I was reading this passage in the context of a Sunday school class and my mind began to wander. “Are there any situations like this in the context of my world?” Then, mental pictures of dozens of precious men and women who have come and gone from His Mansion came to mind.
No small percentage of the folks coming to His Mansion for help, are from Christian homes. Either parents or grandparents are Followers of Christ. These are men and women who early in life accepted Christ as their personal Savior. Some were discipled, many were left to develop on their own--or not!
Christian parents need to wake up and stop being anesthetized by the culture we live in. I know it is not considered cool, or very sophisticated, to consider the reality of “spiritual enemies,” at least not the sort that actually target young hearts and minds. One of the most effective means of demoralizing a family is to have a son or daughter end up addicted to drugs and alcohol, or a slave to an eating disorder or pornography.
The enemy--his name is Satan--has a vast army of “ministers” whose sole purpose is to captivate and ruin young souls, especially those who are members of the family of faith. At one point, these young men and women were like fresh dug wells filled with clear, pure water, but not when they arrive at His Mansion!
The enemy has attacked by filling our nations “well” with every foul filth and garbage imaginable. Moral swill, material access, sexual perversion, anti-faith psychology, contaminated versions of history and immoral models, has clogged the cultural well.
Leaders, educators and media, have, wittingly or not, been co-opted by dark, evil forces successfully luring our children away by the thousands. Children, sensing they have permission, (usually the result of lenient parenting or wretched role models,) soon open the wells of their own souls to the waste. The fresh waters of innocence and faith are rapidly displaced by the foulest of dirt.
There are many descriptive ways of explaining what happens at His Mansion, but the picture of Isaac and his cohorts, taking on the laborious task of uncovering and digging out the trash so that the fresh water of God’s Holy Spirit can once again fill the vessel belonging to Him, is apropos.
It is an honor to take up the shovel and dig, but most of the work needs to be done “by hand!” To witness the damage, suffer the daily stench, and dig while garbage continues to be tossed in, is taxing. This is especially true of the young, dedicated troopers who choose to enter the work short term, when they could be continuing their educations, growing a family or building careers. It is difficult, life-changing work and only the bravest, most courageous, can handle it. I thank God for each one.
Those of us, who are long-term staff, are also very much “hands on” in the human dumpsters that are the souls of addicts, but we are generally older, seasoned veterans of the war. For the “lifers,” the rewards of advanced degrees and accumulated wealth have usually been tossed on the “count-it-all-lost” heap, next to the pile of worthless stuff extracted from the wells of broken lives.
This is the season of giving and praying for those “in the trenches.” I would remind you again of the privilege you have of supporting those you know--relatives and friends--serving at His Mansion.
The staff at His Mansion receives no salaries, health benefits or retirement security. We (all of us) serve by faith, trusting God to provide, and He does! The end-of-year special gifts to staffers will constitute a major portion of their annual support.
Here are names of those serving long term:
Stan & Joan Farmer; Co-Founder and Ambassador-at-Large
Paul & Robin Atkinson; CEO
Ron & Alice Donovan; Director of Bridgeport Christian Growth Center
Dennis & Francis Coulombe; Director of Grand Rapids Christian Growth Center
Fritz & Gretchen Maurer; Director of Counseling
Todd Battles; Counseling Department
Diane Weber; Counseling Department
Cathy Martin; Counseling Department
Michele Lilly; Counseling Department
David & Diane Hultgren; Counseling Department and Finance
Seth & Karen Hilliker; Mechanic and Director of Women’s Counseling
Dr. Michael & Emily Tso; Director of His Mansion Institute
Nick & Kate Clark; His Mansion Institute
Hank & Cathy van de Berkt; Agriculture
Ryan & Jacci Miranda; Building and Maintenance
Sam & Monique Farmer; Construction and Special Projects
Dwayn & Brianna Merrill; Woodlot
Jennifer Stanger; Executive Administrative Assistant
Bill Kurtenbach; Office Manager
Now, a word from Paul…
The holiday season is officially upon us! Holiday festivities commence with our annual Harvest Party held on the last Wednesday evening of October. Staff and residents spent weeks prior to the actual event putting together some of the most creative costumes and ensembles that I have ever seen. Prizes for “Best Costume” are awarded in three categories: (1) Object on the hill, (2) Person on the hill and (3) Bible character. A highlight for me is really seeing different people’s personalities come out through the imagination and talent that is evident in the various costumes.
