four-minute friday: giveaway
May 14, 2010
Go.
Did you know we have our own blend of Thrive Africa coffee? We do. It’s organic, fair-trade, and air-roasted. And it’s made entirely of African-grown beans.
From Africa.
For Africa.
You can win a pound of Thrive coffee and an awesome travel mug to drink it out of.
My friend Ashleigh is doing a giveaway over on her blog. (She’s amazing like that.) You need to go read her post to discover all the ways you can enter — and you have between now and Monday at midnight to do it.
So go on over and enter your name into the giveaway.
You know you wanna.
Done.
Hmmm. African coffee.
You gotta love it. No better in the world.
Not sure if I should enter though, nobody likes shipping to Africa. :-D
Alece,
I’m writing this message to help those who are clearly in the same position I was in- A true believer in you and a huge supporter, only to find out that you are a fraud. I’m certain you will delete this post so you are not “uncovered” but it will be worth it for the ones who will see the post before you have a chance to delete it and continue the lie. Hopefully those who do see it will understand that, if it wasn’t true, you would stand up to your opposition instead of deleting/hiding it. The following are things I know to be fact: You bailed on Thrive close to 2 years ago and, up until very recently, you refused to help and/or work with the people you left to clean up the chaos. Even now it seems your involvement is minimal yet you are completely willing to take the credit. People should know that while you were NOT working for Thrive, you were sitting in Starbucks drinking expensive coffee, blogging, sleeping in and going on vacations. Who is paying for all of this? Your dedicated followers? If there is one thing all your supporters can do for you, is to continue to support you while they hold you accountable for you actions and deceit. You have clearly abandoned everyone who expects you to do your part (or anything for that matter). You have manipulated and taken advantage of people for too long. I pray that you are forgiven for your selfishness. I pray that you turn your words into your actions and that your friends see you through this process. It’s time to come clean, Alece. You owe it to all these amazing people.
When I read comments like this, the first thing I can think is…what an asshole. You are a waste of human life. Ridiculous. Arrogant. Uninformed. Selfish. Jealous. The list could go on.
But, God says Im supposed to love even you. Right now I dont. I choose to support Alece in this. You, “anonymous” arent worth it. God, will deal with me later…
I find it interesting that, you point out “the truth” (of course, you havent pointed out anything at this point) and yet you hide behind and “anonymous” comment. What a coward! You want truth? you want answers? Talk. Dont hide. You just slapped someone and ran, like a little pansy.
Anonymous, I will honor you with this. Expose yourself and discuss this, like a real person and I will not speak. I will listen. I will give you a chance to “expose” Alece and I will pay attention. The reality is, you wont “expose” anything. You will only “expose” the hurt and deceit and lies that have been placed upon Alece’s head for years. You want to know the truth? Maybe you should listen and pay attention. Oh wait, you won’t. Because you are hiding behind a little computer screen…In Nashville… (Yes, IP addresses are public knowledge)
You have nothing but hatred, jealousy and deceit wrapped up in you passive agressive tirade, that you call “truth” and “help” to others. Call me angry. Call me a bad Christian. I dont care. Im not hiding. Im here, ready to go toe to toe with you. To TRULY fight for truth and EXPOSE the lies. Let’s go!
Anonymous, you sicken me!
crying over here at how much B swoops in and in such a fatherly way, protects and defends.
love it.
@tamhodge says:
anon -
very biblical approach here. wait. it wasnt. if you were truly concerned about thrive, you would have approached alece directly first. just the two of you couldve discussed this. then, if in your opinion (which from your comment i would have a hard time taking seriously) you didnt feel the issues you see were being taken care of you shouldve taken it to the board of thrive. youve displayed no tact here or biblical order.
youre in nashville – alece has been in nashville. did you ask her out for one of those expensive coffees, that you could pay for, to talk over this??
ive had the honor of watching alece personally. ive seen her work for thrive. ive heard alece share about her love for south africa. ive seen her up at all hours of the night working on leads to get support for this ministry that her heart beats for. she is traveling this country ALONE, working ceaselessly on little, to sometimes no, sleep, because she is COMMITTED to God and His people.
how dare you, coward. you should be ashamed of yourself!! your comment wreaks of hurtful intent. im so disgusted right now.
i have to mellow out before i say anymore….
@mandythompson says:
Anonymous:
I’ve spent a large chunk of my afternoon thinking through your comment. And I’m sorry for whatever has happened to bring you to the place of publicly describing Alece in this manner.
