What an awesome newsletter! You encouraged us to get out of ourselves to help a family in need; you encouraged us with inspiration and motivation from Beth Moore; and you encouraged us with laughter about our humanness.

Thanks. I really needed that!

2007
Dear Nancy,
Your words still ring in my ears "The calvary is coming!" Thank you! I was so blown away by your generosity and the way you take care of us ministry wives. Thank you for loving me and being there when I needed help. It was a joy for us to be ministered to! We were able to see Jesus with "skin on". On the way home we discussed why ministry wives supper fellowships were so important to us, because we get to have you and others like you as friends.
I hope you're not offended by this term - Thanks for being my "pastor" when mine was tied up with taking care of my boys.
"By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35 Thank you for loving me!
Please tell the Board of Directors thanks for allowing you to help me! I am so thankful!
Much joy and respect for you!

January 2007
Dear Nancy,
God promised us that as we walked through the valley, we would not walk alone. He would be there, a present Help, carrying us when we grow weary. You and Heart and Soul Connection have been His arms. You have reached out with the heart of the Father and touched our lives with encouragement and comfort. You have helped ease the financial burden that we know God cares about. We thank Him for being a member of a wonderful family.
We appreciate you and your ministry. Continue to pray for us as we face tomorrow.
From our hearts to yours . . . thank you, thank you, thank you! We love you!!!

December 2006
Dear Nancy,
Just wanted you to know that I am with you heart and soul too. My years as a pastor's wife were very painful; sometimes because of hurts from the congregation, but mostly from my marriage and the great divide that existed between my husband and me. I was so lonely all those 13 years, but didn't feel that I could reach out to the body of Christ for help -- what would I have said? I can just imagine me raising my hand in Sunday School or during choir practice and saying something like, "Yes, I have a prayer request, my husband and I just don't seem to communicate or connect emotionally. I feel so alone and hopeless that I am ready to walk away. Almost everything involving the house, the kids, the cars, the finances, etc. falls on me and he never seems to have the time to discuss any of it. If I try to talk with him about something, he seems to turn it into an arguement and twist everything I am saying. Also, I know he is still occassionally going to porngraphy for whatever reason. Would you pray for me and for our marriage?" Wow! That would have been quite a bombshell! Where does a pastor's wife turn when she is having difficultly at home? Or at church? Who can she talk to or be real with? So, thanks for being there for ministry wives and standing with them and in the gap for them. My heart is truly with you as my heart breaks for those who are suffering like I was under the false belief that I had to just tough it out and that I had to keep secrets.
My husband and I came to the City of Refuge back in March and the Lord has been doing remarkable work in both of our lives. I no longer see myself as a helpless, hopeless victim of circumstances. I am learning to view myself as God sees me, Redeemed, holy to the Lord, useful for His purpose, of great worth and significance in His sight just because He made me and desires me.
My husband is a new man and continues to grow in the Lord. I am no longer a single parent in our two parent household. We can actually talk about all kinds of problems, concerns, and issues without accusing or attacking one another. We have come to see how very broken we are and how much we need Jesus not just for salvation, but just to break from our selfish patterns and ways every day. We may or may not ever be in any kind of ministry again. Only God knows and opens those doors. I do know that our perspective on ministry has changed a lot. Ministry cannot be LIFE for us, only JESUS is the way, the truth and the LIFE.
Well, that's all. Just been meaning to write and say thanks for all you do and to let you know that you have someone praying for you and your ministry too!

I wanted to write and thank you so much for blessing me, and I'm sure the rest of the women here in the Middle East, by being a part of our world for a little while. It was so wonderful for you to take the time to take care of us, in the gifts of your prayers and support before hand, and in the gifts you sent to us.

Although there were only a couple of us from the Syria team with the ladies who came to Lebanon, we were able to take back gifts for the rest of the women here, so that they could also take part in the blessing. Now we all walk around with our princess/crown badges on, and having many chances to share why we wear them!!

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement to keep looking up, and to remember who we are in Christ. I was really touched by the words and by the sentiment behind them.

I hope that you are truly blessed today, and I am glad that God is no man's debtor!
Again, thank you and blessings to you all.
Emma in Syria

I just want to thank God for Nancy and Heart and Soul Connection for the great ministry they have! I attended the "Come to Me" Conference held this past Feb 2005. It was a life changing experience. It was so helpful to be with other pastor's wives who TRULY understand what we go through.
You don't have to look far as a pastor's wife for stress, discouragement, or tears. I enjoyed being around "veteran" pastors wives and learning from their wisdom. Thank you for giving me a time to renew my true self and spirit in Christ.
Sincerely,
Patti Wright

My name is Sandra and my husband is a bi-vocational pastor in North Georgia. The Lord has blessed us with 2 daughters and I wanted to briefly share a testimony of how the Lord has blessed me through this ministry.

In May 2003, I had received a prayer e-newsletter from Nancy and her ministry to Minister's Wives through the Georgia Baptist Convention. In this newsletter were included various prayer concerns. I prayed for the requests shared, knowing God hears the petition of our prayers.

A few days after receiving the newsletter, I was driving my children to school and as I turned across three lanes of traffic and headed up a hill, my car just DIED!! There was no warning or blinking lights, it was all I could do to get it off the road.

After church that evening, I came home into my husband's office and there was an e-mail from Nancy - updating one of the prayer requests. I wrote Nancy an e-mail explaining what had happened and asked her to pray for us! I did not share my home phone number or mailing address, only the town that my family lived in.

The very next morning, my phone rang and when I answered it, I heard, "Hi precious, this is Nancy Burgess from the Georgia Minister's Wives Network." We talked for a few minutes and she ended our call with, "You just hang on, Sandra. The cavalry is coming!"

Friday morning Nancy called me back to say that the Ministry Crisis Department at the Georgia Baptist Convention was sending us a check to help us buy an "almost new" 1997 Grand Voyager SE. When I hung up from talking with Nancy, I just just sat and cried and praised Jesus. I never imagined that my prayer request would lead to a van that looked almost new! All because one person prayer and put her resources together to help! I know that God sent Nancy to me and I praise Him for that! When God bless you, he doesn't do it halfway. I am so thankful for Nancy and this ministry and how it has blessed me.