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Set Apart's Hope Memorial Project
July 15, 2011
THE HOPE MEMORIAL PROJECT
One of the things that's impressed me most about Kamaron and Anique's life in Kansas City is the incredible people they've surrounded themselves with. As a mama, I worry about those things...who my kids are hanging out with and being influenced by, even at age 24.
In the two years Kamaron and Anique have been in Kansas City, they have befriended an amazing group of people... people that are not only fun and great to be around, but
who are doing incredible things and making a difference in the world.
Hallmark seems to be teeming with such talents, and Kim and I were privileged to get to meet some of them while we were there.
One of those people is Brent Morris. Brent was formerly an artist for Hallmark, but just this year God has called Brent in a different direction and Brent left the security and stability of his Hallmark career to follow God's calling.
I first heard about Brent when Kamaron shared about a powerful Good Friday service he attended where, while the service was going on, Brent was up front creating this huge interactive painting. Kamaron was touched by it and I was amazed as well.
So when Kamaron told me, just a month later, that Brent had a vision of a healing art ministry for the tornado victims in Joplin, Missouri, my ears and heart perked up. Kamaron shared the project vision with me and was honored and blessed that Brent had asked him to be a part of it.
When Kamaron was home for Kyler's wedding the first weekend of June, he went for a run with our Pastor CJ and during their time together Kamaron shared the vision with CJ. CJ was moved and wanted to give a donation towards it, and then invited the elders of the church to support it as well. Our church gave a large donation that, along with CJ's, completely covered the financial cost of the project.
Brent was deeply moved by the support of a church 500 miles away, folks that he didn't even know. And that's where we (and God's timing!) come in.
Months ago, Kim and I had already made plans to visit Kamaron this weekend. When Brent invited Kamaron and Anique to come to his home for a BBQ and brainstorm session about "The Hope Memorial" project, Kamaron regrettably declined saying his parents were visiting that weekend. Brent enthusiastically encouraged Kamaron to bring us along, that he wanted to meet us and thank our church for the support.
So that's how we ended up in Brent Morris's backyard, surrounded by salvaged tornado debris and an artwork in progress and several brilliant Christian artists from Hallmark and in the middle of a documentary-in-the-making.
This is a basic sketch of what the artwork will look like...a 14'x7' sculpture with God's hands as the focal point and as the theme the verse Jeremiah 29:11 ("For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.").
It will be constructed of salvaged debris from the Joplin tornadoes and given as a gift to the city after a worship and dedication ceremony where survivors will have a chance to write prayer concerns and memorials to lost loved ones and add their fingerprints to the canvas.
While most disaster relief necessarily focuses on physical needs, Brent's piece will provide an opportunity for emotional and spiritual healing that so often gets neglected.
Kamaron is heading up the prayer team that will be there the weekend of the dedication, praying for individuals and families that are desperately trying to put their lives back together.
The man sculpting God's hands is a well-known sculptor from the Kansas City area, Duane Unruh. He hasn't done any artwork for several years since he's been stricken with Parkinson's disease and can barely walk, but his hands are largely unaffected and he really wanted to be part of Brent's project.
Duane has already done an incredible job and he's just getting started. God's hands are going to be amazing (they already are!!!)!
Whitney is a doctoral student that is filming a documentary about people, like Brent, who have followed God's calling into unique ministries.
We had no idea she was going to be filming us, but Kim and I sat down with Kamaron as he shared his part in the project and we added our two-cents-worth at the end. I doubt that our clip will make the final cut, but who knows?
Project members shared their thoughts about the piece with Duane and his wife.
Brent's wife Kristin is also involved in the project, especially organizing the dedication/worship event in Joplin this September.
Brent scavenged through some of the tornado debris and brought this pile home to be used in the artwork.
Kristin said someone stopped by and volunteered to take the "junk" off their hands. I guess not everyone sees artistic potential in a pile of debris (me included)....
Kamaron shared some of the plans with his dad (two great artistic minds???...not.....).
As we were eating, Brent and Kristin spoke about the event they are planning in Joplin...
...and then Brent told us his vision for the artwork.
Assembled and listening were some of the great artistic talents at Hallmark. The purpose of the cookout was to get ideas and brainstorm possibilities about the sculpture.
It was fun for us non-artistic types to hear those creative sorts excitedly discussing color gradients and percentages of opacity and other such artsy banter.
Mike is part of the design team and one of Kamaron's closest Hallmark friends. They sometimes work out together and are on the corporate challenge tug-of-war team.
We picked up Carolle on the way to Brent and Kristin's, and she is a sweet, delightful gal who is also helping with the design. Another Hallmarker.
