I. Benevolence
· Gave gas card to men on 11-24, and 12-5
· Paid car insurance for a lady on 11-26
· Life Issues paid to have a man’s furnace fixed on 12-2
II. Jail update
· Sent letters to 2 inmates on 12-2-24
· Jim dropped off a case of Bibles on 12-17 to CCJ
· I’m attaching Ted Harper’s testimony to the end of this update ..
III. Church
· We ordered 300 more Bibles in January 2025 from the Word First publishing ministry @ HBF, in hopes of getting them by Summer.
· Several of our students and leaders are involved in discipleship:
o D1: These folks are in our one-on-one discipleship material – Julie N. is with Bobbie W. (lesson #2)., Larry O. is with Brady B. (lesson #14), Tracy W. is with Pam J. (lesson #4), Cheryl S. started D1 with Paula G. (lesson #1), Kevin W. is with Pat L. (lesson #1), and Kalee R. is working with Linda J.
o D2: Alana M., Dave and Shannon B., Brian R., and Kelly T., are going through D2 this year, and we’re very proud of them!
o HBI: Pam J., and Mary W. are both taking classes in our 4-year Bible Institute – HBI.
o TJH (The Journey Home): Ted H. finished with Steve F. on 12-5, Tom M. is with Pat L. (lesson #4), Dana M. is with Mary W. (lesson #1), and Camille is with Linda J. (lesson #1).
· Tracy W. got baptized on 12-7 - see pic
V. Recovery
· The man who led me to Christ in 1992 gave his testimony on 11-22, which was special to me and helpful to all who heard it – see pic!
· We had a lady from Minnesota contact us after reading one of our testimonies online, here is her feedback… "I was blessed to read David's testimony online. I live in Minnesota and have struggled so much with nicotine addiction. I realize also it is not a matter of prayer and Bible study, but surrender. I came to that point about a month ago when I was three weeks quit and started to smoke a little again. I needed to hear David's testimony to remind me again of what helped me. Thank you, and God bless you, David! "
· Dana M. received her 6-month sobriety tag on 12-27, see pic of her and Ryan.
· Dana M. received her 6-month sobriety tag on 12-27, see pic of her and Ryan.
· The Blue Springs Life Issues group is hoping to start their next 8-week outreach soon.
· The Monmouth Illinois church has had a couple of leadership meetings and have a key man to lead the Life Issues group there, in hopes of starting their outreach meetings in March 2025!
V. Events
· Life Issues fed about 50 people for Thanksgiving (11-22), and gave 3 awards – We have 2 ladies that are 1 year clean / sober, and another lady who recently got saved – pic
· Our church collected food from its members and distributed 20 Christmas boxes / bags to families in need on 12-22; many of them went to our Life Issues students and families.
VI. People
· Angel S. got a job on 11-14 and is working diligently, we’re very proud of her!
· We helped donate a Thanksgiving Day meal to a lady's sober living house on 11-26.
· I had 2 anonymous donors who gave Life Issues cash that we distributed to 3 different families to help at the end of the year (almost $700), it is always special for me to help in these types of gifts and to help those in need!
VII. Miscellaneous
· 2024 stats – chart:
|
|
2024
Statistic |
Comment |
|
2024 Volunteer of the year |
Linda Jones |
Pam J. 2023, and Kelly T. 2022 |
|
Salvations in 2024 |
10 |
|
|
Baptisms in 2024 |
5 |
1 or 2 others transferred by letter |
|
LIM members who complete TJH in 2024 |
2 |
|
|
# of emergency nights provided |
6 |
|
|
# of people benevolence help was given |
20+ |
|
|
# of people we’ve helped with rehab/detox |
4 |
|
|
Morsels for Many – boxes distributed in 2024 |
16 |
Our average is ~21 boxes per year |
|
Average meeting attendance in 2024 |
26-27 |
|
|
Average number of visitors per week |
4-5 |
210 for the year |
|
# of cases of bibles LIM has delivered to jails & prisons & shelters |
16 |
16x21=336 bibles! |
|
# of incarcerated folks LIM corresponded with |
8 |
|
|
2024 - 12th annual fundraiser
raised |
$13,000+ |
75 people in attendance, 1 salvation |
|
# of new Life Issues groups started in 2024 |
2 |
Sullivan MO & Blue Springs MO |
· Please pray for God to use us mightily in 2025, for without him we can do nothing, but through Him we can do all things! Sincerely, Steve Fleshman – Life Issues pastor and founder, Proverbs 4:23…
---- Ted H. Testimony -------
"My name is Teddy R. H. and I am an addict in
recovery. I was born in Kansas City in the year 1980. My parents were just kids
themselves at only 18 years of age. My parents were both abusive to me and my
little brother, both physically and mentally. They divorced when I was 8, my
mom got custody, and our bad situation went way worse when she moved in with
the man who would eventually become my stepfather. I was around drugs and
alcohol every single day and was drinking at 9 years old and a full-blown user
of marijuana by twelve. I constantly got into fights, had stolen my first car
by 13 and was in and out of juvenile detention. I did my best to try and have
some normalcy by wrestling and playing football even though I had no family
