thank you

A Year of Missions Cyprus, England, UAE, South Africa, Dominican Republic & USA

Published on July 29, 2016 // Written by ashley

A Full Year of Missions

This month marks my first full year in missions! For those of you that do not know how it started; I was eight years old when the Lord gave me a dream: I was surrounded by different nations with the biggest smile on my face. The overwhelming joy I felt then, is what I feel now every time I step off a plane and look into the faces of a nation I have never discovered.

I didn’t grow up in church, but that dream never left me. At 25 years old the Lord spoke to me and said ‘It is time’. with that word I quit my job and went. I did not care about the years of school, the degrees I have nor how I was going to do it; all I cared about was fulfilling His commandment.

Beautiful & Challenging

This year has been the most challenging and beautiful year of my life. Ministering in six countries (Cyprus, England, United Arab of Emirates, South Africa, Dominican Republic and United States of America) has allowed me to see many forms of God come alive. I have a better understanding of His love for the lost, I know more of His power and I know more of His pain. What I have learned the most over this year is this; it’s worth it. The lack of sleep, not knowing where I will sleep, not have enough food, giving up clothes/shoes, sitting in urine, climbing trees, enduring degrading comments, hugging criminals, living without air conditioner, missing birthdays/holidays, watching people die, going through riots… it was all worth it. Why? Because I can say, as tears run down my face, I loved with the love of Christ.

Healing, Restoration, Hope

I saw God heal the sick, restore dreams to hopeless generation, bring laughter to dying men, redeem drug dealers, give value back to women who have been trafficked and bring life into a decaying land. God did all these things and He used me in the process. I did not do this alone; it’s because of your prayers and support that I stand in victory over this last year. All I can say is thank you. Thank you for sowing into me. I could not have done it without you. Here’s to the next year in missions!

Thank you for your support!

Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation, Thank y’all for your support over this year. I pray God blesses your RUN FOR HIM 5K & 10K race this fall and that He is multiplying it times ten!

God bless
Jarnae

THANK YOU FRIENDS!

Published on September 10, 2015 // Written by ashley

Friends,

As I sit this morning reflecting on the 7th Annual RUN FOR HIM this past weekend, I am blown away, once again, by God’s faithfulness and the love and support of family and friends! Everything came together perfectly thanks to our amazing volunteers. It was a great day filled with love, fellowship and devotion to the Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation!

We had an awesome 5K/10K with 472 participants and over 100 volunteers. There are no words to express our gratitude to our faithful family and friends who join us each year. Whether you sponsored the race, volunteered your time or participated, you are a huge part of what makes our day the most special of the year.

Thank you for your support and sharing in God’s plan of using our sweet Bruce’s life to send young people on mission to share Jesus with the world. One hundred percent of the money raised goes to the Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation and provides funds to help young people fulfill what God is calling them to do. The word is spreading and we were blessed to send twice as many out this past year as we did the year before. I can’t wait to see all God accomplishes in the coming year.

Thank you for being a huge part of this year’s Run For Him!

Much love and blessings,

Gary, Melissa, Rhiannon & Ashley

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. To Him be the glory!” Ephesians 3:20-21

“How can anyone go and preach unless they are sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news.” Romans 10:14-15

Jesus is greater

Published on May 30, 2015 // Written by recipient

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Tyler H

Wow, The Bruce Gilley Foundation. What a blessing.

I was raised by a single mother along with my sister. She was and is currently still a teacher, so not the idea salary for a single mother. But that never stopped Jesus from working in my life, money was no problem. Through funding from the Bruce Gilley Foundation, I attended so many different camps, from Charleston, South Carolina to Orange Beach in Gulf Shores Alabama.

Jesus is so much greater than any obstacle, through the death of a 14 year old young man, Jesus gave life to so many people. Jesus has used this foundation, is using this foundation, and will continue to use this foundation to help fund kids to go to these camps. These camps help kids find a real Father, that will never leave them, will always love them, and most of all carry them through life. This foundation is a beautiful example of people giving back to a community of believers.

