news r e s c u e Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission

A Ministry of Rescue & Recovery

A publication of the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission • Anchorage, Alaska

Valentines Day – Thoughts of

Love. . .Love. . .Love

A popular song lyrist has written Love is a Many
Splendor Thing! He was soooooo right – to find true love
and share a life together, the ups and downs, the ins and outs,
the three steps forward and two steps back. Then, one day it all
comes together and things smooth out. As you look back in your
memories you can say, “It worked because our life together was
built on love.”
BUT WHAT ABOUT CHRISTIAN LOVE?
Christian love should endure longer and grow stronger each day that we live. We ought to
practice the moral and ethical standards of Christian principals regarding love toward our
fellow man. Our love toward God should be greater than that we have for our spouse or
family members. Jesus said, “if we love them more than we love Him, we are not worthy of
Him,” Matthew 10:37 (paraphrased). We love Him because He first loved us. I John 4:19. We
are reminded in John 15:9 that Jesus said, “As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you.
Continue ye in my love.”
David M. Williams We serve Him because we love Him. We have the love of God in us; we should prove our
Program Director
love for Him by loving and helping those in need. In Matthew 5:24 Jesus said, “I say unto
you love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray
Larry Aldrich for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your
Operations Manager
Father which is in heaven”....”for if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?....”.
Randy Hess John 15:12. We are commanded to love one another. In
Maintenance Supervisor Galatians 5:13, we read
that by love we serve one another. Ephesians 5:2 tells us, “to
Larry O’Connor walk in love.” And Hebrews 13:1 says, to let brotherly love
Greg Mann continue.” Then, last but not least Jesus said, “Greater
Neil Givens love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life
Roger Klein for his friend.” Then I would ask you to read I
Client Supervisors Corinthians 13 and see if indeed you are living your life
in the practice of Christian love. This chapter
David McKnight
concludes, “and now abideth faith, hope and charity,
Van Driver
these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).”
Solomona Talivaa
Maintenance

Donn Baker What a difference this old world would

ry

John Lofquist be if we who are Christians would just

Intern
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practice the concept of Christian love.

8
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2
 Life in the Lobby
(A life all its own)
k The lobby of the mission has a life of its own. A microcosm of life on
oo
l i st the streets of Anchorage, it has a rhythm and cadence that is unbroken
by holidays and vacations. It is an oasis, of sorts, in a desert of lost
er q u
os
o f hope.
cl L
a
h n In the pallid, winter day-light, the evening shift gingerly takes their
Jo chairs at the nicked desks. They answer the phone calls and questions,
as the jack-o-lantern orange globe shines between the branches and
buildings. Their “day” slides into an early night while the endless days
of summer are just wistful thinking.

Soon, the door begins opening and closing as the lobby’s nightly guests begin to assemble. The neon signs across
the street flicker, strobe-like, with the passing traffic on Tudor Road. Each guests trudges in out of the bitter wind,
shrugging off the snow and cold. They stamp the well-worn carpet that so many have crossed. No longer do they
seem to notice the stark white walls which are spotted like a leopard’s skin with an eclectic collection of calendars,
bulletin boards, framed photographs, and encouraging, spiritual messages. Everyone is greeted by the watchful eye
of the shift supervisor and occasionally treated to the quick
joke surrounded with an engaging smile.

As warmth returns to fingers and toes, the lines of broken

dreams and empty promises begin to soften on the faces of
the recently arrived. A stomach-tugging aroma of an evening
meal being prepared is rudely interrupted by the sharp tang
of an unwashed body passing by. This brief interruption is
soon soothed with the sound of the chapel’s piano. A quick
look reveals brightly lit, comfortably padded pews and a large
wooden cross on the wall.

There are two cloth covered tables that oppose each other
here in this room. Both of them support pampered plants and
entertain carefully selected reading material. One of them,
however, always wins every holiday season by being chosen to host an expertly crafted nativity scene. The other
table’s resident foliage camouflages the smoked-glass window of the Chaplin’s office. A close look may reveal the
desk lamp, dimly outlining his head, and computer screen blue reflections on his glasses.

