january 2007 anchorage gospel rescue mission newsletter

8/8/2019 January 2007 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

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David M. WilliamsProgram Director

Larry AldrichOperations Manager

Donald GuynesKitchen Manager

Randy HessMaintenance Supervisor

Larry O’ConnorGreg MannNeil Givens

Roger KleinClient Supervisors

David McKnightVan Driver

Shane DayMaintenance

Anchorage Gospel Rescue MissionA Ministry o Rescue & Recoverya publication of the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission • Anchorage, Alaska

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Holiday Season Brightened

For Those In Need By Faithful Donors’ Gifts

It was a glorious time at the Missionover the Thanksgiving and Christmas

holidays as we saw God “open thewindows of heaven and pour out Hisblessings”, and work through theMission as He has done before, butnever in the same ways! God is sogood. We give Him praise and gloryfor the many, many things He hasdone for and through the Mission.

However, we know and understand

that God works through people. Itwas YOU , our donors and friends thatresponded to our pleas for help andunder God’s leadership, you gave tothe Mission. This made it possiblefor us to make life a little better forthe poor, needy and homeless peoplein our community. It also lets themknow that someone cares aboutthem.

We always get a little nervous andapprehensive when we look at whatwe have on hand and wonder if weare going to have enough to meet theneeds of our expectations to providefor those that will come to us forhelp. But, you know, God always

To God Be The G L O R Y GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE!comes through and the needs are met. PraiseGod!

We were so blessed and pleased that Godallowed us to serve many Thanksgiving andChristmas dinners. If you remember I toldyou in the October newsletter that we wouldbe a part of the nationwide

“Great Thanksgiving Banquet” , servedby many of the Rescue Missions across thecountry. Well, the number of dinners servedwas over 500,000 and the number of mealswe served here was included in that count.

Again, Praise God!

Mike Yankoski was the honorary chairman of the Banquet this year. He actually lived on

the streets as a homeless person, sleeping indoorways and scrounging through dumpstersfor food. He is the author of “Under theOverpass”, which gives a full detailed accountof his life on the streets.

But, the greatest blessing we experience isthe opportunity to give witness of the LordJesus Christ to those that we serve. Folkscome to the Mission for a holiday meal with

and empty stomach and they all leave havingeaten all they want and some with Christ astheir Savior. Our counselors always ask aperson about their relationship with the Lord,without being obnoxious or intrusive. If theyare not a Christian, then they are given theopportunity to accept Jesus as their

Savior.

May you have a happy and prosperous New Year!



www.anchoragerescue.org We invite you to visit us on the web ordrop us an E-mail with your comments

and suggestions

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And whatever you do,whether in word or deed, doit all in the name of the LordJesus, giving thanks to Godthe Father through him.

Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

Have you ever noticedhow an ungrateful person’sattitude often effectsthe way you feel abouteveryone you associatewith that person? One of the byproducts of workingat the Anchorage GospelRescue Mission is ungratefulpeople. Unfortunately nomatter how hard you tryto help some people it’snever enough because theyfeel the world owns themsomething. Although thepercentage of the homelessmen and women who feelthis way is small, over thecourse of the year it canhave its effect on the staff.

I often nd myself forgettingthe spirit of Paul’s writingsin Colossians. Paul is tellingus we have to bring honorto Christ in everything thatwe do. Although I’ve looked,there is no asterisk by thisverse leading to a footnotethat says, “We only have tohonor Christ if the person weare dealing with is gratefulfor our help”.

Although I know it’s wrongto let myself become

judgmental it creeps in andas the year progress mystrength wanes which leadsto a foothold satin loves toexploit. I start believing thelie that all homeless menand women are ungrateful.

This is when the awesomeLord I serve steps in andrescues me from satin’s

clutches. He does this in theform of a responsibility thaton the surface looks painfulyet in the end is just what Ineeded all along. Don’t you

just love the way he doesthat!

For the last three years ithas been my responsibilityto shepherd the men,

women, and children into

the dinning room for ourThanksgiving and Christmasmeals. Although makingsure everyone is fed inan orderly manner can betedious; the blessing is I’malso standing at the dinningroom door when those verysame people are leaving.

If you ever doubt thegratefulness of thehomeless I encourage youto accompany me at, whatI lovingly refer to as, thedoor of gratefulness. Younot only hear it in theirvoice or see it in their eyesbut you also feel it in theirtouch. The expressions of thanks are genuine andoften accompanied by eyesbrimming with tears.

As I’m standing at the door of gratefulness I’m convicted.