We are all one body, a body of Christ. The Bride of Christ, we are united believers bound by the true love and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. This foundation was a blessing to my life, and continues to bless many others. Our God is magnificent and continues to move in many ways throughout the city of Murfreesboro.

Quit looking at the mountains in front of you as obstacles because the man above the mountains is far greater and far more powerful.

He can move mountains.

Tyler H.

2013

God’s Surprises El Salvador

Published on May 30, 2015 // Written by recipient

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Savut

Thank you so much for giving me the funds to go on a mission trip to El Salvador. The Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation is a big reason why I was able to go. Words will not be able to describe my life changing experience in El Salvador.

I became a believer in 2011 because people loved me and listened to me. Ever since then, I loved and listened to the people I was surround by. However when I decided to go on this trip, I immediately started to get frustrated. I didn’t understand what was going on. A week before I was scheduled to leave I told my mentor Scott about it. He responded and said “satan just wants you to believe that because you are going on a mission trip to do what God’s wants… and satan hates that.

March 7, 2015

My mentor, Scott took me to the airport and prayed over me before I left. He prayed that God would help me focus, that God would soften my heart, and that I would leave everything in the states and experience God in a beautiful way! That’s exactly what God did and now I will share some of my experiences from my trip.

God is going to surprise you

When I went to El Salvador it finally became real to me that I was going to be away from Tennessee for eight days. We walked out of the airport in El Salvador and our team of nine people was immediately loved on by the National Staff. This team of 10 people loved on us all week. The pastor said “God is going to surprise you… we are here to love on you and service you… we are here to make it the best week of your life… keep your eyes open because God is going to surprise you”

I was so grateful that a team of ten people who lived in a third world country with not a lot of stuff would give their lives away to nine people who were spoiled with materialistic things from the United States. I immediately connected with the National Staff regardless of the language barrier. I fell in love with them!

– Savut – Experience Church

(Spring 2015)

Changing Lives El Salvador

Published on May 30, 2015 // Written by recipient

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Paige A.

Melissa Gilley & The Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation –

Thank you so much for supporting me and giving me and giving me the opportunity to make a difference in El Salvador. You guys are truly in the life changing business, because without your support I wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to invest in the lives of those who don’t know the Lord in El Salvador. Here’s an overview of what I took away from my time there.

Our team of nine worked with an organization call Castillo del Rey, through which we had the resources to reach out to the local children of Ciudad Barrios. We also had a team of Nationals working with us, who spoke Spanish and were there to guide us and work with us during the week. Ciudad Barrios is the one of the most dangerous places in El Salvador due to prominent gang activity. Most teams that come to work in Castillo del Rey chose not to go here because of this.

Throughout the week we traveled to different schools and parks in the area to put on programs, consisting of games and dances, in order to spread the good news of the gospel. God spoke to me this week in a few different ways and planted some important thoughts in my head that I don’t think I will ever be able to forget.

Here are the three most prominent:

READ more of Paige’s entries:

Comfort Zones | Clouds | Two Options

Love and hugs El Salvador

Published on May 30, 2015 // Written by recipient

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Patrick B.

To all that made my trip possible:

I just want d to thank you for supporting our trip to El Salvador. Without the Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation this trip wouldn’t have been possible for most of us. Your support help changed the lives of so many people, especially those that were on our team. Most of us, including myself, have never had the opportunity to see the world or minister outside of Murfreesboro, TN.

This trip opened my eyes to so many things.

I know God has me exactly where I am, but this trip gave me the chance to grow in my walk with Him. I was able to experience first hand people who were so hungry for God that they would walk miles to go to church and pray for hours. We were able to show love to kids without language, but through our actions. All they wanted to to was be around us and hug us, which could have been the only love and hug they get. Seeing those kids eyes light up as we jumped off the bus dressed in full clown make up, sweating and tired, made us all energized.

