All, 

It's hard to believe that after so much time thinking about this event we are less than two weeks away. 

I want to thank you all for your prayers for us. We have made considerable progress in a number of areas that we were anxious about. 

Volunteers

We have had a really strong response to our request for volunteers. We will have a number of Baylor students there to help us manage the event, and most of the families in our church are participating in the event. We anticipate having lots of people on hand to help out. 

Videographer

I've been put in touch with a very talented videographer who is both available and interested in the position (though we have not yet confirmed the details of his involvement). My hope is to document the event, not merely for posterity but for the sake of explaining what and why we're doing--in hopes that, if this is successful, other communities will consider doing likewise. 

Entertainment

We're prepared for long lines as people wait to visit their loved ones, so we wanted to have things to do for people while they wait. We realized that no BBQ is complete without lawn games, so we're going to have a few cornhole sets in place for people to use. And we'll have checkers, chess, and card decks on every table in case folks want to play a game while waiting. 

Our needs

On Thursday, we have to give Guess Family BBQ our 'final answer' for how many people we want to provide meals for. Please pray for prudence--the BBQ is our main expense, and it's exceptionally difficult to know how many people are going to come through the course of the day. We have received RSVP cards for over 100 people--and we still have a week to go and will certainly have many more people than than that. (An ordinary Saturday at the jail will have several hundred people come to visit, so lots of people will be there who may not have even received an invitation from their loved one inside.) The difference between meals for 600 and 800 is considerable, and I want to use our funds responsibly without running out of meat. So it is the trickiest decision we face. 

Additionally, we discovered last week that there was a problem with the vendor of our tent--and we're on the prowl for a replacement. I ask for your prayers that we will secure what we need, and that quickly. 

Finally, there are still some slight fundraising needs. I will know our final estimate of expenditures on Thursday, but it looks as though the total amount needed will be lower than we had initially projected. Which is GREAT news. We're still looking for donations, and are starting a $5 campaign to finish off the fundraising today. But we are closer than we had thought. 
 
Thank you

We feel really good about how this event has come together.  We wouldn't have come this far without your support, and we are eager to see how it all comes together in the end. 

Best regards, 

Matt Anderson