Newsletter Winter 2012-2013

News &
Notes from
Winter 2012 –2013
Vol. II No. 3
Facilitating positive life changes for previously incarcerated women
MERRY CHRISTMAS
From Our Home to Yours!
Thank you, Naylor Landscaping, for our beautiful lights!
We are making stockings for our mantle and have enjoyed:
Carolers on our porch, Ding-Dong-Doorbell Ditchers leaving gifts at
the door, lights being hung by men on ladders, an Advent Offering
from a Portage Church, and a live Christmas Tree inside!
Thank you to all for filling our Christmas
with Light, Love, Hope and Joy.
Wishing you a beautiful season filled with the same.
Warmly,
All of us here at the Wings of God Transition Home
Fall Celebration Banquet a Hit!
God blesses WOG with continued support
O
ur “Wings of God Celebration
Banquet was held November 8
at the Lawton Community Center and
attended by 275 guests! WOW. Thank
you!
What a blessing to be surrounded by
so many people that support and
encourage us in our ministry. The
residents have commented many times
that it was humbling to “see” all the
people helping them in this journey.
The evening began with appetizers
and great bluegrass music by The Hoot
Owls (pictured at right). Dinner was
abundantly delicious, catered by Premiere
Catering. Pastor Nate Bull brought a powerful
sermon to the evening. He reminded us that
God calls us as we are to be, not labeling us
with our past failures. And as God’s people, it
is our calling to do the same: bring out the best
in people, encourage them always to be all
that God wants them to be.
Another highlight of
the evening was listening
to two of our residents
Pastor Troy Gentz,
Freshwater Community
Church
Page Two
share their stories which brought tears to and
cheers from everyone in the room! Pastor
Troy Gentz challenged all of us to give a
sacrificial gift during the holiday season.
Delicious homemade desserts were, in
part, provided by Berean Baptist Church
ladies. (Fights nearly broke out over the apple
pie. We had to keep a close eye on Pastor
Roger!)
Thank you to all who
joined us and made this
event special.
State Rep. Aric Nesbitt, Karina Lamorandier and
State Senator Tonya Schumaker
Pastor Nate Bull,
Vanguard Ministries
Wings of God Transition Home
"House Mom" Sheryl and her girls at the Celebration Banquet
Karina gives Jes a supportive hug
I Once Was Lost, But Now Am Found!
I
came to the Wings of God three months
ago to break a terrible cycle of addiction
that lead me away from my daughters, my
family, myself and God. I was a single mother
for the better part of thirteen years, a supervisor
at a large bank, ran my own music promotions
business and even a home owner. However I
was also what some may call a “weekend
warrior” or a “functioning addict.” I never would
have thought my addictions would take over my
life, but that is exactly what happened. I went
from happy to homeless.
I spent over a year and a half in the grips of
a strong addiction to methamphetamines. I
gave up on my kids, my family, myself and God.
After spending many months living in the
woods, five trips to Van Buren County jail and
the death of a friend to addiction, it was obvious
my life had to change. Three weeks before my
last arrest I stopped using drugs, but only by
telling myself each day “I will be sober today,
but I can use tomorrow if I choose”. Sitting in
jail I knew that thought process wouldn’t keep
Prayer Requests:
• Emotional stability for residents through the
holidays
• Employment opportunities for residents
• Wisdom for all volunteers and staff
• Beds filled with women who want to change
Winter 2012–2013
me clean for long, but had no idea how to
change it. After being blessed enough to be
placed in Drug Court, I was released from jail. I
thought I had a drug-free place to go, but was
sadly mistaken. I went to my friends only to find
drugs had taken over their life once again. It
was painfully obvious that I had to change my
people, places and things. But how?
Through the grace of God, and a number of
unexpected heroes, I was lead to Wings of God.
What an amazing place. Not just a house, and
so much more than a home. In the short three
months I have been here, my life has changed
dramatically. Not only do I have a bed to sleep
in, but I have restored faith in God and hope for
the future. With each passing day I grow
stronger in my faith. I have reunited with all four
of my beautiful daughters, my Grandmother and
other important loved ones I once thought I
would never see again. I have been baptized
and even serve at my church. This month I will
reach six months of sobriety and have no desire
to return to the life I once lived. The fact that
this home was created for someone like me is
proof that God is more than amazing.
Our God is an awesome God, and the
countless people who have made this home
possible have helped save my life. Thank you
to everyone who has supported the Wings of
God and helped lead me back to our one true
King.
