My Visit to Mercy Ministries and Interview with Nancy Alcorn

Founder Nancy Alcorn and Dr. Ward Bond

Last summer, I had the opportunity to sit down with president and founder of Mercy Ministries, Nancy Alcorn. It was an interview that took me off my normal path of interviewing those about natural health, but I do like to focus on one’s spiritual health too. While preparing for my interviews with Nancy, I reminded myself that for a person to be completely whole, we must deal with the body, the mind and the soul. Interviewing Nancy was all about transforming the soul due to the abuse to the bodies and the minds of the young girls and women she has spent the last 29 years helping to heal.

Preparing for a normal health-related interview isn’t hard at all, but my interviews with Nancy Alcorn were a different story and a life-changing moment for me. Upon arrival to Mercy Ministries’ headquarters in Nashville, TN we entered to set up the cameras and the lights for our interview. I was greeted with one of the friendliest staffs I’ve ever met. Each one very well versed in the mission of Mercy Ministries. While my crew was setting up for the interviews, I was taken on a tour of the Nashville Mercy home by staff member Melia Jett. This home houses 40 young girls/women ages 13-28. It is kept spotless inside and outside. Each girl has designated duties to do which teaches responsibility and accountability. I saw a prayer room, dining room, large living room, library, school room with computers and room for praise and worship. The design of the home was simple, but very airy and spacious. A perfect environment for young women to focus on getting their bodies, minds and souls to heal again. And learn that they are God’s masterpieces and to experience His love in a whole new way.

During my tour, one thing stuck in my mind that changed my life forever. While Melia was taking me on a tour, she led me into the dining area to where all the girls gather to eat. On the wall of the dining area, I noticed a sculpture of sorts hanging on the wall. It was made of a couple of hundred popsicle sticks to my guestimation. It looked to be a four leaf flower until closer inspection it was really the Cross. On each popsicle stick, a word or a phrase was written with a marker. Each one wasn’t a word that was positive. They were negative. Let me explain. Each girl wrote a word or phrase on those popsicle sticks that other people labeled them. The girls who have come through Mercy had come to believe the negative words said to them were true. This is where my life changed. You see I once had labels placed on me that weren’t true. And I’ve made mistakes of placing labels on others and I thank the Lord for removing those labels from me and delivering me from placing labels on others. Labels can hurt or labels can heal. We have a choice with what comes out of our mouth.

Do some of these labels sound familiar to you?

• You’re fat.
• You’re ugly.
• Slut
• Whore
• You’re stupid.
• You’re an idiot.
• You’re worthless.
• I don’t love you.
• You’re a mistake.

Get the picture? A strange reminder to have that hanging on the wall in a dining area isn’t it? But it was those girls nailing those negatives to the cross of Jesus Christ as His blood washed all those labels away and made them new again. It’s actually healing to write down every negative word that you have ever been called or labeled by someone else. It frees the soul and when you spend time reading God’s Word, you understand what He thinks about you, it can set many people free.

I had the honor of interviewing Lisa Osteen Comes who wrote the book, You Are Made for More! In her book she writes about removing all the negative labels anyone has put on you. Through His mercy and Mercy Ministries, thousands of girls have come to realize those hurtful words were not true and that the Lord died on the cross for their sins and the sins of the ones who hurt them.

Let’s put on some more positive labels on you right now.  

• You’re beautiful!
• You are God’s Masterpiece!
• You’re creative!
• You are loved!
• You are amazing!
• You are smart!
• You are accepted, approved and anointed!
• You are not a mistake!

Get the picture? What people call you isn’t important, it’s what God calls you and He said you are His children and His children are awesome! Yes, you are awesome! Now back to my story.

After standing in front of the Cross made of popsicle sticks, Melia showed me the rest of the Mercy home. I say will this, it was impressive and a perfect place for young women to get their life back in order. We arrived back to Mercy Ministries’ headquarters which is next door to the home in Nashville. My crew had everything set up for my interview with Nancy Alcorn. Our interview is available to watch on this website's TV Show page.

Nancy has become one of my favorite people. She doesn’t mince words on the calling the Lord placed upon her heart to help thousands of young women who have been sexually or physically abused, drug addiction, eating disorders, self harm and those who were once slaves in sex trafficking (it happens right under our noses in America). We’ve become supporters of Mercy Ministries and I ask you to become a supporter too. If you have a daughter, granddaughter, sister or niece, you would only want the best for them and you would never want them to go through a time of torment in their life.  I have a daughter myself and want the best for her, which is why I want the best for these young girls and women at Mercy Ministries. Any donation to Mercy is helpful and I urge you to pray and seek the Lord in what He would lead for you to do. By giving to Mercy Ministries, you have the honor of not only changing lives in the present but also storing up eternal treasure for yourself. You will be instrumental in helping to transform many lives of young women ages 13-28. If you ever want to see firsthand how Jesus Christ washes away sin and makes all things new, look no further than the godly work at Mercy Ministries.

Ward W. Bond, PhD

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