The Lord shows me it is Iwho have fallen in the sin of ungratefulness. We have toremember it is a privilegeto serve the men, women,and children who the Lordhas placed in our path forour bene t. This knowledgerenews my strength andmore importantly makes megrateful to be a servant who

desires to honor Christ.

The Blessings of Gratefulness



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I want to say a heart felt: “Congratulation Mr. David Williams!”

David has accepted the position of the “ New l i f e” Program Director. Icommend him for his willingness tobe stretched by God. It is throughthese stretching times that Godshapes & molds our character into Hislikeness. If we have a willing heart,we will experience God’s faithfulnessin teaching us His ways. That’s whenour walk with him becomes alive andactive.

I believe that David will bring newideas and freshness into the programand it will have a great impact onthe lives of the men attending the

“ New l i f e” Program.

I know he has a genuine concern forthe men to complete the program andto be able to live a life in freedom fromany addiction, a life that is centeredin our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a big job; therefore let us keepDavid in our prayers.

As for me, it is time to step up to theplate and, under the leadership of ourExecutive Director, learn all aspectsof operations for the Rescue Misson.

“Whew” this is quite a plateful;however I have faith in God and Hisword. I trust in Him. My hope andprayer is for the courage and wisdomto bring newness into this position.We, the staff of the Anchorage GospelRescue Mission, need to set our sighton new heights. As a ministry teamwe need to seek new ways to be animpact on the men we serve at theRescue Mission.

I want to say Thank You to all of you who ensure the continuation of this ministry. Your prayers and yourgenerosity keep the doors open tominister to the physical and spiritualneeds of our brothers and sisters.

Thank you again, may God continue

to bless you abundantly through outthis New Year.

Seeking New

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Romans 12:1 –Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacri ces,holy and pleasing to God….

The problem with living sacri ces is that they tend to crawl off the altar. This is as good an analogy as any todescribe me and my life. When I entered the New Life Discipleship Program here at the Anchorage Gospel RescueMission on July 7 th, 2006, I was a broken man.

I was raised in the Church, and accepted Jesus as my Savior but not as Lord of my life. As a young teenager Ibegan to experiment with drugs and alcohol and became rebellious, as so many teenagers do. At the age of 15 myparents separated and subsequently divorced. I immediately began to take advantage of the situation to throw off the restraints of parental authority and live my life as I saw t. Not surprisingly I rapidly fell into addiction to drugsand alcohol, and ever since then my life has been one big roller coaster ride.

The Lord would let me continue in my ways for a time and then would allow circumstances to bring me into account.I would repent and try to live my life as a “good Christian”, but always it was on my own power and on my ownterms. When things didn’t go exactly as I thought they should my rebelliousness would crop up and I would turnmy back on God and go my own way once again…..until the next time when my life would spin out of control.

When I entered the program here, I had been to treatment 9 times, in and out of jail so many times I had lost track a

long time ago. My past was a blur of drugs, alcohol and sexual immorality. Broken promises, broken relationshipsand lost dreams lay scattered in my wake. Not only was I a broken man but I was an angry and bitter man as well.Now, looking back I can begin to see how the Lord Jesus had shown grace and great mercy to this sinner. How alsothe unconditional love and fervent prayers of a Mother and her fellow believers sustained and preserved me, whenothers had not been so fortunate. Also, the love, patience and understanding of the staff and my fellow brothers in

Christ here at the mission have lifted me and, guided me when I wasincapable of loving myself

Experiencing the Love of God has begun to effect a change in me and the“eyes of my heart” have been opened through the power and indwellingof the Holy Spirit. I have come to believe that for me repentance must

be a lifestyle not a one time affair. Living in submission to God andhis will for my life, not mine, is what I desire. I now understand thatbeing a disciple of Christ is a lifetime commitment that will take mea lifetime to ful ll. Thanks be to God I don’t have to do this alone forHe has promised to be with me always and to never leave me even tothe end of the world. Praise His Holy Name!

Psalms 51:17 –The sacri ces of God are a broken spirit: a broken andcontrite heart, O God, you will not despise

I Choose

Submission!



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We trust that you have had awonderful Christmas and thatyour New Year has begun with ahappy note. Activity has been

furious here at the mission asyou might expect. It seemsthat with the winter weathermore and more folks show uphere with their needs.

We have used your gifts wisely,and they enable us to ministerin Christ’s name. Our prayeris that the Lord would enableus to continue to minister in

2007. 2007? Can you believethe year? I can remember whenI thought that 1984 of GeorgeOrwell fame would nevercome. Nevertheless, 1984 has

been 23 years ago. I also recallsaying that “in the year 2000 Iwould be and old man.” Wellit is 2007 and I am an even“older man” of 59. In spite of the years, I am looking forwardto what the Lord is going todo in this New Year. I havelong ago given up the idea of making New Year’s Resolutions,as they hardly ever work out,expect encouraging one to tryit again next year.

