Project Rescue

September 2008 Project Rescue update

Dear brethren,

We appreciate your prayers and support.  At this time our facilities are full with 11 men in our care.

The wear and tear of time can steal the luster from a magnificent maple desk.  Through much effort the old grime can be stripped and sanded away and it’s beautiful maple finish restored.  Likewise, we see firsthand how the wear and tear of the world can steal the luster from a life!  Yes, sin can scratch & scar a soul.  Through prayer, Bible study and hard work the men participating in the program are stripping the grime of sin from their lives.  With the help of the church and the power of the Gospel their souls are experiencing spiritual renewal. Ephesians 4:22-24 describes this removal & renewal process:  “That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

The following is an update on how the men are handling their removal & renewal process:

Chris has completed his 1 year commitment in the program.  He is in Dothan, Alabama now making preparations to move to Waycross.  His plumbing business partner, Bob, quit.  This was hard on Chris, but he is handling it.  He has made a 6-month commitment to be the Project Rescue house manager.  Chris has worked hard to “put off” the sin in his life and ‘put on” Christ!

Beau has been with us 287 days.  He went through a tough time when work slowed down, but for now he is very busy.  As a single father, Beau is feeling the weight of responsibility.  He is not able to just drop everything and go fishing like he use to.  He is now teaching the book of Psalms to the men on Saturday nights.  Beau’s parents are members of the church of Christ in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

David has been back with us 122 days.  He is working fulltime for Beau in the flooring business.  He taught the Wednesday evening Bible study last week and did a great job.  He also leads the singing frequently.  He helps me a lot with transportation.  He also has a lawn maintenance business.  David’s wife is a member of the church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia.

Randy has been in the program 183 days.  He is on medication for depression and is having a tough time with the side effects.  He is still looking for a fulltime job.  He plans to stay in Waycross.  Randy’s mother is a member of the church of Christ in Evansville, Indiana. 

Ryan has been with us 158 days.  He is now ready to move out of our facility and into his own apartment. However, because of his lack of funds, this will have to wait.  He gets frustrated often because of his financial situation. So far, he is not giving up!  He is working about 35 hours a week and attending the Waycross college.  Ryan’s parents are members of the church  in Fernandina, Florida. 

Kevin has been in the program 147 days.  He has successfully completed his detox off of Xanax.  He suffered much through this.  He is now having a difficult time quitting smoking.  He has made a lot of progress in completing the Bible lessons.  Kevin’s wife is a member of the church of Christ in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Travis has been back with us 66 days.  Like Ryan, Travis is ready to move out of our facility into his own apartment.  He is almost ready financially.  When he does move out he will be required to continue attending regular church services and participate in all Project Rescue activities.  His mother is a member of the church of Christ in Kerrville, Texas. 

Van has been with us 79 days.  He has successfully quit smoking.  Van has grown a lot in his knowledge of the Bible.  We recently drove to Texas to get his car.  He also helps out with transportation.  He plans to stay in the program beyond his 90^th day.   Van’s mother is a member of the church of Christ in Baytown, Texas.

Stephen has been in the program 52 days.  On several occasions he came close to quitting the program and returning home.  He has overcome a lot in the short time he has been with us.  Stephen is a preacher who fell away into drug addiction.  He wants to preach, teach and minister to souls.   Stephen is Van’s nephew and his mother is a member of the Baytown church of Christ in Texas.  

Marcus has been with us 36 days.  Marcus is addicted to a great amount of prescription medicines.  We are slowly detoxing him off of these drugs.  We are not sure of how he will behave once we get him off of them. His dad is a member of the church of Christ in Gainesville, Florida.

Paul, has been with us 33 days.  Last week Paul “washed away” (Acts 22:16) his sins by being baptized into Christ. I was in a Bible study with him before he entered the program.  Paul’s mother, a longtime Waycross resident, was glad that he was entering a Bible based program.  She has been attending our morning services.

Timothy, entered the program last night.  He is our first African-American program member.  He has been attending our classes for several months.  He is not a member of the church of Christ.  I look forward to studying with him.   He is eager to learn!

Bob decided to leave the program after 83 days.  We were disappointed that he abandoned the plan we had for him.  We hope he will continue in the faith.

John, who left the program in August (after 87 days) has relapsed several times.  I told John and his family that he would probably relapse back onto the drugs and alcohol.  John knows he can come back into the program.  The ones who remain with us for one year will have a better chance of making it.

Through the power of the Gospel and their hard work, these men can  overcome their addictions and enjoy a new life in Christ!

In His service,