Prodigal Son. Joshua House

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1 1 Dec 2013 Prodigal Son A newsletter with testimonies of faith, hope and love from the men of Joshua House and updates on Yahweh Saves Recovery Ministry. Luke Mason s story I was born in Washington State, the youngest of five children. My Mom and Dad were believers but Dad died when I was 6 years old. After that, the family moved to Cranbrook, BC. We still believed in God but fell away from the church and Christian fellowship. Mom remarried and her new husband brought two children into the family. I was now the youngest of seven children. I didn t react very well and began to become secretive, lying to my Mom and began drinking and smoking tobacco and pot. We moved to Mission, BC, and soon after, when I was about 12, my step-father died. After his death, the family was torn apart and I began running away from home a lot. When I was 14, I left for good and began using cocaine and lived on the streets and couch surfed. I soon got into gang activity and selling drugs. My job was to start dial-a-dope rings for the gang. My own drug use became more serious and when I was around 18 years old, I became hooked on crystal meth. Police raided my house and I was arrested and spent nearly 3 years in jail. In that period I lost all my savings hiring lawyers and doctors in my attempts to gain early release. At age 21, I saw my Mom again after many years. She had come to support me by being at my hearing. I was released but soon became involved again with my criminal friends. It became clear to me that my drug use was ruining my life and my reputation. So, I entered Miracle Valley, the recovery centre that the Salvation Army operated in those years. I still believed in God but didn t really know who He was. At Miracle Valley I learned about Jesus and came to know Him. After completing the three month program at Miracle Valley, I moved to the US to get away from my past. Even though I knew Jesus and was clean from drugs, I was still living a worldly life in many ways. I didn t really know what it meant to live a Christian life and had no Christian community or support. Even though I worked a regular job and had sold my dial-adope phone business, I continued to receive royalty payments each month from that business. After a few years in the US, I moved back to Mission, BC, partly because I wanted to get back into the drug business with its easy money. But I also moved back because I wanted to get back together with Stacy, my girlfriend who I had met years before and who had been loyal to me while I was in prison. When I returned I found that she was clean and raising a young daughter. We did get back together and I was able to hide from her the fact that I had begun using again. I also lied to her about the money that I had. She thought that it was from my job but much of it was from my phone drug business. After some time she caught me using and was so disappointed that she was planning to leave me. But she soon discovered that she was pregnant with our child and we stayed together. Our son Isaac was born, just over 2 years ago, but I showed

2 2 up at his birth high on drugs. L u k e s s t o r y I briefly cleaned up after Isaac s birth but soon relapsed. I began leaving Stacy and the children for days at a time and went out using drugs, dealing, gambling and getting involved in the gang lifestyle with its violence. One day I returned from being away for some days and found the house empty. Stacy had moved out with the children and all of our things. When I found her, she said that she was done and that she could no longer raise the kids around me and my lifestyle. I knew that she was right and that it was best for the children not to be around me. But, at the same time I was devastated and really did not want to be alone. It was at that low point, about 18 months ago, that I went into. There God used a number of people to bring change in my life. That included some of the men in the house. Tim, then the staff member at Springhill, was an important friend and counselor in my life in those days. Volunteer Bible study leader Derrick Dick provided a godly example to me and taught me how to study the Bible. He encouraged me to make a commitment to live wholeheartedly as a Christian. Richard became my mentor and God used him to show me His truth. After about 60 days at, I became convinced that I really wanted to live fully for Christ. He convicted me about the phone drug business that I still held onto and I finally got rid of it. I quit smoking. God changed my life and I realized that I wanted to be used by him to help others. Stacy saw the change in my life and moved to Abbotsford. That was a big deal for her, she was always a Mission girl, but she wanted me to be closer to her and the kids. She has since given her heart to the Lord and we are raising our children together in a Christian home, praying and reading the Bible together. We were married in June of this year and recently discovered that we are expecting another child! I want to raise my kids so that they do not become gangsters but instead I want them come to know Christ and to follow him. I don t want them to be tricked by what they see in the world as I was. I currently volunteer as much as I can at. I am passionate about this ministry because I know what God has done for me through it. I have learned the cost of what Jesus paid for me on the cross and I have learned how to live for Him. There is so much more to this world than meets the eye and I want people to be awakened to His blessings.