I will eagerly admit that I am one of her “followers” as you’ve referenced us. And, I began to think through whether or not the Alece that I know could actually be manipulating all of us… Instead of wandering down that mental road, I decided to do some research.
Namely, I wanted to verify Alece’s relationship with Thrive, especially in light of your words that she “abandoned” this organization… I suspected that, if she was no longer a functioning presence, she would not be described as such by Thrive Africa itself.
So. I checked Thrive’s staff lineup, and she is still identified as the “Founder and President” on the organization’s site… (See http://thriveafrica.org/about/staff/)
In Thrive’s own words:
When Alece first stepped foot on African soil as a teenager, she knew she’d return long-term. In 1998, at 19 years of age, she took a leap of faith and moved from New York to South Africa. With the invaluable help of partners and staff through the years, Alece took what started as just a dream and pioneered Thrive Africa from the ground up. She has a strong vision for leadership development, and firmly believes that it is key to turning the tide of the AIDS pandemic. Despite countless setbacks and challenges, Alece remains obedient to God’s calling on her life and passionate about mobilizing indigenous leaders to bring transformational change to Africa.
Yes, she’s been away from Thrive’s base camp for a long time now. And, yes, she’s travelled a good bit in that time, but I doubt this ministry would still hold her in such regard on their website, if she truly has abandoned ship and manipulated the world. In fact, Alece took great pains to fully explain her relationship with Thrive as the organization explained Alece’s time in the states, Niel’s resignation, and Amy Riep’s leadership: http://thriveafrica.org/2009/10/a-note-from-our-founder/
Again, I’m sorry for the circumstances and everything that has happened, but it doesn’t look like Thrive Africa has given up on Alece or removed her from leadership in that organization.
@jclayville says:
anonymous…
i’m so sorry for the hurt you must feel from what looks like a sense of being abandoned by alece… however… two years ago, her life fell apart. she did what was BEST for the ministry and worked towards getting herself healthy to lead again. EVERYTHING alece does is FOR God and for Thrive.
#1. love the lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.
#2. love your neighbor as yourself.
we miss the second part of #2 often. in order for us to love our neighbors, we need to love ourselves first. alece is DOING that… and seeking God FULLY as she heals.
grow a pair and stop being anonymous. you are a coward. you OBVIOUSLY don’t know alece AT ALL. i’m sure you have some sort of worth to this world… after all, God gives us all a purpose, but i’m not quite certain what yours is right now.
you aren’t calling her out to the public and making things more clear. you are just losing all credibility with your comment. it’s “nice” that you’re praying that God will forgive alece… but maybe you should pray that God help you forgive YOURSELF for whatever issues you can’t get over first.
bless your heart, anonymous… oh… and i mean that.
unashamedly a friend of alece’s.
Jenni
@gritandglory says:
I sent this to the email address you listed, but as expected, it bounced back. As I don’t have any other means of contacting you, I’m leaving my reply here in the hopes that you may come back and see it:
::
Anonymous,
I’m guessing this is a fake email address, but I actually hope it’s not. While your comment was malicious and hurtful, I would genuinely appreciate talking with you about what you said.
If you would like to dialogue about your concerns and the ways you believe I have been deceiving people, please email me. I don’t mind discussing these things with you — in fact, I invite the opportunity to clear up your misconceptions. I simply ask that you go about it in the proper way by addressing me directly rather than publicly.
Now that I’m a bit more removed from the emotions I felt when I first received your comment, my heart is more sad than anything else. I’m sad for you and the hurt you are carrying. I assume you are someone who was/is close enough to Thrive that you were personally wounded very deeply by all that transpired in the past two years. I hate that for you, and I wish I could do something to alleviate your heartache, just as I wish I could do for everyone who’s been so tremendously impacted by all this. The most I can do at this point is pray. I trust that God is strong enough to reach down into the deepest of pits to pull you out, just as He continues to do for me every day.
I am praying for you today.
Alece
( click here to send me an email: http://www.gritandglory.com/talk-to-me-2/ )
And this, is why I support you Alece and the ministry of Thrive…
To “anonymous”. You are making very uninformed and seriously judgemental accusations about Alece. It is clear that you know nothing about her, her heart, or process. If you did would never have looked so foolish as to write this. It is clear that you don’t know alece if you are posting this crap on her blog and not talking about your thoughts directly to her. Or maybe you know your accusations are based on crap because you have hidden yourself. Either way you are out of line and way off.
People can be mean.
