September 2010 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

8/8/2019 September 2010 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

1/8

Larry AldrichOperations Manager

Randy HessMaintenance Supervisor

Larry OConnor

Roger KleinClient Supervisor

David McKnightan Driver

Solomona TalivaaMaintenance

Tom Rugglesitchen Manager

Thomas NolciniCounselor

Bill McCormickDonations

Kelly McIntoshMichael LuesseDisciple Interns

David Williamsrogram Director

n ewsA Ministry of Rescue & Discipleship

A publication of the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Anchorage, Al

ServingAnchorage

Since 1965

w.anchoragerescue.org

August

2010

CHRISTIAN AMERICAUNDER ATTACK!

A Time For Repentance!

A Time To Return To

Biblical Basics!

I know that I am preaching to the choir, because most of you who rethis newsletter are Christiansbut, perhaps if we would all get togeth

with one mind and one accord and pray as they did in the Bible before t

Church came into being; maybe, just maybe our message would go o

in unison that what this country needs is to return to GOD!

This is a fact, Christianity is the only religion that is being persecute

today. Any other religion can do what they please, but Christianity

blocked on every avenue that a Christian tries to express their faith in

living God. They are trying to take God out of our lives completely. Th

have already taken Him out of our schools, government, public plac

that belong to the people and you cannot mention His name or pray

public. If the government has their way soon our radio and televisipreachers will be censored and even our local pastors may be limited

to what they may preach from their own pulpit.

You know, I wonder if all of these catastrophes we have experienced and the phenomenon in th

weather patterns we have seen is not God demonstrating what could happen when He turns H

back on us.

ARE WE READY TO TRY TO LIVE WITHOUT GOD IN OUR LIVES?

I can remember after WWII started and America really got involved in the war. My how t

churches werefi

lled, people around the alter really praying and shedding tears, pleading for Goto intervene. I can also remember how some of these same people forgot God and their promis

when the war was over. Why cant we stay with God in the good times as well as trying to fiHim when times are bad.

ARE YOU READY FOR CHRIST TO RETURN. You know it could be that Christ will retu

before we as a country have an opportunity to return to God. But if He does delay His coming w

need to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, For This country, ourselves, our loved ones and friend, before it

eternally too late!

II Chronicles 7:14

If My people which

are called by My

name shall humble

themselves, and pray,

and seek My face, and

turn from their wicked

ways; then will I hear

from heaven, and will

forgive their sin, and

will heal their land.


2/8

2

direc

tors

des

k

Rev.D

onBettis

For some of us it seems like life is just one mountain

after another that we have to climb, one struggle after

another and one conflict after another that we have to

deal with. So we go to the Bible and hope we can find

some answers in the scriptures that will temporarily

get us through the problem. You have peace of mind

and soul for a while. But then, a really big problem or

circumstance comes along that you cannot handle. You

have prayed, you have asked a friend for advise or you

have found some scripture verses that have helped you

before, but this time comfort from friends and answers

from scriptures just want do. Finally in your despair

you realize that there is Jesus, to understand, to love

you, to comfort you and give you the assurance that

everything will be all right.

Folks, that is why it is so important for you and me to

have a personal relationship with Jesus. To know Him

as your Lord and Savior is the most important decisionyou will ever make. But to know Him intimately

and personally is important too, so in time of crises

in your life you can go to Him with full assurance

and confidence and know that He will give you the

encouragement and answers that you need in your time

of trouble, disappointment and doubts. Also, He is

there for leadership and guidance in your life

Maybe the lyrics in the following song will have a

special meaning for you.

When Answers ArentEnough

You have faced the mountains

Of desperation.

You have climbed,

You have fought,

You have won.

But this valley that lies coldly before you,

Has a shadow that you can not overcome.

And when you thought

You had it altogether,

You knew every verse to get you through.

But this time all the sorrow,

Broke more than just your heart

And reciting all those verses,

Just wont do.

Instead of askingWhy did it happen.

Think of where it can lead you to

From here.

And as your pain is slowing easing,

You can find a greater reason

To live your life triumphant

Through the tears.

Chorus: Read this after each verse.

When answers arent enoughThere is Jesus.

He is more than just an answer

To your prayers,

And your heart will find a safe

And peaceful refuge.

When answers arent enough

He is there.

Jesus Is Still The Answer!


