NOVEMBER 2022| VOL. 27 NO. 1
Restoring Hope...Transforming Lives ~ Since 1995
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OBERT’S STORY “I was really a small-town kid,” says Robert. Growing up in Granite Falls in Snohomish County was idyllic, until Robert’s mom was in a car accident and died due to complications. At the age of nine, Robert withdrew; not talking, anxious, and depressed. As an adult, he shares that it was the most traumatic life experience he has ever had, which paved the way to his future troubles.
I could get help.” Robert was reticent about staying overnight in the shelter – after one night he felt like a 90-year-old man waking up stiff as a board. The next day he heard the Tiny House coordinator talking about openings, so he asked her what it was all about and how someone could qualify. “I got in the very next day!” he exclaimed. That was in July, and since then he was hired on as kitchen help at the Mission.
Robert had to grow up fast and, along with his three brothers, was responsible to find work and help with family expenses. Then by his late teens he fathered a child. Robert dropped out of school to work and try to make a go of his new family; but it was too much, and they separated.
When asked what changes he has seen in himself, he says, “I am not on any meds now because I really feel that I have a purpose. I have found that if I keep busy, my mental health is good. I have also started attending church with a friend from the Mission – I think I am the youngest person that attends there!” (Robert laughs)
As new teenage parents, they made the difficult decision to put their child in an open adoption. Robert says he couldn’t be more blessed by the fact that his daughter went to her mother’s sister, so she remained in the family. To this day he visits her. The consequencesof his life choices ended in being homeless and on the streets until his mid-twenties when he found his way to the Everett Mission. There he was sober and working for several years, helping out with operations and doing desk work. When he left, he began to spiral down and get into trouble. Making wrong decisions again, he came to the Olympia area and, because of an altercation, he ended up in jail for four months. During that time, he was severely depressed, and they put Robert on medication. “I felt so zombish on the meds, and begged God for a second chance.” “When I was released, I only had the clothes I was arrested in, so I went to the local mission (Olympia Union Gospel Mission); it was a place where
“I do my Bible study on my own. I get a little confused when I read because it seems like it jumps around from one book to another, but I keep coming back to my favorite, the book of John.” At one point Robert referred to “we” as he was talking about reading the Bible. When asked who the other person with him was, he said “God. There are two of us, right?” A donor provides special prayer boxes filled with strips of paper with Scripture verses on them. “Each day,” says Robert, “I make my coffee and pull out a Scripture from the box. They are my little daily reminders. I hold on to my favorite ones. Like today’s, Psalm 50:5 I – it’s a keeper.”
I will have 2 years of being clean and sober I have a new reason to celebrate Thanksgiving. ~ Carrie
OLYMPIA UNION GOSPEL MISSION | PO BOX 7668 OLYMPIA WA 98507 | 360.709.9725 | OUGM.ORG | FACEBOOK
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n this fast-paced world it is easy to question the Proverb. The rapid advances in understanding our physical world and the universe beyond, computing power, communications, medical breakthroughs all challenge our senses. But sadly, despite all these advances that can bring such potential for good, we still compete with the God of the universe by wanting to become our own gods. We hate, kill one another in ever more sophisticated ways, find more creative and dangerous substances to poison our minds and bodies in the interest of escaping the pain of a tormented life, and seek our own interests above that of others. Sounds like the same stories we have read in the Bible! Yet through it all, one solid constant is God’s love for His creation and the saving grace He offers through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Against this backdrop of change, chaos and torment what is the role of the Olympia Union Gospel Mission? Why do we still exist twenty-seven years later? Our need for God, whether we recognize it or not, was programmed into our genetic code by a loving Father and that need has not changed. Certainly, we try and meet that need with everything the world has to offer, but the need remains no matter how much we try to repress it. We are the lucky ones, we finally admitted our need and welcomed Jesus into our hearts. But countless others are still out there fighting against that need. The role of the Mission is to be a welcoming beacon during life’s storms and give those who enter a chance to encounter God during a time of desperation.
The need for love and acceptance is another basic human need. Absent God, we pursue it in so many self-destructive ways. Daily we see men, women and sometimes children behaving in self destructive ways just to “fit in.” Our goal is to model Christ-centered behavior that does not judge, rather offers a path to the real love and acceptance of Jesus. The need to keep our bodies safe from attack, warm, fed, rested - is again part of our most basic requirements for survival. The Mission offers all that and more in a Christ-centered environment. We are the hands and feet of Jesus - not the Savior. While we do not always get it right, guests know that staff have come from their world but now are somehow different. This realization plants a seed in even the most rebellious heart that someday may lead to real change. The need for troubled souls to find comfort is not new but has assumed a greater level of attention in today’s world. Responding to the mental health issues that resulted in, or are a result of, addiction is the most pressing issue faced by the Mission. We face it at a time when scarce resources are overwhelmed by the amount of mental illness in all strata of the population. We are in the process of evaluating and retooling to be able to offer the needed love of Jesus while interfacing with the limited mental health resources that are available to us. This is posing a huge challenge and we covet your prayers. Because God has worked in your hearts to pray for and financially support the Mission, God’s work, performed by imperfect human beings, continues in our community. The challenges continue to come, and we respond as God leads – “there is nothing new under the sun.”