I know what Alece went through because it happened to me too. That degree of deceit inflicted upon yourself by someone you loved and trusted with everything is crushing. She has been in my prayers for a long time and continues to be there. She has been lucky to be able to take so much time to heal outside of the grind of everyday life. Trying to deal with this kind of heartbreak while continuing to pay your rent and bills, put on a happy face for your child, and get up and go to work everyday is extremely difficult. Glad she has been able to do with with tremendous support here and where she is. I read the anonymous comment above and it did strike a cord with me. While I feel for her, I did start to notice all of the expensive coffee. But a girl should treat herself, right? However, what really surprised me were the braces I saw she was wearing. Perhaps they were donated to her from an orthodontist friend and supporter, but if not who is paying for them? Her ex-husband? Thrive supporters? I support Thrive and the great things they do, however I can not afford to pay for braces for my own daughter. Hopefully I am not paying for Alece’s.
Good thing you came across gentle…cause Alece’s braces have been paid for by someone other than thrive.
See, people…its good to know the TRUTH!!!
@tamhodge says:
get the facts first!
And let’s not forget that Alece didn’t get braces for vanity… She got them because of an accident. She spent non money on them, but money or not, people get medical care after accidents.
gitz- that little white dog is so cute!
@jclayville says:
“silently watching”… you aren’t really being so silent are you?
do you have any other questions we can answer for you? maybe you should check out facts before you judge.
Wow.
“Get the facts first!” and “maybe you should check out facts before you judge.”
In my post I sympathized with Alece and merely posed a question. Brent answered it.
Alece is blessed to have such staunch supporters on her side.
@jclayville says:
SW…
all i’m saying is if you REALLY were wondering where she got the money for braces, maybe you should have asked her in private instead of sitting there and wondering (or judging) on your own for who knows how long. her braces weren’t “optional”… they were an emergency procedure… and she STILL may lose a tooth due to the accident. and if and when she needs that new tooth, i can guarantee the cost of that won’t come out of Thrive either.
i’m glad your question has been answered. God provides in ways that bless those who are faithful. alece hasn’t spent a single cent of Thrive supporters money on her coffee. she doesn’t get starbucks in South Africa so she’s taking advantage while she’s here… on her own dime.
though i appreciate that your sympathy for her, as a somewhat protective friend, i was pretty sure i saw straight into what you were really saying. please don’t brush that off like you were “merely posing a question” when you weren’t. let’s own what we say and our intention behind it, k?
i’ll own mine. i’m calling you out, friend.
@gritandglory says:
I sent this to the email address you listed in your comment, but it bounced back to me. As I don’t have any other means of contacting you, I’m leaving my reply here for you here.
::
Silently Watching,
I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve walked a similar road in your own life. I hate that you can relate to this type of pain and betrayal.
I would be happy to dialogue with you about your concerns if you are interested in emailing with me. In response to the two specific things you mentioned in your comment… Here is a link to the blog post about the accident I had in February, which required emergency dental care: http://www.gritandglory.com/2010/02/22/gettin-my-smile-back/ I am grateful for the dentist who has donated all of her time and services for free.
I’m not sure what exactly you meant by “I did start to notice all of the expensive coffee”. I don’t understand what it is that you noticed or how much expensive coffee you think I drink. My personal purchases are never paid for by Thrive Africa, which I’d imagine is your concern.
If you have other questions, I really am more than happy to answer them.
Thank you for your continued support of Thrive Africa. I pray God’s blessings on you.
Alece
( you can send me an email message here: http://www.gritandglory.com/talk-to-me-2 )
Good grief.
Alece, you are so gracious.
If you spend time in ministry for any length of time, people are going to get angry and judge. We only see things from our own perspective.
Silently watching, God has not made you the keeper of how money is spent. If you trust THRIVE enough to give them money, then you trust them to delegate it however they choose.
And the money all belongs to Him anyways.
i definitely agree that anonymous should confront alece alone if there really is a problem. taking it to a public forum is tacky and hateful…but piling angry comments on top of hate is only going to fuel it. it isn’t productive.
it is possible to defend a person without stooping to similar tactics of the one who offended. it really is. hard? absolutely, but demonstrating and walking in God’s love isn’t easy.
