Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission

u e A Ministry of
january
2009
s c Rescue & Discipleship

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a publication of the

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Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission • Anchorage, Alaska

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A Voice for Those
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Who Have None

7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my
people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of
their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.
8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the
Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good
and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—
Larry Aldrich the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,
Operations Manager Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites
David Williams has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians
Program Director are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to
Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Randy Hess Exodus 3:7-10
Maintenance Supervisor
Comparing the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission to Moses is absurd we know, yet in a
Larry O’Connor strange way we are. Where Moses was sent to be a voice for the Israelites the Mission has,
Greg Mann we believe, been sent to be a voice for the homeless men, women, and children of Anchorage.
Roger Klein Our government, as well meaning as they may be, are constantly making decisions that
Donn Baker dramatically affect the homeless population. The problem is they never include those they
John Lofquist affect the most in this decision making process. As a result of this oversight the homeless
Guest Supervisors
population falls through the cracks of some of the most fundamental concepts this country
David McKnight was founded on. All men are created equal and all men have a voice in the governing process.
Van Driver By taking away homeless men, women, and children’s voices we have taken away their
equality. I say “we” because as a member of this society all of us shoulder the responsibility
Solomona Talivaa
Maintenance of our government’s actions. When we identify a problem we have a duty to speak out against
the injustice. The Israelites had no voice in their governing process either and Moses was
Darlene Whaley sent to be that voice.
Kitchen Manager

Anthony Boone Part of my responsibilities as a member of the staff here at the Mission is to be that voice.
Intern
The Anchorage Coalition for the Homeless and the Statewide Coalition for the Homeless are
two organizations who claim to be champions of the homeless. Although these coalitions are
saturated with men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving the less fortunate
among us, the coalitions are doing the very same thing the government is doing, and that’s
excluding the homeless men, women, and children, from the process. The reason this is
happening is that the coalitions are a part of the government. Their funding comes from the
government and the problem in a nutshell is they have to please the government in order to
exist. The Israelites either submitted to their master or faced death.

One of the most wonderful things about working at the Mission is that we are 100% supported
by Christians. This means we have no governmental dependencies for our existence, which
translates into a pure voice of advocacy. Although we never set out to offend anyone,
(Continued on page 4)
 Did God really say . . . ?
ok
lo
er i st If you wanted mankind to doubt the truth of the Word of God, probably the best
os q u way to go about it is to get people to question the truth in the first couple of pages.
cl f
a Lo The theory of evolution does just exactly that: by bringing into question God’s
hn account of His creation in the Bible. If you can persuade people to doubt the
Jo veracity of God’s word in the first couple of pages then it casts doubt on the truth
of the rest of the Bible.

Satan’s first attack has always been to cast doubt on the truth of God’s Word. His opening gambit to Eve was:
“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Well of course that is not
what God really said. Eve’s response is to correct the serpent. Lets see how she does. The woman said to the
serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not
eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you
will die.”“That’s not what God said. Now the serpent sees his opening. Eve does not remember exactly what God
has said and therefore Satan knows she is vulnerable to his twisting of the truth. And that is exactly what he does is
twists God’s words.

Today we have God’s Word written down. Fact is God has provided His people with His written Word for a real long
time now. In John MacArthur’s book, “Truth Matters”, he points to 2 Peter 1:16-18 where the Apostle Peter recounts
his experience of witnessing the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on the Mount of Olives. Even though Peter had
witnessed Jesus’ entire ministry on earth with all its attendant miracles, Peter, in verse 19, points to the prophecies in
the Scriptures as being a more authoritative witness to Christ than his (Peter’s) eyewitness. “We have more sure—the
prophetic word” (literal translation). Keep in mind this is written by the only other man in history, other than Jesus,
to walk on water. Clearly, God intends for His written word to be our final authority here on Earth.

Recently, I have been reading through the Psalms again. David, the man God refers to as “a man after Mine Own
Heart,” writes about the many virtues of God’s written Word. God’s Word is very great comfort, and is our anchor in
life. Martin Luther penned this about God’s Word:
For feelings come and feelings go
And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God,
Naught else is worth believing.
Though all my heart should feel condemned
For lack of some sweet token,
There is One greater than my heart
Whose Word cannot be broken!
I’ll trust in God’s unchanging Word rg www.anc
Till soul and body sever; ue.o ho
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For though all things shall pass away,
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His Word shall stand forever!

