LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Lubbock family says “Come and see what God has done” has become an overarching theme in their life and in their mission to honor people who make a difference. Missy Hall’s Christmas tree memorial and prayer house has expanded once again, in its fifth year open.
The Difference Maker Project, created by Hall in 2021, began as a way to honor “difference makers” in her life who could no longer be present for the holidays. It’s grown every year after that, moving to a fence full of names in 2022, a forest of more than a hundred trees in 2023, and adding a prayer house in 2024.
“We had so many people come last year and just tell their story and pray and sometimes cry and sometimes laugh. And it was such a lovely experience. We got to see all the hallelujahs last year and it was so great,” Hall said.
This year, a generous donor provided $50,000 for groundscaping with turf and a pathway, creating what Hall calls a more inviting experience.
“We want people to feel like they can just pause and find serenity and peace and all of those emotions, as well as the good moments and the joy and the hallelujahs, too,” Hall said.
Hall said the project has evolved beyond memorializing those who have died, with ornaments also honoring living difference makers in the prayer house.
“Last year, we kind of tried to help people focus on, it’s not just about death. Difference makers in your lives don’t have to have already passed on. I mean, Susan is a massive difference maker in my life,” Hall said.
Susan Gillispie has supported the project from the beginning. Her husband Joe was one of the original “difference makers” honored at the memorial. Joe, a longtime volunteer firefighter, died from lung cancer.
While grieving, Gillispie discovered a calling to minister to others experiencing similar loss.
“When you’re in that place, you learn that along with sorrow can be joy. And that is such a hard concept because so many people think joy just means happy. But to be joyful in the midst of hard grief is seeing that God loves you, that God is with you, and that God is faithful,” Gillispie said.
Just like the life of the project has changed over the last five years, so has Gillispie’s life. Before his death, Joe encouraged her to find love again. After nearly giving up on dating, a family friend who had lost his wife reached out to Gillispie for guidance through grief.
“He just messaged me and said, how did you do it? And so again, walking with someone through grief. It’s what I had been already doing. And so, we did. It became a beautiful friendship that led to, hey, let’s do this the rest of our lives. Let’s love again and watch what God will do with that,” Gillispie said.
The couple plans to marry after Christmas. Hall says Gillispie’s story exemplifies the project’s motto: “Come and see what God has done.”
The project will host a welcome event Friday evening near 30th Street and Avenue L to showcase the new upgrades. Additional opening times will be posted on their Facebook page.
“It’s good to see the community and I love getting to hear stories and pour into people. And I’ve made so many new friends and I have coffee with a million people now,” Hall said.
Hall sent this invitation for the “Come and See” event Friday:
The Difference Maker Prayer House is open and celebrating 5 years! We would love to meet you and hear your story, pray with and over you, and show you around.
6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Dec. 19
1120 30th St. (across from the Lubbock Dream Center)
Baked treats, make a s’more at our Daddy Joe fire pit, create an ornament for the Difference Maker in your life… coffee and hot chocolate, too!
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