Life in the Lobby. A close look will reveal; a reflection of the Life of our Lord.

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

2

t s
r r
ep
o
e ye
r
t us
a s-M
a
st om
Th
n k
F ra
I am a Mission volunteer. I start by recognizing the
efforts of the many volunteers who have labored and
prayed for and financially supported the Anchorage
Gospel Rescue Mission from its establishment in
downtown Anchorage in about 1965.
Fact: The Mission’s vision is Jesus Saves and its
mission is a ministry of rescue and recovery.
Question 1: To fulfill its vision and mission, does
the Mission need to move from its Tudor location
to more appropriately zoned land?
Question 2: Supposing the Mission does move,
what does the community need from the Mission
for the next 100 years?
I do not offer answers. Here is what I have
discovered while inquiring: Anchorage’s Project
80s required the Mission move from downtown to
its current Tudor Road home in about 1987, which
led to today’s three problems.
Problem 1: The Mission currently sits on B3-zoned
property, on which “an emergency shelter is a legal
nonconforming use.” Under today’s Anchorage
land use policies the Mission needs to sit on PLI
(public lands and institutions) or Industrial 1 or
Industrial 2 zoned property to operate a “homeless
and transient shelter.” For instance, the Mission’s
primary contemporary, Brother Francis Shelter, sits
on PLI zoned land. The Mission’s current location
on Tudor is smack dab in the midst of Anchorage
2020’s (the Anchorage’s comprehensive land use
plan) proposed redistricting to a “major employment
area” surrounded by high density housing.
Problem 2: The Mission’s “NewLife” program
attracted its own land use/zoning issue because
“NewLife” is not “an emergency shelter.” The
Municipality of Anchorage believes that the
Mission’s “NewLife” program is a “habilitative care
facility” or “correctional community residential
center” which the current B-3 zoning does not
support, but which the PLI or I1 or I2 zoning would
support.
Problem 3: A problem with fire code/land use
violations in 2005 closed the Mission’s “NewLife”
dormitory at 2815 E Tudor. Further fire code/land
use issues reduced emergency shelter bed space at
2823 E Tudor. The net result was a lost of about 56
beds per night (about 20,400 annual bed nights).
Collateral Affect on Others: Brother Francis
Shelter, as a result of Mission’s lost beds, has
operated well over its designed operating capacity
of 131 beds/night. Currently BFS is sleeping
from 171 to 200 nightly – 30-50% over-capacity
– causing BFS to dig deep in its skinny pockets
to come up with the additional operation expenses.
The Mission’s loss of bed space has impacted
the operations of just about every member of the
Municipality’s Emergency Shelter Provider Group
– BFS of course, AWAIC, Clare House, Covenant
House, McKinnel House and others. The homeless
themselves have increased the camping (and their
suffering) in Campbell Park negatively impacting
the Mission’s neighbors.
What Others Want: I discovered what I believe the
Municipality and the Emergency Shelter Providers
Group want from the Mission: continuance of
emergency shelter services and “NewLife”, plus the
addition of (lots of) transitional housing units for
moms and kids, dads and kids, intact families and
singles. In closing, I have met so many individuals
in the last two months who love and care for this
state’s homeless men, women and children, and
who love, respect and worry about the Mission.
Be prepared to volunteer for action for the
Lord’s lovely Mission on the Move. Pray for
the leadership of the Anchorage Gospel Rescue
Mission. This report to be continued next issue.
3