Jes Hillman, resident
Page Three
A Note From the Executive Director
T
wo thousand twelve
is winding down and
Wings of God can now say
we have been open for
almost eleven months.
God has shown Himself in
countless ways! On
January 20, 2012, at the
Wings of God Open
House, the symbolic red ribbon was
ceremoniously cut. Doors officially opened
February 1, 2012, and we welcomed our first
resident shortly after. From then on, we
have had ten additional residents who have
called Wings of God their home. Lessons
have been learned, families reunited,
children born and giant leaps of faith have
been taken to allow the transforming power
of Jesus Christ to rock their worlds and
make them new!!!
Unfortunately, the process requires some
heartache which is never easy, but is to be
expected. We have had a few women who
have made a choice to suddenly bail out.
They usually leave over a relationship which
they desire to pursue. Our hearts break, but
we fully understand our place in their lives:
seed planters. From there, we pray that
Do you want to
be a volunteer?
Currently, we have a need for:
SHOPPER—for weekly groceries
MENTOR—meet weekly with one resident
and be a friend
DRIVER—drive residents to legal,
medical appointments, as needed
COUNSELOR—licensed counselor
needed for weekly meetings
For more info, call us at
269-415-0777
Page Four
others will come along and water some
more! In one case, the resident returned to
Wings of God only to bail again a couple of
weeks later. We are confident that the joy
this resident received during her threemonth stay at Wings of God will stay in her
heart and she will always remember it. Our
residents learn about the love of God,being
part of a healthy family, laughter, loving
disagreements, settling disputes in a polite
manner, feeling pain and overcoming it
without the use of illegal substances.
Believe it or not, feeling the pain is new to
some of our residents! From ashes to
beauty, God brings them from the miry clay!
While some situations sadden us, they do
not deter our mission! Our mission is to be
used by God to bring freedom to the
captives! Freedom is a process; processes
are painful. Processes take time; time
cannot be rushed.
We pray that you remember our residents
in your prayers during this beautiful
Christmas season. May your Christmas be
blessed as we all celebrate the birth of our
precious Savior, Jesus Christ!
In His Mighty Grip,
Karina Lamorandier
Mandatory Volunteer Training
A new Volunteer Training session is
scheduled for
Saturday, January 19, 2013
at 9:00 a.m. to noon
138 Ampey Road
(next to Paw Paw Honda)
To register, please call the office at
269-415-0777
or email us at
[email protected].
Wings of God Transition Home
Many Hats Worn by This Volunteer
T
he good will and hard work of many
volunteers have contributed greatly to
the marvelous progress made at WOG. One
of these valuable people is Amanda
VanderKlok. She blesses us in so many
ways, but most importantly in the roles of
WOG House Supervisor and Content Editor
for our newsletter.
Amanda is a busy housewife and mother,
but still finds time to share her time serving
others. She and her husband Ken are
members of the Mars Hill Bible Church.
The following is an account of an
interview with Amanda:
Q: When and how did you hear about
the Wings of God Transition Home?
A: I’ve known Karina and Ondalee for a
long time. When I saw the Gazette article
about opening the home early this year, God
nudged me to “go and see.”
Q: What inspired you to volunteer for
WOG?
A: A few years ago, I had an opportunity
to get to know a foster girl named Rose.
She was a beautiful young woman with a
horrendous past and was just beginning a
very long journey of healing and recovery.
God created a deep love in my heart for her.
Amanda with Sheryl Berry at the Wine and Harvest
Festival Wings of God booth.
Winter 2012–2013
And I saw with every visit, she responded to
that love in wonderful
ways. She felt like a
daughter to me. After 10
months, she moved from
the home unexpectedly
and I lost contact with
her, which hurt me in a
profound way. She is
very close to my heart
and in my prayers every
day. I told Karina I
Amanda, center, with
wanted to honor Rose,
WOG residents.
by doing what I could no
longer do for her, with the residents of Wings
of God.
Q: What talents have you been sharing
and what projects have you taken on for
WOG?
A: God has given me the gifts of faith,
love and wisdom. As a House Supervisor, I
can just be me and walk alongside our
residents and breathe God’s Spirit into their
lives by listening and sharing what I’ve
learned along the way. I am planting seeds.
God will make it grow in His time. I just show
up and do what I need to do. I also have a
gift of administration so I have been helping
the staff with a lot of organizational work,
and that is a blessing to me too.
