Dear Friends,

The purpose of this letter is to share some things about myself and my family with you.

I was born in Augusta, Georgia and lived all of my childhood years in that area.  I am the  9th child of 12 children born to my mother.  I was saved at the age of six years as I sat in the floor with my Mother memorizing the 23rd. Psalm which has become my favorite chapter in the  Psalms.

I am married to a wonderful man, and we have shared 34 precious years together.  We have always worked side-by-side, and this ministry is no exception.  We have one child, a daughter now 24, who is beginning her senior year of college at East Tennessee State University.

We have devoted the last 20 years to home missions.  We moved from church to church helping them to build or rebuild their congregations.   We served in any position that was needed.  I personally have taught every age level of Sunday School and served as WMU President, pianist, organist, choir director, VBS Director, on church boards, and as church custodian.  My daughter and I had a music ministry for 12 years.  We began singing together when she was six years old.  My husband has served on almost all committees and we serve together in this ministry.  He also has served as Sunday School teacher, Sunday School Director, and keeper of the grounds.  We have always done our best to serve in whatever way the Lord called us to serve.

Please do not misunderstand these statements.  They are not meant in any way to lift us up or present us to be anything other than the sinners saved by grace that we are.  I tell you these things so you will know that we love God, and we have given our lives to Him through the sacrifice of His Son for His service.

God has now given us this wonderful ministry for the children of this world.  It is our hearts desire to help as many of them as we possibly can while hoping to reach lost souls for Christ in the process, teach others the power of prayer, and give hope to those who have none.

There are many, many, experiences we would love to share with you, but the intent of this letter is to give you some basic background on who we are and how we came to be where we are today.

Our permanent home is in the mountains of Tennessee near the Kentucky border, but we currently live in Johnson City, Tennessee where I am attending ETSU working toward a masters in family counseling.  This was to be our place of retirement, but we will see what God has in store for us.  We live on a very modest retirement income.  Our church membership is with Walden's United Methodist Church in Avera, Georgia, and we are currently attending Taylor Memorial Methodist Church in Johnson City, Tennessee.

We have stored up no treasures on this earth except for the mobile home and land we where it is located.  We depend daily on God to supply our needs, and the extra that we need to support this ministry.  We are happy and contented and praise God for His love and care for us.

I have learned not to second guess God or try to look beyond what He is doing right now.  I don't know where this ministry will go but I know it will go where God wants it to and we have been so very blessed to be a part of it.

I hope that this packet of information will help you know us better and we ask your prayers for this ministry, for God's will to be done, for protection from evil, and for God's glory always.


Your Humble Servant,
Elizabeth Ricard
Elizabeth Ricard
Children of the Promise, Inc.
President