Forget-Me-Not Manor
A place to honor those who have sacrificed “the good life” to serve others.
Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31)
Missionaries choose to serve, not to be served. It is THE way of life for them, 24/7. It’s selfless, arduous, increasingly dangerous, and exceptionally costly. Rarely, though, is this reality evident to those back home, at least not until it’s too late.
According to studies conducted by Drs. Lawrence and Lois Dodds of Heartstream Resources, at least 5000 American missionaries leave the field unnecessarily each year due to personal, family, social and ministry related stress. Those who remain on the field face stressors at least 2-3 times those experienced by individuals at home in the U.S. These levels compare closely to soldiers serving in combat.
Our 9 year old daughter’s rendition of God’s vision as we described it to her in 2000…
Forget-Me-Not Ministries serves to change that trend, and Forget-Me-Not Manor plays a significant role in the process. Forget-Me-Not Manor was born out of God’s desire to provide for the crucial, but all-too-often overlooked, need for today’s missionaries, one that Jesus was intimately familiar with; namely, the important need for His weary servants to be refreshed and restored.
At the heart of this purpose is God’s specific mandate to go beyond basic practices. Forget-Me-Not Ministries is called to honor missionaries in a very purposeful manner, lavishing upon them God’s “Well done, good and faithful servant” on this side of heaven, serving as an extension of His abounding love and compassion, as well as being a reminder and foreshadowing of the eternal rewards that await them. The setting and services provided at Forget-Me-Not Manor are appointed carefully and specifically to bless missionaries above and beyond common expectation, the aim being to create an environment that draws missionaries into quiet, undisrupted union with God, for lasting effects that remain long after their stay.
Finding respite at Forget-Me-Not Manor, missionaries experience love and acceptance, peace and beauty, care and counsel, culminating in renewed strength and revitalized vision for the purposes to which God has called them as frontline warriors in the mission fields of the world.
The vision of Forget-Me-Not Manor is what brought about the birth of Forget-Me-Not Ministries in 2000, and ever since then, we have been keeping every detail of the vision preserved in our hearts. Over the years, we have utilized our home to serve as a “mini manor” to minister to missionaries, but in 2017 our Board of Directors and other ministry advisors unanimously determined that this arrangement was not truly fulfilling God’s desire for FMNM, and they challenged us to focus on pursuing the place that would complete the vision.
Identifying property that fits the vision is not difficult, especially in the western mountainous region of Virginia, where we believe God would have us settle. Still, the call to establish Forget-Me-Not Manor for us is just like Joseph hanging onto a God-sized dream from a jail cell, or Joshua trusting God for the Promised Land…it’s larger than we could ever expect to acquire on our own. With God, we stand with Joseph and Joshua…we are certain it’s possible. But, just like Joseph and Joshua (and even Jesus), we know we need others, too. Whether it is one, twelve, or an army, God’s Forget-Me-Not vision can only become reality with the help of others. Will you be one who helps us…
Fulfill the Vision with Prayers, Connections and Contributions
You can help by praying that God makes the way for Forget-Me-Not Manor.
You can help by connecting us to others who may be able to help acquire the property.
You can help by contributing as little or as much as the Lord leads.(Click here).