Obviously anonymous needs a good healthy dose of Jesus’ love (and a biblical understanding of how to handle a grievance)
@coloraturajoy says:
well spoken.
it IS hard to sit on the sidelines and watch a dearly loved friend be bullied and attacked, especially if that friend has gone through as much as alece has recently.
you’re right–sometimes it can be hard to maintain a Godly, loving character when all you want to do is stand up and defend someone you love. but at the same time, it really is crucial to be above reproach, i think, especially in a delicate area like this. i totally get both sides to that issue.
but i’m mainly just sorry that so many people in the body of Christ fail to honor and love their neighbor, and instead choose to attack them in poorly chosen situations/timing, or worse, slander them either publicly to the person’s face, or behind his or her back. especially when the Word clearly says that all men will know that we are His disciples, by our love for one another. WHY are we (in the general sense) failing so badly at this??? it breaks my heart because it leaves selfishness, pride, and unforgiveness to run rampant in our lives (as in anonymous’ case…or so it appears based only by that comment) or, as in Alece’s case, it leaves another feeling hurt, betrayed, lied to, and broken down.
but even if some of those defending beautiful Alece could have used more wisdom in HOW they did it, what a beautiful, Christ-like legacy to have SO many people jump up in defense of her character, level of integrity, honesty, and her heart.
Alece, the God says that HE is our defense…but i think He threw in a few extra humans to play that part, too. just extra. cuz that’s how much He loves you. :)
This is a sincere question I have if anyone would like to discuss it:
I agree that we should be careful and Christlike, but I don’t totally understand why people always say that we shouldn’t defend or be angry. What defines being above reproach in these situations? I’m not good at confrontation, to be honest. I usually tend to let people walk over me, but part of that is because I was taught that being Christian is to immediately forgive and accept people and not let anger fight against anger.
But I read the story of Jesus in the temple, being angry and turning over tables in His Father’s defense. He got angry. And He acted on it. And that wasn’t sinful, because Christ was without sin.
I want to turn over a table for Alece. I’m not attacking someone else out of left field, but I am speaking truth so the people slandering her know what that does to people. I want them to know my first hand account of her, that they are wrong and that it is insulting to me on her behalf.
There have been times online when people are trying to stir up trouble on different topics, and I choose not to participate because I know they enjoy the attention and I don’t want to fuel the fire. But this isn’t a topic. This is a person, her integrity, her livelihood and her life’s work.
When, if not now, is the right time to turn over a table in her defense? Because not defending her work, to me, is like not defending the Father’s.
@jclayville says:
AMEN, Gitz!!!
@cassgirl says:
Thank You Gitz!
@coloraturajoy says:
Oh my… I’ve obviously completely miscommunicated. I’m sorry if it seemed that I was trying to, in some way, correct, rebuke or admonish those of you who defended Alece. That’s actually not what I was doing.
Gitz, I COMLETELY agree with you. I mean, when you sit down to think about it, overturning tables is a BIG deal in any culture or time period. It demonstrates deep, heartfelt anger and a desire to defend what is right. And Jesus showed us that those feelings are just as godly as any kind of fluffy forgiveness Christians can subscribe to.
The Bible never said don’t defend your friend or don’t be angry, (and Jesus obviously responded in anger). To not be angry in your defense of your friend is DEFINITELY not what I was saying should be done, and honestly, I thought your defense of her, Gitz, was articulate and forthright, passionately displaying a love big enough to fight tooth and nail for your friend.
What i saw in Mandie’s comment was a heart and an intent for peacemaking, peacekeeping. And I knew she had a point that she was trying to get to. However, I’m afraid I’m not always as well-spoken as some of you…
Primarily what I was stated in my previous comment was that it saddens me that people, like the anonymous commenter, feel that it is their place and their right to dishonor people and disregard the Word of God by insulting others, calling them out publicly at inappropriate times/places, and/or purposefully slandering their character. That kind of mindset makes me sick and breaks my heart because it is everwhere in the church. But that comment was directed not to you, or Alece’s other supporters. It was directed only to that spirit of ugliness found in Anonymous’s comment.
I said in my previous comment: “but even if some of those defending beautiful Alece could have used more wisdom in HOW they did it, what a beautiful, Christ-like legacy to have SO many people jump up in defense of her character, level of integrity, honesty, and her heart.” Emphasis on “if” here. I was just attempting a sense of balance here in describing the fact that, regardless of how it was done, how precious it is to see that so many wonderful people have risen to defend their loved one. I obviously communicated something completely different, and I’m sorry. Hope this helps clear it up a bit?
I didn’t think you meant anything bad either, Joy. This was something I honestly wanted feedback on. I was raised in an environment of keeping everything happy, even if things weren’t happy, and I honestly felt for a long time that expressing anger was a less than Christ-like thing for me to do. Even feeling anger would bring guilt for me. (That’s the Catholic in me) ;) I often read that people feel strongly about either one or the other… That we should fight or we should just never engage, and I think it’s good to talk about it and figure out how to get to that happy medium. To figure out how to fight and defend against what I do feel is innately evil intent, and yet maintain who we are as Christians.
