Dear House of Mary Supporters,

Due to the ever changing situation regarding COVID-19 and the recent announcement that First Baptist Church will be suspending activities for the coming week, Ladies Tea will be postponed and rescheduled for a later date. We will announce a new date as soon as we are able via email, social media, and our website.

While we are saddened by the situation, we know the Lord is in control and we can rest in the fact that He will work everything out for His good.

Sincerely,

House of Mary Board
​

It's almost time for our favorite event of the year House of Mary's Ladies Tea.  We love how this event brings multigenerational women together for a time of fun, fellowship, and of course food.  This year's speaker is Brittany Price Brooker and we are excited to hear what she has to share.  

Because of your generous support and prayers, 2019 was an amazing year of progress! This year we were able to begin construction on the first House of Mary maternity home at 112 New Hope Drive in Livingston, TX. We are happy to report that the house is now completely dried in! The next steps are finishing out the interior with flooring, cabinets, fixtures, paint, appliances, and everything else that will transform it from a house to a home.

As the year comes to a close, we ask that you would consider making a final tax-deductible donation to House of Mary for 2019. This will ensure funds to complete the house and continue to grow savings for our upcoming operating expenses. House of Mary is funded solely by our supporters and does not qualify for government grants, as we are considered a religious ministry. Your continued support is vital.

There are multiple ways to give:

– Give online by clicking on the "Donate" tab above
All major credit/debit cards and PayPal accepted.

– Text GIVEHOM to 44321

– Mail a check to PO Box 376, Livingston, TX, 77351
Must be postmarked by 12/31/19.

– Turn in a donation to an HOM Board Member

Thank you for considering a year-end gift to House of Mary. We are excited to see what He has planned! May the Lord bless you greatly in the upcoming new year.
​

Clean up day was a great success and the House of Mary property looks fantastic! Thank you so much to each and every person that braved the chilly weather (and mud) to come out and help. We swept, pressure washed, filled a dumpster with construction debris, landscaped around the sign, planted rose bushes, and much more! Along with clean up tasks, we also relocated some friendly snakes, set a mouse free, and disrupted a skunk. Thank you again to all who came out. You are such a blessing to HOM and we enjoyed working alongside you all today. You can see a few pictures from Clean Up Day in the slideshow below!

Building update - supplies for running utilities will be delivered next week! Installation will begin soon after! During that time, Impact Fire will begin the installation of our indoor sprinkler system. As soon as the utilities are finished, sprinkler system is finished and checked we will begin the final steps of completing the house. With the finishing touches just around the corner, our land and house are in need of some tidying up. 
​So...
​​We will be having a House of Mary Property Clean Up Day on November 2nd from 8 am to noon. We will be cleaning up the inside and outside of the house - power washing the house, picking up random boards and trash, possibly laying sod, mowing the lot, landscaping the sign, sweeping the building, possibly landscaping the grounds, cleaning the windows, and much much more. We need all the help we can get so that the final touches can be done to the house and we can OPEN THE DOORS to the first maternity home in Polk County!! So please add this date to your calendar and bring your family to help out at this event! We will have breakfast for you!

Due to an underwhelming response to Trivia Night, we have sadly decided to cancel the event. All teams and sponsors will be fully refunded. The board is currently praying and seeking God's direction on our next event for fundraising. 

An update on the house: 
​
The house is currently dried in. All plumbing, electrical, heating and air, and our security system wiring have been completed. We are now waiting on our sprinkler system to be installed ($9,750) along with running our utility lines ($10,000+). After those two things are complete we will start on insulation, sheet rock, and all the finishing touches on the house ($65,000+), this does not include any furnishings for the house. Currently we have a bank balance of $91,000.  

As always, thank you for your continued support. If you feel led to give please click HERE to do so. 

We have some big prayer requests and praises with our build and we wanted to give you an update on where we are financially, the cost of the build, and what we need for the future. 
In January, our bank account had $242,432.07. We started building in March and right after dirt started moving we had our Ladies Tea fundraiser where we raised $3,974. 

Building the house has been exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. We have been so blessed by several companies who have offered their services to us free of charge so you will not see them in the following list of expenses we have paid. 

Dirt work - $43,875
Dirt work on road - $19,700
Concrete - $12,720
Labor for concrete - $6000
Rebar and other concrete items - $3702
Builders insurance - $576
1st and 2nd draw for framers - $16,000
Indoor sprinkler system (required by city) $10,290
Materials including wood, sheet rocks, shingles etc. - $48,000
Insulation - $4200
Electrical bid not including temporary power pole - $19,000
Roofer - $2500
For a grand total of $187,331

So...where do we go from here? We know we have some major expenses left before the house opens -which include but are not limited to; labor for all things installed, cabinets, flooring, furniture, fixtures and so much more. We have a huge fundraiser coming up in September (it is something new and exciting that we can't wait to share with y'all) but we know we will need our Village to step in before September comes. We need your help. This post is a very humbling post and we felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to lay out our finances before our supporters. We are so thankful for all of you and we know with out a shadow of doubt that God has gone before us, and that no matter what man can do, God CAN and WILL do so much more than we can ask or imagine.  
Praise: God has provided each and every penny that we have needed to build this house so far. He truly has gone before us.
Prayer Request: the rest of the money we will need to finish the house with excellence

If you feel the need, urge, or want to give you may do so by clicking on the link below.
https://www.homlivingston.org/give.html

After a bit of waiting (okay, a LOT of waiting all thanks to the crazy non-stop rain) construction has officially begun! Boy, did we hit the ground running too! Dirt work began on March 11, 2019, and it's been pretty much full steam ahead ever since.

We've been documenting all of the progress as it happens on Facebook and Instagram, so be sure to follow House of Mary to stay up to date on the progress! Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. We couldn't do this without you!

Scroll through the photos below for a recap of the progress made so far!

We are so thankful to everyone that came out for the House of Mary Scripture Writing & Prayer Night Friday evening. All of the scriptures and words written on the studs throughout the house were truly beautiful and heartfelt. From the encouraging verses in the future house mom suite to the words of hope in the bedrooms. We were so moved by every last word!

​The pictures below were taken by the amazing Aubrey Cruse of A.R. Cruse Photography. We are so thankful that he is always willing to use his talents to document these special moments for House of Mary!