“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

A Strong Transition
Summer is in full effect, and so is construction. We are in the final stages of introducing the new addition to the Men's transitional program. As space was getting tight for our daily devotionals due to the number of participants and those coming to share, a new room was needed. Converting the carport into the common area will double the space for gatherings and bible studies.

Keeping Christ as the focus of our lives is essential for Spiritual growth. We are coming to the completion of this project through the efforts of our community partners, volunteers, and staff. We look forward to seeing the Holy Spirit move in the hearts and lives of the Men here at Strong Life. The picture above is the freshly poured floor of the new addition.

Changed for the Good
We also have a new house manager for the Strong Life Men's Transitional program, Will Duckworth. He has a heart for serving and helping others, which is his passion. Will has experienced the transformative power of Jesus in his own life and is now eager to share that with others he ministers to at Strong Life daily. Will has dedicated his life to following Christ's call and following him daily. He is a man's man who works in the trenches daily, imparting lessons of faith and sweat as he takes crews out to work and teaches Bible study in the evenings.

We would ask you to pray for Will as he continues to transition and grown in his role here at Strong Life and fulfills the call of God that is on his life.

"The Lord remembers us and will bless us," Psalm 115:12a

Don't Forget Laura
“Don’t forget Laura.” That’s what several of the homeless people on my bus said as they pointed to a woman sitting alone in her walker in a distant parking lot.  Because of her disability, she couldn’t walk down the grassy hill to the usual pick-up area. I made an extra stop. As I loaded her walker on the bus, she introduced herself to me .  “Hi, I’m Laura.  I’ve got M.S.  That means I’m ‘Mighty Special’”.

One of my most eye-opening experiences in working with the homeless is the sheer number of people with both physical and mental disabilities.  Some say half of the homeless population is disabled.  I might say more.  That day, I loaded the twelve-passenger bus with two other walkers, helped three with canes, and one with an oxygen tank.

Laura’s multiple sclerosis symptoms started manifesting in her forties and changed the trajectory of her life.  In her past life, she raised three children, two of whom are serving in the military.  She now spends her nights at the Salvation Army Shelter and her days at Strong Life Rescue Mission.

One of the things that makes Laura ‘mighty special’ is her daily goal.  “I want to make one person smile each day.”  I told her that simply introducing herself as “mighty special” already made me smile.  Goal achieved.

Another thing that makes Laura ‘mighty special’ is a tattoo on the back of her neck:  Joshua 1:9.  It speaks to her life:  I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

The tattoo originally said, “Josh”, the name of her second husband.  Things didn’t work out.  She didn’t want to go through life with his name on her neck, so she added a few characters. She transformed the reminder from a broken past into an encouraging message from the Lord:  be strong and courageous.  Little did she know how important this message would be as she started battling the symptoms of late-onset multiple sclerosis.

On that first day I met her, we called Social Security to check on the disability application she filed four years ago.  It was rejected and in review.  She's since connected with others at Strong Life who can help make sure all of the i's are dotted and t's are crossed in her next application.  Hopefully, Laura will soon have someone who makes her smile.

“Don’t forget Laura”. In other words, don’t forget those who have disabilities, especially those who are presently without a home.

(Above is an excerpt from Font of Mercy, a blog by our Case Manager Scott Gilfang.)

The Rest Of The Story
We wanted to give an update on how we helped Laura at Strong Life. We listened to Laura and got to know her as a person. We helped her connect with our case management partners who offer peer support and assistance with housing. We paid for all her medications that she so desperately needed every month. We connected her to an assisted living program in Asheville.

Most importantly, we befriended her, prayed, and shed tears with her about her concerns and the anxieties of life. She made us laugh and encouraged us as well with her compassion and sense of humor. One of the last things she said to us before she left with tears in her eyes. “You have done so much to help me, and I don’t want to leave, but I know I need help taking care of myself, and the assisted living program is where I need to be.”

Laura provides an example for us that we get to walk a journey with people in our lives, and we don’t get to always choose how long that will be. One thing is for sure we won't forget about Laura, and it’s a great reminder that God will not forget about us!

"He has poured down for you abundant rain" Joel 2:23b

April Shower
Strong Life has struggled with limited space that has pressed our small facility to the max. This includes up to 10 showers daily, sometimes all from 1 shower, and limits our bathroom usage. This all changed in April when we could work out a space to put another shower for our folks. Anyone who has toured the rescue mission facility knows what a blessing and miracle this is.

Due to our efficient use of such a small space for so many people, no one could think of how or where this could be added, but God made a way! We used a group of professionals and volunteers to have this shower installed in a matter of 2 days so we can prepare for the busy summer shower season ahead. we are so thankful for God's blessing in this and now have a new outlook on "April showers".

What's Left Behind
Many don't realize the stress between landowners and the homeless community. When people want the homeless out of sight to be out of mind, they hide deep in the woods, often without permission on someone's property. Over time, trash is accumulated, which looks bad for the homeless community and is expensive for landowners to clean up. Our solution is to help with that process in our community and would encourage other nonprofits and churches to do the same. We hauled over 3,000 pounds of trash to the landfill recently, with another 2 loads gathered and ready to transport. We estimate that around 7,000 pounds will have been gathered from our neighboring community by the end of May.

Who is gathering it? The homeless, instead of us doing something to enable them, we have spoken with them about respecting others and doing their part to break out of the mold, as being seen as a nuisance to others. Not one homeless person had to be paid to pick it up, but was given a process to help respect themselves and others. All we did was pay the landfill fees and haul it for them. This is a great illustration of doing life together and holding someone accountable instead of labeling and enabling an action to stay the same. The mindset of togetherness will build a much stronger community no matter our social boundaries or systems that seem to be in place.

Ironically, after hauling trash for the day, we were ready to use the new shower! God's provision is wonderful.

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." Ephesians 2:10

Thankful for the Season Ahead
Strong Life Ministries has been busy in a good way with the change of the weather. Many projects and opportunities that had been put on hold so we could ensure our friends stayed warm and out of the cold are now coming to fruition. We want to thank all the churches that cooked meals for us on Saturdays to feed upwards of 70 people at a time and the many who donated winter items like blankets that were given out by the hundreds throughout the cold season.
 
 In preparation for the change of season, we begin by retiring the winter clothes and breaking out the summer attire. With the help of staff and many wonderful volunteers, the work doesn’t seem like such a daunting task but now we are starting to look for summer donations like shorts, water, and cooling items.
 
We will use this time ahead to bring in volunteer groups to help us manage and upkeep our property and facilities. We do a lot of building and painting between spring and summer. If you or anyone you know has a group that would like to come please contact us via email or leave a voicemail.

We have also had a change of layout for the space outside. By moving one of our storage buildings, we have increased the space in the backyard for our continued growth. We had the sides of our pavilion enclosed to assist with the airflow of our summer fans and sowed new seeds, fertilizer, and water that will bring forth lots of new grass for this next season.

A New Season of Opportunities
 The changing weather also presents ongoing needs for those facing life's difficulties. We are thankful to the LORD for using strong life to continue in the relief efforts from Hurricane Helene. Lisa and her family have been struggling to find permanent housing after the devastating loss of their camper. They were told about Strong Life at a gas station, and the LORD led them to us.

Upon arrival, Lisa poured her heart out. With nowhere to take a shower and little to eat, Strong Life was able to assist in the emergency crisis that had been set before them. Not once did they lose faith though. As Lisa said, “Jesus is faithful, I trust in Him”.  She then began to share her immediate needs, of which one was a new tire for her vehicle that housed her and her family. Her tire was bald and showing wire. Never once did her faith falter. Immediately we went to the LORD in prayer.

