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February 2011
“Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” -1 Kings 3:4-14
Greetings in Jesus’ name, My wife, Joan, read this passage to me from her morning devotions as we drove about. I was powerfully impressed by the relevance of the passage to life today. Please take a moment to read it again, slowly and carefully. Solomon was but twenty years old! God offers Solomon anything he wishes. Now, I have no doubt that what the average twenty-year-old of today would press for, even most of those who profess to be Christians, is stuff, stuff and more stuff! This man was respectful of his father and appreciated what God had done in David’s life. God anoints the young man as King, but Solomon admits his immaturity, inexperience and lack of knowledge. Solomon has the wisdom at a young age to beg for maturity and understanding, so that, “I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” Right from the beginning, Solomon recognizes that he is but a caretaker of another’s property. As king, the people he oversaw did not belong to him. Would that all who have been given positions of responsibility over others know this truth and abide by it!
God honors humility and selflessness. Solomon had not asked for himself a long life, riches or vengeance on his enemies, but asked for understanding to discern justice. God bestowed Solomon with great wisdom. Now, God says: “I will give you what you did not ask for. I have also given you riches and honor like no other king.”
As I enjoy and get used to my new role as Ambassador-at-Large, I am reminded of the blessing of serving our King and Lord. Looking back, I realize that all that could have been ours by remaining in the world of finance and commerce, is dwarfed by the heart-bursting joy of a life lived enjoying His provision. I have no regrets.
The great challenge in ministering among the broken and addicted--especially those raised and influenced by our present Western culture--is leading them to the place where they desire all that He wants to bless them with rather than an evening of pot and Wii! Fortunately, God has provided His Mansion with another generation of leadership who exemplify, to a measure, the Wisdom of Solomon. They serve without salary, healthcare or retirement benefits, yet appear much more settled and at peace than their corporate contemporaries. This example speaks to the residents with greater power and volume than all the pontificating and preaching that is so often found pouring out of plastic boxes and too many pulpits. Well, 2010 has exited stage left and 2011 roared in with a ton of ice and snow! We have been fighting broken machines, freezing temperatures and a very nasty version of the flu. Given that many of those coming for help hail from southern climates, there’s no lack of moaning and lament. In these conditions, wood, in the form of rough logs, is favored over fine furniture. About 250 cord of wood is burned throughout the winter in order to offset the crippling costs of fossil fuel. Sawing it, splitting it and stacking it, is a job for the sturdiest of souls. Others shovel the tons of snow that seems to be coming in excess this winter and still others care for the cattle, hogs and chickens that continue to require tending to all winter long. After hours of toil in a sub-zero world, the noon trip to Griggs Hall, our dining room, is anticipated just short of heaven! Laurie Ford, our new Director of Food Services, is a hero. (Yes, the Fords are back! More below from Paul on some exciting staff additions.) A hot meal, taken together in a warm, community setting, whispers “family” in a powerful and comforting way.
Now, a word from Paul… The past few months and the recent holiday season, have brought His Mansion an abundance of blessings and lessons in gratitude. I first want to share with you how the Lord continually proves to know our needs as a ministry and provides for us in His perfect timing. Recently we had found ourselves faced with unfilled staff positions; positions that would not fare well for us if left unfilled for very long. The first sign of God answering our persistent prayers for long-term staff came in the form of reconnecting with longtime friends of the ministry. Jim Ford and his wife, Laurie, have rejoined the Mansion family, now serving in the roles of Director of Operations and Director of Food Services, respectively. Both originally came to the Mansion in the mid-80’s serving as short-term mentors. Jim came having heard about the Mansion while being a student at Moody Bible Institute. Little did they know then the path that the Lord had for them and how it would keep leading them back to His Mansion. After marrying in 1987, they again found themselves on staff here in 1990, this time serving in long-term roles. Jim found his call to service at that time as the Agricultural Manager, while Laurie devoted herself to the raising of their two children, Emily and Zachary. Laurie’s skills and talents however, allowed for her to dabble in other work areas on the hill as needs arose and she felt led. She certainly found her niche in the areas of food service and overseeing the women’s work crew. When Jim and Laurie made the difficult decision to leave the hill in 2006, we all felt the impactful loss of this dynamic family. Change is a part of life and as Jim and Laurie found themselves with now grown, adult children, they eagerly returned to this community in a role that is full circle from where they started in their initial years here. Their own children, the two youngsters who once ran about this hill as only care-free children can, now both reside in the Chicago area, Emily as a student at Trinity International with a wedding date set for June of this summer and Zachary enjoying his work as a Personal Trainer. Jim and Laurie are now role models to the young families on the hill, raising their children and trying to find the balance of family and community. The wisdom and guidance Jim and Laurie are able to offer as they give of themselves to this younger generation, is beyond measure.
