The following was written by Mercy for Mamas board member, Kim Gunter. Kim has been a huge supporter of our work from the beginning. Her help, insight, and passion is a huge asset to us. Kim wanted to share with all of you four reasons that she thinks all of you should give mercy in some way this Mother’s Day….
“Mother’s Day is right around the corner and we are beginning to think about ways we could honor our mothers. This is also one of the biggest donation times for Mercy for Mamas. Over the years we have seen individuals, families, and churches give to Mercy for Mamas as a way of honoring the mothers in their lives and congregations. I’d like to share with you the reasons I personally support Mercy for Mamas, how our church gets involved, and why I would encourage you to add your support this Mother’s Day, too.
[Insert Peer Pressure Here: EVERYONE IS DOING IT!]
REASON #1: Because people matter, no matter where they live.
I have had the opportunity to be involved with Mercy for Mamas from the very beginning and see Melissa’s heart in this work. Her passion is to see fewer moms and babies suffer due to the simple fact that they don’t have the proper medical supplies. Lives should not be put in danger over the lack of the most basic sanitation supplies, yet this is exactly what happens every day in Uganda. The bottom line is, all lives matter. Melissa believes (and I do, too) that if we can do something to save lives, we should. If that reason is enough to motivate you to support M4M, then you have my permission to stop reading now and send in your donation. While that is a big reason for me, here are a few more:
REASON #2: Because the global sorority of maternity is real.
Motherhood is everywhere, and your mother shares that special connection with every mom, everywhere. I have the opportunity/responsibility/privilege to be a mother. I did not have the easiest labor and delivery experience (high blood pressure and some other things made the situation less than ideal), but never once did I ever feel like the doctors in the hospital couldn’t handle it. Why? Because I had the care I needed. I was giving birth in a hospital with state of the art equipment and skilled professionals overseeing the situation. Women in Uganda do not deliver surrounded by state of the art equipment, let alone even in a hospital, because they can’t afford the supplies needed to give birth in a hospital. This simple fact causes many Ugandan women to give birth without decent medical care, which is why there is a needlessly high mortality rate. Not long after having my son I remember having thought if I was a woman in Uganda with my birth experience, I would probably not have made it and one of two things would have occurred: my son would not have lived or he would not have his mother. My friends, that is unacceptable in my book. I can’t imagine as a mother not being able to deliver my child in a medical facility simply because I couldn’t afford the basic supplies they require. As a mother, I don’t want another mother to have to make that decision. And if for $7 I can provide those medical supplies so an expecting mother can have access to birth care, then that’s a no-brainer to me. My life as a mother in America matters as much as the mother in the village of Uganda matters, and I love that Mercy for Mamas is doing something about it. In short, I care because I’m a mom. Your mom will care, too.
REASON #3: You can do this! You church can do this! Your moms will love this!
Giving a Mama Kit is an inexpensive way to change a life. Most moms this Mother’s Day will get flowers, jewelry, or candy to say thanks for being my mom. Those things are great to say thank you, but flowers will die eventually, and candy will cause us to have to do more exercises to fit into our clothes. So could we think about another way to honor our moms, an eternal way? For the past few years, our family has taken the money we would have spent on our moms and donated that to Mercy for Mamas. Here’s what I love about this: I’m honoring my mother and mother-in-law, but I’m also honoring another soon-to-be mom and protecting her life and her child’s life.
REASON #4: Because spiritual life matters as much (and more) than physical life.
Mercy for Mamas is not just bringing physical hope by providing Mama Kits, but also spiritual hope. This is one of the most important reasons for me, because it shows the deep heart and conviction behind this ministry. I had the opportunity to travel with M4M a couple of years ago, and the best thing I saw was that everywhere we went and passed out Mama kits the gospel was being shared. Mercy for Mamas partners with several crisis pregnancy centers, local churches, and missionaries. They are using these kits as a tool to open the door for these women to know the Hope of Jesus. I remember visiting one of the crisis pregnancy centers and thinking these girls are so young, and I know nothing about what they are going through. How do I relate? I remember God just bringing to mind the story of Joseph (See Genesis 37-50) and the verse when Joseph says “What you meant for evil, God meant for good.” (Gen. 50:20). I wanted so badly for those girls to know that God had a plan for their lives. What might have looked like a hopeless situation still had hope. They could know the One who is our Hope. Let’s be honest – while it would be great to say we are meeting a great physical need as Christ-followers, we also need to be addressing a greater spiritual need. I want them to have hope that they will be able to deliver in a hospital because of a Mama kit we provide, but I also want them to have an Eternal Hope.
This Mother’s Day as you are thinking about what you will give personally or what you are doing at your churches – I’m talking to you, pastors (or probably more accurately, fellow pastor’s wives) – would you consider supporting Mercy for Mamas? Our church has had a great experience partnering with this ministry over the last few years. Instead of passing out the traditional Mother’s Day trinkets to all the moms, our church has donated the funds that normally would have purchased those small gifts and given a starting donation in their honor. Beyond that, our congregation has given generously in a special offering to support Mercy for Mamas in honor of the mom’s in their lives. I believe our congregation loves this about our Mother’s Day celebration because it’s making an impact for eternity. This is my challenge to you and to your church, could we think outside of ourselves this year? Could we have a kingdom mindset and say, “Mom, because who you are and what you do matters, we are giving so that women in Uganda would know their lives matter?” Could we think beyond the bookmarks and flowers this year and give life, give hope, give mercy in honor of our mothers?”
Thanks Kim for sharing your heart. If your church is interested including Mercy for Mamas in your service this year, please send an email to info@mercyformamas.com. We’ll be happy to send you a downloadable card you can pass out to your congregation explaining your gift. We can also mail brochures to you if you would like.
If you would like to make a donation directly please click on the Donate button here and make a note that you’d like to receive a donation card to give your loved one.
And don’t forget to check out the wonderful digital prints we are selling this Mother’s Day! They would make a great gift.