I mentioned 1984 , Orwell’s(real name Eric Arthur Blair)horrible vision of a totalitariansociety caste as a “negativeutopia” rst published in 1948.The fear of “Big Brother’s”watching in many ways ts the

reality of our contemporarypost 9-11 world. It is certainlytrue a good reason to begood is that the governmentis watching. However, we allknow this is not enough. Thatis why Jesus Christ came toearth, God as man, to make away that we can be righteousirrespective of the laws of “BigBrother,” or of feeble New

Year’s Resolutions. I praisethe Lord that in 2007 there isa real way to be righteous, andlove the Lord our God, and ourneighbor as our self. Whichbrings me back to the mission.We trust that the good Lordwill continue to enable manyof you to join in our efforts

2007?

s pec ia l needs

T h e N e w l i f e

R eco v e ry P rog ra m

d e s p e ra t e ly n e ed s

s t udy B i b l e s.

I f yo u ha v e an o ld

on e B r ing i t to u s

w e can u s e i t!

here by remembering us in yourprayers and be being obedientto whatever the Lord mightlead you to do to help us. GodBless you in 2007!

Chaplain Bowery

If you have an old dog-eared copyof Total Forgiveness or if the Lordtouches your heart to purchase acopy for our “ NewLife ” RecoveryProgram we would greatlyappreciate it. This is a book thathas proven itself valuable tothose who are unable to forgivethemselves, God, and family.



Living Memorials . . . .touch lives as they honor the memory

of loved ones and friends.In Memory of

Pauline Burkherby Alice E. Brewer

In Memory of Evelyn Michow

by Lawrence and Linda MichowIn Memory of

Dean Thompsonby Wes Steele

Alpha Iota Chapter #2992Epsilon Sigma Alpha

In Memory of Esperanza M. Casas

by Martha CashenIn Memory of Rich Downing

by Janie DowningIn Memory of

Gene Damronby Scott and Loretta Railing

In Memory of Bill and My Dad

by Roy J. EvansIn Memory of

Chalmers Kellecby Sharon Kellec

In Memory of David McKinney

by Herbert and Jean McKinneyIn Memory of

Maebelle Nielson

by Jeff and Kim Duncan and FamilyIn Memory of Myrtle Sherbahn

by Carole I. MillerIn Memory of

A.J. “Whitey” Yurmanby Jane Yurman

In Honor of Al Atkey and Billy Charles

by Susan HoefnerIn Honor of

Betty McCullough

by Rev. Don McCulloughIn Honor of Dr. and Mrs. Ken Collins

Thom and Elaine HathwayLarry and Bette Ross

Pat and Laurie MarifjerenJim and Sally Copen

John and Tammy Readingby Vickie Turner

A New Years Resolution And Prayer

Jesus, I have promised,To serve Thee to the end; Be thou forever near me,

My Master and my Friend!

I shall not fear the battle, If Thou art by my side, Nor wander from the pathway,

If Thou will be my guide.

O let me see Thy footprints, And in them plant my own!

My hope to follow duly, Is in Thy strength alone.

O guide me, call me, draw meUphold me to the end!

At last in heaven receive me My Savior and my Friend!

What Are Your Plans For

The New Year?

Have you made any New Years Resolutions?

How About These?1. To grow spiritually!2. To pray more intensely and regularly for yourself

and for others.3. To take a more active part in your church

activities.4. Teach a Sunday School Class, if

God so leads.5. To develop a real concern for those that are notChristians. Offer a personal witness to them toaccept Christ as their Savior.6. To help and volunteer some time to serve God

through a local agency like the AnchorageGospel Rescue Mission and others.

7. Then add your own personal resolutions thatyou always break—like losing weight, stopsmoking, exercise more and etc…

What Are Your Plans For Christian Growth?



Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission P.OB Box 230510 Anchorage, Alaska 99523-0510

Here is my support gift: For Credit Card Donations:Food and Shelter: $_____ Facilities Maintenance: $_____ $46.25 For 25 Meals ______ $74.00 For 40 Meals ______ $132.20 For 72 Meals ______ $277.50 For 150 Meals ______

______Other: ______ I Will Pray for this Ministry.

I would like to charge my total donation of $__________________

Check One: Visa M/C Am/Ex Discover

Card Number __________________________________________

Exp. Date: ______/______ Signature _______________________

Name:______________________________________________ __

Address: ______________________________________________ Please send this coupon with your donations.