Family gathering, the colors and smells of fall. ~ Lenore
OLYMPIA UNION GOSPEL MISSION | PO BOX 7668 OLYMPIA WA 98507 | 360.709.9725 | OUGM.ORG | FACEBOOK
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 6:30pm | Westwood Baptist Church Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things... Jeremiah 33:3
You are invited to the Olympia Union Gospel Mission’s e vening of socializing, delicious dessert, and hearing some i nspiring stories from individuals we serve. Come and see how your donation has made an impact.
6:30pm Social & Dessert - 7pm Program
My 19 family members hold hands while saying what they are thankful for. I love most of all hearing what the kids are thankful for. ~ Shelley
Give Local 2022 is our community’s celebration of local generosity, November 7 – 18. The Community Foundation’s two-week online giving campaign supports local non-profits like the Olympia Union Gospel Mission. Credit card fees are paid, so the Mission receives 100% of what you give, including a bonus fund from the Dawkins Charitable Trust, stretching your gift further. Make your gift this year count even more through Give Local 2022. Visit OUGM.org and look for the GIVE LOCAL link to maximize your giving!
Serve the g or the sen irls in the progra m iors in m y mom’s senior ho u participa sing because fam te il portunity s and it’s an op- y to pray a nd love o folks ~ Jo n di
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BIG SHOUT OUT goes to Sharon Wiese, a member of the Jubilee Community Service group who coordinated the 2nd Annual Donation drive for Olympia Union Gospel Mission. “We collected over 300 jackets, coats, sweaters and over 80 pairs of socks” said Sharon with gratitude for the overwhelming support of her neighbors. The group, co-chaired by Sue Foyle and Carol Nadalin, started over 15 years ago to organize activities and events to help the greater Lacey/Olympia community.
I look forward to our circle of gratitude where everyone shares what they are thankful for within the past year. And then the food! ~ Karen
PEACE
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
[HIT ROCK BOTTOM]
After a roller coaster of ups and downs from alcohol abuse throughout my life, I found myself in jail. Once out of jail, my roommate asked me to leave. After two nights in a hotel, I had no money, no plan, and no place to go. I was walking by Capital Christian Center in Olympia and noticed the Peace Center where I have since learned that they connect people to God, to others, and to resources. I decided to ask for a cup of coffee and hopefully I could sit and think about my next move.
[CHRISTIAN LOVE]
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egOut Kids at Courtside Apartments ran off the bus to the Clubhouse to see just what fruit and veggies were out for them to take home to their families. Surprise... there were also boxes of colorful rainboots ranging in all sizes waiting for them. This coming winter more boots will be delivered to Courtside and many other neighborhoods with children in need. For ways to help deliver produce, boots and other items call Mindy @ 360.709.9725 and join the fun!
I was greeted by a lady who brought me coffee and I explained my situation. Another lady approached me and said she has a friend who was a part of the NEST, the Mission’s short-term shelter in a house. A phone call was placed and miraculously there was space for me. I was stocked with food and supplies from the Peace Center, and they prayed for me. It felt so good to know people cared for me with such warmth.
[MISSION’S SERVICES]
I went straight to the Mission’s offices and was warmly greeted. Because it was so last minute, they wanted to
inform the tenants at the NEST a new person was moving in. Therefore, I would need to stay at the Mission’s shelter for one night. While very grateful, I was a bit nervous about staying in the shelter while I waited to get into the NEST. I went to dinner at the Mission’s dining hall and was surprised to receive a phone call welcoming me to the Nest that night.
[GOD’S PEACE] I was filled with excitement and gratitude, but it all felt like a dream. God once again carried me through, and I never had to face the harsh reality of the cold streets. Since my arrival in April, my life has been full of peace and spiritual growth, and I am forever grateful for renewed hope in my life.
Serving holiday meals at the Mission and making people happy ~ Roberto
OLYMPIA UNION GOSPEL MISSION | PO BOX 7668 OLYMPIA WA 98507 | 360.709.9725 | OUGM.ORG | FACEBOOK