Calvin is a retired calligrapher from Hallmark who is doing the lettering for the sculpture and is also creating a giant journal for the Joplin folks to sign.
Who knew someone could make a career out of lettering? Calvin has done the calligraphy on countless Hallmark card designs during his career.
And he does seem to be quite the interesting character....
The design team rummaged through the junk pile, deciding what to use where.
When creative minds and passionate hearts come together, amazing things can happen!
Things like The Hope Memorial.
November 14, 2011
BLESSING JOPLIN
On the outskirts of Joplin, Missouri is the Joplin Family Worship Center. Actually, the church building is hidden behind the group of tents which are serving as the church's disaster resource center.
In the worship center on Saturday, the Hope Memorial was dedicated and presented to the city of Joplin.
The Hope Memorial Project has been a big part of Kamaron and Anique's lives the past 6 months, and Kim and I were anxious to see the finished project and be there for the long-anticipated dedication.
The project is the God-inspired brainchild of Set Apart Ministries founder Brent Morris, who felt God calling him to reach out to Joplin with a unique ministry for spiritual healing and renewal as the city and its people rebuild their lives and homes in the wake of the horrific May 22 tornado that killed 162 people and leveled nearly 1/3 of Joplin.
As Brent shared his vision with his friend, my son Kamaron, Kamaron shared with Brent a verse that God had placed on Kamaron's heart that very same time,
Jeremiah 29:11...
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.
"They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
That verse became the theme and centerpiece of the sculpture, just beneath a Joplin skyline, all gently held in the loving hands of God (which were carved by famed Hallmark artist Duane Unruh).
Every bit of the huge piece is created from debris left behind by the tornado. Brent and friends brought home a trailer full of "trash" and created an incredible piece of beauty, perfectly symbolizing the beauty that is and will arise from Joplin's devastation.
Kamaron has never been a particularly artsy type, but he uncovered a hidden talent as he worked alongside his talented Hallmark artist friends. Here Kamaron explained to Kim how he rubbed oil paint onto the metal to create the sky background.
On the back is an unfinished display of written prayers submitted by people all over the country and around the world for their brothers and sisters in Joplin.
Anique helped create the collage of debris and did some of the lettering on the center back piece.
Brent shared a chuckle with Kim....
...and "man hugs" with new friends Rob and CJ, who also made the trip from Sulphur Springs representing our church.
As people came to the dedication service, they were invited to sign the guest book which had the names of all 162 victims inscribed on the inside cover. Here one of the guests pointed out to Kamaron's friend Carol names of victims personal to her.
During the service, Brent and his wife Kristin shared the story of their ministry and the vision of Hope Memorial Project.
Our church helped that vision become a reality, especially in the beginning when it was just an idea and a dream. It's amazing how God used a small church in rural Indiana to touch victims of a tornado 600 miles away!
All the artists couldn't make it to the dedication (Joplin is 3 hours away from their Kansas City homes), but here is a core of that team that worked countless hours to turn the vision into a masterpiece, a gift to bless Joplin.
The artists presented the memorial to Joplin. The Salvation Army will display the piece in its rebuilt store.
Representatives from Joplin attached the very last piece of debris onto the memorial, an eagle from Joplin High School (which was destroyed) that through the fury of the storm ended up mixed in with the debris from the Salvation Army store that Brent brought home. It was a perfect touch, and a wonderful symbol of rising strength and power and hope.
To conclude the service, everyone in the audience was encouraged to become a contributing artist by stamping their gold-inked thumbprint into the sky.
Artwork for the people, by the people...
Kim adds his thumbprint next to mine.
This is about as artistic as my man will ever get!
Kamaron headed up the prayer team, listening to people's stories of loss and survival and praying with them for healing and their futures.
This gal is filming a documentary featuring Brent's ministry, Set Apart. Pastor CJ has become a friend and supporter of Brent's mission work and she interviewed him for a segment in the documentary.
While the entire sculpture is gorgeous and it's hard not to absolutely love the carved hands of God, I think my favorite part (artistically) is the skyline. The buildings are amazingly creative, made from bits and pieces of nothing into forms and details of buildings. And at the center of the buildings....
...is this door, with Revelations 3:8 inscribed just above it.
"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door
that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength,
yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."
God shuts doors that no one can open.
And God opens doors that no one can shut.
Amen.
A wish for Joplin from an elementary child is precious and so very true...for Joplin and for all of us.
We're so blessed to have had the opportunity to play just a tiny role in the Hope Memorial project, which has already begun...
...blessing Joplin.
***To read more about the Hope Memorial dedication from Kamaron's perspective, check out Kamaron and Anique's blog by clicking here:
