December 2007 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

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

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avid M. Williams

ogram Director

arry Aldricherations Manager

andy Hess

aintenance Supervisor

arry O’Connor

reg Mann

oger Klein

eil Givens

ent Supervisors

avid McKnightn Driver

olomona Talivaa

aintenance

onn Baker

ohn Lofquist

ark McKinnon

ern

Anchorage Gospel Rescue Missio

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

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2 0 0

What is the first thing you think about when

Christmas comes to mind?

Gifts – giving and receiving – Shopping, shopping and mo

shopping – Holidays – Feasting and parties – Tinsel anddecorations – Christmas trees – Silver bells – Santa Claus –

A time of joy – Visiting with family and friends.

I am all for people celebrating the birth of our Lord in the

traditional way and enjoying this time of the year with thei

family and friends. HOWEVER,

Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call H

name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their

sins”.

Matthew 1

The Angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold I bring

you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all peopl

For unto to you is born this day in the city of David a Savi

which is Christ the Lord”. Luke 2:10-

“….whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shal

be saved” Romans 10:

I would like to take this space to wish all a veryhappy holiday season and to thank all of you that

contribute to this ministry. We love you in

the Lord. We depend on you to keep our

services available to the poor, needy and homeless

people that come to us for help.

C H R I S T M A SShould Be

“Neither is there

salvation

in any other:

for there is none

other name under heaven

given among men,

whereby we

must be saved”.

Acts 4:12

Merry Christmas and a

happy and prosperous New Year to all!

ALL About Jesus!



www.anchoragerescue.org We invite you to visit us on the web or

drop us an E-mail with your comments

and suggestions

2

p r

o g r a

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D a v i d W i

l l i a m s

White Christmas

As a child growing up in

Mississippi I can’t remember ever

having a white Christmas. The

truth is there wasn’t a lot of snow

at all. I clearly remember my firstexperience with snow; I must have

been four or five at the time. I can

still see my brother jumping up

and down with excitement at what

greeted us as we crawled out from

under the quilt. The farm seemed

so clean in the blue tint of dawn

and the front lawn sloping down

toward the pond didn’t seem real at

all. There was a crispness in the air

that complimented our excitement

as we dashed out the front door

into this magical world.

The reality of it all was not as

picturesque. This was, after all,

Mississippi. There was maybe, and

I stress, maybe, a quarter of an inch

of snow. We worked harder than

the seven dwarves to build a snow

man. We cleaned every squareinch of the six acres that made up

our front lawn just to end up with

a scrawny little snowman that

stood all of three feet high. It was

exhausting and not very rewarding.

I can remember watching this silly

little pile of snow, creatively named

Frosty, hang on for all of two day

in the Mississippi sun shine. WE

WERE ROBBED! Our Frostydidn’t look anything like the ones

we saw on TV. I never looked at a

snowman again without imagining

our little sickly Frosty standing

beside it. Unfortunately he never

measured up.

Now I live in Alaska where a white

Christmas is the order of the day.

The snowmen are robust and the

scenery harkens your thoughts to

Psalm 19:1 “The Heavens declare

the glory of God; the skies proclaim

the work of his hands.” I’m sure

you could search the world over

and find a dozen places that match

the winter beauty of Alaska but I

dare say you will never find a place

“more” beautiful. This is truly a

winter wonderland!

The reality of the Alaska winte

like Mississippi, is not

picturesque either. Especial

when you remember there a

people who are forced to slee

out in the elements. I’ve ofte

wondered if the homeless men an

women feel the same way as I d

about the snow. Do they sit arounand wish for a white Christma

It is no secret our beds here

the Mission have been cut in ha

because of code and zoning issue

We have been butting heads wi

the city for over two years trying

find a solution. As I left my war

home and walked to work th

morning I couldn’t help but refle

on those who have no home. I al

find myself wondering if I, like thcity, put more importance on sil

things like codes over human lif

I hope not.

It is my Christmas prayer a

the homeless men, women, an

children in Alaska have a war

place to go. A place that affor

them the opportunity to experien

the joy of the season. A plac

where they are treated with dignit

respect, and loved. A place whe

value is placed on them as carin

feeling, human beings instead

more value being placed on som

code or imaginary zone line. A pla

like the Anchorage Gospel Rescu

Mission where a white Christm

means a Christ Christmas.



Our Solicitation Policy!