 Jim and Laurie Ford  Eric and Anu Davids
Our other answered prayer related to staffing, again came in the form of a past Mansion friend. Eric Davids’ first connection with the Mansion began in 1996. Eric experienced his own healing and recovery from past addictions through time spent at the Mansion. He then devoted almost 4 years of service here as short-term staff. He too, had strong ties here but felt the call to move on and enter into mission’s work in a different capacity. Eric joined his now wife, Anu, in India where she had been working in ministry with Operation Mobilization and Operation Agape India. After marrying in early 2010, Eric and Anu continued to serve in the mission field in India and Nepal. Yet both longed to be a part of a committed, loving community with a central focus on God’s love and grace. Back to His Mansion! We are excited to welcome Eric into his new role as Men’s Program Administrator and now long-term staff. Eric has expressed his joy in returning in this new role for His Mansion, but also his new life role as husband and father-to-be. Yes, Eric and Anu are expecting their first child at the end of June!
Back in December, in the midst of the Christmas season, our Mansion family congregated together for our annual tradition of a family picture. It was a comical sight as at 11:45 on the dot, people poured out of the woodwork, making their way to the barn, our designated spot for this year’s picture. There is always a bit of confusion and trial and error in the attempt to properly place each person in such a way that every individual face is visible and recognizable. Despite the challenges in the initial set up, the photo shoot was not only successful but also quite fun in laughing at our own follies. The final picture is included at the end of this letter so you may see each thankful face that reaps the blessings of the many ways so many of you support us. Please hang this picture in some strategic place that will frequently remind you to hold His Mansion up in your prayers. 2011 is shaping up to be a busy year here with many events already on the calendar. We are excited to be offering our one-week Healing in the Context of Community course four times this year. The scheduled dates are March 19-25th, May 14-20th, July 9-15th and October 8-14th. This course is an exciting opportunity for fellow followers of Christ to enter into the daily lifestyle of community living that is the backbone of our program. The course allows for the examination of one’s own life and walk of faith, as well as providing training for those who desire to offer love and service to hurting, broken people in their own communities. May will be our first time offering a HCC University week. The timing of the week is to encourage college students to participate and then stay to serve as eight-week practicum students, allowing them to experience a more in-depth and hands-on time of training. As we have also recognized the desire of educators and teachers to participate in a week, we have coordinated the schedule to include the July option to accommodate those who have the summer off. These sessions are not exclusive though, so if either of these weeks suite your schedule best, call and sign up! Our main office can be reach at 603-464-5555 and we will be happy to start the registration process with you.
We are excited to announce, and what hopefully caught your eye at the very beginning, is the “official” Save the Date notification of our 40th Anniversary Celebration! Grab a permanent marker now and save Saturday, July 30th, 2011 as the day you come back to this hill and community that we call His Mansion and reunite with all of us, past and present, to celebrate 40 years of ministry! All are invited to partake in this special event with us as without you and the work of our Savior, this opportunity to celebrate wouldn’t exist. God has been so faithful in all that He has done and continues to do through the service of this ministry. 40 years! Details of schedule and registration will be in the March newsletter.
Closing comments from Stan… 2010 was a fruitful year for the harvest of souls and restoration of shattered lives. More men and women went through the program than ever before with many professing dramatically changed lives. In a year when most felt the financial pinch and had to make sacrifices, His Mansion was again blessed by those who contribute regularly throughout the year as well as by generous end-of-year donations. Our ministry was greatly touched by the amount of giving that came in on behalf of others--friends or family members--as memorial or honorary donations. To think that so many lives out there have been touched in some unique and personal way by His Mansion that they would want to honor someone via support to us! As we are seeing this trend continue, we have done the legwork to enable the set up of charitable gift annuities and other such means of giving. His Mansion ended 2010 free of debt and with every bill paid. It is incredible for us to be able to report this in a year of building a new 10,000 sq. ft. dormitory, expanding the total number of residents we are able to serve, and renovating the Institute building! You are the most faithful family and partners with which any ministry could be blessed. I thank you, we all thank you, for lovingly supporting His Mansion and for being a member of this exciting family. May God bless each one of you. Joyful in His Service Together,   Stan Farmer; Ambassador-at-Large Paul Atkinson Sr; CEO
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