3/8

3

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

memory of loved ones and friends.

In Memory of

Venice Anderson

by Marlin and Sabah Heim

Rodger and Venice Anderson

by Marvel Kidder

Marilyn (Moe) Bolvin

by Earl Bolvin

Buck and Sue Durham

by Anonymous

Winthrop Fish

by Mary Doppelfeld

Carl and Hattie Heim

by Marlin and Sabah Heim

Mike Howerton

by Carol Howerton

Roland Hundley

by Thomas and Faith Hundley

Robert L Kiele

by Jan and Karen Kiele

Kent A. Lindseyby Carol A. Lindsey

Flora Punches

by Bill and Carol Punches

Dorothy Poncheg

Dick and Virginia Bowen

Marian Rylander

by Elizabeth Richter

T.J. and M.J. Thompson

Dorothy W. Wuerth

Frederick and Carolyn Ward

Pauline Barnette

Gene Shumar

by Sandra Shumar

In Honor of

Our Lord Jesus Christ

by Mrs. Fina Kiefer

URGENT.URGENT

NEED!

There is an urgent, almost critical need for mens underwear

and socks and womens underwear in our clothing room.

The number of people we serve has been constant since

winter. We usually have some relief during the Spring and

Summer months, but not so this year. These are items that

are not usually donated because most folks, if you are like

me, wear them out and throw them away before you buy

new ones for yourself.

However, I am asking you, if you have any usable underwear

and socks, will you please donate them to the Mission.

Perhaps you have gained or lost weight and have some of

these items that you are not using. Boy, you could sure meet

a need by donating them to the Mission. We accept clothing

of all kind for men, women and children. We never sell

anything. It is always freely given without charge.

Do You Remember?THERE IS A FOUNTAIN

There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Emmanuels veins;

And sinners, plunge beneath that flood,

Lose all their guilty stains:

Lose all their guilty stains,

Lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners, plunge beneath that flood,Lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see

That fountain in his day;

And there may I, though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away.

Wash all my sins away;

Wash all my sins away;

And there may I though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious bloodShall never lose its power,

Till all the ransomed Church of God

Be saved, to sin no more;

Be saved , to sin no more;

Be saved, to sin no more;

Till all the ransomed Church of God

Be saved to sin no more.

Eer since by faith, I saw the stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die;And shall be till I die,

And shall be till I die;

Redeeming love has been my theme

And shall be till I die

Then in a nobler, sweeter song

Ill sing Thy power to save,

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue,

Lies silent in the grave;



When this poor lisping, stammering tongue

Lies silent in the grave.

This old hymn has a deep meaning, especially for the person th

does not know Jesus as his personal Savior and Lord. To kno

that there is a fountain of sacrificial blood that has been given f

the forgiveness of their sin and they can plunge into that blood

faith and come out clean.


4/8

4

Icame to Christ in 1994. Unfortunately

would be another 16 years before I

acknowledged his presence. I went to him out of great

fear and desperation. What I didnt understand was that

it takes more than just believing in God. In my heart

and soul I must believe that my sins would be pardoned

and I would have eternal life.

I first came to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission

in the summer of 2008. I needed to turn my life around

because it had become such a mess nobody wanted

to be around me. I was killing myself with alcohol.

Even my own mother left me because, according toher, she couldnt watch me kill myself any longer. The

next day I was at the Mission seeking shelter until a

bed opened up in a treatment center somewhere. This

is when I learned about the NewLife Discipleship

Training Program at the Rescue Mission. I filled out

an application, had an interview

and was admitted. For a time things

were getting better for me but

something just didnt seem right. So

I left thinking I could stop drinking

myself. I found myself back out inthe world and of course it wasnt too

long before Satan was leading me

around by the hand. I began to find

all kinds of trouble. I found short

term housing when an old friend

offered to let me move in with him.

The Devil had other ideas. I began

staying at the shelter. I got odd jobs

here and there and eventually landed

a part time job. Of course drinkingeveryday makes it impossible to

navigate life. It wasnt long before

I lost my job and this lead to more

drinking and what had destroyed my life in the past

was coming to finish me off. I felt completely useless

and devoid of any life. I didnt care about me, you,

or anybody. All I wanted was my bottle,

somebody to talk with, and a corner to

hide away in.

