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Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. -- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NKJV) Greetings in the Name of Jesus, Paul describes the character of his love in these verses. The young men and women who find their way to His Mansion are driven by various needs: drug and/or alcohol addiction, sexual perversions and abuse, eating disorders, depression and despair. They’ve lost the ability or willingness to maintain love relationships, employment, or educational pursuits. They have no real goals, and sometimes little will to live. To conclude that we are depicting under-educated, socio-economically marginalized, chronically self-destructive individuals from “the other side of the tracks” would be the worst form of denial and elitism. They do, occasionally, fit one or more of the aforementioned descriptions, but much more often they are your children, nieces and nephews, or grandchildren. They have completed high school -- often some college. It’s not uncommon to discover that they have music talent, are art majors, have worked in childcare, been married, and occasionally have children of their own! Here’s what they do have in common: They come seeking love, someone who cares, having an understanding heart, whom they can trust. They come crying out for love. Whether they have tasted of public welfare or not, they come -- rich, poor, and everything in between, with a singular entitlement expectation: To be loved. Saint Augustine says: “Love is a debt which is multiplied by paying.” While serving in any capacity at His Mansion we have the wonderful privilege of fulfilling the law by loving others with all our hearts. Love fulfils the law not only out of debt and duty but also out of desire. In a nutshell, we accomplish this: • By listening to one another.
• By sharing with one another.
• By forgiving one another.
• By serving one another. During a recent evening chapel worship service we were treated to a couple of testimonies, one given by a young woman who recently completed the program. She told of being physically and sexually abused from the age of five through her teens -- by uncles, brother, grandfather, drunken friends, and husbands of her mother; of being reduced to “giving it up” in order to protect her baby sister from the same fate -- only to fail. She spent the better part of her teen years in emergency wards and mental hospitals having intentionally cut herself, which she did to gain admittance to a safe place! Everybody she should’ve been able to trust failed her. Everyone who should’ve loved her used her. The very people who should’ve protected her were her perpetrators! God directed her to us -- to Him. She fought, scratched, and rebelled. She rejected, hid, and self-protected. Because of the pure love of God, her protective mechanisms failed and she fell in love with us -- and finally Jesus. Here’s the point we must catch: They are entitled! We can never say, “I have done all the loving I need to do. I quit!” There is no hope outside of love -- His love. But there is no “His love,” unless we stand in His place and manifest it. I think this is what really makes His Mansion work. Thank you for loving us -- and them --with your prayer and support. 
Our entire looks to you with gratitude, and to the Lord with great anticipation! Although we schedule four Healing in the Context of Community (HCC) courses per year, we usually cancel the January class due to insufficient applications. Lew Gervais, our director of Pressing Onward ministries, requested we conduct a small one for six facilitators of a recovery group in Florida. We agreed. His six applied, plus eighteen more! We had students from Canada, Florida, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Vermont. This unique offering is becoming more and more popular, so be sure to tell your friends and make application early for the next class, starting April 5th. There are two more classes scheduled for June 14th, and October 11th. We expect heavy enrollments from now on, so tell others and sign up early. Dr. Michael Tso, the physician who is coming as the director of the new institute, visited New Hampshire for a week. We were able to begin planning the course of the adventure. We’ll launch the institute in three phases: development of curriculum and related logistical considerations, a small pilot program to work out the bugs and polish the program, and finally, begin to admit college candidates from acceptable sources. This will take some time, allowing us to build and pay for the new facility. Again, the purpose of His Mansion Institute is: 1. Preparation: Our primary goal is to equip and prepare qualified, dedicated candidates to enter the mission field of counseling, social work, and related disciplines.
2. Practicum: To offer students from colleges, universities, and other related endeavors, the opportunity to serve practicum in an environment where their academic studies can be tested and sharpened by real-life experience. 3. Replication: Years ago we decided to not attempt to “franchise” what God has done here, but to give it away. Entrepreneurial dynamic is dulled when an organization grows bigger, by growing upward. We want to encourage groups and churches with fresh local vision to start long-term residential healing communities in their own localities. The learning curve is huge, and anything His Mansion can do to shorten it, and encourage others, is our goal. We will accept groups for special training and make the curriculum available to them. They may, of course, tailor it to meet their local cultural needs. Having a ready-made and tried template can be the difference between success and failure. Places like His Mansion are needed everywhere and we want to encourage that. 4. Research. A well-guided program designed to analyze what we do, how we do it, and the results over time, will greatly aid in building a much better program ongoing. We will provide for scholars pursuing research skills within an environment rich with godly wisdom, knowledge, and experience. It is one thing to do a hip-pocket assessment of the short-term and long-term impact of a healing community, and quite another to carefully record and document truth in a way that is objective. Funds have begun to come in toward the $1.2 million needed to complete the facility. I realize that the careful, methodical approach we are taking to develop the content, train staff, and build the building, will be frustrating to some, but we are determined to guard a history of strong, credible financial practices that have become the hallmark of this ministry. If you, or folks you know, would benefit from having copies of our last audit; statement from the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability (ECFA); or the contact numbers for the National Christian Foundation (NCF); please call 603-464-5555, write, or email: stan@hismansion.com. It isn’t usual to have a garden harvest report in February, but here goes! Our new “Ag guy,” Byron, headed across the snow cover to one of the garden plots on one cold January morning during a brief thaw. I watched as he dug away the snow and began pulling pads of straw out of the way. My first thought was, “Farmer, you’ve done it again. Only here for a month and we’ve already driven the guy bonkers!” Later that afternoon I was invited to go to the canning room and pick up an armful of carrots. Wow! They were stiff and snapped like firecrackers when broken. Sweet! Dwayn had planted them after all the crops were harvested and covered the plants with hay. They grew and were insulated until the frost thawed. Pretty good, huh? In place of the carrots, Byron planted garlic—in January! What’s next -- giant pumpkins in March? We have had a number of married couples applying to serve here in some capacity, and we must be careful to bring on those whom God is sending, and who have skills that we need. We do need a full-time mechanic -- someone with a high level of skill. A person near or at retirement age, married or single, would be ideal. Please ask your church leadership if they might benefit from a visit from a representative of His Mansion. It is an exciting story of faith, healing, and inspiration. We have seen God use such outreaches to encourage men and women to serve short-term. They’ll be assets to the church upon return. Several men are available who are highly qualified to speak and tell the story. Church missions conferences and special emphasis events are ideal opportunities to hear about the work and meet key members of the Mansion team. We ended the year free of debt and $30,000 in the black, which we can put toward the new construction, if needed. It is amazing to watch the year-end unfold, knowing that the finances are in His hands, and preparing to praise Him because we’ve become so confident in His graciousness. It sets my heart to flying and my faith to soar! You are such a special partner in this exciting demonstration of God’s power and grace. Your prayers are of greater value than gold, and money is truly not the measure of answer to those prayers. Salvation, regeneration, healing, and love are the most important benchmarks! It is with great pleasure that I share with you each month the wonderful spiritual harvest in terms of lost children, found. Keep praying, supporting individuals, and His Mansion. Partner with us in our exciting new faith project. Bless you all -- and thank you! Joyful in His Service, Stan Farmer
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