The Anchorage Gospel Rescue

Mission does not solicit funds door

to door or by telephone. If someone

contacts you in this way on behalf

of the Mission, please call us (563-

5603) or the proper authorities at

once.

We do permit children and churches

to collect food or clothing door to

door. They will identify themselves,

and will have a badge or letter

on Mission letterhead stationary.

However, we never allow anyone

to collect money. We appreciate

your support and do not want

donations getting into the wrong

hands.

3

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

of loved ones and friends.

In Memory of

Esperanza and Ernesto Cases

by Martha Cashen

In Memory of

Mike Howerton

by Mustangs of America, FDN

In Memory of

Lei Ann Hunter

by Dolores Hyer

In Memory of

Susie Kaigelak

by Archie and Edith Greene

In Memory of

Jerry Kelmby Leslie and Berniece Kelm

In Memory of

Alvin Syren

by Claris Syren

special needs for our

Christmas dinner

Lots and Lots of TurkeysStuf fing Mix

Cranberry Sauce

Green Beans

Corn

Instant Mashed Potatoes

Onions – Celery

Fruit Cocktail

Canned Sweet Potatoes

Dinner RollsMarshmallows

Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple Pies

Christmas Dinner Will Be Served On

Friday December 22nd---3 to 5:30 P.M.

Special Chapel Service at 2:00 P.M.

Volunteers NeededTo Help With Christmas Dinner!

Our Volunteer Coordinator Jeanne Lutz—Phone 278-9679

needs volunteers of individuals and families that can make

the following commitments of time on Friday December

22nd, 2007.

Team 1 – Prepare food and decorate facility for the

Christmas meal – To be served on Friday December 22nd.Need a commitment of 4 consecutive hours beginning in th

morning.

Team 2 – Serve the refreshments, meal. desert and clean

up of facilites at the close – Friday December 22nd. Need

a commitment of 5 consecutive hours beginning in the

afternoon.

Both teams require children

to be a minimum of 8 years of age.

Jeanne will do the scheduling of the teams. You may

reach her at her home telephone after 6 P.M. and weekends

or by leaving a message on her telephone recorder. Please

leave an evening number and speak the number slowly.

She will give you specific details about team assignments

and schedule your time to work.



o p e r a

t i o n s u p

d a t e

L a r r y A l d r

i c h

God’s Protective

Bubble

I have experienced God’s

protection so many times in my

Christian walk that, if I would

list them all, we would all have to

grab a Snickers because we’d behere a while. However, I do want

to share with you how God, last

month, blessed my family with

His faithfulness.

The only family I have, other

than my wife, is my brother who

lives in Idaho. I received his call

on a Monday evening telling me

he would be having surgery on

Thursday. The doctors had found

Melanoma on his back.

Fear griped my heart. One of the

fastest acting cancers there is and

he calls me two days before he

goes into surgery. I was a little

irritated at him. He, being the

older brother, belittles the whole

situation and said he has it all

under control. He doesn’t need anyhelp. What a mask! We all wear

one. We don’t let anybody know

how we are feeling. Let’s not ask

for help because that could be seen

as a sign of weakness.

Well, God was going to break that

wall down. I was able, on short

notice, to catch a flight to

Boise the next

Wednesday. When I called my

brother to give him my itinerary he

was close to tears.

Never did he expect me to come

all the way to Idaho for him. His

surgery was going to be a day

procedure and he had no idea how

he would get home or how hewould take care of the wound for

that matter. Now he didn’t have

to worry about it anymore. His

brother was coming to help him.

It was now time for me to face

the giant of my past! You see

my brother and I were drinking

buddies. We would party together

and Boise was my old stomping

ground. I knew my brother’s houseas a place of chaos and drama.

I was going to meet my past. Was I

ready for this?

My wife and I prayed for God’s

protection and we ask for prayer

coverage from our church. I

knew that God would not give me

more than I can handle and that

this whole situation didn’t catch

Him by surprise. I felt that God

was calling me to minister to my

brother by showing him God’s

love in a practical way.

O what a wonderful God we serve!

His faithfulness – it is too awesome

to put into words.

The week I spent with my brother

has been a week of emotionalhealing. We bonded in a way I

never dreamed possible. We prayed

together. We talked about Jesus

and the Bible. I told him about the

Roman Road and about receiving

Jesus as our Lord and Savior. By

the time I left he was still wrestling

with the simplicity of believing in

your heart and confessing with

your mouth and you shall be saved.

