Check us out this Sunday...

Hey - This Sunday is our Fall Open House!

This is second Open House since our big renovations were completed this Spring. Try to stop by between 1-4pm to see what things look like today. Above are some pictures from the beginning of the Renovation Process - the change is amazing... come and see!

If you can't make it on Sunday, give us a call to set up a tour at your convenience.

Thank You God...

I used to drive past the Water Street Rescue Mission and think to myself, “Boy, I’m sure glad I’ll never end up there”. Well, here I am! The worst thing I thought could never happen…turns out to be the best thing that ever happened in my life. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t like being here but without the help of all the good people here, I would never have had the courage to surrender and accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Thank God; He gave me this chance.

I have learned a lot since coming here…so much that I didn’t think my brain could accept anymore information. Well, I kept stuffing it in there and some things started making sense…like doing things the easy way, just to find that it usually makes everything else difficult. It’s hard being a Christian but in the long run, with the help of the Lord everything seems so much more bearable.

There are two good teachings that really stick with me: #1. There is nothing I can do to make God love me less. And there is nothing I can do to make God love me more (Thanks, Scooter); and #2. Real growth comes when I learn to trust God at the hardest possible time (Biblical Life Management).

Thanks to everyone here for opening my eyes and letting me know I am worth it. Thank You, God!

--Mark, resident - Christian Life Development program, Transition phase

Serving Water Street... and Haiti

A group of volunteers recently replaced the ceiling tiles in our men's emergency shelter. Needless to say, we were quite grateful. As they emailed Chuck, one of our chaplains, with the rest of the story, we were amazed by God's goodness and timing in blessing not only us, but a ministry in Haiti as well.

Hi Chuck-

... Here is what God has done.

My husband, Ken, and I planned a spaghetti dinner to raise money for Good Samaritan Mission School in Beaufort, Haiti. It took place on Saturday, May 5. We had spaghetti, salad, and bread left over and took it to WSRM on Sunday, May 6 after church. Our friends, Claudette and Michael Austin were with us. We did not know that on that day there was an Open House. We decided to stay and take a tour. The medical and dental facilities and the women's shelter were beautiful. Then we arrived at the Men's Emergency Shelter. It had not been renovated. Ken stated that he thought that we should do a fundraiser and raise the money to replace the ceiling tiles in the Men's Emergency shelter. It was decided that we would.

On Saturday, July 7 a yard sale and aluminum can drive was held. We raised $850.00. We approached building supply stores to ask for a discount to purchase the supplies we needed. The Home Depot responded with a 20 percent discount. Our bill for the ceiling tiles, light defusers, and a bathroom fan came to $721.00 exactly.

During the time we were preparing to do the work at the mission, we went to the PA Haiti Benefit Auction. Ken and I have gone to this event for many years and have developed a friendship with Leon, a missionary that drills wells in Haiti. Since I am a school nurse, he asked if I could find some uniforms for a soccer team that he was forming in Haiti. I said that I would. After searching for a good price, Ken and I decided that we would order the shirts and shorts from a local apparel printing shop. The sales person offered a discount. When we recieved the bill we found that the amount due was exactly $129.00. The exact amount left over from the fundraising.

God reminds me always that we have nothing to worry about. He has ALL things taken care of.

Thank you, Chuck. I hope to see you soon when we hang the new curtains and the shower curtains.

With Love, Ken and Kathy Wall

Everyone deserves a second chance...

Solomon aptly said, “Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away…” Song of Songs 8: 7

Like most of our serious clients, Russell could barely stumble through the doors of the Water Street Rescue Mission. He had sold his life off for a steady handful of pills; a price that could no longer purchase relief. Dark shadows haunted Russell, reminding him of his life’s most painful memories; memories of a wife who now belonged to another and of a daughter and granddaughter who had grown up, without him; memories of countless broken promises.

On Russell’s first day with us, he met Chuck (men’s counselor) who simply began loving him to our precious Jesus. Imagine my joy, when Chuck called to share the news that Russell had accepted Jesus, flushed the pills, and was going to join our Christian Life Recovery Program (to change his life). For nearly 1 ½ years now, Russell has been following Jesus, “by faith”. He has surely relished the tender moments, when God would touch him in a deeply personal way, but mostly Russell has trusted Jesus, as he takes “one more” painful step of Recovery.

In September, I was blessed to attend a wedding with Russell. His daughter had invited her changing dad (and me) to share in her day. Imagine the immense Joy on Russell’s face, as a long line of relatives and friends from his past (relationships he thought were utterly destroyed) came up to shake his hand and to hug him, welcoming him back into their lives. And imagine a beaming Russell, as his daughter came with a welcoming hug saying, “Daddy, I have always wondered if you would be at my wedding but you came and you’re doing so well. I’m so proud of you”. Now imagine a happy man being hugged by a lovely little granddaughter (who he only held as a baby).

It was interesting to note that the scripture Russell’s daughter chose for her table gifts was the very first scripture Russell memorized, “Love is patient; love is kind…” How apt are the words of his former in-laws, “Everyone deserves a second chance, Russell”.

--Norm Lowry (Learning Center Coordinator)

It's not fair that...

I was asked to assist my Pastor with a presentation at church relating to "justice and longing for God," so I decided to take a little poll of some staff and residents. Here are the results:

Please complete the following sentence:

"It's not fair that..."

…some people are homeless while others drive $80,000 cars past them
…some of us are allowed to work just one bad decision away from being homeless
…millions of children are undernourished and many of us throw away sinful quantities of food
…life is hard
…those who choose to live a healthy life free of smoking, alcohol & drug abuse, etc. still get cancer.
…young people die
…Some get over, others don’t
…Good things happen to bad people
…Bad things happen to good people
…Children suffer
…The rich get richer, the poor …
…I was born in America and … someone else was born in poverty
…my poverty disrupts my family
…people don’t know Jesus
…when we get wisdom it’s too late to stop what we shouldn’t have done
…when you commit to following Christ, you are not exempt from being emotionally & physically abused by Christians.
…Christians harshly judge others by their political choices
…I am the one who sinned, and Jesus is the sinless One who became sin for me, and gave me His righteousness instead.
…the Lord gave us the Love Commandment, and the Holy Spirit to enable us to do it, and yet we treat each other as if we were not even His children.
… I have parents that love God, each other, my siblings and me, while so many of my struggling brothers and sisters in Christ do not know what it is like to be in a nurturing environment like I was.
…we got off the hook at Jesus’ expense
…some couples try unsuccessfully for years to have children they would love, while other couples breed like rabbits to produce children they don't want
…there are millions of children without parents, and adoption costs tens of thousands of dollars and years of red tape
…the biggest disease on the planet is loneliness
…the burden (and often, cost) of raising children too often falls to the mother.
…grown children disrespect and disregard their parents and/or grandparents.
…I have been wrongly accused by another
…I was grounded this weekend
…I don’t have his office
…you have more money than I do
…so many people live in poverty and I live in abundance
…some of us had opportunities for education and advancement, while others were stuck in situations of merely striving for subsistence
…I sit here with a full stomach typing on the computer, while people have just died from starvation

- Debbie Miller, Administration