The Lord's Closet
Ministries, Inc.
Is Your Local Missionary
Founded By
Rev. Wallace J. Crowley Jr.
1989
Ministries, Inc.
Is Your Local Missionary
Founded By
Rev. Wallace J. Crowley Jr.
1989
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The Lord's Closet continues to expand as other agencies find out about the services TLC provides. We are asking every one to make a financial investment in the future of TLC. Your TAX-DEDUCTIBLE gift of only $ 5.oo will make a difference. Your donation is handled by - PayPal - it's fast, free and secure. Quick $ 5.00 |
I am going to tell you about a child I will call Angel. This is not her real name, but it certainly suits
her in my mind.
When I first saw Angel, she reminded me of a pathetic little waif. She was so dirty! And her hair! It
was like some wild grunge look --- which actually, it was simply never brushed. Let me tell you about
Angel's shoes. Angel really wore about a children's size 1 shoe, however the shoes she wore to school
each day were a size 5 boys cowboy boot. They looked as though a real cowboy had been wearing them
and they were definitely broken in!!
The other children didn't want to sit beside her because she had a most distinct odor. I talked with
Angel one day and suggested she wash off a little before going to bed at night. Well, she came to
school the next day and sure enough, she was cleaner. She came running up to me asking, "How do I
look Ms. Timpson?" I answered, "GREAT! Now doesn't that feel better Angel?" She then informed
me that she had gone down to the creek and washed off for me. A creek, which is by no means
sanitary. This was in November and very cold! I was so ashamed of myself for putting this child in
this situation. I had no idea she had no electricity or running water in her home.
November passed and December rolled around. It was time for the school's Christmas program. The
kids were so excited! All the little s began to talk about what they were going to wear for the
program. A new outfit, a certain church dress, a special outfit. All the s - except Angel.
Angel came to me one day and said, "Ms. Timpson, will you be my mommy at the Christmas
program?" I answered, "Angel, I would love to, but I think your own mom will be there for you." She
replied, "Oh, NO, Ms. Timpson. Every time I ask her if she is cumin, she says I'm makin her head
hurt, cause she got drunk the other night and fell and busted her head open." So I told Angel I would
be proud to be her stand-in mom.
I began to think about Angel and her clothes and those well-worn cowboy boots she clomped around
in. I thought if I can be her stand-in mom then I would dress her like I would if she were my own little
girl.
Here is where I need to tell you a little of my personal history. I would d to be able to go out and
buy Angel a new outfit from head to toe. I couldn't. I couldn't do this for my own children. I am a
single mother and I am raising two children on about $600.00 a month.
Fortunately, I have another angel in my life. Her name is Pastor Mary Hagerman. Pastor Hagerman
has a church, The True Light Church of God in Jesus Name, in Shop Hollow. She also runs a thrift
shop beside the church. A thrift shop? Big Deal, right? Yes, it has been a big deal for me and a big
deal for our community. Pastor Hagerman sells these beautiful, clean clothes for twenty five cents
each and furniture for practically nothing. Pastor Hagerman is NOT in this for a profit. She barely
makes enough to pay shipping on this merchandise. Half my house is furnished from this thrift shop
and my children and I buy our clothes there. When I first came back to War in 1995 I didn't have a
stove and did not have enough money to buy one. I was referred to Pastor Hagerman's thrift shop.
She gave me a stove and I am using it to this day. If you can afford it, you pay the twenty-five cents. If
you can't afford it, or if you know of someone in need, Pastor Hagerman (the Community Angel) will
take care of you. Pastor Hagerman has important connections. One (the most important, of course),
is a calling from God. The second, is a tie to some wonderful Christians in New Jersey. These people
collect these items to send to our community. I just wish they could see for themselves the difference
this merchandise makes for people here. I am not saying people such a myself and may children could
not make it without this merchandise from the thrift shop -- I'm saying it improves our way of life.
My children can dress nicely and not be made fun of at school because of their attire. My home is
comfortable because I now have a stove, beds, a dryer, a television, dishes and numerous other items I
have been able to buy from the thrift shop, thanks to Pastor Hagerman and the good people of New
Jersey. My daughter was voted "best dressed" in the eighth grade. She made a thank you card and
took it to Pastor Hagerman. Pastor Hagerman said, "Well, honey what's this for?" My daughter
replied, "Well, I was voted best dressed in the eighth grade." This is where I get my clothes from, so I
thought I should thank you. There have been several songs written about heroes. Whenever I hear
one of them, Pastor Hagerman automatically comes to my mind. She is my Hero. She is a hero to
many.