I guess part of it comes down to the fact that some people start things because they crave the drama, and others start things because tearing down goodness empowers them. That is the part that makes me want to fight… Not just to defend integrity, but to defend the work of His church. Evil tears away at the fabric of beautiful deeds, and I’d hate to see the church in Africa suffer because of anonymous sewing false seeds of doubt in hearts.
You didn’t offend me, Joy. You just gave me an opportunity to ask the question that’s bothered me for a long time… When is it ok to get angry? And when is it our RESPONSIBILITY to get angry?
@coloraturajoy says:
So good to know… Confession: I hate offending people when I haven’t meant to. It just gets at me. Thanks for
As for your question, I wish I were smarter and had all the answers…
But I think you answered it at least in part when you said that what makes you want to fight is the defending of integrity and the work of His church, the rebuking and exposing of the evil that destroys, the ripping up of false seeds being sewn. These are the things which should rile up righteous anger in us. I think in these situations, it might even be, as you said, our responsibility to get angry. Anger is a passionate emotion. It’s not something you can just feel and let sit. It causes action.
When I personally consider the issue of anger, primarily when it is our responsibility, I think of Micah 6:8. It says “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy/kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Most people might not think of anger when reading this, but this, to me, is the ticket to knowing when my anger is a responsibility. When justice is thrown out the window and when mercy is ignored, then it becomes our duty (imho) to defend those things.
James 1:20 says that our humanly anger doesn’t accomplish the righteousness of God. This is how I interpret it (in part…): Getting angry over “stupid” (pointless or otherwise not eternally important) stuff = humanly anger, not going to accomplish anything worthwhile. But getting angry over the things that also grieve God’s heart? Anger that can accomplish much for the Lord.
I am pretty sure tearing down one of His children would grieve the heart of God, and even anger Him. THAT would stir up righteous anger (as it so obviously has).
I hope someone else who harbors more wisdom than I do can come answer these questions. Because the hard questions are the ones that need to be answered.
I have no doubt that defending God and His faithful servants is the right thing to do. Our obligation, even. I brought this up because I have seen these same bible verses used in argument that we should NOT get angry and defend, but instead leave that to God’s righteousness. It’s tricky to wade the waters of the bible sometimes when so many can twist interpretations. (I agree with yours… Appreciate the perspective)
I had someone in my life who was a good friend, a believer, became a priest. He has since left the church, declared himself an atheist and is spewing hate and ugliness on a blog now. He is not content to simply not believe, he is intent on tearing apart the beliefs of others.
It makes me sick to even type that out. He is not the man I knew.
Anyway, that’s why this topic is so pertinent for me right now. He is no longer in my life, but I’m trying to discern my duty as a Christ follower as to how to defend without giving him more of a voice. Evil can spread so quickly.
@traceepersiko says:
SW,
So many bullcrap assumptions with bullcrap answers people have decided.”silently watching”, for someone who has experienced something similar, shocking that you would say some of the things you did. Alece has handled herself with more integrity than anyone I’ve known walking through this amount life pressure. Who is anyone else to judge how other people love her!! Or choose to stand by her for that matter! No one! Sounds like some people have a lot to say who are really not saying at all.
I am so angry I’m sick. What is most sickening is that Alece has endured, with grace, ugliness beyond measure by people she has loved and given her heart to, and then small-minded ig norant people step in to continue the hurt and abuse.
It takes such a small and weak person to try to hit people when they’re down. It’s because you, anonymous, could never stand up, speak and fight on your own. But here’s the rub: Alece wouldn’t fight with you. That’s not who she is. She is a woman of strength and faith and integrity.
She’s a woman who stayed at my house for a week and never once spent a dime on an expensive coffee. She never once spent a dime on anything because she exists on a barely-there budget. She didn’t have me pay for anything either, she simply went without… So she is asking for hand outs either.
And these people she has supposedly “left in the lurch” and “refuses to deal with”?
She had video conference calls with them at my house. She spent time on the phone with supporters. She and I sat here reviewing new brochures she was taking with her on fundraising trips. She was painstaking as she wNted the look and wording to be just right so that people could see the value she sees in Thrive. She was constantly brainstorming with people about Thrive and we had long talks about her heart for her mission.
I’m not going by what Alece has told us, opening her heart on the blog. I’m not going by rumor and innuendo. I’m not coming from a place of ignorance and deceit and evil intentions.