Q: Tell us something about yourself that
may surprise us!
A: After college in California, I worked for
a U.S. Distributor of Italian Leather Goods.
As Sr. Planner, I helped design, price and
sell GUCCI, FENDI and MARK CROSS
items in the US. I traveled to Italy three
times a year and loved every minute of it.
Page Five
From the Finance Committee
W
e never publish the
names of individual
donors of monetary gifts, but
we can report that 29
individual families financially
supported Wings of God in
the third quarter of 2012. That
is in addition to the three
businesses and nine
churches/groups listed below
who contributed funds to keep
our ministry operating in the
black.
CHURCHES AND
CHURCH GROUPS
Centerpoint Church
First Church Of God
Freshwater Community
Church
Lawton Evangelical
Mennonite Church
Mattawan Community Church
Miracle Harvest Church
Outpouring Ministries
Southridge Reformed Church
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
BUSINESSES
Barber Packaging Company
Keystone Community Bank
Van Buren County Lodge
#136
As the year’s end approaches, holiday giving and
next-year budgeting are on everyone’s minds. Please
keep Wings of God in your prayers and considerations
for continuing support of our ongoing mission. We
thank God daily for those of you who have pledged
monthly gifts, as this gives us a financial foundation on
which to budget our operating expenses.
Giving made easy
Give online at our website (WingsofGodinc.org)
Give through automated bank debits
Give via U.S. Mail, using the enclosed envelope
Ask your employer about matching gifts
Does your employer donate $$ based on
volunteer hours worked?
Wings of God
Expense Distribution
Property
& Liability
Insurance
10%
Facility & Resident
Care
38%
Staffing
25%
Fundraising
12%
Administrative
15%
You are all included in our
daily prayers!
Page Six
Wings of God Transition Home
A Day of Golf = A New Roof
W
hat a beautiful September Day at
Heritage Glen Golf Course! Thank
you to the many golfers who attended the
Scramble and Putting Competition. Our
winning team walked away with a score of 59
by Kip Kerby, Jason Bull, Carl Popkey and Jim
Whelan.
One of the Golf Outing teams, above, included
duffers Dave Harmsen, Bob Moss,
Scott Michel, and Steve Aschleman.
Thank you to all on the golf committee who
helped make this happen: Steve Barber,
Steve Barry, Steve & Ondalee Aschleman, Bob
Peterson, Holly McCaw, Marilyn Doyle, Sally
Brinkman, Joann Munting.
Proceeds from this event covered the cost
of a much needed new roof at the Wings of
God house! God is so very good to us.
Next year we hope to host this event earlier
in the summer. Look for a date in future news
to reserve the day!
Gratitude Offered for Non-monetary Donations
G
od keeps blessing
WOG through the
generosity of others! We
recognize and thank those
listed, who have contributed
their services, talents, labor,
materials, and/or discounts.
Businesses/Organizations
Atwater Salon—Haircuts for
our residents
Banquet Table Hosts—there
were 27 total!
Fred Miller Photography—
Banquet photos
Winter 2012–2013
Hoot Owls—live music at our
Celebration Banquet
Kalamazoo Gospel Mission—a
new van
Lawton Lions Club—providing
the Lawton Community
Center rental
Naylor Landscaping—beautiful
outdoor Christmas Lights
Churches/Church Groups
Berean Baptist Womens'
Club—delicious homemade
pies for Banquet
Centerpoint Church—memorial
gift of a porch swing through
the Dave Pease Fund
Portage Free Methodist—a
month long Advent Offering
Thanks and welcome to
our two newest volunteers:
Resident Case Managers
Julie Compagner and Chris Crane
Page Seven
Wings of God WISH LIST
T
he generosity of many churches,
businesses, organizations and
individuals have given us the resources to
get as far as we have, but we still need a few
more crucial items.
If you are willing and able to donate
anything on our wish list, please call the
WOG office at 269-415-0777 first to get
more information, specifics and/or to make
sure we still need the item(s).