One day while sobering up I called David William

at the Rescue Mission and asked about returning NewLife. He told me to come in and talk to him. M

intentions were to follow his advice however I onc

again became sidetracked. At one of my lowest points

thought about robbing a bank just to get off the stree

and to quit drinking. I couldnt function in the health

sober world and I didnt want to be a drunk but th

is where I was the happiest and mo

miserable.

Winters in Alaska can be a bitter pla

if youre homeless. Someone I kneunderstood the hardships of outdo

living and provided me with a corn

in his hotel room. Three alcoholics

one small room were bound to lea

to trouble and it did. Fortunately f

me it was spring when I moved bac

out doors. At one point I moved bac

into the shelters and tried to clean u

my act. I put in application at vario

places around town. I either nev

received any response or the perso

I needed to talk to wasnt there. I g

discouraged and slipped back into m

own private hell. I became a regular at the sleep o

center. On what would be my final visit to the slee

off center I ran into a person I knew from a previou

recovery program. He told me he was going back in

the program. This gave me hope. It got me to thinkin

about my conversation with the Program Director at th

Rescue Mission all those months before. I vowed to g

My


5/8

5

back to the Mission. Even then it would take another

month before I went back to the Mission.

I started

hanging out

at a Fairview

park where

other drunks

hang out. In

the corner

of the park

was a spruce

tree. I calledit My Tree

and would

crawl under

it every night

in order to

keep dry.

The best part

was it kept

me hidden. I

felt safe under that tree. During the day I would crawl

out, scrounge what I could to survive and then crawl

right back under My Tree.

My last day outside was on a Sunday. I truly believe

God sent Angels in the form of a couple walking to

church. They found me under My Tree and asked me

if I was alright. The woman reached in a grabbed my

hand helping me out. She asked me to attend church

with them. I am so very thankful to God for them. They

gave me courage to do what I needed to do. I needed

to return to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission an

finish what I had started over a year before. After th

service the bus driver gave me a lift to the Missio

The next morning I talked to the Program Director an

was welcomed back. A Tremendous weight had beeremoved from my heart because I not only returned

the Mission but I also returned to God and asked fo

his forgiveness. That was 14 months ago and a lot ha

changed. Ive learned so much in the bible studies an

biblical life management classes. I get it now my sin

are forgiven and I do have eternal life.

15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD,For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,For I am desolate and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged;Bring me out of my distresses!

18 Look on my affliction and my pain,And forgive all my sins.

19 Consider my enemies, for they are many;And they hate me with cruel hatred.

20 Keep my soul, and deliver me;Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in

You.21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,

For I wait for You.

Whenever I get in a bad place within myself I hav

only to remember this passage and to think about M

Tree I have found my narrow path to God. I talk t

him daily least Satan comes knocking for his ways a

truly evil and wicked.

I am truly grateful for the Rescue Mission and th

Mission Staff.

ree


6/8

6

First AnnualNewLife Camping Adventure

This year our Program Director and Kitchen Manager

decided we would get the NewLife Disciples awayfrom the Mission and out into the wilderness. After

all this is Alaska! There were three groups of six who

went on three successive weekends. The trip was

so successful we have decided to make it an annual

event. It was an opportunity for the men to get away

and experience the wonders of Gods creation. There

was fishing, canoeing, and hiking but most importantly

there was laughter. It was a wonderful relaxing time for

all although only three fish were caught. We traveled

to Dolly Varden Lake in Sterling Alaska. We are open

to suggestions for next years trip. Im sure our readersknow of some really sweet spots to go camping and

fishing. We even invite you to come along or drop by

like Rev. Virgil Redmond and his wife Nyladine did

this year. These two long time Alaskans shared stories

about their early day in Alaska with the men and Virgil

ended the celebration with some inspirational words of

encouragement for the men. Oh and by the way they

got a pretty good meal to boot. So we invite you to join

us next year.


7/8

7

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 confidence Make checks payable

to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission You will receive a receipt.

PLEASE SEND COUPON IN WITH YOUR DONATION

We invite you to

visit us on the web

or drop us an email

with your comments

and suggestions

www.anchoragerescue.org

You can make

your donations

on our secure

On-Line

donation Page

www.anchoragerescue.org

LearningCent erUpgr ade

The Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission is in the

process of upgrading our Learning Center curriculum.

