy Walk ’08 Mercy Walk ’08 is coming up on Saturday 01 November, with walks confirmed in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Nelson and Christchurch. We are also looking into possible locations in Whangarei, Wellington and Dunedin. You can register online at www.mercyministries.org.nz and we’ll make sure we send you out a sponsorship kit in September. Registration is $15 Early bird (before the 27th of October), or $20 on the day. Email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you are interested in organising a walk in your area. Hannah Wood – Programme Manager I am very privileged to serve as the Programme Manager in the New Zealand Mercy Ministries home; this involves overseeing all aspects of the residential programme. The team of staff I lead are incredible women, deeply committed to seeing young lives transformed through the work of Mercy Ministries. I am a registered New Zealand Social Worker with a background of five years experience in the health and social services arena. I have been a member of LIFE for the past 11 years and have been actively involved in the youth and pastoral care areas of the church. I enjoy reading books, getting out into nature and love road tripping to the Mountain for a good dose of snowboarding. I am passionate about seeing people walk free from controlling limitations and discover their true identity and purpose in life. Double Our Partnership With the Auckland home now open we need to grow our supporter base to reach more young women through the work of Mercy Ministries in New Zealand. If you’re already a supporter, consider taking a friend out for coffee, or getting your girlfriends together to support Mercy – with your help we could double our supporter base. If you’re not a Mercy supporter, check our website for details about the work we do – you can sign up to be a partner, or make a one–off donation. Stay warm during the winter months, and we’ll update you in Spring with the latest in Mercy New Zealand news. Thanks again for your support. Best Wishes, The Mercy Ministries NZ Team www.mercyministries.org.nz This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it