My Story: Brandy

by

How a box of books brought my family close to God and each other

My Story: Brandy

I’m a mother of nine. I have 9-year-old triplets, 11-year-old twins, a 16-year-old, and three older children.

When my triplets’ dad went to prison, I was pregnant with them. It was a messy situation, an overwhelming and difficult time. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I went to work three months after I gave birth to the triplets and enrolled them in a county daycare program.

It was really, really hard, especially knowing I was going to be all by myself with all the kids. My family helped me. My dad and my stepmom helped get me to and from my appointments. It was definitely challenging and overwhelming, but I survived.

‘HOW DID DAD KNOW WHAT WE WANTED?’

My family has been blessed by Angel Tree® for about six or seven years now. All of my kids have received Angel Tree gifts. I have a son who is 18 now, off in college, but in the past, he received an Angel Tree gift. I think it's really special to my kids because I tell them that the gift is from their dad. The Angel Tree people call and ask what they want.

Every year, it’s been so many years, they’re always asking, “How did our dad know what we wanted?” So they’re totally amazed. I think that has made it possible for them to have a relationship with their dad. That’s pretty special for them. They have a video visit with him now every Sunday.

If Angel Tree didn’t exist, I don’t think it would have opened a door for a relationship for my kids with their father. So, I’m glad that they have that. Through Angel Tree keeping those doors open, it’s made that connection easy.

They’re still amazed at how he knows what they want.

AN UNFORGETTABLE WEEK AT SUMMER CAMP

My kids also attended Angel Tree camp at Camp Redwood Glen. I had gotten emails and stuff about this Angel Tree camp in the past, but I didn’t want to send them. I had never been away from the kids until they went to this camp. I would never have thought to send them there and would have never been able to afford to send them on my own.

Then last year, we got a postcard for camp in the mail. The kids saw it and said, “Wait, what? We want to go.”

So I agreed they could go to the Angel Tree camp, and I'm so glad I did. I thought I was going to have to fill out all kinds of paperwork, but signing up was totally easy; I want people to know how easy and convenient it was!

My five youngest kids went this year. Camp was different for all of them. They loved the leaders and all the activities, like campfire and prayer. My kids have already planned what activities they’re going to pick this year. My daughter, Lily, had an experience with the Holy Spirit, and now she can’t wait to go back to camp.

It’s kind of hard to let your kids go away for a week without you, but I’m glad I did. One of my kids even got sick there, and they cared for him at the nurses’ station for two days. It eased my anxiety to know that they were all being cared for so well. I had pictured myself picking them up and them running to my arms, telling me they missed me so much.

But what they said was, “Do we have to leave? Can we stay longer?”

It was a wonderful experience, and my kids haven’t stopped talking about it. They are planning on going back next summer.

I know camp is for the kids, but it also helps their dad. Angel Tree makes him feel like he’s doing something for his kids when he’s pretty much powerless.

THE BOX OF BOOKS

A few months after camp, we received an email from Prison Fellowship offering Bibles and devotional workbooks for my kids, which I was happy for them to have.

When the package arrived, oh my goodness—what a blessing! They sent us good quality books. My kids are doing the workbooks, and it’s given me an opportunity to spend time with them, reading Bible verses and things like that.

That experience planted seeds of hope in my young children. Some of them really cherished that Bible, even though we didn’t go to church at that time.

My children are the ones who led me to church in the first place. Some kids at their school and daycare were inviting them. My kids were hounding me about going to church, and finally I was like, “Fine, we’ll go, but it’s only one time. And we’re not going on Sunday. It's only on Wednesday.”

Now we are going to church all the time. When my kids’ friends began inviting them to church, I feel it was those Bibles that made them want to go. The Bibles planted seeds in my kids’ hearts.

They love bringing their own Bibles to church. To a little kid, that is cool. Plus, they get “points” in their class at their church every week they bring their own Bible. I’d say at least once a week they’re pulling out those Angel Tree workbooks, and they’re powering through them. I'm grateful for that. It’s a huge blessing.

ALL-STAR MOM

In connection with Angel Tree, I was invited to attend an NBA All-Star breakfast recently. I got to go down there on Friday and stay in a nice hotel. I had dinner with some of the people from Prison Fellowship, which was really nice. We had a good time. Then, Saturday morning, we went to breakfast at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. It was really nice—just beautiful.

We went to an event that was sponsored by Athletes in Action. Kevin Durant, a popular player for the Houston Rockets, shared a message from his experience being raised by a single mom. Athletes at the event received awards for their character.

After that, we had breakfast, and we broke off to a little event for the All-Star moms. It was pretty inspiring. A speaker was telling a story about her single mom and some things that her mom taught her. One of the messages that stuck out was, “Be forgiving. Don’t hold on to a grudge.”

I felt really happy that they recognized me as an All-Star mom. I think I’m a good mom; I work really hard.

It all started with that box of books. It was a blessing. It almost brought tears to my eyes. I can’t explain it. Just to see my kids happy is a blessing to me. Angel Tree opened my kids up and planted seeds. I wish I had opened my eyes to this a lot sooner.