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--Martin Luther
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We invite you to visit

us on the web or drop
So, no matter what storms I am facing in life, I know that God’s Word is true us an e-mail with
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and He keeps His promises. His Word is as eternal and unchanging as He is, your comments and
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and His love for us never dies. If doubts and fears assail me, all I need suggestions nc
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2 to do is pick up my Bible and read it a while.

 Living Memorials memory corner
. . . .touch lives as they honor the memory
of loved ones and friends. I appreciate the phone calls and notes that you have
In Memory of sent to me about the “Old Hymns”, saying that you
Frank and Esperanza Casas remember them and love them just like I do. To me,
by Martha Cashen they have real meaning and touch the heart with the
In Memory of Gospel message.
Wayne Cherrier
Karl Eid
See if you remember this one.
Josephine Schlieive Just A Little Talk With Jesus
by Mary Doppelfeld I once was lost in sin
In Memory of But Jesus took me in,
Richard Downing And then a little light from heaven
by His Family Filled my soul;
In Memory of It bathed my heart in love
Edward Hall And wrote my name above,
by Marjorie P. Hall And just a little talk with Jesus
In Memory of Made me whole.
Mike Howerton Sometimes my path seems drear,
by Carol Howerton Without a ray of cheer,
Truman and Carolyn Woods And then a cloud of doubt
In Memory of May hide the light of day;
Bill Hummel The mist of sin may rise
by Dona Iverson And hide the starry skies,
In Memory of But just a little talk with Jesus
Dan and Kerrie Marlow Clears the way.
by Truman and Carolyn Woods
In Memory of I may have doubts and fears,
Lowell and Betty Thorsness My eyes be filled with tears,
by Curt and Trudy Lund But Jesus is a friend who
Watches day and night.
IN HONOR OF I go to Him in Prayer,
Al Atkey and Bill Charles He knows my every care,
by Susan Hoefner And just a little talk with Jesus
Makes it right.
IN HONOR OF
Byron and Virginia Kohfield Chorus:
by Senior Saints Class Now let us have a little talk with Jesus,
Let us tell Him all about our troubles,
He will hear our faintest cry,
And He will answer by and by;
Now when you feel a little

Your Will
Prayer wheel turning,
And you know a little
Fire is burning,
As we start a new year and you begin to
You will find a little talk with
plan your will or prepare your will, Please
Jesus makes it right.
remember and include the Anchorage Gospel
Rescue Mission.