The other competition of the night is that of “Best Pie” with awards for both apple and pumpkin pies. On the Monday night preceding the party, all staff and residents were divided into groups and assigned to long-term staff homes to work as a team and bake their pie. The only direction given to the group is the type of pie to bake--apple or pumpkin--the recipes are up them! Taste-testing is done by a select panel of judges during the Harvest Party and the award-winning pies are announced. Some times creativity with the recipe pays off, and other times, it is the traditional pie that wins. This year’s winning pumpkin pie was made by the Pumpkin Pirates, hosted at the Hultgren house, and the winning apple pie team was The Apple of My Eye, which happened to be the group of females that baked with Robin at our house!
The high point of the evening, and really the focal point of what the evening is all about, is the celebration of our own harvest and how God is continually faithful in providing for us through our gardens and farming. As the numbers are unveiled, I am brought back to the reality of how good our God is. He is truly at the center of all we do here on the hill--we could do none of this apart from Him. Rejoice with us as I share some of the totals to date for this year with you all:
- Beans (dried, all varieties): 149 pounds
- Cabbage: 144 two-quart units
- Cauliflower: 330 two-quart units
- Corn: 257 two-quart units
- Garlic: 150 pounds
- Onions: 1952 pounds
- Pickles/Relish: 124 one-quart units
- Tomatoes: 1442 one-quart units
- Fruits (from apples to strawberries): 310 two-quart units
Needless to say, it was quite an exciting night full of thanks, praise and a lot of laughs. If you would like to see additional pictures from the evening, check out His Mansion on Facebook, www.facebook.com/hismansion. We like to keep the page updated with pictures of recent events, blurbs about hill activities, inspiring thoughts and much more. If you are not a “friend” of His Mansion, it is time you become one!
Of course the next holiday to come is Thanksgiving and we are already busy with small committees working on decorations and the planning for the activities and meals of the actual day. We look forward to enjoying many of the vegetables that are quoted in our harvest numbers above at our Thanksgiving dinner.
We were additionally blessed this past month by an enthusiastic work group from SonRise Church in Howell, Michigan that drove all the way to New Hampshire to dedicate several days of volunteer service to our hill. Their hard work was very much appreciated by all of us as they helped out with many various projects, from painting interior walls to raking leaves. The biggest blessing of all though, came in a recent email that reflected on what the Lord did in one particular gentleman’s life during that time here…
"I came to His Mansion expecting a change within myself, and it came true. The Lord met me at His Mansion and blessed my life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come and serve the Lord along side you and the rest of your team. There is no short cut when it comes to seeking the Lord, you have to dive in and push through to the other side where He is. I found myself on this great hill breathing the air filled with change, I could do nothing but seek the Lord. His Mansion and all of it’s administrators, have fought vigorously for this aroma. I pray that this sweet fragrance of change never leaves the air and that it would compel everyone in the midst of His Mansion to seek the Lord and expect His Holy Spirit to come in and change their lives continually. I look forward to coming back someday in the future, possibly for a longer commitment than 1
week."
I’d also like to say a special “thank you” to a volunteer from Andover, CT who spent a week with us putting to good use his skills in mudding in our renovation project of the His Mansion Institute building. Those with special trade skills are always an asset to have on the hill. Every individual who devotes their service to us in the capacity of a volunteer is valuable beyond words to us.
We have already starting booking work groups that will be coming in 2011 so if you are an individual, a family, a church group, a youth group, a school, or a group of another sort, it isn’t too early to start making your plans. The vast number of individuals and groups that came to serve as volunteers this year was a wonderful surprise and blessing to our community. Our desire is to be able to accommodate every person and group that is interested in volunteer work, however, there are logistical limitations when it comes to housing and dining. If you are interested in scheduling a trip, it is now time to start planning! We’d be happy to help you coordinate this trip to His Mansion and have you volunteer and spend time among our family. God is always at work in people’s lives here, and those who visit and volunteer, are no exception. Give our office a call and we can get the process started for your 2011 mission’s trip to His Mansion. We look forward to hearing from you!
Closing comments from Stan… The ministry itself typically receives nearly a third of the yearly income through year-end giving. Now, I know this will sound like a strong statement, but I believe His Mansion Ministries represents one of the very best investments, dollar for dollar, of your gifts. Please consider making His Mansion Ministries a part of your yearly sacrificial giving.
After forty years of operation, we praise God that every bill is paid and we are free from any debt to the world. You, as dedicated, generous partners are responsible for this wonderful testimony! Thank you.
Joyful in His service together,
Stan Farmer; Ambassador-at-Large Paul Atkinson Sr; CEO
News 
