March 2006 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

8/8/2019 March 2006 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

1/8

March 2006

ne

w

s a publication of the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Anchorage, Alaskres

cue Anchorage Gospel Rescue MissionAnchorage Gospel Rescue MissionA Ministry of Rescue & Recovery

Learnin

dCent

erPag

e2

Progra

mNote

sPage2

Missio

nSpot

lightP

age

StaffT

estimo

nies4

&5

Direct

orsD

eskPa

ge6

Living

Memorials

Page7

Chape

lSche

duleP

age8

....Because the greatest mission ever

known was when God sent His only

begotten Son into the world that the world

may be saved.

.Because the world will never be

brought to Christ until men bring Christ to

the world.

.Because Jesus Himself taught us that

missions is the only way to make

disciples.

.Because ifsalvation means everything

to me, I cannot be happy unless I share itwith others.

.Because missions keep the Christians

aware of the worlds need for Christ.

.Because the missionary spirit is the

greatest hope for the world in these last

days.

.Because many people will go to amission that would never go to a church.

.Because a mission expresses the love

of Christ by meeting both spiritual and

physical needs.

I BELIEVE IN MISSION

Why?The most important activity th

any individual or church c

participate in is missions. We ha

a command from our Lord, to

and make disciples. This is noptional. Jesus said, go ye. If w

are to be obedient, we must win t

lost through the efforts of missio

and the missionaries. Supporti

missions is the best way I know f

you to keep this command from o

Lord. Whether it be local or foreig

missions should be a part of yo

life.

The Anchorage Gospel Resc

Mission considers its ministry

extension of the local church. W

want you to feel that you are taki

part in missions when you suppo

this Mission in any way. There

no activity that takes place on an

missionfi

eld that does not happright here. The Rescue Mission

one of the greatest opportuniti

that you have to serve the Lord as

missionary. You can pray, witne

volunteer your time to help in man

areas or make in-kind donations

food, clothing, supplies or you m

help us financially.


2/8

Learning Center UpdateDavid Williams

What a Pleasant Surprise!

It has been my experience that the majority of those who visit the Rescue Mission, for either a tour of our facilit

or to volunteer their time, invariably walk away surprised. Surprised by the fact we do more than just offer a bed

the homeless.

When they find that our homeless services also includes: Providing food, clothing, hygiene products, bus tok

(when available), and home furnishings (when housing is achieved), theyre surprised. When they discover

offer an 18 to 24 month drug & alcohol NewlifeRecovery Program, theyre surprised. When theyre told all

is offered free of charge, theyre surprised. However, the most pleasant surprise is when they find out we hav

learning center where we teach Computer Skill, GED Preparation, and Money Management Skills.

This is where we teach the men, in our Newlife Recovery Program, the skills to break into the job market. Ou

advanced computer training is designed to give our graduates a leg up on the competition. We also provide mon

management skills to help our graduates make the right decisions when it comes to their financial futures.

As you can see we have empty work

stations in our learning center.

What a great way to remember or

honor a loved one.

Either you, as an individual, or as

part of a group effort can help us

fill these empty work stations. In

return a plaque will be placed on

the workstation in honor of yourself

or someone of your choosing.

If you chose to donate the cost of a

monitor or a CPU we will identify

them as donated by you with an

engraved tag. If you should decide

to donate a complete work station

then a large engraved plaque will be

place on the work center, (exampleabove). Your legacy will be providing a solid future through education. What a great way to be remembered!

You can also help our efforts by providing a means of buying GED books or computer software that facilitate

learning process.

Our standards in the learning center are high because we believe if you set exceptional expectations then you w

get exceptional results.


3/8

.Ahhh The Good Ole Days!

Do You Remember Mercurochrome?

My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no

bleach, but we didnt seem to get food poisoning.

My Mom used to defrost hamburger on the counterANDI used to eat it raw sometimes, too. Our school sandwich

were wrapped in wax paper in a brown paper bag, not icepack coolers, but I cant remember getting e.coli.

Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool

(talk about boring), no beach closures then. (Heck, I learned to swim in a lake at age 3 or 4 did not know what a

swimming pool was.)

The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system.

We all took gym, not PE----and risked permanent injury with a pair of high topKeds (only wornin the gym) inste

of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I cant recall any injurie

but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now. Flunking gym was not an option---

for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.

Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem and quoted the pledge of allegiance, andstaying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention.

We must have had horrible damaged psyches. What an archaic health system we had then. Remember school nurs

Ours wore a hat and everthing!

I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself.

I just cant remember how bored we were without computers, Play Stations, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cab

stations.

Oh yeah---and where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I go that bee sting? I could have been killed!

We played king of the hill on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites, and when we got hurt, Mom pulled

out the 48-cent bottle of Mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didnt sting like iodine did) and then we go

spanked. Now its a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10 day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics, and then

Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horrible vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threa

We didnt act up at the neighbors house either because if we did, we got spanked there and then we got spanked

again when we got home.

I recall my friend from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop, just before he fell off. Little d

his Mom know that she could have owned our house. Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a

goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck.

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family. How could w

possible have known that we needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes? We were obviousl

duped by so many societal ills, that we didnt even notice that the entire country wasnt taking Prozac! How did we

ever survive?

Love to all of us who shared this era, and to all who did not Sorry for what you missed. I wouldnt trade

for anything!

This was given to me by one of our staff. I thought some of you ole timers would enjoy it.

Bro. Do

Directors Desk


4/8

mission spotlight

As you can see by the pictures

weve had a few incidentals at

the Mission. Of course only ahomeowner can truly appreciate

the usage of the word incidental

in this context. To a homeowner,

incidentals, is the term used

when the ceiling falls in do to

a leaking pipe, or when a car

crashes into the building. The

worst part about incidentals istherere always expensive. The

best part about incidentals is they show us how many people really care about

us. Incidentals are responsible for our true friends coming out of the shadows

and stepping up to the plate

with a helping hand. Thats

why, here at the Mission, we

are able to thank the Lord for all

the incidentals he places in ourpath. He uses them to reaffirm

our belief in those who selflessly

support our efforts.

Incidentals

PLEASE consider including

the Anchorage Gospel Rescue

Mission in your WILL. It could

have eternal rewards for YOU.


5/8

I Drank My Way to Alaska

There is an old joke I am allergic to alcohol; I break out in spots, Seattle,

Portland, Anchorage. I lived that joke. I was always working to drink, and

drinking to work. I came to Alaska to make some fast money in the fishing

industry, I did pretty well until I picked the bottle back up. I continued

working various jobs, somehow having enough to pay rent and, of course,

drink. One cold night in December of 2003, I found myself with 2 days to

go until my next paycheck, and no money to pay rent. I made my way here

to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission. I was not allowed to stay that

night because I had drank earlier in the day. I walked the streets that night

to stay warm. I made it until 6:00 A.M. when the Mission served breakfast.I still knew if I made it through another day, I had that paycheck waiting.

Determined to stay that night I didnt drink and checked into the Mission.

Someone told me of the Missions NewlifeRecovery Program, I checked

it out, was accepted and have never left. Three weeks later I found myself

working the front desk assisting the Staff. One night this gentleman came

to check in and he smelled of alcohol. I said, Sir, we can not let you stay,

we have zero tolerance for alcohol. He accepted this and I went and found

him a sleeping bag and a blanket. He looked at me and said, Thank You,

You have God in your eyes. I almost wept right there. Later that night afterthe lights went out; I got down on my knees and asked the Lord Jesus Christ

into my life. You see, God had this plan for me all along. I am now one of

the staff members here. Where else could I do the Lords work but here?

Where else? By the way, I never did pick up that last paycheck.

And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free John 8:32

Douglas T. Mohn

TESTIMONIALS


6/8

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:

I will guide thee with mine eyePsalms 32:8 (KJV).

Although these words were written by King David in the tenth century BC, they capture the spirit of

what the Rescue Mission represents in my life.

At 42 I found myself homeless; a condition not all together surprising seeing how I had squandered

most of my life on drug and alcohol abuse. I was living in the flesh and had developed a bitterness

that manifested itself into hatred. I became a parasite sucking the life blood from society. There was

no remorse, no regret, and sadly no desire to change.

I had no relationship with God, in-fact I denied he existed, that

is until I cursed him for all the sadness and pain in my life. I

scoffed at those who confessed the Lord as their savior and

branded them as pathetic misguided fools.

Despite my contempt the Lords love never wavered. He had a

plan for my life, a plan he set into motion by delivering me to

the front door of the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission.

