Journal entry for: 12-1-2000

Hello Everybody,

      I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving time this year. It was nice for us. We got the chance to get out of town for a few days and spend some time with friends and family back home. It's always such a blast of fresh air, and so great around the holidays...

      A few weeks ago, I mentioned in the last newsletter/journal, that our trailer and gear had been stolen and that we weren't sure how we were going to get back on our feet. I also mentioned that we were praying about making our need public and asking for help from those of you who support us. I am humbled to let you know that we could use the help, for it has become clear to us that we really do. Our insurance company has made great use of some loopholes in our policy, and is only paying us back about a third of what we lost. After the dust of the theft has settled, we are left about $15,000 short of what we need to decently replace our gear. So many of you have offered financial support already, and some of you have already sent some, that we are starting to realize that some people may really enjoy the chance to help us out. It is so hard to do this, because it is not our nature to have to depend on others, (especially for a group of guys as independent as we are!). Our friends Waterdeep had this exact same thing happen to them a few years ago, and they were put back on their feet by asking the people who cared and who wanted to support them. They felt that it was one of the best things that happened to them, because they were able to really see that people cared about them, as well as replace their stuff. It is with this hope, based on your constant encouragement over the past few years, which even allows us the freedom to ask at all. We realize that this is a pretty good-sized chunk of cash, and especially around the holidays, money doesn't just sit around in piles on the floor, but every little bit helps, as they say... Truly, I don't know if I can express how deeply appreciative we are of what any gift would be right now.

      We also want you to know that soliciting you is not the only thing we are doing in our efforts to replace our gear. We are continuing to tour (with borrowed gear) and are using some of that money towards this, as well as doing a benefit concert, and some church support. We also want to let you know that we've looked into trying to make contributions tax-deductable, but the way our business is set-up, "tax-deductable" would also have to mean "money-laundering", and as that is frowned upon by our current government, it's just not possible. Thirdly, any money we recieve past the amount we need will be donated to Prayer for the Persecuted Church, an organization we fully support and that could use any help they can get. Below is an address where you can send anything you feel like giving, and we will respond to each contribution with a note telling you where the money is specifically going, because we want to make sure that we are going about this honorably, and that you know we won't be wasting your gifts.

      We want to thank you deeply, before anyone even sends us anything, for praying for us, writing us, and coming to see us play. You have given us the support to continue doing this as long as we have, and for that we are grateful. Not everyone gets an opportunity to share their broken hearts, victories, and passions for a living. Thank you for your openness as we ask you for this help. It is hard for us to ask, but I really think that it is good. The body of Christ is there so we can share in our high times and our lows. We hope that you have been inspired by our highs, and that we could have helped some of you go through the lows, just as you are helping us through ours. Thanks again for being there for us, and for your prayers through this time. We hope that your Christmas season is more true, deep, full and real than ever before, and that we are all given a rekindling of our hope and faith in Christ. Until next time...

Grace and Peace to you,
Andrew

p.s. To anyone in the Nashville, TN region: There will be a benefit concert on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at Belmont University, at 6:30. I will be playing along with Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Matthew Perryman Jones, and Katy Bowser. It'll be a great time, so please try and make it!

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To send a contribution, please make a check out to: Normal Enterprises, Inc.

Gifts can be mailed to:
P.O. Box 24446
Nashville, TN 37202