FOOD:
Canned mushroms
Canned fruits and veggies
Chicken breasts, frozen
Cream of mushroom and other soups
Ground beef
Ham for Christmas Dinner
Pasta
Spaghetti sauce
Taco seasoning
FOR THE HOUSE:
Batteries, assorted sizes
Bible covers
Children’s Bibles
Cork Boards
Dish soap, laundry products and other
household cleaners
Snow gloves (Med.) and sidewalk salt
Stamps
Thank you cards
Tools and tool box
Water softener salt
FOR RESIDENTS:
Digital Camera
Employment Opportunities
Gift Cards (movies, restaurants, clothes)
PJ bottoms—sizes S-M-L
Panties—sizes 5-6-7
Photo Frames
Resident Fee Funds (Medical, Legal, ID
costs)
Scrapbooks- four needed
Warm Slippers—size M
Winter Coats
Our Residents Need and Want to Work
E
mployment for our residents is one of
the most important elements needed
for a successful journey to independent living.
 All residents have monthly expenses such as
rent, medical expenses, court fines, storage
fees, etc., that must be covered
 All residents need to learn and practice
healthy budgeting skills
 All residents will save money from their
income for a home fund
In order to do these things, they must be
employed. And with their criminal records, this
is a difficult thing. Employers are hesitant to
take them on, or simply have policies that
prevent them from hiring people with records.
Page Eight
Are you in a position to help? Can you
hire our residents and give them an
opportunity to begin rebuilding their
resume and skill set?
Please give us a call and let's discuss how
to bring hope to these women through
placement in the workplace. 269-415-0777
Wings of God Transition Home
Ambassador Churches Provide Ongoing Support
G
od has blessed W OG with committed,
continuing support from what we call our
“Ambassador Churches.” This comes through
prayer, volunteerism and financial support. The
following churches have contracted or implied and
acted upon a commitment in these areas.
If your church is not listed, pease feel free to
share this page with your congregation’s pastor
and board for their prayerful consideration.
Our Ambassador Churches
Almena United Methodist Church, Calvary
Chapel, Calvary Reformed Church, Centerpoint
Church, Decatur Church of God, Faith Baptist
Church, Family Gospel Church, First Church of
God, First Presbyterian Church Decatur, First
Presbyterian Church Paw Paw, First Presbyterian
Church Paw Paw Womens Group, Freshwater
Community Church, Grace Baptist Church,
Harmoney Chapel Church, Hope Reformed
Church, Journey Family Church, Kendall United
Methodist, Lawrence United Methodist, Lawton
Evangelical Mennonite, Mattawan Community
Church, Miracle Harvest Church, New Community
Church, New Hope Fellowship, Outpouring
Ministries, Portage Free Methodist, Recast
Church, Southridge Reformed Church, St. Mark’s
ECW, St. Marks Episcopal Church, St. Mary’s
Church of Paw Paw, Trinity Lutheran Church.
Contract — Ambassador Church to Wings of God, we agree to the following:
1) Pray for Wings of God
Prayer Team Contact info, name, phone, email
2) Place collection Bin in lobby and periodic collection announcements in bulletin or from pulpit
Contact info, name, phone, email
3) Promote volunteers for various ministry opportunities as needed and communicated.
Contact info, name, phone, email
4) Prayerfully consider financial support via free-will offerings, annual mission funding,
fundraisers and benefits.
Mission Committee Contact info, name, phone, email
Church Name
Pastor
Address
Phone
Email
WINGS OF GOD TRANSITION HOME INC.
PO Box 3 Paw Paw, MI 49079
(269) 415-0777
[email protected]
http://www.wingsofgodinc.org
Winter 2012–2013
Page Nine
Connect with Wings Of God!
If you would like to receive email updates
of our progress and/or events, please
provide us with your email address.
Contact us:
By e-mail: [email protected]
By phone: 269-415-0777 (office)
By U.S. post:
Wings of God Transition Home, Inc.
P.O. Box 3, Paw Paw, MI 49079
“Like” us on facebook!
Search for:
“Wings of God Transition Home, Inc.”
Wings of God Transition Home, Inc.
P.O. Box 3
Paw Paw, MI 49079
Address Service Requested
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
PAW PAW, MI
PERMIT NO. 211
Please examine the mailing label and notify us if you wish to be removed from our list.
Also let us know of any errors/changes in name or address, or if you know someone who
would be interested in our newsletter. Mail changes to our P.O. Box, or send us an e-mail.
DO YOU HAVE AN
EMAIL ACCOUNT?
Help us save money by signing up to
receive this newsletter by email instead of
“snail mail.” (We currently have over 950 on
our mailing list.) You’ll get your info sooner
while assisting us in cutting costs. To sign up,
email us at: [email protected].