Now, back to my story, I couldn't afford to buy Angel a new outfit, but I knew whom to turn to. I went
to Pastor Hagerman and told her about Angel. We started looking for clothes. We filled my trunk up
with clothes for Angel. And for the Christmas program --- we had a little plaid skirt, a white
turtleneck, and a Christmas sweater. My sister bought Angel a pair of red tights and a Christmas hair
bow. My contribution? I bought Angel a pair of brand new patent leather Mary Jane shoes.
I took Angel to the school's bathroom and cleaned her up, dressed her and fixed her hair. Real mother
or stand-in mom, I couldn't have been more proud. You should have seen the transformation!! My
little waif had turned into a beautiful golden-haired Christmas Angel. She was the pride of the whole
school that day. The other children in school were as proud of her as if she had been a new toy they
had just received. I swear the whole school was smiling that day.
I cannot tell you how many times throughout that day I spotted Angel polishing and wiping those
Mary Jane shoes. She was so proud of them.
Well, I wish I could say life was just peachy for Angel after that. But it wasn't. Not even close. She
was removed from her mom's home during the Christmas holidays and placed in foster care. She had
54 welts on her body and a cut on her face. She had been beaten with a whipcord. Her mom had beat
her for getting a piece of bologna without asking.
I had no idea where Angel had been placed. All I could do was think about her and pray for her.
I was visiting another school one day to conduct a Read Aloud. As I was walking down the hall I heard
a little voice behind me, "Ms. Timpson! Ms. Timpson!!! I turned around and my little Christmas
Angel flew into my arms.
I was so happy to see her and she looked great. She said, "Ms. Timpson, they took me away from my
real mommy, but I still have my shoes!" I looked down and there were those little Mary Jane’s, still
looking pretty good too.
This year I found myself back at that school doing another Read Aloud. The children came filing into
one of the classrooms after a bathroom break and there she was. She looked up and saw me and came
running down the aisle. We hugged and she reached up and placed her little hands on the top of my
head and pushed it down and said, "Look! I still have my shoes!" I looked down and there were those
little Mary Jane’s, still looking pretty good too.
I looked again at those little Mary Jane shoes. They were definitely a little worse for wear than the
last time I saw them, but I promise you, Imelda Marcos never had a pair of shoes that could compare to
the beauty of those black Mary Janes.
The other day I was back at Pastor Hagerman's thrift shop. I found a pair of black Mary Janes for
twenty-five cents. I bought them. Took them home and tied a pretty red ribbon through them. When
I put my Christmas tree up this year I intend to put them on it - right beside a little golden-haired
angel.
They will be on my tree along with my son's sterling silver baby tether, my middle daughter's first
ballet shoes, and a white dove and bow from my oldest daughter's wedding. Yes, I have a strange
looking Christmas tree. But I love it! It holds a lot of special memories for me. Now it will hold one
more, my Christmas Angel in the black Mary Janes.
Ms. Timpson
McDowell County, WV
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| The Lord's Closet is a local, nonprofit, nondenominational ministry dedicated to meeting the physical & spiritual needs of the economically disadvantaged & invisible working poor since 1989. Phone - (908) 534-1777 Fax - (908) 534-2747 |
| Chartered by Kingsway Fellowship International of Des Moines, IA The Sun Never Sets On Kingsway Ministries |
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This is a true story given to us by Ms.Timpson, a teacher in McDowell County, West Virginia in July
of 2002.
Angel is only one of hundreds of children and their families who Pastor Hagerman has been able to
help. Without a lot of prayer as well as a balance of goods and money donated to TLC none of this
would be possible. We Praise God and THANK everyone for their tax deductible gifts which is the
only way that stories like this are made possible.
Today TLC is still going into the beautiful Appalachian mountains where coal is still mined, poverty
still exists and little children just like Angel still suffer. It costs approximately $8,000.00 for
overhead, insurance, fuel, tires and maintenance on our truck for each trip.
Over the years we have found many new communities in Kentucky and Tennessee that need our help
too. Even today many families still have no running water in their homes, and use potbelly stoves to
cook on and heat their home with.
If this story has touched your heart and you had to wipe tears off your cheek, you know why TLC is
dedicated to helping the children and their families in the coal mining regions of Appalachia. Please
consider making a monthly donation to help us continue this vital service to them. We are currently
making a trip every three to five weeks.
May God truly bless you as you give unto the Lord's work.
If everyone who reads this story would click on the Quick $5.00 button on the top of this page, it
would make a difference.
Donations can be sent to:
The Lord's Closet
P.O. Box 603
Lebanon, NJ 08833-0603