Monthly Update - November 2020

Making a difference update, from the recovery field – November 2020 edition… Below are some bullet points of the highlights that happened in the Life Issues ministry over the last month:

• Becca D accepted Christ on 11-1 after church, and she also quit smoking too! Becca is becoming a virtuous young woman and mother, and we’re so thankful that God led her our way!
• Sara B completed her peer specialist training and was awarded her certificate on 11-5, by the Missouri Credentialing Board; we’re very proud of her, see attached picture of certificate.

• Ed M completed our recovery program, The Journey Home (TJH) on 11-6 with sponsor Chris C, and he became a member of HBF on 11-22; Ed is a blessing to all and we’re very proud of him!
• Our church has a Next Steps class every 2 months for people considering becoming members of our church, and we have 2-3 people attending it tomorrow! We believe that the church is God’s support group, so it is encouraging to see our folks becoming a part of His church at HBF!
• Charles B’s God’s hand up - winter coat drive was a huge success. Charles had 105 coats donated to the needy through his efforts, but he only got 103 of them distributed because I gave two away within our group before he picked them up on 11-13😊. See Charles’ promo picture attached.

• Even though Angie and I were absent, the Life Issues group cleaned the church on 11-13!
• Molessa A was one year sober on 11-17, Brian P was two years clean on 11-30, and Alicia H was 200 days clean on 12-4; these are milestones and trophies of God’s goodness and grace!
• Life Issues bought medicine for a student 11-22-20; he needed the meds but couldn’t afford them, so we rejoice that we were able to step in and bless him in this way and that the meds are helping.
• Even though our Prisoners Of Hope (POH) jail ministry is on hold due to the COVID 19 virus, we’ve been writing to about 6-7 incarcerated folks and seeing lives changed from afar, with cell walls!
• Tim M came over from Clinton MO to share his stirring testimony on 11-27, and four people made professions of faith in Christ, may they now walk in him as they have received him – Colossians 2:6.
• We had a family picture taken on 11-28 (see attached photo of us), and a few days after (12-1) our grandson Lincoln accepted Christ (he’s the 7-year old on the left) with his father, what a blessing!

• TJH Program update: we’ve had 2 people complete TJH recently and we have 2 people actively engaged in it, and we have 2 new folks starting it (Misti D and John K)!
• Christmas 2020…
• HBF will be putting together approximately 30 boxes of food for singles or families that could use a little Christmas cheer this year (on 12-20).
• Molessa A will be sharing her testimony on 12-18 and after the meeting, Santa Claus will be visiting Life Issues. He will be in the lobby where the Stovall’s will be taking pictures of children with him, and one of his elf’s will be distributing toys for the children
• We will have Mazzio’s pizza delivered that night, so we hope all can make it out.
• We won’t be having a recovery meeting on Christmas day…
• We’re in the process of making a year-end video with a compilation of folks from this year’s ministry, so I’ll send that out next month.

Employment anniversary – On 12-23 I will have been working at my company for 35 years! It seems like only a short time ago that I left the farm and headed to KC with Angie and our one-year-old, Luke, who will turn 36 in a week. It was on the job that I met a man who led me to Christ in 1992, I am forever grateful for that life changing event. My company paid for most of my college, which made me eligible for promotion into the maintenance department, which has provided for my family and helped support our ministry for years. I have met many good friends there and even Mr. Ewing Marion Kauffman (twice) before he died. It has been a good run and I have a few more years to go, but it’s a good time to pause and reflect and be thankful.

In addition to all the good things I try to report, I wanted to let you know that we lost a former student, Kristi T., on 11-24. Although Kristi was a sweet lady and a born-again Christian, she couldn’t break the cycle of addiction and the consequences of it led to her death. These things weigh heavy on me and our group, but we thank Karen E for never giving up on her and we pray for her husband. May God embolden us to not give up on the addicted and always be ready to assist the struggling,



Sincerely, Steve Fleshman – Life Issues pastor and founder, Proverbs 4:23…