3
 (Continued from page 1)
sometimes the truth can sting. I say this because I’m
about to tell the truth and some might not like it.
Pharaoh didn’t like hearing the truth either, in fact he
openly rebelled against it.
I find myself in meeting after meeting where all we
do is talk and nothing gets done. Moses must have
felt discouraged when all his efforts only made things
worse for his people. On December 8th and 9th the
Statewide Coalition for the Homeless held their annual
convention here in Anchorage. We were inundated with
statistical substantiations aimed at declaring success
in taking men and women out of homelessness into
permanent housing. The concept of encouragement
does not escape me. I understand spotlighting success
can be a wonderful motivational tool for those who
toil in the trenches. I just do not believe the Statewide
Coalition for the Homeless is the place to do it. This
should be the forum where the hard facts are presented
to professionals in a way that paints an accurate
portrait of reality. The main problem with most of the
facts presented is they are based on the Department of
Housing and Human Developments (HUD) definition
of homelessness which excludes anyone who does not
have a documented disability. Claiming success in less
than 60% of the population of your focus group is not
reality. Pharaoh felt he was treating the Israelites well
by giving them straw to make bricks.
Another disturbing trend in the homeless coalition
movement is the propensity to negate the importance
of emergency shelters. Most of the focus is on Housing
First Initiatives, Rapid Re-Housing Initiatives, and
Transitional Housing Programs. All of these are
wonderful programs that can have a positive effect on
homelessness, however what happens to the people
while they are waiting for their names to make their
way to the top of the list? What happens is that at the
end of the day they are homeless. These lists do nothing
for the fear and humiliation of having no place to go
or turn. These lists do nothing for an empty belly or
frozen fingers and toes. The Anchorage Gospel Rescue
Mission is the safety net, the straw if you will; that
these men and women need in uncertain times. To
underestimate the importance of this Mission and the
other emergency shelters in Anchorage represents a
tragic turn in our social consciousness. The Egyptian
people slowly lost their empathy for the
Israelites over time by forgtting they were
4 once productive contributors to
the community until the circumstance of their lives
changed. They failed to understand the Israelites could
have returned to being productive members of their
society if only they had taken a stand to change their
circumstances in order to give them the opportunity.
I would like to make it perfectly clear I’m not talking
about a lack of awareness or a lack of sensitivity on
behalf of our donors. The greatest blessing the Lord
has bestowed upon this Mission is the faithfulness our
donors have in their hearts for this organization. I’m
referring to the overall attitude of the secular world for
those who, for whatever reason, cannot change their
condition of life.
On January 27th the Anchorage Coalition on
Homelessness will hold its 4th Homeless Connect. This
event is billed as a one-stop-shop for the homeless men,
women, and children in our community. The idea is to
bring all the service providers under one roof so that
they can be accessible to the men, women, and children
who need their service. The figure 600 served has been
thrown around with great pride describing the last
homeless connect and 500 served for the one before
that. I’m not sure what that means because at the end
of the day the so called 600 served were still homeless.
Served what? Slapping someone on the back and saying
you’re important twice a year is scandalous. Dare I say
sinful? Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to continue their
traditions as long as they celebrated on his terms and
in his time frame.
The Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission currently has
28 men in our “NewLife” Discipleship program who
are clearly on a journey out of homelessness. This fact
is never discussed at these meetings by anyone except
the Mission. The Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission
has successfully directed hundreds of men from the
condition of homelessness to productive members of
our city. This is never discussed at these meetings by
anyone except the Mission. There is nothing in it for any
coalition or state funded agency to neither recognize
nor champion the Mission’s success. Our success
contributes nothing to their coffers from government
money. Pharaoh’s treasury increased because of the
misery of the Israelites.
It is our prayer the new City Counsel and the new Mayor,
whoever he may be, will aggressively advocate for, not
only the existence of the Rescue Mission; but also for
the updating of our facility. I’ll go one better than that,
lets demolish this old drafty building and build a new
Mission on our existing property. One that is built to
address the needs of those we serve. A Mission that
is attractive and adds to the community. During the
Exodus the Egyptian people increased the wealth of
the Israelites by giving them a measure of their wealth.
This increase in resources gave the Israelites the seed
they would need to establish their own resources.
On December 14, 2008 it was reported on the news a
man froze to death in the city of Anchorage. What a
tragic and senseless death this was. Could this death
have been prevented had the city not reduced the bed
space at the Mission? I don’t believe it’s unreasonable
to speculate, “yes, it could have been prevented.” In the
story reported on KTUU 2 News the Anchorage Police