I’m telling you what I witnessed with my own two eyes. The only deceit and abuse is coming from you, your lies and your assumptions.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
Alece – I love you. If we want to get technical, I’ve known you since way back in the day and even then, you were captivating. The way you carry yourself inspires and encourages others. The ministry you have conducted via your website the past couple of years has thwarted me from making selfish decisions and spurned me to draw close to our heavenly Dad in my every day life.
I can’t imagine the thickness of skin required to be in a position of ministry and influence – I’m sure getting to the point where attacks don’t hurt is virtually impossible. Please remember, you are loved ‘o so much – and you deserve that love! And those that love you will always surround you with even more love and hopefully a good dose of laughter (seems to always help wash pain away).
You are the picture of truth and grace and I am beyond thankful to have “watched” as you have embarked on your journey of healing and avenging your heart.
You know, I haven’t had the pleasure of knowing Alece personally (maybe one day my wife and I will if she’s in AZ). But here’s what I do know:
Writing a comment like that as “anonymous”is simply ridiculous. You have your reward here in the responses. But you’ve said absolutely nothing, other than you have an extremely hard time with integrity in your life. Using one’s name is a key factor in any real and genuine conversation. You, Anonymous, clearly have no intention of doing that.
To Anonymous:
I almost restrained myself from commenting. However, as someone who has been involved in ministry in some form for 40 of my 46 years, I refuse to stand by and allow another faithful minister to be attacked viciously and without foundation. A testimony is confirmed in the mouth of two witnesses, according to the Old Testament. You have received many more than two witnesses here. Perhaps, as others have proposed, you should have considered the Matthew 18 model in addressing your “grievances” against Alece. I, too, have had the joy of hosting Alece in my home. In the time we have shared I have seen nothing deceptive, but only a heart that desires more than anything to serve God and His people, especially those in South Africa to whom He has called her. She demonstrates nothing if not grace and humility.
And has anyone noticed that Alece has elected NOT to respond to her accuser? Not because she is unable to defend whatever she has done, but because the Lord Himself is her defense, that defense being exercised through those of us who know her and are, along with her, the Body of Christ. When one hurts, we all hurt. When one rejoices, we all rejoice. And we will continue to rejoice as Alece continues to heal and stand strong in the face of this storm of opposition.
Alece,
How my heart is breaking over the attack you were dealt here today. Know that your precious tender heart is being held gently and lifted before the Father today and for many days hereafter.
With a heavy heart, love and hugs from VA
@Allison0105 says:
Alece:
God delights in you. Hold your head high. You are a daughter of the King. I don’t know you and I don’t financially support Thrive yet but prayerfully support you and Thrive everyday. You’re blog has been such an agent for healing in my life. Thank you for letting God use your situation to help others.
Anonymous:
It’s so hard for me to remember too that God is sovreign and in complete control and He doesn’t need my help. I can’t help but think that you were NOT acting in love or Godly wisdom or order in your post above. It sounds like you obviously have an issue that you feel needs to be addressed, but name calling and public slander are not the correct way to handle such things. RT Kendall has written two amazing books, “Total Forgiveness” and “Controlling the Tongue”. They were huge eye and heart openers for me. You can take a look at them on Amazon. If Alece needs chastisement then God will take care of it. I hope you will find a way to trust in Him alone instead of trusting in the way that you believe things should be done. Don’t be anxious about anything. God is in control. I cannot defend Alece as her close friends above can and have because I don’t know her anymore than I know you….but wow, her character exemplifies much more the heart of God than what your character has in this post. That’s too bad really. I bet you are a wonderful person because you are fearfully and wonderfully made by the same Creator as Alece. I pray that you find some peace.
@dubdynomite says:
I will not add to what has already been said here in support of Alece, other than to say to Alece that I am with you and I support and believe in you.
There are more with you than stand against you.
Alece
You are God’s beautiful Princess. You have had your heartbroken and you have rebuilt your strength. You have gracefully accepted what has happened and you didn’t want to harm Thrive by having to drag it through the muck.
I love you, I love my Thrive Sweatshirt and the Thrive Coffee is wonderful!!!
If you send me your address I would love to load a Starbucks Gift Card for you. Let me buy you a couple “Expensive Coffees”!
Anon, Your a not very nice person. Period. If you want to save the world from lies…..Get off the internet.
