Thrive 2023 Impact Report 1
Table of Contents
3 Our Purpose + Our Niche
4 Thriving Against the Odds 5 This Year at Mercy House Global 6 Impact Is Our Bottom Line 7 Philosophy of Ministry 8 First MHG In-House Artisan: Angel’s Story 9 Local Hope Pathway 10 First College Graduate in Kenya: Rose’s Story 11 Tea Time: Thriving in Kenya Docuseries Part 2 12 Global Empowerment: Kenyan Teen Mom Graduate Update 13 Looking Ahead 14 2024 | Abide 15 Financial Review
2
Core Focus
Our Purpose To empower vulnerable families in Jesus’ name.
Our Niche To create opportunities that provide hope. 3 3
Thriving Against the Odds
Mercy House Global exists to empower vulnerable families in Jesus’ name by creating opportunities that provide hope. We get to do this in so many beautiful ways with countless people around the world, focusing primarily on the Bible’s most vulnerable people groups: widows, orphans, and refugees. As we look back on this past year, we reflect on our theme for 2023. We chose the word thrive based on Psalm 92:13, “They are planted in the house of the Lord; They flourish in the courts of our God.”
It’s not uncommon for vulnerable families to endure suffering and chaos as the norm. We step into their storms. Mercy House Global often operates in the center of hurricane-force opposition. But we stay. We endure. We thrive against the odds because Jesus is in the boat in the storm. This year allowed us to shore up our structure, reinforce our systems, and document our processes – all for one reason. We want to thrive so that others can thrive too. We are more focused, more prepared, more enthusiastic, and more determined to continue this Gospel-driven work among the vulnerable. 4 4
This Year at Mercy House Global •
Welcomed eight new pregnant residents in 12 months at Rehema House in Kenya - a record year!
•
Celebrated our 75th miracle birth at Rehema House.
•
Graduated 16 basket weavers from intensive training into the opportunity to make and sell baskets to provide for their families.
•
Created steady opportunities that provided hope for hundreds of vulnerable families in Kenya and Houston, Texas.
•
Completed the first full year of English classes for Afghan refugees in Houston and began year two with record enrollment in partnership with a local church.
•
Welcomed an overcomer and empowered woman as our first in-house artisan in Houston and member of Local Hope.
•
Hosted quarterly empowerment lunches for local refugees.
•
Completed the first full year of EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) with our USA staff.
•
Clarified our messaging through developement of brand guidelines and refocused our messaging as a non-profit and ministry.
5 5
Impact Is Our Bottom Line It would be easier as a ministry to simply redistribute funds to those in need. Instead, we choose the hard road of empowerment. We take the long path because we believe in creating opportunities that provide hope. We don’t want to simply provide baskets for women to carry their goods home from the market. We want to teach them to create baskets to carry their families into abundance. It would be easier to do what we’ve always done. Instead, this past year we have carefully and meticulously, layer by layer, evaluated every program we run. We are working to create exit strategies so that every life touched by the work of Mercy House Global will not only be empowered, but also sustained. Sustainability among the world’s poor is one of the greatest challenges, and we are addressing it person by person. While we acknowledge we need to raise resources to continue this life-giving work, we aren’t governed by a financial bottom line. We surrender to God and trust He will provide what we need to continue this ministry. At Mercy House Global, people are our passion, and impact is our bottom line.
6 6
Scan to hear Mary’s story.
Philosophy of Ministry The Gospel launched in suffering, and it grows with suffering. The mission of Mercy House Global is to empower vulnerable families—many of whom are suffering—with opportunities that create hope. We shouldn’t be surprised the enemy does not want this work to continue. Burning walls and shifting floors only make our foundation stronger. We stand firm on Jesus, and He continues to miraculously sustain us so that we can continue to impact thousands.
7 7
First MHG In-House Artisan: Angel’s Story In 2023, Mercy House Global hired our first Local Hope in-house artisan, and we hope to grow by adding additional empowered women in the future. After this amazing overcomer completed a one-year internship with us, we hired her fulltime and are providing her with a safe and loving place to re-enter the workforce and begin to rebuild her life. This year, she completed and graduated from her restoration program and moved into her first apartment. She is continuing to heal and grow, and she is adding new skills weekly to her resume.
8 8
Local Hope Pathway
Holistic development Graduate and potentially enter the workforce
Meet + start building a relationship
Empowerment lunches and/or ESOL
Become an artisan
Skills training
Pathway Journey
9 9
Option for continued education
First College Graduate in Kenya: Rose’s Story Rose joined Rehema Rescue Centre Foundation in Kenya in 2015 and became the first teen mom to graduate college in December 2023. Here is her powerful testimony in her own words: “I got pregnant while still in grade eight. I knew my life was over. I contemplated abortion but failed on the many occasions I tried. I tried committing suicide but somehow, I did not die. My last resort was to think of trying to get married immediately after completing my primary education, and so I hoped.” But my miracle happened. God brought forth Rehema [House], an organization that helps teen pregnant moms. Rehema staff traveled all the way from Nairobi to our remote village, assessed my situation, interviewed me and decided to recruit me. I immediately knew that God had chosen to redeem me. We embarked on the long journey to my promised land. I was so encouraged to find other girls with the same predicament as me at Rehema. I was so well received and welcomed into the home. I received new clothes and was given delicious food. For the first time I had my own bed with clean beddings. I had reached the promised land. I swore to myself that I would use this God-given opportunity to work hard and forge ahead for my future and the future of my unborn baby. Rehema took care of all my needs and I was finally able to give birth to my son whom I named Eugene. I am so grateful that through the two-year extensive program, I gave my life to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of my life. Additionally, I was taken through different classes and skill sets to be able to sustain myself in the future. I also went through counseling which helped me overcome my childhood trauma.” During her college experience, Rose returned regularly to Rehema House as a peer leader volunteer to encourage and mentor new residents. Her future is bright!