i es
on
ti
m ts es
eE
s I was sitting in my rickety little
te
o m
Jer
“The fear of the lord is the
beginning of knowledge, but fools
despise wisdom and instruction”
Proverbs 9:10
I spend my life thinking I was
obtaining knowledge as I grew in
understanding in earthly things.
Always thinking the things that
could be touched or materially
manipulated is what life was all
about. But at the same time there
was something else present in my
thinking. There seemed to be a
void, a kind of empty place that
was always there. I knew in my
heart I was missing something,
but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
There was a void and a need to fill
it.
Drinking beer and smoking pot
was a normal thing for me to do
in my life and it helped fill that
void temporarily. The longer I did
the same things, the longer things
remained the same. My life was
at a point where everything was
a struggle. My job, my marriage,
friends and family, everything in
life was getting hard to handle.
I knew I needed a change, so I
moved to Hawaii.
I bought some cheap property high
up on a mountain and built a shack
4
at bare minimal cost. A few months
went by, but the move didn’t change
anything. I was still struggling
with all the problems I had before.
shack one evening and there was a
storm brewing up on the mountain.
I got into a heated argument with
my wife about livings so far
away from everything. She had
just taken the car and left. It was
just a few minutes later when the
storm began to intensify. The wind
started howling and my little shack
began vibrating as though a fright
train was going by just outside the
door.
Everything on the shelves and the
table top was dancing around and
falling to the floor. The wind was
howling so loudly it reminded me
of the noise of an uncontrolled
trumpet blast echoing through the
air. I was sitting in the middle of
my one room shack in awe and
confusion from the violence of the
storm. Fear was just beginning to
set in when, with great force, the
wind slammed my makeshift door
open and at that moment the roof
From Double-M
ripped away from the walls and
lifted one side of it straight up in
the air. Just when I thought the roof
was going to fly away to another
part of the island, the wind let up
enough to allow the roof to slam
back down like the lid on a cigar
box. The air pressure generated
by the roof slamming back down
was so strong it deafened my ears.
So there I sat in the middle of the
floor in an eerie silence broken
only by this ringing in my ears I
still experience today.
I remember
thinking at
that point I
was dead.
Sadly I also
thought it
didn’t matter
if I was. I
could still see
the violence
r a g i n g
around me
but because
I was unable
to hear
anything it
was surreal. I lowered my head
as if I were submitting humbly to
the storm. As I sat there looking
between my legs at the floor I saw
the bible laying open to Chapter
one of the book of James. And I
began to read. As I read the words
they began to make sense to me.
My mind came alive and I was
able to grasp understanding. I was
amazed because I’ve read these
words so many times with no
effect, but now they were alive to
me. My life changed instantly as I
read the words of James:
“but let him ask in faith, with no
doubting, for he who doubts is like
Minded to Single in Purpose.
a wave of the sea driven and tossed
by the wind. For let not that man
suppose he will receive anything
from the Lord, he is a double-
minded man, unstable in all his
ways.”
James 1:6-8
I knew at that moment I was that
double-minded man James was
describing. It was then that I asked
the lord for forgiveness and to
help me with my life. That void I
carried with me was filled with a
peace and love I never had before.
It didn’t take long before I started
falling away from God’s grace.
Even though Jesus Christ was the
strongest influence in my life, that
seed was not planted in good soil.
I quickly fell away from trusting
in God. I didn’t continue to be
obedient and receive his blessings
of joy and peace. After a while I
started to go through life again
with emptiness not unlike the void
I was looking to fill earlier in life.
But things were different now;
they were a whole lot worse! I
could sense God was trying to get
my attention. But I wanted to do
things my way.
Terrible things started happening
in my life. Family members were
dying but the worst was when
my mother died. My grief was
overpowering. My marriage of
twenty five years ended in divorce.
I was stabbed in the chest and while
I was recuperating someone robbed
me of all my worldly possessions.
Yet despite all this I was drinking
more and more which lead to
my going to jail for drinking and
driving. My life was ten times
worst than it had ever been before.
I found myself homeless in
Anchorage. Sleeping anywhere
I could, working odd jobs when
I could find them. It was tough
just trying to keep going. I was
miserable, homeless, and hungry!
It was on a wet windy day when
I found out I could get a bed and
a meal at the Anchorage Gospel
Rescue Mission. When I got