Department was quoted as saying, “It’s important the
homeless come in out of the cold.” The reporter went
on to add, “Important enough that if it’s cold enough,
they can force people indoors.” Not according to the
Anchorage Fire Department. We have been warned
if we allow anyone in out of the cold to utilize space
that has not been designated as a sleeping area, such
as our chapel, and the person falls asleep they will shut
our doors for good. “Give an order now to bring your
livestock and everything you have in the field to a place
of shelter, because the hail will fall on every man and
animal that has not been brought in and is still out in
the field, and they will die.’ “ Exodus 9:19
This is where the comparison ends. We all know Moses
went on to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of
slavery, yet the Mission is still in the plague state of
the story. We need your prayers asking God to soften
the hearts of the city government and all those citizens
who don’t want the Mission to continue its work.
God and Moses were the majority, not Pharaoh and
his legions. In the same way the supporters of this
Mission outnumber those against it by a 100 to 1. This
is your time to speak out against the injustice visited
on the downtrodden, the poor and hungry. This is your
time to say enough is enough! Every member of your
household could write a letter to the Mayor’s office and
the City Council asking for their support in restoring
the Mission to its full potential. BE THAT VOICE FOR
THOSE WHO HAVE NONE.
David Williams
Program Director
The Missing Piece
We have discovered a flaw in the system. Once the
men in our “NewLife” Discipleship Training Program
have graduated, the expectation is they have a job and
are able to save their new income for a period of six
months. (The six months is an additional transition
period available to the men after the 24 month program
cycle has been completed.) The problem we’re facing
is the quality of the jobs available. I’m not referring
to the quality of the job as much as I am the quality of
the employer. Working at a sports bar is not the best
place for someone who has just completed a Christian
discipleship program. However, if it’s the only job they
are able to secure, how are they expected to survive if
they don’t take it? Ideally they would have employment
with a solid Christian business owner that understands
they are dealing with someone who has spent the
last two years getting themselves back on track. Men
who are in the development stages of their Christian
character. Men who have the potential to be valued
employees and friends.
It is the Mission’s desire to have a network of Christian
business men and women who are willing to form a
partnership. We’re not talking large numbers here. In
fact, it could be close to a year before we have someone
who is at the graduation stage of our program. If you or
someone you know would be interested in beginning a
dialog about this partnership, please feel free to contact
me at 907-563-5603 or e-mail me at dwilliams@
anchoragerescue.org.
Thank You
David Williams
Program Director
5
 k
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The Place is a Mess
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We’re Exhausted!
Ok we did it! We survived the Holiday Season for
another year at the Mission. If your home is anything
like ours Thanksgiving showed up too early in 2008.
We’re sure we just did Thanksgiving! Or at least it
seems as though we had. The chaos of collecting food,
organizing volunteers, making sure the place was clean
and decorative had not subsided before we had to roll
up our sleeves and do it all again for Christmas. Well,
the meal has been served; the gifts have been wrapped,
handed out, and unwrapped. The volunteers have taken
their spirit and laughter with them as they return to their
normal lives. We hope we’ve thanked them sufficiently
but we’re never sure. The decorations have come down,
the tree its in is resting place under the stairs, and we’re
exhausted!
Unlike your homes, our guests return daily, so although
we would love to just sit down and put our feet up, we
resist the urge and begin preparing for the next meal.
It’s amazing how we can be so tired yet delighted at
the same time. Now that we have time to actually think
we realize we just came through a wonderful time in
our lives. The men, women, and children who came to
the Mission seeking a cozy, safe, home for the holidays
got what they came for. Love flowed freely in all three
directions, to them from us, to us from them, and to all
from our precious Jesus. We celebrated Christ’s birth
with hearts of gratitude and awareness that through his
birth comes our grace.
&
whatever reason, they have neither. We could begin the
New Year on a positive note rather than in the same old
rut we’ve been in for years. Witnessing the gratitude and
love from those receiving as well as giving convinces
us the Mission exists in the service of God’s will.
There have been so many lives given to Christ as
a result of the love you share in your support of this
Mission. So many lives they cannot even be counted.
When you find yourselves in the presence of God you
will be given the good news as to how many of your
brothers and sisters gathered around is glorious throne
are there because of your willingness to share your love
for others.
Yes, the place is a mess and we’re exhausted, but
not so much from being over burdened. More so, we
supposed, from being overwhelmed by you and your
love. On behalf of all the staff here at the Mission we
want to thank you form the deepest recesses of our
hearts for the love you have for those we serve, for this
Mission, and for Jesus Christ our Lord which make it
all possible.