@jclayville says:
alece… i love you! LOVE YOU. don’t you DARE let any of this get to your heart. you are in the right place at the right now. God is breathing life into you and healing you to return even stronger than you started.
i know you. I KNOW YOU. you have dedicated your LIFE to the people of South Africa… and just because you’re not there right now, doesn’t mean you’re not doing anything for them. i’ve SEEN you with my own two eyes LIVE for this ministry.
turn your eyes to the ONE Truth who is Jesus. deafen your ears to the lies of the evil one.
you are effective in your ministry!!!
@coloraturajoy says:
thank you for being someone who encourages and lifts up and speaks TRUTH when it’s so much easier to hear the lies being thrown at her. THIS is the kind of friend God gives to help deal with the kind of adversity that strikes right at the heart. you’re a good friend.
@jclayville says:
thank you, JR. truth is the only thing worth speaking. i hope i always fight for truth.
i heart u jenni.
u r good people.
@jclayville says:
you really only can be good if you’re surrounded by good :) i’m learning from the best here!
@cassgirl says:
Fierce Friend,
I love you beyond words… Don’t let the crap of ANON bully you.
That is what he or she is.
A bully
Keep doing what you love
loving you fiercely
Anon~
I was sicken your words.
You have no facts
I have to love you
But I am finding it hard too.
As I tell my 9 yr old who fights against bully’s alot,
Bully’s are spineless
….stupid
….uneducated
…jealous
…. scandlous
…… not worthy
I don’t understand what’s going on and why people enjoy slamming one another.
I love you.
I’m sorry for hurtful words. So sorry.
FYP…
God sees all and knows all.
Rest in Him, Sweet Alece.
I have seen words divide too many Christian Organizations and Churches. As said above so many times, this is not the Biblical way we have been instructed to address any “issues” we have with another. We as humans do not have the right to judge, how one chooses to spend money or time or their heart…
I was introduced to Thrive and the work of Thrive in South Africa before I even know an “Alece” existed. It was more then evident that Thrive was lead by a God loving and God Fearing individual…amazing things are happening in South Africa…Amazing things are happening in the heart of the mission teams traveling to South Africa.
Months later, I have worked a plethora of all-nighters remotely with Alece on Thrive Projects. I have witnessed her heart and have seen God bless her, God gives and God can take away. I full hearty believe that God is blessing Alece and blessing Thrive. I fully believe God is the only judge we have…
Hi friend… already sent you an email this morn too, but just wanted to let you know I love your priceless and precious heart… and as I have said all along on your journey this year… I’ll sit with you in the hard places for as long as you need because YOU ARE WORTH IT. So… two things:
1 – HUGEnormous internet hug from me (((((HUG)))))
2 – Sitting with you friend
LOVE your guts (as ALW’s always says :) )
Dearest, you are loved. LOVED. I love your authenticity, your transparency, your heart filled with Jesus. I’m sick to hear that someone would question any of that. Know that for the lie-speakers, there are many, many more of us who know and speak truth–you are loved, held, and known to be real. You are beautiful, honest and fully in love with your Africa-home. I hope your heart is healing today. I love you more than there are words to describe.
alece,
i don’t know much about you…but i can tell you this:
there is no condemnation in Christ. none.
what little i am learning about you from your blog, ministry and the friends who have grown to love and trust you is beautiful. your heart is absolutely amazing and your strength is astounding.
don’t believe the lies.
of course the enemy would want you to think that you are worthless.
good thing for you he is a liar.
keep plugging away, mama.
(look at the things the nay sayers said about Jesus!)
also, even if you were the person anon would have us believe you are (and i don’t think that you are), Jesus is bigger than that. His blood covers those sins, too.
it looks to me as if it’s really a win win for you.
if i lived in your area i would take you out for a fancy cup of coffee.
for reals. i would.
:)
In Christ,
-Mandie
dang.
sitting here COMPLETELY sick at my stomach over this entire thread. Sick over what the two anonymous people had to say (two that I would venture to guess really are ONE)…. and sick over reading what everyone else had to say in defense….. don’t get me wrong, I agree with every single one of them, wholeheartedly, withoutadoubt. What makes me sick about that is, it’s so completely obvious who you truly are, that it needs no defense….. yet, because of someone who lacks the courage to come out of hiding, those who love you must rally. The goodness of who you are and what you do makes their accusations that much worse, that much MORE sickening…so the farther on I read about how much you are loved, the more angry and sick I feel at the horrid accusations that fueled this whole thing. ugh.
you are loved, friend. more than those two even realize, and probably more than they’ve been lucky enough to experience. that makes me sad for them.
Lemme at ‘em! LEMME AT ‘EM!
