May 2023

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GOALS...DREAMS...and BIRTHDAYS!

Mindy and I would like to update you on exciting news about items we listed in our Goals and Dreams 2023 column in the February 2023 Newsletter.

Spiritual Resilience

The battle with God’s and our enemy continues, so please do not stop praying. We had to part ways with some staff members who had been seduced back into the old life. You could see Satan’s fingerprints all over it. What he does is cause people to get their eyes off God and onto the world. Once the spiritual connection with our Lord gets weak, temptation enters in. But, at the same time, the majority of the staff are standing strong and refusing to let Satan win. They are a source of inspiration to us as they minister to the lost, least, and addicted.

Mental Health Training

Jodi Yarbrough, the Life Transformation Program Director, has held two training sessions for staff. She has covered dealing with guests who exhibit aggressive behavior and those who are depressed. In May, she will train on guests who exhibit anxiety disorders.

Mental Health Therapy for Mission GUESTS

There is an exciting new development to share. The Mission has received a $100,000 grant to be used expressly for developing mental health services directed to those who come to the Mission. As large as $100,000 sounds, it is a small drop in the bucket of need, so we will use it wisely. The strategy that has the most support is to use a portion of the money to pay for trained staff to “hang out” in the Day Center with the specific goal of building relationships with men and women, especially those who exhibit mental health disorders. The men and women we work with have little reason to trust, so building these relationships will be absolutely necessary to be able to speak into their lives about getting help with mental illness.

We are meeting with Behavioral Health Resources and Providence Health System to assess how to access their counselors and prescribers. Our goal will be to walk with the client through the system and keep the process God-centered while utilizing professional mental health providers.

VegOut

On Wednesday, April 5, Mindy held the first after-school program at one of the apartment complexes. It’s a tossup who was more excited – Mindy or the 19 children who attended. The children enjoyed snacks, games, checked out Easter eggs, did homework, and in general, interacted with Christian adults. There was an opportunity to share the Resurrection story with one of the children. The goal at the moment is to hold the after-school clubhouse every Wednesday and increase the number of days as God brings the volunteers. We will continue to look for funding opportunities to expand staff support for the after-school program and resources to bring food, craft projects, reading material, and potentially computers and mentors to help with homework.

Genesis Acres 2.0

On April 1, Board member Jack Olson and I met with officials from the City of Tumwater Building and Planning Departments. During the meeting, support for the project was confirmed; but we also learned that changing the zoning and use of the property from residential to multifamily will take a couple of years to be completed. We will continue the planning process, although slower, and be ready to file for permits as soon as the zoning and use change occurs.

Job One

The number one priority for Mindy, me, and the Board members is to ensure that the Mission remains Christ-centered, a place where men and women can encounter the Holy Spirit and receive the life-changing power of a relationship with Jesus. Nowhere is this transformation more evident than in the lives of the men and women who graduated on April 22 from the Life Transformation Program. We are so blessed to be able to walk alongside them as God leads them on a journey of recovery. At times it is messy and hard, but to witness the rebirth of a human being formed in the image of God is an emotional experience that cannot fully be expressed in words.

Happy Birthday and Thank You!

The Mission turns 28 years old in May. Twenty-eight years of ministering to the low-income, homeless, and addicted. It would never have happened without people like you responding to God’s gentle call to give of your financial blessings to support His Mission and steadfastly praying for us and those we serve. So, Thank You!

Emily

Emily was one of the Vision Clinic’s youngest patients, expressed Clinic Manager Theresa Carrillo. She came in with her entire family to be seen by Dr. Haws for a vision exam and glasses. Little Emily was so excited to pick out her new glasses and meet our doctor for the first time.

After the photo shoot, she was even more enthusiastic about the possibility of getting her picture in the Mission’s newsletter – so here you are, Miss Emily!

Let Us Pray

As Christian believers we are instructed in scripture to “pray without ceasing...” (Thes 5:16) and to “...cast the whole of our care [concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for us.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Our staff meets weekly to give updates on what is occurring in the various programs. One of the meeting highlights is to distribute the prayer requests we receive from donors asking us to pray for them. Topics range from salvation for family members, strength to endure a trial, and to prayer for health and healing for themselves or family members. We are honored and humbled to be entrusted with such heartfelt issues to take before the Lord. In an average month, we receive more than twenty prayer requests.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6-7

The Amazing Love of Jesus

Pastor Greg started working with the men in the program two years ago. He quietly goes about meeting with the men weekly to guide them through the Genesis Process - where he helps them identify the true root of their addictive behaviors. Both the group meetings and one-on-ones pastor are rooted in relationship; they read and share what God is teaching each of through the process, “But we do not get finishing [Genesis Process] that we miss saying to each of us,” says Greg.

He goes on to say, “The thing that excites about meeting with the men is to see them they experience the amazing love of Jesus.” meet, Greg is amazed at the depths of their ing to grips with losing a family member, the Bible for the first time and it makes sense, revealing his deepest, darkest secret and is still accepted by God. Greg says, “Those are like nothing else that I can describe. with each of these men and be a small part ery and journey to find Jesus.”

Pastor Greg grew up in a family that was God and the church, but he struggled with his performance would make him right with something was missing by his early 20’s. trying to perform and entered a relationship ior. I confessed, repented and placed my that Jesus had done on my behalf.”

Throughout the years, several scriptures Greg, but right now, in his position at the himself drawn to 2 Timothy 1:7. “God has spirit of fear or timidity, but of power, love cipline.” Greg says, “As we face the enemy addiction, we cannot afford to be timid, the light of the Gospel boldly into the darkness.”