3 3 F r o m t h e D i r e c t o r a n d B o a r d C h a i r P o t e n t i a Dear members and friends of, As we look back on a very busy year with lots of challenges and questions, we have many thoughts but one of them is how much there is for which we can say Thank you! Here are some of those things: Thank you! To our God, who still works miracles, and who has brought radical change to the life of Luke and his family, and to many others who have come to. Thank you! To Tom Friesen for many years service on the board. He joined the board in the early years of the ministry but now feels that he is no longer able to serve in that role. Over the years, Tom did not only serve on the board but was always ready to help in a variety of ways, from leading Bible studies to helping with the butchering of farm animals, to take men out for coffee, to offering encouragement to staff, clients and alumni. We are grateful that he remains a faithful friend of Joshua House and continues to serve as a mentor and friend. Thank you, Tom! Thank you! To the many people who came to stand with at City Hall. As grateful as we were for the unanimous support of City Council for our application for the farm, we were just as moved to see the many, many friends and members of who gave up an evening to come out and stand in support of the ministry. Thank you! For the generous financial support that you have given this year. This is not an easy ministry to finance but, over and over again, God has used His people provide for the need. Even though we have faced financial issues this year (and still face them!) we have once again experienced the generosity of His people. Just one story of many: An offering for at New Life Church in September of this year was used by God in a special way. Not only was the amount very helpful and very timely, and much larger than normal, but God used it to particularly encourage us. Because of the great need, Angie had quietly prayed that the offering would be as large as the amazing offering which took place a number of years ago spontaneously at New Life in the middle of a sermon on giving that Pastor Orlando was preaching. That offering was very generous and the church leadership decided that it should be given to. When we learned that the September offering was even a little higher than that offering of years ago, (God must have adjusted the amount for inflation), Angie s eyes welled up with tears and she shared her quiet prayer about the offering. So, thank you, people and, especially, thank you, Lord, for all of these blessings! In other news: The farm situation. Just days after Abbotsford City Council s positive decision, we received news from the landlord that we may not be able to rent the farm long term. We have always had a good relationship with the landlord so this news, and its timing, came as a significant challenge. Since then we have had many meetings and discussions to look at all possibilities. We don t yet know if we will have to leave the farm; the situation is not yet clear and we continue to work through it as best we can. We really sense the need for God to intervene and give us direction. Ron Frans, in particular, is taking the lead on this issue. We are grateful for his leadership but do need to pray for wisdom and grace for him. We reassure ourselves that not only does God own the cattle on a thousand hills, we know that, ultimately, it is He who owns the farm that they roam on! We will share more details about this as we are able. Long range planning retreat of the Board and Staff in November. Exciting plans emerged that have the

4 4 F r o m t h e D i r e c t o r a n d B o a r d C h a i r potential to improve the mentorship of the men, not only spiritually but in other areas of their lives, including work experience and training. The plans also have the potential to help become more financially stable in the long term which would also be a great blessing to the ministry. To implement these plans, we need to be able to create some financial margin over the next few months. If you would like more information on this, please contact one of us and we would be more than happy to share more details with you. Thank you and may you experience God s favour and blessings this Christmas season. Angie Korkowski, Director, and Bob Burkinshaw, Board Chair House Current Board members are: John Armstrong Rusty Merriman Rob Haan Ted Bryde Off Geoff Beukens Ron Frans (Treasurer) Derrick Dick (Recording Secretary) Bob Burkinshaw (chair) Office Phone/Fax: Cell: PO Box 272 Station A, Abbotsford, BC V2T 6Z6 joshuahouse@shaw.ca Donations to may be made by check or through the website. Or, donations can be made through some churches (e.g. New Life Church)

5 5 H o w c a n I h e l p? Some people have asked how they can get involved in the ministry of. Here are some things that volunteers can do: - Mentor or tutor individual men - Visit the homes - Lead Bible studies - Provide rides (to church, to doctor s appointments, etc) - Do regular pickups for bread and other donated food - Become a member ($25 per year) - Donate toiletry items, food items, good used mens clothing - Become a regular supporter or make a donation - Help with administrative and public relations needs ( e.g. redoing web page; newsletters; keeping membership list etc) - Serve on the Board (when vacancies arise) If you feel lead to help in these or other ways, please contact Angie (see below) Office Phone/Fax: Cell: PO Box 272 Station A, Abbotsford, BC V2T 6Z6 joshuahouse@shaw.ca Donations to may be made by check or through the website. Or, donations can be made through some churches (e.g. New Life Church)