10
Scan to hear Rose’s story‘s
Tea Time: Thriving in Kenya Docuseries Part 2 Impact is our bottom line at Mercy House Global. It’s also the significant word that comes to mind when you think of Rehema House in Kenya. Everywhere you look–from the teachers to the doctors in the community to local police, Rehema House has a beautiful reputation for being a bright light. Lives are being changed and it is breathtaking to witness. Our second installment of the behind-the-scenes initiative we affectionately call Tea Time is beautiful.
Scan the QR code to watch.
11
Global Empowerment: Kenyan Teen Mom Graduate Update It’s hard to believe that the first baby born to the Mercy House Global/Rehema House family is now 13 years old! We seek to stay connected and supportive with all alumni of the program and recently staff in Kenya traveled around the country to visit the first dozen residents. It was encouraging to visit their workplaces, meet their spouses, see their homes, hug their growing children, and more. The business of changing lives is filled with setbacks and successes. We see both regularly. In more than 70% of the visits, our team was encouraged by the development they witnessed. It is our goal to share some of these meaningful stories in 2024.
12
Scan to hear Lavine’s story.
Looking Ahead Mercy House Global created Fair Trade Friday to replace undignified jobs like labor trafficking and sex trafficking with dignified work because many of the teen moms in the Mercy House Global maternity homes in Kenya got pregnant due to trafficking. The ethically produced items in Fair Trade Friday are often made by the hands of survivors of trafficking or by vulnerable people who are at-risk to being trafficked. Fair trade product is a vehicle that allows us to empower vulnerable families. But Mercy House Global is not a store. We are a faith-based nonprofit with a store. In order to operate more cohesively under one name, Fair Trade Friday is becoming Mercy House Global Clubs (MHG Clubs). We are so excited to see how God will continue to use this initiative to change lives.
Yay! Our clubs are getting a refresh!
ALWAYS FAIR TRADE ALWAYS EMPOWERING WOMEN In January 2024 our Fair Trade Friday clubs will be called MHG Clubs. •••••• It feels right, because it’s a reflection of our 13-year legacy and our ongoing commitment to empower women globally through dignified + sustainable employment — all in Jesus’ name. 13
2024 | Abide The past few years have provided us with painful growth by deepening our roots and opportunities to thrive against the odds. We have prayerfully chosen a theme for 2024: abide. To abide means to stay. Many marginalized people find themselves in vulnerable positions because they have been left. Our mission is to empower vulnerable families in Jesus’ name by creating opportunities that provide hope. At Mercy House Global, we stay. We love that abide is also another word for home. At Mercy House Global, we house vulnerable people; we work to keep families together; we reintegrate teen moms back home; we creatively find jobs for women to work from home. We empower them to make beautiful items for your home. Abiding in Christ connects all of us in the family of God. We are called to abide. God produces fruit. We understand that apart from God, we can do nothing. “If a vine doesn’t have a trellis, it will die. And if your life with Jesus doesn’t have some kind of structure to facilitate health and growth, it will wither away” writes John Mark Comer. As we celebrate a new year full of possibilities, we look forward to learning, growing, and abiding together.
14 14
TRANSPARENCY
Financial Review 2022
2021
$2,080,611
$1,358,552
PUBLIC SUPPORT AND REVENUE Contributions Contributions w/donor restrictions Ministry Product Sales Other Receipts and Support TOTAL REVENUE
1,600
539,022
2,362,321
3,238,288
211,402
5,935
$4,655,934
$5,141,797
$262,531
$17,654
EXPENSES Program Services Refugee Ministries
Rehema House and other International Ministries Subscription Clubs Retail Store Expenses
976,633
901,041
1,610,116
1,805,272
1,083,778
1,672,595
Management and General
323,714
226,809
Fundraising Expenses
232,768
67,289
TOTAL EXPENSES
$4,489,540
$4,690,660
Change in Net Assets
$166,394
$451,137
Net Assets Beginning of Year
1,331,815
880,678
NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR
$1,498,209
$1,331,815
*All financial data taken from Form 990 and CPA prepared Financial Review (2022 & 2021) 2023 financial statements are not available until filed with IRS after the end of the current calendar year 2015-2022 Form 990 is available at https://www.irs.gov Legal Name: Mercy Maternity House, Inc. DBA: Mercy House Global EIN: 27-3196267
15