there I was fed a hot meal, man
it tasted good to my tired and
empty stomach! In order to get a
bed for the night you are required
to attend evening chapel services.
That service was the first one I had
attended in over five years.
As I sat there waiting for the
service to begin I reflected on how
much of my life I had wasted by
not trusting God. I wasn’t clear
on where I had gone wrong I just
knew I went wrong somewhere. As
I was sitting there, deep in thought,
I began to get a sense something
was familiar. The Pastor had started
his message in the book of James.
He was speaking on the very same
scripture that led me to Christ in
the first place!
“My brethren, count it all joy when
you fall into various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith
produces patience, but let patience
have its perfect work, that you may
be perfect and complete, lacking
nothing if any of you lack wisdom,
let him ask God, who gives to all
liberally and without reproach and
it will be given to him. But let him
ask in faith, with no doubting, for
he who doubts is like a wave of the
sea driven and tossed by the wind
for let not that man suppose he will
receive anything from the Lord; he
is a double-minded man, unstable
in all his ways.”
James 1:1-8
Once again these words stirred my
heart and once again I was reminded
that I was that double-minded man
James was talking about. It didn’t
take a rocket scientist to figure out
I was unstable in all my ways. That
evening I learned of the “NewLife”
program at the Anchorage Gospel
Rescue Mission. The next morning
I was accepted into the program
and have been continuing in it
ever since. Once again the void
in my life was being filled by the
love of our Lord Jesus Christ. This
time the seed has fallen on fertile
ground. I’m confident my restored
relationship with Christ will stick
this time because of my new
understanding of God’s word and
because of the many tools I have
learned here at the Mission. Some
of these tools Christians have been
using for hundreds of years to
successfully endure struggles and
hardships through out life. Tools
such as prayer, reading God’s word,
memorizing scripture, assembling
together with other believers, and
many others. It’s truly an awesome
thing to see God working to give
food and shelter to the homeless
and hungry people of Anchorage.
I would like to thank the staff of
the “NewLife” program and all the
supporters that contribute to the
Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission.
You have made it possible for me
and others like me to successfully
renew our lives using God’s plan.
You are in our prayers always.
5
 Living Memorials PLEASE
REMEMBER
. . . .touch lives as they honor the memory To include the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission in
of loved ones and friends. your WILL or ESTATE Planning.
Thanks
In Memory of
Esperanza Casas
by Martha Cashen Where There Is Love
In Memory of Where there is love
Tyler Beckham The heart is light,
by Duane and Neva Marsh Where there is love
In Memory of The day is bright,
Where there is love
George and James Clyde
There is a song,
by Suzane Clyde To help when things
In Memory of Are going wrong.
Mickey Robert Dinsmore II
Where there is love
by John and Donna Poff
There is a smile,
In Memory of To make all things
Mike Howerton Seem more worthwhile.
by Carol Howerton Where there is love
In Memory of There’s quiet peace,
A tranquil place
Dale Lindsey
Where turmoils cease....
by Loren and Carolyn Leman Love changes
In Memory of Darkness into light
Mary And makes the heart
by The Parkers Take “wingless flight”—
Oh, blest are they
In Memory of
Who walk in love....
Steve Novak They also walk
by Marie Schave With God above,
And when man walks
In Honor of With God again
Mary Pat Sigudson There shall be
by Patrick and Astride Rider Peace on Earth for men.
Used with permission
In Honor of
William Allen Crabtree PRAYER REQUEST
by William and Hyun Crabtree Please pray for your Rescue Mission everyday. Pray that
the Director and Staff will seek God’s will in everything that
In Honor of they do. Pray for Godly wisdom that the things that are
Dr. Ken and Sharman Collins accomplished will be for the glory and honor of the Lord
Jim and Sally Copen Jesus Christ. Also, pray for those in the “NewLife” Recovery
Dr. Thom and Elaine Hathaway Program. Pray that they will be successful in their recovery
and will continue in their discipleship training pertaining to
John and Tammy Reading
spiritual growth. Sometimes they get so discouraged in their
Larry and Bette Ross efforts for change to take place in their life. It would be an
Pat and Laurie Marifjeren encouragement to them if you would just send a note or a
Zig and Muff Zellmer letter and tell them that you are praying for them. I know that
by Vicki Turner you do not know their names but that does not matter—God
knows. You may want to pray for our quests that stay here
each night. Pray that their heart will be open to hear and
accept the Gospel message as it is presented each night.
Bro. Don

