Beech Tree News Network

The First Annual Community Prayer Breakfast was held Friday, February 15, at the Eva J. Hawes Building in Morgantown.  The event was sponsored  by People Who Care Ministries- Andrea’s Mission and featured guest speaker Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin.  Following prayer and Bible readings from the Old and New Testaments by Pastors Woody Moore and Frankie Skipworth, a short video presentation promoting Andrea's House of Angels, highlighted the impact that drug addition has individuals, families and communities.  Specifically, the video addressed the dangers associated with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a condition that effects babies born to women who are using drugs.

Pastor Skipworth spoke about the importance of vision and referenced the bibilical passage that reads "where there is no vision the people perish."  The pastor stated that society was out for personal gain but that Christians always supposed to "love one another."

Pointing out the value of all life, Pastor Woody Moore shared his story about his family's recent loss of their baby and the medical challenges the baby faced.

"My baby was a baby!" said Moore.

Moore said he was a hospital in Louisvillle with their child and was around babies that were born addicted to drugs.  One baby, according to Moore, was was there and nobody ever came to visit.

"It was a baby addicted to drugs and I though how bad was it for the women to have no hope," said Moore, who referenced the story of the baby Jesus and praised those who have the vision to make a difference in the life of others.   

Recovering addict Brittany McKinney spoke powerfully about her journey through drug abuse, the negative consequences it has had on her life, and her path to recovery. McKinney, now 27 months clean and a mother, said she was in and out of prisons and jail for ten years, spent time in an isolation tank, and lost custody of her small child at one point.  But, she has battled back with the help of Andrea's Mission for Women, is now clean and has custody of her seven-month old.

"There still is hope left in us," said McKinney. 

Bruce Jennings, CEO of People Who Care Ministries, introduced Gov. Bevin.

"We have a governor who has looked at the devastation (of drug addiction) and is doing something about it," said Jennings, who praised Gov. Bevin for his efforts at prison reform and securing millions of dollars in funding for the state.  "Gov. Bevin is passionate about the citizens of Kentucky."
 
Gov. Bevin praised the strength of McKinney for all that she is fighting to overcome and described her as a “special person,” for sharing her story. 

Using the biblical reference of “watchmen on the wall,” Governor Bevin said, “Nobody who watched the video can go away and say they didn’t know.” 

 The governor said what McKinney and others were doing was "creating ripples" across society. 

Bevin said he gets hundreds of request to speak and obviously can't do them all but wanted to come to Morgantown because of the people who care about this issue. 

Protecting life, stated Bevin, is not a political issue.

"We have to stand up for those who are vulnerable," said Bevin, who made the historical reference that in the mid-1800s in the United States the law basically said that black people were not fully human.

"This was the law of the land but people are made in the image of God," said Bevin. 

Gov. Bevin used scripture form the Old Testament book of the prophet Haggai about the one instance God asks people to test him. 
"Give careful thought to your ways.  You have planted much, but harvested little.  You eat, but never have enough.  You drink, but never have your fill.  You put on clothes, but are not warm.  You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

“I applaud this community for standing in the gap,” said Bevin, who suggested even more is needed.  "We don't need to stigmatize this issue, we need to address it by putting the kingdom of heaven first.  Stay bold, passionate and motivated."

Following Gov. Bevin's remarks, Elaine Daugherty of Butler County Knitters and Crocheters, presented him with two prayer shawls (one for his wife). The group makes these by hand for the women at Andrea's Mission.  "We pray over the shawls and for the women," said Daugherty, "and we believe in the power of prayer and we know you do too."  

Plans for Andrea's Mission House of Angels.