Greg concluded, “I believe this Life Transformation istry is critical to our community because continual attack from the enemy and the of these men are so powerful. I recognize same sacrifice to rescue me from my performance ity as it did to rescue one of my friends from addictions. However, their stories are extremely narratives of the love and grace of God. stories need to be shared so that others of the glorious Gospel.”

one-on-ones with the read the scriptures them. They work get so focused on what the Spirit is excites me the most them change when Jesus.” The times they their honesty; commember, the guy who reads sense, or a man and realizes that he “Those looks of healing I am honored to sit part of their recovwas centered around with believing that with God. He knew 20’s. “I finally stopped relationship with my Savmy faith in the work scriptures have motivated the Mission, he finds has not given us a love and self disenemy in the area of we have to bring darkness.”

Transformation minbecause we are facing the rescue stories recognize that it took the performance mentalfrom their darkest extremely powerful I believe that these can see the hope

Johnny Vinson was originally living in the Mission’s Camp Mercy tiny homes and doing well, but he started to drift from following the Camp rules. He was working but hadn’t plugged himself into a church or any sort of recovery program and relapsed.

That was when he decided to come into the Mission’s Life Transformation Program. Johnny got connected with his old church, started going to Bible study, and working through the program’s life courses. Along with one-on-one counseling, Johnny connected with his brothers in Christ who were also in the program; together they walked the journey of building a relationship with Christ.

Last November Johnny successfully completed the Genesis Process and Relapse Prevention workbooks. During that time he also was able to bond with the other men in the program. Since then, he’s been working for the Mission. He was hired to deliver meals to Tacoma tiny home villages, and he’s also cooking in the kitchen. When needed, he provides extra support to the Men’s Jeremiah House leader.

Today, Johnny is well-connected to his church. He even recently sang a cantata with his church choir, and he’s been a great support for the guys in the program. The key, Johnny has learned, is staying connected to the church body and having Godly accountability to continue growing in Christ.

2023 ProgramGraduates

The Mission’s Life Transformation Program covers life-issue classes, counseling, and work therapy. In addition, the program also includes other ministries and community resources outside of the Olympia Union Gospel Mission (OUGM).

One of the community-based resources, and a requirement for the men and women in the program, is attending at least one Celebrate Recovery (CR) meeting a week. Celebrate Recovery offers accountability and support through the process of addiction recovery and can be an ideal place to make connections with others who have walked and are currently walking the path of recovery. Meetings are held in local churches and is a great addition to our program, because some of our clients have had negative experiences or no experience in church; therefore, CR can help bridge the gap between church and recovery programs.

Some ask, “Why CR and not Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous?” The answer is our Life Transformation Program’s main focus is a relationship with Jesus and so is CR’s. CR uses the 12-steps and accompanies each one with Bible Scripture. Furthermore, the entire curriculum they use in their groups is soaked in Scripture, with Jesus right at the heart of it all. In my opinion, this gives our folks an added edge in terms of recovery programs, compared to the secular, because they know who their Higher Power is and get to have a relationship with Him.

Another benefit to CR is the men and women in our program are paired with a mature Christian sponsor. Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” CR has served our clients well by giving them a different experience in church and in a healthy environment while fellowshipping with others. Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Graduate testimonies are available online at OUGM.org

Carol

Natasha

James Nicholai

Johnny

We have a musical extravaganza that you just can’t miss. From the unstoppable force of the Greatest Showman to “Pour Yourself a Cup of Ambition” from 9 to 5, and Disney classics evoking nostalgia and emotion – This show is over the top!

Join us for The Greatest Show Tunes as we feature our talented Dental Community and a host of their friends, including Debbi’s Dance, along with vocalists Gayla Duerr, Talia Hastie, Tommy D, and Irina Laer. This mash-up of musical theater and pop is led by the esteemed 18-member Olympia Jazz Senators under the direction of Ben McDonald.

Sit back and be captivated by an evening of entertainment benefiting the Olympia Union Gospel Mission’s No-Fee Dental Clinic.

Tickets, $16-$42 with a $4 service fee, can be purchased through the Center’s Box Office at 360.753.8586 or online at WashingtonCenter.org.

Cutting Through the Noise of Life

“Calgon take me away”...

“A study showed that in 1968 it took 15 hours to record one hour of pure nature without the ambient sounds of airplanes, cars, and other manufactured reverberations. As of the year 2005, it took more than 2,000 hours of recorded time to yield the same hour of pure nature sounds.” (Can you even imagine what it would take today?)

This striking quote spells out something we already know – finding silence requires intentionality. Stillness, quiet, and rest don’t just happen; we have to make space for them, now more than ever.

Here are four practical ways to build more margin into your life and create room for greater peace:

1. Set limits. Overbooked schedules edge out time for rest. Create rules and structure around the time you spend looking at screens, fulfilling commitments, and even working.

2. Declutter. Excess stuff in your space brings excess clutter to your mind. Organize and simplify your home to enjoy greater rest.

3. Practice the Sabbath. The Jewish tradition of Sabbath means to denote a particular expanse of time as set apart for rest. Worship, contemplation, prayer, and simply taking a nice, long exhale can all help us pause and reconnect with God and ourselves.

4. Plan for the future. Have you created an estate plan? Roughly 70% of Americans do not have an up-to-date will; many avoid the process because they feel overwhelmed or assume they have many years still to prepare. The process of creating or updating a will can be surprisingly simple, and it creates immeasurable peace of mind.

*Quote from Quiet: Hearing God Amidst the Noise by AJ Sherrill