6
 Thank You
For a Wonderful Christmas!
Your gifts made it possible for us to provide for our
clients and guest in 2007
We Can’t do it without you!

Greetings from our “NewLife” men.

Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission P.O. Box 230510 Anchorage, Alaska 99523-0510
Here is my support gift: For Credit Card Donations:
Food and Shelter: $_____ I would like to charge my total donation of $__________________
Check One: Visa ˆ M/C ˆ Am/Ex ˆ Discover ˆ
Facilities Maintenance: $_____
$46.25 For 25 Meals ______
$74.00 For 40 Meals ______ Card Number __________________________________________
$132.20 For 72 Meals ______
Exp. Date: ______/______ Signature _______________________
$277.50 For 150 Meals ______
______Other: All credit card information is kept in strict confidence
Make checks payable to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission
______ I Will Pray for this Ministry.
You will receive a receipt.

Name:________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________
Please send this coupon with your donations.
7
 Our Ministry of
Chapel Services for February
u e Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
e s c 1 2
r Is to
First
Presbyterian
Calvary
Baptist
Church Church
The least 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
The last God’s
Place
Abbot Loop
Community
Anchorage
Pilgrim
Anchorage
Gospel
Anchorage
Vineyard
Calvary
Church
Wasilla
Assembly
The lost Church Nazarene Singers Fellowship of God
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
God’s Church First Change Christ Sherbahn Lighthouse
“URGENT” Place of God of Assembly of Point Community Evangelistic Christian

Our supplies of these Prophecy God Church Team Fellowship

17 18 19 20 21 22 23
items is constantly in Grace Sherbahn Anchorage Christian Sherbahn In His Name Glenn
need of replenishing Victory
Fellowship
Evangelistic
Team
Native
Assembly
Evangelical
Church
Evangelistic
Team
Sandy
McCollum
Herman

† Prayer 24 25 26 27 28 29
† Paper Towels New Light
Community
Calvary
Baptist
Attorney
Greg Grebe
Calvary
Baptist
Evangelical
Covenant
Sherbahn
Evangelistic
† 45 Gallon Trash Bags Church Church Church Church Team

† Fresh Meat Nightly Services 7:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.

† Coffee
† Bathroom Tissue
† Laundry Soap
† Disposable Shavers
STATEMENT OF FAITH
† Cleaning Supplies The Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission is a Non-Profit, Non-Denominational
† Dinner Napkins organization. We receive NO municipal, state or federal funds. We are not a United Way
† Shampoo Agency. Your financial support and In-Kind donations make it possible for us to provide
“URGENT” for the poor, needy and homeless people in our community. Also, your donations allow us
to provide a Drug and Alcohol Recovery program. All Donations are fully tax deductible.
We will give you a receipt for your donation.

Anchorage Gospel
Rescue Mission Anchorage Non-Profit Org.

ue
U.S. Postal

Board of Trustees Gospel c PAID

s Anchorage, AK
re
Mission GOD BLESS AMERICA
Permit # 290
Ed Shelton
(President) A Ministry of info@anchoragerescue.org
Bob Collins Rescue & Recovery www.anchoragerescue.org
( Vice President/treasure) Visit us at:
Enoch Adams ue
(Secretary)
Mark Soquet
r es
news
c

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

2823 E. Tudor Rd.
Anchorage, AK 99507

Emeritus:
Cliff Hodgins RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Rev. Willard leisy
Advisory Board:
Paul Kelly

Rev. Don Bettis, Exec. Dir.

Charlotte Bettis, Asst. Dir.

MEMBER
Association of Gospel ue
sc Missions
re
An association of Rescue Ministries