The love for the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission

is evident in the outpouring of support from the
community at large. If every individual and group who
cared enough to bring or send donations this holiday
season would sit down a write a letter to the city; a
Christ filled letter not one of anger or accusation but
one of heartfelt love for the Mission. A letter
outlining the need to have a depository of We cannot do what we do without you!

6 love and caring for those who feel, for

 sk The Holidays Were Wonderful
de s But, Life Goes On!
s i
ett
’
t or B
c
re on
di .D I do not have the words or the ability to express my heartfelt appreciation
e v to all of you that had a part in allowing us to do the things that were done
R and the accomplishments that were made over the holidays.
You volunteered to help, You gave of yourself and your time, You prayed, You gave the in-kind gifts and
financial support. We all had a good time in the Lord, especially in sharing the Gospel and seeing people
accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
BUT LIFE GOES ON – at the Mission. To the homeless people that use our facilities, Thanksgiving and
Christmas are just another day for them to be alone and in need. Their need is for food and shelter the next
day and the day after that. So our responsibility is to keep the doors open and provide good nourishing
meals on the table, hot showers, clean clothes and a warm bed, to meet their immediate needs. We provide
for their physical needs first so that we may have the opportunity to meet their spiritual need – and we do
take advantage of these opportunities. The staff does their very best to be an example of their faith by their
life style, personal help and one on one sharing of their personal faith in Christ. Every night we have a
Chapel service where the Gospel is presented and the people have the opportunity to respond and make a
commitment of their life to Jesus Christ.

Yes, Life Goes On at the Mission and we need your continued faithfulness to stand with us as we face the
challenging days ahead, especially with your Prayers!
New Years Resolutions
I Wonder If Anyone Makes Them, Anymore?
Here Are A Few You Might Consider!
Pray, Pray, Pray, Pray – more!
Read and Study The Bible – more!
Give a Personal Witness to Someone –more!
Let My Life Be An Example for Christ – more!
Give of Myself and My Means – more!

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  M/C  Am/Ex  Discover 
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
______ I Will Pray for this Ministry. Make checks payable to the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission
You will receive a receipt.

Name:________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________
Please send this coupon with your donations. 7
 Our Ministry of
Chapel Services for January
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
u e
es c 1
Anchorage
2
First
3
Calvary
r is to
Vineyard
Fellowship
Presbyterian
Church
Baptist
Church
the least 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
God’s Abbott Loop Anchorage Anchorage Christ Calvary Wasilla
the last Place Community Pilgrim Gospel Community Church Assembly
the lost Church Nazarene Singers Church of God
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
God’s Church First Anchorage Sherbahn Sherbahn Lighthouse
Place of God of Assembly of Church Evangelistic Evangelistic Christian
“urgent”
“urgrgeen
ent” Prophecy God of Christ Team Team Fellowship

Our supplies of these 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Grace Sherbahn Anchorage Christian Evangelical In His Name Glenn
items is constantly in Victory Evangelistic Native Evangelical Covenant Sandy Herman
need of replenishing Fellowship Team Assembly Church Church McCollum

† Prayer 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
New Light Calvary Attorney Calvary Shiloh Sherbahn Change
† Paper Towels Community Baptist Greg Grebe Baptist Baptist Evangelistic Point
† 45 Gallon Trash Bags Church Church Church Church Team
† Fresh Meat
† Coffee
Nightly Services
† Bathroom Tissue 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM L
O
† Laundry Soap
† Disposable Shavers STATEMENT OF FAITH D
† Cleaning Supplies Pr
The Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission is a Non-Profit, Non-Denominational
† Liquid Dish Detergent organization. We receive NO municipal, state or federal funds. We are not a United
† Dinner Napkins Way Agency. Your financial support and In-Kind donations makes it possible for us to R
M
† Shampoo provide for the poor, needy and homeless people in our community. Also, your donations
“urgent” 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.
L
Anchorage Gospel G
Rescue Mission R
D
Board of Trustees
Anchorage
age Non-Profit Org. J
ue
Ed Shelton U.S. Postal G
(President) Gospel c PAID
s Anchorage, AK
re
Bob Collins Permit # 290
D
Va
( Vice President/treasure) Mission
Mission GOD BLESS AMERICA
Enoch Adams A Ministry
Ministry of S
(Secretary) M
Rescue & Recovery info@anchoragerescue.org
Mark Soquet
www.anchoragerescue.org
Ralph Nobrega ue D
Emeritus:
Cliff Hodgins
Rev. Willard leisy
r es
news
c

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

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Advisory Board:
Paul Kelly return service requested
Rev. Don Bettis, Exec. Dir.
Charlotte Bettis, Asst. Dir.

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