ever attending any of my sporting events. My mother was a full-blown addict by
this time, and I hardly ever got to see my Dad. Without any parental
supervision I just came and went as I pleased, I never received real love, so I
didn't know how to give love to others or even know how to love myself. At
eighteen I joined the Army thinking that being in the military might give me
the best chance at becoming a real man and finally have a normal life. I soon
found myself drinking with the guys more and more and I soon realized that I
had created a whole new problem for myself. During this time, I met my first
wife, Sasha, and we had three beautiful children together, Chance, Adrianna and
Brice. Over the course of our ten-year marriage Sasha and I used drugs together
off and-on-and things at home were always turbulent. We ended our relationship
in 2007, and I soon found myself in trouble with the law. I soon realized that
something was terribly wrong with me and that something was missing inside of
me, but I just couldn't quite put my finger on it. Then one day three gentlemen
from Heartland Baptist Church came in to witness to us. It was then that I met
Steve Fleshman, David Cundiff, and Rob Frank. These gentlemen and the Church
wrapped their arms around me and loved me and did their very best to help me,
at 27 years of age I still had so much life ahead of me and a real chance to
change and truly accept Jesus into my heart, unfortunately I did not stay the
course and soon fell back into my old ways. I ended up getting in more trouble
and found myself in prison at 28 years old, so very lost with no direction for
my life whatsoever. I kept trying to fill the hole in my heart with things,
drugs and people. I met my second wife when I was 29, we got pregnant with my
youngest daughter, Gabrielle, and I was such a mess. I was on the run from the
law and was in prison when my daughter was born. I convinced myself that my
little girl was what I needed to change, and I vowed to change everything about
myself and do better. I got out of prison and worked hard, I held some really
good jobs making really good money as did my wife, I owned a nice home in Lee's
Summit, drove nice vehicles, had the best clothes, and had plenty of money in
the bank but something was still missing inside. As time moved on, my marriage
was failing and the constant pressures from work were chipping away at my
resolve slowly but surely, then the man I called Dad got cancer and passed away
at 55 years old. I had already lost my mom to suicide when she was 41, and I
was only 23, so this was a huge blow to me and under the pressure I turned back
to drugs. My wife left me and within two months I had lost everything I had
ever worked for, and I found myself in trouble with the law again. During this time,
I started riding with a 1%er motorcycle club and living a very crazy life. I
had given up on myself thinking that I was just a very damaged individual and
that there was no hope for me. I was slowly killing myself with the booze and
drugs and went from 215 pounds to 140 in a matter of a few months. I was in
trouble with the law everywhere I went and got to where I couldn't recall where
I had been from one day to the next. After many run ins with the law, I again
found myself back in jail and in prison, I was released, and I was almost
killed in a motorcycle accident and soon found myself locked up again. After
that accident something finally clicked, and I kept (almost audibly) hearing
the word submit, in my head. I was such a mess, my health was in shambles, my
thinking was muddy at best, and my heart hurt so badly. I kept thinking about
all of the lost years and the damage that I had caused, and the hurt that I had
caused everyone around me over the years. I finally had been broken, and I hit
my knees in the jail cell I was in and I cried so hard my head hurt and I asked
God to forgive me, and I asked Jesus into my heart, that He take over my life
and guide me. That was September of 2022. After I prayed and talked with God
and cried like a baby for what seemed like hours, I felt a sense of peace come
over me and I slept harder than I have slept in years. I decided enough is enough,
and the only way to truly recover was to truly and wholly submit to God. In the
beginning of 2023, I felt God telling me to reach out to what I consider my
Home Church, (Heartland Baptist) and low and behold, Brother Steve Fleshman and
I reconnected after 16 years. I have since gone through Discipleship and I have
worked through The Journey Home recovery workbook. I have been able to lead 3
people to Christ and I am working with a few others as we speak, that are
interested in Jesus, and that are ready for a radical change that only He can
provide. God has truly restored my mind, my body, (I can currently bench press
375) and most important my heart and my relationship with Him. I am looking
forward to coming home and being a very active part of the ministry and
worshipping with you all. our wonderful and beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ."
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