Graham Update

Hello All!
It has been a long time since I talked to some of you. Jason and I have been married for over a year now. Our first year was full of ups and downs but it was still a good year. We stayed busy working odd jobs during the entire year of 2008. We attempted to get a loan to build three times but decided it was not God’s will when we were rejected the last time when the company we were requesting money from went under. We also moved to our own apartment in January. It is a townhouse in Sweetwater at a great price! We have two bedrooms and lots of storage. The cool thing is that it is in the backyard of the church. It is so close that I walk there! Oh, and by the way I (Holly) started working at our Church as a secretary in Janaury. The job is really great! I enjoy serving the people of my church. Our church is Sweetwater First Assembly of God.

Jason and I were able to serve at Kairos prison ministries in March In Bledsoe County in the middle of nowhere in Tennessee. Jason went in and served the inmates while I stayed outside the prison and cooked each meal every day. There were 24 inmates in the program. It was awesome how God worked through each of them. Kairos is like a Emmaus walk on the inside of a prison. God moved in mysterious ways through testimonies and through the inmates there. On the last day of our time I was able to put names on cupcakes and the guys were able to celebrate their birthdays. A lot of the guys don’t get to celebrate their b-days. Jason said that a lot of them cried when they got their cupcake. I was able to go in the last day and hear the closing ceremony in the prison. The guys were so nice and most of them could not hold their tears back from what had happened during the weekend. I was blessed to see them cry and to know their true heart. God is amazing how he can break us all down, even the hardest person! The guys that were chose to go through this Kairos were all Christians, most of them struggling Christians, but Christians. They were encouraged by the 25 plus men that came from the outside each day to minister to them. Because of the impact that this ministry had, the 24 inmates are now missionaries in their prison. They are ministering to the people around them to change the place that they are in. I found it to be awesome that God worked in this way! Jason and I are going to get more involved in this ministry in future months. Jason will be able to go into the prison once or twice for reunions and will possibly be going in during the month of September to a second Kairos.

I am also applying for Graduate school at Lee University. I decided that I wanted to get my teaching stuff in order while I had time. I will begin taking classes in May in a masters of teaching of elementary and middle school grades. Jason is finishing his bachelors of theology for Global University via correspondence. He is hoping to be finished in the next year so that he can start working on his masters too.

All last year, I worked with the kiddies every Sunday at Church. Since the New Year has begun, Jason and I have started working with the young adults from our Church. Jason started teaching the Young Adult Sunday School Class in Janaury and has stayed very busy doing outreach to these people. We have started having activities every Friday night for young adults to visit. We have game nights, movie nights, bowling, etc. We also started having potlucks after Church on Sundays for this group. Jason and I believe that the Church will grow through this group and since Jason and I both are called to minister we believe that this outreach is a great way for us to both grow as we wait for what God has for us as ministers.

Shaina is still being homeschooled. She will be 15 years old in April! She will be getting her driver's permit. Scarey! She has been helping at Church with the kids and the nursery. She has also joined in on helping the young adult ministry. She is growing up fast!

Spring has definitely sprung here in East TN and the mountains look beautiful. We are excited about what God is doing in our lives and can’t wait to see the future.
May God bless!
Jason and Holly