I’m trying to imagine how I would react if someone came up to me with a message like anonymous, after being detached from any ministry for about a year and a half myself. I think my pain and frustration would get the best of me and I’d tear Mr./Ms Anon a new one. Not that they’d need yet another, for sure.
Anyways, is there a way I can go to Starbucks.com and add money to your Starbucks card?? cuz I would really love to do that right now.
that sounds like an AWESOME idea! Load her up with all the Starbucks she can handle! ;o) Which would be a lot I think. haha!
If only those who so quickly jumped to judgment on braces and coffee took equal care into watching where their own finances went.
Maybe then it would be easier for you to open your coffers instead of your mouths.
@coloraturajoy says:
dang. nicely done!
i TOTALLY agree!!!
in fact, when i read both of those comments, i immediately thought to myself “i bet these are the kinds of people who would rather vote out their pastor than give him a well-deserved raise.”
but that’s a soap-box topic for another day. :)
I was just thinking of you as I was blogging this morning. I hope you’ve had a blessed-in-the-love-of-the-Father day!
@tamhodge says:
in other news….
i hope someone won that pound of Thrive coffee and awesome travel mug!
fo reelz.
@coloraturajoy says:
bahaha.
@gritandglory says:
Actually @nateonamission won it… I love that someone from The Grit family won!
Me TOO! You shoulda seen my smile when I was counting comments and landed on him. So fun.
@tamhodge says:
fabulous!
Sometimes we have to take a break. We have to step back.
Perhaps people will always be unable to see that even though we minister, we still hurt and get hurt just like the rest. We still wonder how we’ll pay our mortgage, we still get laid off, we still get sick, we still go through loss, we still toil and toil and toil and toil… and sometimes that means we need to take a break.
This thread of course struck something personal in me. I had a terrible loss this week, so right now I just want to say, “How dare people think that ministers of the gospel in whatever capacity can keep it all together every single hour of every single day? How dare they not allow us time to heal, time to escape into Jesus, time to get our stuff in order? How dare they not allow us that one thing?”
Sometimes, Christians get sad. Sometimes their worlds fall apart and the only thing they can think to do is go to a safe place and survive. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Anonymous, may people have grace on you when it happens to you. May those that follow you be understanding and not judgmental. May they seek you out and try to encourage you rather than cowardly trashing you on public forums. I ask that peace follows you and that you learn the true meaning of mercy.
And to that other person: May you not be questioned about how your medical procedures are paid for. You know, honestly, it’s just none of your business.
And now… I will probably go feel guilty for having said all that. I better run before I erase it.
You know, it’s actually kind if funny.
Reading through some of the comments again — Anon wasn’t the only one who was inappropriate — but I am reminded of a story my grandmother told me shortly before she left Earth.
She had stayed with my sister, who had two teenage kids at the time. One was on restriction, which meant — among other things — that she wasn’t supposed to use the telephone. Needless to say, she was a teenager — so she used the telephone anyway. Her younger sister told on her. So she took the telephone and bopped her younger sibling on the head. Drove my sister up a wall, who administered still more punishment.
But my sister had asked my grandmother, “They’re driving me up a wall! How can you just sit there and be so calm?!?!”
And my grandmother said, “Oh, it’ll be all right. These things just happen sometimes. Don’t worry about it.”
And there you have it.
My grandmother raised five kids, had fourteen grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. She knew all about family.
So now, having listened much and spoken little, I pretty much see where she is coming from.
Family does not always get along — and I know of very few people who get along with thgeir biological families; so why should we expect to get along so well so much so often with our spiritual family?
I can’t say much else, except that “in all things, God works FOR the good of those who love Him” — especially when His children sometimes get it so wrong.
Keep keeping the faith…
(I hate typing with ny thunbs. Too many typos.)
Anyway, one more I want to mention…
A while ago, when I could afford it, I once sent Alece $100 through a mutual blogger friend. For all I know, Alecec is still enjoying herself some coffee with it. And I very seriously doubt I am the only one to do something like that for her.
@elainaavalos says:
So…I stopped reading all blogs for a good long while as I mentioned in the email I sent you on Thursday. And so…I missed all this. And my heart is just sick about what was said by your anonymous commenters.
Your transparency and your heart is beautiful. And the grace with which you responded to the comments here, is proof positive. I appreciate you and your honesty here in this place. Though are lives are different and the source of our pain has been different, there is so much I can relate to as you’ve shared about this journey you’ve been on. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your honesty. I’m so sorry that you’re going through all this.
I will continue to pray for you and for Thrive.