Telling kids “Jesus Loves You!”

We had the opportunity to tell hundreds of kids from age 5-18 that Jesus loves them so much, no matter what they had done or what difficulty they came from. We got to tell them that He would always be there for them even when times were bad. My most memorable moment was praying along side of a National staff with a young boy who hadn’t eaten anything for 2 days. His father didn’t help him at all and would send him out into the streets to beg and scavenge for food. We bought him food and got to share the Gospel and love of Christ with him through that. He had never heard any of that before. I still pray everyday for that kid.

I again want to thank everybody who supports the Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation, because without you none of this would have been possible. If there is anything we can do in return people don’t hesitate to ask.

Patrick B.
(Spring 2015)

A Privilege and Blessing Dominical Republic

Published on May 30, 2015 // Written by recipient

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Katie W.

Dear Bruce Gilley Foundation

Thank yo so much for funding me as I went on my trip to the Dominican Republic this Spring Break (2015)! It was such a privilege and a blessing to go back to the country I fell in love with last summer! I couldn’t have done it without your help!

Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely

Katie W.
Belle Aire Baptist Church
Spring 2015

Unconditional Love

Published on May 30, 2015 // Written by recipient

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Grace H.

The joy of feeling the unconditional love and happiness from the people of the Dominican might be the greatest thing I’ve experienced, much like the beautiful and merciful love of our Jesus Christ. I’m so glad The Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation helped me experience this again last summer (2013). As I write this I can’t help but smile and just long to be back there with those beautiful people.

While we were there we helped build a second story to the church and other random jobs in the village. Also, we had a teens and women’s ministry to really connect with those groups of people. We also had a VBS sort of thing, designated for younger kids but really all ages were welcome. What we mostly tried to focus on was just really loving these people and sharing the love of Jesus Christ, without the Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation I would have never been able to do that. I really cannot thank you enough.

– Grace H. (2013)

Visiting the Holy Land

Published on May 29, 2014 // Written by recipient

My name is Kevin and am interested in going into Marriage and Family Counseling program for my graduate work.

God has gifted me with helping others and encouraging others. I believe that God is calling me to the counseling field that specializes in teenagers and marriages. I am still have not decided what school I will attend for graduate work, but I believe God will lead me where He wants me to go. Sometime during my schooling I would love to go on a mission trip to Honduras, and I would love to go back to Israel with CU in 2018.

In the Spring of 2014, Campbellsville University in Campbellsville, Kentucky took students, faculty, staff, and friends to the Holy Land (Jordan and Israel). The trip was mostly an educational trip showing significant sites that are mentioned in the Bible and giving an extensive history on each site. I was blessed to receive a scholarship from the Bruce Gilley Memorial Foundation to help fund my trip. My favorite sites were Mount Arbel which is where Jesus went to be alone to pray for His disciples and ministry, Petra which is where Esau’s descendants lived, the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed before getting captured and crucified, and the Sea of Galilee where much of Jesus’ ministry took place.

The trip was educational, but it was also very eye opening to see how much different the Jordanians and Israelites live. Our professors and other leaders at CU lead devotions throughout the nine days we were there. Dr. Garrison (Head Professor of Educational Ministries,) Dr. Wigginton (Head Professor of Pastoral Ministries,) Dr. Hurtgen (Dean of the School of Theology and Head Professor of New Testament Studies,) and Mr. Ed Pavy (Campus Minister) all lead more than one devotion while we were there.

Visiting the Holy Land is an experience I’ll never forget; now when I read the Bible about a location we went to I can picture it and get a better understanding of the culture and significance of that time. The BGMF was a great supporter in my trip, my education, and my future ministry.

– Kevin

A Year of Missions Cyprus, England, UAE, South Africa, Dominican Republic & USA

A Full Year of Missions

Beautiful & Challenging

Healing, Restoration, Hope

Thank you for your support!

THANK YOU FRIENDS!

Jesus is greater

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT: Tyler H