A seed has been planted and

know the Holy Spirit will continu

to draw him into the fold.

God’s Protective

Bubble(Continued)

Never once during that week did m

brother drink any alcohol or us an

drugs. Never once did people sto

by and interrupt us. My brother

house had been a peaceful place.

When I came home my wife share

with me her fear of me going

Idaho by myself. She prayed fmy protection and Jesus gave her

vision. She saw my brother’s hou

and saw He had put it in a bubbl

Nothing could get in and she kne

that I was safe.

What an awesome week; m

wife and I grew again in our tru

and faith in Jesus provision; tw

brothers finally got to know eac

other in the light of God’s love anmy brother did get introduced

Jesus Christ.

Oh by the way, the reason this a

started, the doctors are confide

that my brother is cancer-free

this time. Praise God!

Cancer scares us, but our God

bigger than cancer. He can use it

bring His children closer to Him

to take them home, or to lead y

another lost lamb home.

Thank you Father God!


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c h a p e l

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Christmas

2007As I was thinking of what one

could say about Christmas, which

has not been said before, I came to

the conclusion that such an attempt

is an impossible thing. Christmas,

that is, the real meaning behind

the season can never be exhausted.

No one could objectively say, “I

have the last and final word on

Christmas.” Almost anything

one could say about Christmas

has been said before. But still the

power, purpose, peace, and pardon

it offers through the grace of God

is a new thing though it is an old

thing. Much like the truth about

our personal salvation, which has

three dimensions: “we have been

saved, we are being saved, and we

will be saved when the Lord Jesus

returns in power and great glory,”

Christmas also has many

dimensions. One aspect of the

Christmas season that we see

here at the mission is the daily

encounters with those who are

less fortunate, and have no home

in which to celebrate Christmas,

no family with which to celebrate

Christmas, and no resources to

“I’m

Blessed”

Occasionally, when I ask someone

“How are you?” or “How youdoing?” they respond “Oh, I’m

blessed.” Now that’s true enough,

for certainly we are all blessed in

various ways. If nothing else, we

are blessed just for the fact that

we are alive. Life itself is a gift

from God. But, when I think of

whether or not “I’m blessed” what

sort of things do I consider to be

a blessing. In the past, material

things were usually what came

to mind first. Circumstances, and

whether or not they were they were

acceptable to me, were what came

to mind next. Today, these sort

of blessings are not what usually

comes to mind first. As I’ve grown

in the Lord and have begun to

reach for maturity in Christ, my

priorities have changed. No longer

spread Christmas cheer to others.

Of the sad comments I frequently

hear, none is more tragic than,

“Chaplain, I am so hurt; I don’t

have any means in which to buy

Christmas presents for the children

this year.” Thank goodness, our

heavenly Father, would never make

that comment, for His resourcebucket is never empty. And thanks

to many of you, and your gifts to

the mission, we have the resources

to at least meet some of the basic

needs that the homeless have.

Thank you for your support and

indeed may you have a very Happy

Christmas, and New Year.

do physical blessings make the to

of the list anymore. Although th

list would change drastically if

did not have enough food to eat

I didn’t have a warm place to slee

at night but, I do. So, what mak

the Blessings List today? Family

Friends? Steady job? These thin

are huge blessings to be sure. Buwhat else constitutes a blessin

in my life today? Recently, I w

sharing some of my daily struggl

with a friend of mine (which

a nice way of saying that I w

complaining) and he shared wi

me a thought that has helped hi

when he experiences dif ficu

times. “At least we don’t have

bunch of Roman soldiers tryin

to nail us to a cross for spreadinthe gospel.” Freedom of religion

a very big blessing that we enjo

here in this country. The blessin

that I usually think of first is th

teaching of the Holy Spirit. That

to say; “when I read the scriptur

the words come alive to me.” Go

is teaching me His truth by H

Spirit through reading His wor

There is more….Just the other da

I was thinking of all the people th

pray for me on a weekly basis,

not a daily basis. What a blessin

Praise God. If I made another li

a list of just the people who pra

for me, it would be longer the

my Blessing List for sure. Now

someone were to walk up to m

and ask; “How you doing, John?”

would not have to even think abo

the answer to that question. “I’mblessed.”

Written by John Lofquist

Your prayers for the Anchorage

Gospel Rescue mission are deep

appreciated. Thank you.


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Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission P.O. 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 confidenceMake checks payable to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission

You will receive a receipt.

d i

r e c t o r ’ s

d e s k

R e v. D

o n B e t t i s

I am so thankful for the faithful friends and supporters of this ministry who make it possible for us to do the thing

we do. I wish I had the words to express my heart felt appreciation to each and every one of you. Sometimes we g

a little down and anxious over things that happen or things that are needed, but when our need is the greatest Go

always touches someone’s heart and sends them by to meet that need. It is so exciting to watch God work throug

you and this ministry. Then the need is met or we have the resources to attend to the problem. All because you ha

been faithful. There is no way we could provide shelter and meals or provide the other services we do for so man

without YOUR help.

We have seen many people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior this year (total through the end of th

year will be more than 250). Also, we have witnessed many homeless people reunited with their family. People a

homeless for many different reasons, but what ever the reason Jesus Christ is the answer to their problem. This is th

reason for our being (to present Jesus to those that come to us for help) and our being is made possible by you.

Most of you know that in addition to providing a homeless shelter, that we have the “NewLife” Recove

Disciple drug and alcohol program. This program is designed to introduce the men that come into this program

Jesus Christ and lead them to accept His as their personal Savior. Then, to help them overcome their additions. Aft

that we take them through the educational facilities teaching them how to develop a personal relationship with Chri

how to study the Bible, attend Bible classes also they are required to attend computer classes and other classes th

will help them to adjust to society when they graduate the program.

I would sure like to meet each one of you and thank you personally for your financial support of this ministry. B

please remember the most important thing you can do for us is to PRAY for us, that the things that are accomplishe

here at the Mission will bring glory and honor to our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus said, “Give and it shall b

given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom

For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.

Luke 6:38

Remember The Most Important Thing You Can Do For Us—Is to PRAY!

From A Very Thankful Heart!



Our Ministry of

is to

the least

the last

the lost

r e s c

u e

“URGENT”Our supplies of these

items is constantly in

need of replenishing

Prayer

Paper Towels

45 Gallon Trash Bags

Fresh Meat

Coffee

Bathroom Tissue

Laundry Soap

Disposable ShaversCleaning Supplies

Liquid Dish Detergent

Dinner Napkins

Shampoo

“URGENT”

MEMBER

r e s c

u eAssociation of Gospel Missions

An association of Rescue Ministries

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Non-Profit OU.S. Posta

PAID

Anchorage, Permit # 29

Anchorage

Gospel

Mission A Ministry of

Rescue & Recovery

r e s c u

e

news r e s c

u e

[email protected]

P.O. Box 230510•Anchorage, AK•99523-0510•(907) 563-560

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

STATEMENT OF FAITHThe Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission is a Non-Profit, Non-Denominationorganization. We receive NO municipal, state or federal funds. We are not a UniteWay Agency. Your financial support and In-Kind donations makes it possible for us tprovide for the poor, needy and homeless people in our community. Also, your donationallow us to provide a Drug and Alcohol Recovery program. All Donations are fully tadeductible. We will give you a receipt for your donation.

Anchorage Gospel

Rescue Mission

Board of Trustees

Ed Shelton

(President)

Bob Collins

( Vice President/treasure)

Enoch Adams

(Secretary)

Mark Soquet

Emeritus:

Cliff Hodgins

Rev. Willard leisy Advisory Board:

Paul Kelly

Rev. Don Bettis, Exec. Dir.

Charlotte Bettis, Asst. Dir.

Chapel Services for DecemberSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1CalvaryBaptistChurch

2God’sPlace

3Abbott LoopCommunity

Church

4Anchorage

PilgrimNazarene

5Anchorage

GospelSingers

6AnchorageVineyard

Fellowship

7First

PresbyterianChurch

8Wasilla

Assemblyof God

9

God’sPlace

10

Churchof God ofProphecy

11

FirstAssembly of

God

12

ChangePoint

13

ChristCommunity

Church

14

CalvaryChurch

15

LighthouseChristian

Fellowship

16GraceVictory

Fellowship

17Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

18Anchorage

NativeAssembly

19Christian

EvangelicalChurch

20Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

21Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

22Glenn

Herman

23New Light

CommunityChurch


25Attorney

Greg Grebe


27EvangelicalCovenantChurch

28In His Name

SandyMcCollum

29Change

Point

30God’sPlace

31Trinity

PresbyterianChurch

Special Chapel Services - at 2:00 P. M.

December 22, 2006 “Special Guest Speaker”

December 2007 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of December 2007 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter