The Path to Transformation

This year, we at the City Rescue Mission were excited at the opportunity to extend our Life Transformation Program. Through the years, the Mission has seen many transformations, not just of program students, but also in how the program itself operates. The completion of our Maplewood Center allowed us to offer this one year program to women. Women seeking to overcome their addictions can meet with the program manager and begin their first steps on the path to Life Transformation. It is certainly a joy to watch these women grow, and our prayers are with them as they begin to rebuild their lives and, hopefully, their broken relationships. We also ask you to pray for us, as we seek to live a Godly example and to present the truth to them in a way that is clear and practical for their lives once they graduate from the program.

Prayers for Home

Mark, our executive director, has the opportunity of volunteering in children's chapel at our women and children's shelter. Last night, the group of four-to-eight-year-olds gathered together to pray, and the leaders asked if there were any prayer requests. The majority of the kids assembled offered the same, simple request, that their moms would get a home. What a blessing to be able to offer these moms and kids a place of safety and shelter. Please continue to pray that these families find a permanent home that would also be an environment where Truth and Love live.

Provision

July was a busy month, with the Mission serving more meals than any other month this year. Already, August looks to be even busier, and our food supplies are beginning to feel the summer pinch. As reported in our recent newsletter, we are especially in need of meat. Below is an email sent out from our director of operations, which shows the Lord's provision through the compassion of our fellow Rescuers:

Greetings,
I have to share with you an experience we had here on Michigan Ave with our kitchen staff today. Two of the kitchen staff were informing me that we were low on meat so I asked them if we had enough to get us through this week because we have two steers coming to us in a few weeks that were purchased at the fair a couple weeks ago. They said yes we did have enough, if we really stretched things out we could get by. I then said to them that we need to be in prayer for meat. That conversation was after lunch around 2pm today. After I got finished with that conversation the front door bell rang so I went to answer it. It was a man donating a bag of chicken tenders, so I gave it to the cook and said well… it’s a start. We both kind of chuckled and he put it in the refrigerator. Later this afternoon, I was putting some things away that I had just picked up when the back door bell rang. One of the cooks was with me and answered the door to find a mom and two or three kids handing him some meat. He got the cart and said that they have more so I helped him bring it in. I didn’t really get a chance to talk to them, but the mom did say that they received our newsletter and saw where we were in need of meat. We received 240 hamburger patties, 6 bags of chicken tenders, and about 8-10 bags of meat balls. We were so thrilled that we prayed to thank God for answering our prayers. I was coming back from a pick up just earlier praying that God would give us wisdom and discernment on how to use the meat we had. Not more than an hour later this meat comes in. What a mighty God we serve. I just had to share this with everyone because we sometimes get so busy that some things go unnoticed...

Thank you, fellow Rescuers, for your faithfulness in helping us provide for the physical and spiritual needs of men, women, and children in Michigan's capital area. And thank you for your prayers for wisdom and continued provision as August usually is one of the busiest months for the Mission.

"Mission: Play"

CRM Centennial 3-6-5 Photo, 8.3.12

Last year, South Lansing Kiwanis took on the "Mission: Play" project to "promote leadership through active youth" by building a new playground for our women and children's shelter. Project Chairperson, Alfreda Schmidt, undertook raising $24,000 for this project. She presented her goal to her local Lake Trust Credit Union, as she knew of the very active role they play in our community. Lake Trust was excited at the opportunity and offered to match funds by dedicating a total of $12,000 for the project. In less than a year, the matching funds were raised and a groundbreaking event took place on July 11, followed by the first build day on the 14th. We are so grateful to Lake Trust, South Lansing Kiwanis, and the many who gave toward this project. Lansing Kiwanis also partnered with this project by providing safety fencing around the property and the play area itself. The project will make a difference in the lives of hundreds of homeless children in our community!

Now for the "rest" of the story: The photo chosen to represent our centennial 3-6-5 project for this week features our very own Ginasaurus. Our staff was almost as excited about the new playground as the children who stay with us. When Jim, director of volunteers and project coordinator, informed us that a "dinosaur" was part of the playground, we all thought of our dinosaur aficionado, our very own Gina. And the Ginasaurus was born :)