Without hesitation the Mission took on the charge of instilling direction in my life. A task the state

of Alaska had tried and failed to do for twenty years. With limited resources the Mission took care of

my worldly need by housing, clothing, and feeding me. Then they began the process of showing methat the problems in my life were of my own design. The measure of man has nothing to do with who

he thinks he is or with whom he thinks he has to be. The true measure of a man has everything to do

with the decisions he makes in life.

The Newliferecovery program, at the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission, instilled in me good

decision making skills. They restored my life by offering the gift of hope for a better future. The

direction I have received in this program has set into motion the idea that I have the responsibility to

lift-up, rather than tear-down, society.

Im currently employeed by the Mission and enrolled in Wayland Baptist University seeking aBachelors degree in Christian Ministries a path made possible by the love, guidance, and support of

the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission.

Thank you for making this life change possible by supporting this organization.David M. Williams

Finding Direction


7/8

Living Memorials.touch lives as they honor the memory

of loved ones and friends.

In Memory of

Esperanza M. Casas

by Martha Cashen

In Memory of

Eric Encelewski

by Dennis and Martha Ogren

In Memory of

Doris Mead

by William and Carol Gericke

Bruce, Carol, Lisa and David Houston

Betty A. Motes

Robert and Joyce Zorick

* * * * * *

He Maketh No Mistake

My Fathers way may twist and turn,

My heart may throb and ache,

But in my soul Im glad I know,

He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,My hopes may fade away,

But still Ill trust my Lord to lead

For He doth know the way.

Tho night be dark and it may seem

That day will never break;

Ill pin my faith, my all in Him,

He maketh no mistake.

Theres so much now I cannot see,My eyesights far too dim;

But come what may, Ill simply trust

And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift

And plain it all Hell make.

Through all the way, tho dark to me,

He made not one mistake.A.O. Overton

Used with permission

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 confidenceMake checks payable to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission

You will receive a receipt.


8/8

Our Ministry of

is to

the least

the last

the lost

resc

ue

URGENTOur 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 Shavers Cleaning Supplies

Liquid Dish Detergent

Dinner Napkins

Shampoo

URGENT

Anchorage Gospel

Rescue Mission

Board of Trustees

Mark Soquet, President

Bob Collins, Vice President

(and acting treasure)

Ed Shelton, Secretary

Enoch Adams

Emeritus:

Cliff Hodgins

Rev. Willard leisy

Advisory Board:

Paul Kelly

Rev. Don Bettis, Exec. Dir.

Charlotte Bettis, Asst. Dir.

MEMBER

resc

ue Association of Gospel Missions

An association of Rescue Ministries

STATEMENT OF FAITHThe Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission is a Non-Profit, Non-Denominationalorganization. We received NO municipal, state or federal funds. We are not aUnited Way Agency. Your financial support and In-Kind donations makes it possiblefor us to provide for the poor, needy and homeless people in our community. Also,your donations allow us to provide a Drug and Alcohol Recovery program. AllDonations are fully tax deductible. We will give you a receipt for your donation.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postal

PAIDAnchorage, AK

Permit # 290

Anchorage

Gospel

MissionA Ministry of

Rescue & Recovery

res

cue

newsrescu

e

[email protected]

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

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Chapel Services for MarchSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1Anchorage

GospelSingers

2Rev.Ben

Sherbahn

3First

PresbyterianChurch

4CalvaryBaptistChurch

5GodsPlace

6Abbot LoopCommunity

Church

7Anchorage

PilgrimNazarene

8Change

Point

9Alliance

BibleChurch

10CalvaryChurch

11Wasilla

Assemblyof God

12GodsPlace

13Church

of God ofProphecy

14First

Assembly ofGod

15Christian

EvangelicalChurch

16Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

17Sherbahn

EvangelisticTeam

18LighthouseChristian

Fellowship

19GraceVictory

Fellowship

20Reverend

BenSherbahn

21Anchorage

NativeAssembly

22Chapelby the

Sea

23EvangelicalCovenantChurch

24In His Name

SandyMcCollum

25Southside

Churchof God

26New Light

CommunityChurch

27HillsideBaptistChurch

28Attorney

Greg Grebe

29Change

Point

30ShilohBaptistChurch

31Rev.Ben

Sherbahn

March 2006 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of March 2006 Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission Newsletter