The current material used in our computer training has

served us well over the years however it has become

outdated. We are currently teaching Windows XP andMicrosoft Office Suite 2003. The current versions on

the market are Windows 7 and Microsoft Office Suite

2010. NewLife is dedicated to preparing our Disciples

for the current job market. In order to achieve this goal

we have to make sure we stay current in our computer

training materials.

Our goal is to accomplish our upgrade by January 1,

2011. The good news is we have purchased our new

curriculum from Velsoft. We will be teaching Beginne

Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert modules in th

entire Offi

ce Suite family. Velsoft has made a signifi

cainvestment in the Rescue Mission by providing th

material at a 50% discount. They have also given u

an open license and full ownership of the material. W

also have been blessed with donations of flat scree

monitors for each of our 12 Learning Center comput

stations. What we now need is the hardware upgrad

and the software upgrades. Our computers will nee

new video cards we estimate the cost at around $900.0

The software upgrades will be the major expense. T

upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 we will nee

$1079.88. To upgrade from Office 2003 to 0ffice 20it will cost $1799.88.

If you have children you know education is expensiv

Like all investments in education this one is importa

and promises a bright future for all who will bene

from it. All our Learning Center classes are

mandatory for each NewLife Disciple

therefore you can rest assured if you invest

in this cause your investment will be used

to its fullest potential.


8/8

1

Anchorage

Gospel

Singers

2

Anchorage

City

Church

3

First

Presbyterian

Church

4

Calvary

Baptist

Church

5

Gods

Place

6

Abbott Loop

Community

Church

7

Wesleyan

Nazarene

(Robert Durr)

8

Anchorage

Church

of Christ

9

Christ

Community

Church

10

Calvary

Church(P. Schanzenbach)

11

Anchorage

City

Church

12

Gods

Place

13

Church

of God

Prophecy

14

First

Assembly of

God

(Shane Day)

15

University

Baptist

(Tim Arquett)

16

Sherbahn

Evangelistic

Team

17

Sherbahn

Evangelistic

Team

18

Lighthouse

Christian

Fellowship

19Victory

Christian

Center

20Sherbahn

Evangelistic

Team

21Anchorage

Native

Assembly

22Calvary

Baptist

Church

23First

Evangelical

Covenant

Church

24In His Name

Sandy

McCollum

25Skyline

Church

(Glenn

Hermann)

26

New Light

Community

Church

27

Hillside

SDA

Church

28

University

Baptist(Cliff Williams)

29

Anchorage

Church of

Christ

30

Shiloh

Baptist

Nightly Services7:30 PM to 8:30 PM

2010 Chapel Services for September 20Sunday Monday Wednesday Tuesday Thursday Friday Saturday

STATEMENT OF FAITH

The Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission is a Non-Profit, Non-Denominationaorganization. We receive NO municipal, state or federal funds. We are not a United WaAgency. Your financial support and In-Kind donations makes it possible for us to provid

for the poor, needy and homeless people in our community. Also, your donations allowus to provide a Discipleship Training program. All Donations are fully tax deductible. W

will give you a receipt for your donation.

urgent

Our supplies of theseitems is constantly in

need of replenishing

rayer

aper Towels

5 Gallon Trash Bags

resh Meat

Coffee

Bathroom Tissue

aundry Soap

Disposable ShaversCleaning Supplies

iquid Dish Detergent

Dinner Napkins

hampoo

urgent

Anchorage Gospel

Rescue Mission

Board of Trustees

Ed Shelton

(President)Bob Collins

( Vice President/treasurer)

Mark Soquet

Ralph Nobrega

Rev. Bob Sloan

Barbara Schmiedeskamp

Shane Day

Emeritus:

Cliff Hodgins

Rev. Willard Leisy

Advisory Board:

Paul Kelly

Rev. Don Bettis, Exec. Dir.

Charlotte Bettis, Asst. Dir.

Is To

The Least

The Last

The Lost

Our Ministry of

Association of

Member

Gospel

Missions

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postal

PAIDAnchorage, AKPermit # 290

Anchorage

Gospel

MissionA Ministry of

Rescue & Recovery

news

[email protected]

P.O. Box 230510Anchorage, AK99523-0510(907) 563-5603

return service requested

issi

or e

September 2010 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of September 2010 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter