Todd was Grandma Doll’s favorite thing in LIFE! She was so very proud of him and hung on to life in serious pain and terrible circumstances to see him graduate from college. What a day that was!

From that May day in 2005, the other mothers of our Heartworks Ministry kids came to me wanting the same for their own children. All that getting ready for college requires, and being zoned for failing schools led me to Leviticus 25 where God said to me, “It’s time for my children to have a Year of Jubilee and be set free!”

So…Todd is how Heartworks started on Waites Road in a little house dedicated as a safe haven for children in a desperate, generational poverty area. Todd having come from the “gates of hell” alleyway originally and our little Heartworks children living there is how God bonded us to that area. Todd graduating having overcome so many challenges and obstacles is why Jubilee Academy was created for others to follow after him.

God has been preparing Todd for years to lead many others out of a life of generational poverty, into freedom in Christ and a life of Biblical values and middle class status. He is the hope for this next generation in this part of the “hood” of Columbia.

He has been involved regularly even though he’s been living and working in Greenville for Schneider Tree Service. God is bringin him back to help raise money for Jubilee and to fill the Assistant Headmaster position. Todd will be THE ONE to head up our Farm School Project - we are looking for a place to live with our teenagers who desperately need to get away to finish preparing for higher education and their futures.

Please pray for Todd as he makes this transition and as he raises his salary and support for the entire ministry. What a blessing and a Joy to have him more often! The kids can hardly WAIT! They absolutely adore him and listen to him more than to anyone else - including their moms.

Todd and Isaiah at Camp Cedar Cliff - what a picture with a message!

Todd led us to the falls and kept us from falling in!

Todd and girls making cookies from scratch!

Eric was scared to death of the butterfly - Todd stepped in!

I finally got a REAL Clemson gift for Christmas!

Todd is now taking younger ones to FCA retreats he used to attend.

We’re gutting and starting all over in our duplex on Waites Rd.

All new windows!

We are having some great times with the families and volunteers from Radius and Shandon! What a blessing to have some people with a heart for the “hood”.

The older kids class took a special trip during fall break to work on some Life Skills and get out of town during the State Fair. Each year, we are reminded that Brandon’s best friend was shot and killed at the Fair in a gang shooting. It’s getting more and more important to stick close to our teens because of all the “worldliness” that is trying to smother out their light!

• A Mac laptop or desktop; (can be used to create our own fundraising videos)
• Lunches - see our Care Calendar on this website
• Tires for 3 vehicles
• Chairs that fit the children properly for 3 classrooms;
• Fruit for morning snacks each day;
• MINI BUS   (in the meantime: replacement vehicles for old dodge minivans)
• Woodworking tools and materials;
• GIFT CARDS to Sam’s, Wal-mart, Dollar General, Amazon.com, Christian Book Distributors, Foundation for American Education, gas, Moe’s, Lizard’s Thicket, McAlister’s;
• Gas grill
• Large mixer
• Commercial can opener
• rolling tv stand
• 3 round folding tables
• bar stools
• dvd player
• kitchen items for new afterschool program - Heartworks at Faith Court
• long hose
• Large refrigerator
• Ink blocks for Xerox Phaser 8400 - all colors
• sets of uniform logo shirts (long sleeves)
• Monkey bars and climbing set;
• A replacement air conditioning unit for Jubilee classroom side of building;
• Fencing around Jubilee
• Security system w/cameras
• Grocery Cards for moms to Bi-Lo, Food Lion, etc.
• Fun treats for faculty and staff - they work extremely hard for sacrificial pay;
• First Aid items
• Healthy snacks for afternoons;
• No sugar added Juice boxes;
• Interns for a semester;
• A GRANT WRITER who can spend weekly time researching and going after long term funding!

A HUGE Thank you to Mr. Larry Watt for bringing a beautiful picnic table to us!! A HUGE Thank you to the Junior League ladies of Columbia who are bringing an embroidery machine and teaching us how to use it! A HUGE Thank you to those who helped make Christmas such a blessing for so many!

The original story can be found here. Check out the other stories about us at the top of the sidebar of this page. Thank you for your support and prayers.

I was on the phone in the car with Joy (Rose Hill Pres. church secretary and our bookkeeper) going over the numbers now that I was headed to the bank with a deposit of $600. Joy said we still couldn’t make it - we would be in the hole $2000 still - I was sad, but am a firm believer that THIS is GOD”S MINISTRY and HE is in charge of PROVISIONS! For ten years of ups and downs, Jehovah Jirah has provided and we have NEVER had to shut our doors - all the while MANY wonderful CHRISTIAN business folks who LOVE us suggested it. They have an extremely hard time with the FAITH part of ministry funding.

So - I told Joy I would only make one phone call and we would wait upon God to see what He would do by the end of today. She prayed with me on the phone while I leaned on the van at Zesto’s drinking a diet coke (a comfort drink). I got in the car, drove off and dialed the one phone call - one of those automated directory things came on and I was trying to figure out what to press when a Board Member beeped in. I took his call, to hear him say ——– “Sandee, I just decided that I am will bring this month’s gift and next month’s gift over today, so expect $2000.” I whispered - “When did you decide this?” He said, “just in the last few minutes, why?” I had to tell him that Joy and I had prayed NOT 3 MINUTES before - we both got teary and rejoiced.

I drove quickly back to Jubilee, gathered everyone from their classrooms to the living room to share the story of how God SO QUICKLY had sent the exact amount we needed for the two paychecks. Three little ones wanted to pray - I am sure God was blessed by their sincere, precious words of Thanksgiving.

They went back to class and I walked into the office to have Kari hand me an envelope from a volunteer and friend who had come by while I was gone those 15 minutes. In the envelope was a letter explaining her planned summer mission trip which for many reasons God had kept her from taking, along with a check for $1000 which was the refund from the airline for her unused ticket.

If you don’t think I have chills and am laughing out loud - just think about it!!! Oh my goodness - That check was in the works for us back in July. The $2000 was decided upon today -God IS AMAZING and we should NOT be surprised, but are FULL of JOY and are growing EVERY DAY in FAITH and TRUST that HE WILL take care of HIS work!

May all who read this be encouraged!

Blessings,

Sandee

Jessica was an assistant CIT for the summer which changed her life!

Isaiah became a quick climber!

We LOVE Montreat in the summer!