All credit card information is kept in strict con denceMake checks payable to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission

You will receive a receipt.

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at their facility. Once I got there, I was pleased to nda very generous and genial staff. Although I arrivedafter hours, they were kind enough to nd room forme to stay there. I found the staff very hospitable andprofessional in their treatment of me and my situation.It was a wonderful experience that I will remember fora long time. I want to publicly thank the AnchorageRescue Mission for such kind and generous assistancein my time of need.

The residents of Anchorage should be proud of thework being done at their Rescue Mission. If not forthe Mission, many people in your community wouldhave no place else to go. I highly encourage all of Anchorage to support the Anchorage Rescue Mission.

Sincerely,

Ken M.Fairbanks, AK

Thanks Ken. I thank you for acknowledging thereception and the treatment of you by our staff. Iwant everyone to know that this was not just a onetime incident. We do out best to treat everyone thesame without exception. We are here to help and toshow the love of God in everything we do; we treateveryone like we would like to be treated if we werein their place.

Bro. Don Bettis

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A Letter of Appreciation

I want to share this letterwith you. It does not happen

very often and it seems like we arein a thankless job of service to anyone that needs thethings we provide. But when somebody takes the timeto say thanks and even sends us a letter of appreciationit is really an uplifting and exhilarating experience forus. The person sent this letter to the Anchorage DailyNews but I know they will not print it. So I wanted to

share it with you, our supporters, it is meant for youtoo.Here is the email sent to the Mission:I just got back to Fairbanks after a quick trip down toAnchorage. Had the great pleasure of spending theevening at the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission. Iwas so impressed with the service and congeniality of the staff. Everyone that I dealt with was kind, friendlyand professional. They went out of their way to makeme feel welcome.

The letter to the Editor of the Anchorage DailyNews:On Friday, December 8, 2006, I traveled to Anchoragefrom Fairbanks to assist a friend and his family ingetting to the airport. After dropping them off, I foundmyself in need of a place to spend the night, and withno money to afford a hotel.

Having few options, I contacted the Anchorage RescueMission. The folks there invited me to spend the night



Our Ministry o

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the lost

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“URGENT”Our supplies o theseitems is constantly inneed o replenishing

† Prayer† Paper Towels† 45 Gallon Trash Bags† Fresh Meat† Cofee† Bathroom Tissue† Laundry Soap† Disposable Shavers† Cleaning Supplies† Liquid Dish Detergent† Dinner Napkins† Shampoo

“URGENT”

Anchorage GospelRescue Mission

Board o TrusteesMark Soquet, President

Bob Collins, Vice President(and acting treasure)Ed Shelton, Secretary

Enoch AdamsBrad Young

Emeritus:Clif Hodgins

Rev. Willard leisyAdvisory Board:

Paul Kelly

Rev. Don Bettis, Exec. Dir.Charlotte Bettis, Asst. Dir.

MEMBER

r e s c

u eAssociation o Gospel Missions

An association o Rescue Ministries

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Non-Pro t Org.U.S. Postal

PAID

Anchorage, AKPermit # 290

AnchorageGospel

MissionA Ministry o

Rescue & Recovery

r e s c u

e

news r e s c

u [email protected]

P.O. Box 230510•Anchorage, AK•99523-0510•(907) 563-5603RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

STATEMENT OF FAITHThe Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission is a Non-Pro t, Non-Denominationalorganization. We receive NO municipal, state or federal funds. We are not a UnitedWay Agency. Your nancial support and In-Kind donations makes it possible for us toprovide for the poor, needy and homeless people in our community. Also, your donationsallow us to provide a Drug and Alcohol Recovery program. All Donations are fully taxdeductible. We will give you a receipt for your donation.

Chapel Services for JanuarySunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1Abbot LoopCommunity

Church

2Anchorage

PilgrimNazarene

3First

AnchorageGospel

4AnchorageVineyartd

Fellowship

5First

PresbyterianChurch

6CalvaryBaptistChurch

7God’sPlace

8Church

of God ofProphecy

9First

Assembly ofGod

10Change

Point

11Alliance

BibleChurch

12CalvaryChurch

13Wasilla

Assemblyof God

14God’sPlace

15Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

16Anchorage

NativeAssembly

17Christian

EvangelicalChurch

18Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

19Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

206Lighthouse

ChristianFellowship

21Grace

VictoryFellowship


23Attorney

Greg Grebe


25Evangelical

CovenantChurch

26In His Name

SandyMcCollum

27Southside

Churchof God

28New Light

CommunityChurch

29Trinity

PresbyterianChurch

30Grace

BrethrenEagle River

31Change

Point

january 2007 anchorage gospel rescue mission newsletter

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