Living in her vehicle as her home she was concerned she would not be able to keep it on the road because one of her tires had gotten in such bad shape (pictured above). Our new program director John met with her and prayed for God to give direction about Strong Life getting her a new tire. We were able to call a tire shop that had only one of these particular-sized tires available. We paid for the new tire and after witnessing to God’s goodness the tire shop owner agreed to put the tire on for free.
 
As the seasons change and ministry continues, we are reminded that God is always the same. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. As we continue in obedience to Him, helping our friends who have need, God is faithful and supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. This is a reminder for all of us that when there is a problem or need that is an opportunity. What will we do with it?

 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

Hope With Humility
We usually share the more positive things in our monthly updates, but to be honest it has been a tough start to the year. Several friends within our homeless community were assaulted or died from various causes over the past month. We have seen several hospitalized over health issues that have stemmed from neglect or the cold weather. It has taken a lot just to pray and have faith that God would see us through. We write now to say HE has been faithful through the pain and suffering. We still get to see stories of hope and encouragement in our community daily although at times if we don't stop to look we easily can miss them.  We want to share 2 stories of hope with you today and encourage you no matter what is going on in your life there is hope!

The first is our friend Scott a weekly volunteer here at Strong Life. Scott has an impressive resume spanning over 20 years of ministry but what caught our attention is he came to us one day saying I am retiring, and I feel God leading me to help with the homeless and to learn more about Strong Life. Scott has been extremely humble in learning some aspects of case management and social security to help folks get their social security cards and handle issues when he comes every Wednesday. He is more than qualified to teach all of us but instead showed up and said I am willing to serve. He drives our van to give our other staff a break and counsels with a lending ear any of our friends that need to talk. He is an encouragement for us all. Feel free to learn more about his ministry at fontofmercy.org

Hope For A Future
The second story of hope comes from one of our friends named Sam. Sam was in the woods before Hurricane Helene hit our area. He remembers coming to us after everything he owned was soaking wet or floating away. He said, “Without Strong Life, I don’t think I could have made it, it’s amazing all y’all do to help us.” He battled the winter and worked hard to work on some things, this year he has found wonderful peer support and a job! He has gotten a fresh outlook and hopes for the future now. Please pray for Sam as he is at a big transition point for his future. He has been in emergency housing and hopes to transfer to something more stable soon.

Please continue to pray for Strong Life as we are short-staffed in our busiest season of the year. We have worked 24/7 with a coordinated crew some days to be available to those in need during the cold weather. Your prayers and contributions would be greatly appreciated during this time as we need more financial support for the extra gas and heating bills to help facilitate the warming of over 70 people some days in our area.

"For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Love In Action
Strong Life has been very busy and blessed this past month. We have had an increase in the folks trying to get out of the cold weather stopping by our day program. There has been a tremendous response from volunteers and churches to assist during this busy season. We have had many groups contact us to serve hot meals to folks in need. One of our homeless friends put it well when he said "You won't go hungry around here". What a blessing to hear for those desiring to feed the hungry.

Strong Life has officially opened for our winter hours which include longer days and Saturdays that aren't posted for the general public as we desire to help the homeless during these times when they need to get out of the weather.

Strong Life Men's program has seen several men take the next step with their goals by purchasing vehicles. We have seen 4 vehicles purchased by our guys in the past 2 months. These used vehicles are a great sign for a lot of these men who have battled hard to get their licenses back and desperately need reliable transportation for work. We are very proud of them and the hard work they are putting in to grown in Christ and become strong men in our communities.

Your Support Matters
Those who support us need to know we are daily thanked by the our homeless friends often with tears for being here for them. We remind them it is because of God's love being shown through those who give that we are able to walk with them in this journey. As we approach the end of the year, we face increasing demands on our services for longer hours and more pressing resources. The winter months bring heightened challenges for those we serve, making your financial support more critical than ever.

By contributing to Strong Life Rescue Mission, you are investing in transformed lives and a stronger community. Your gift—whether large or small—has the power to provide immediate relief and long-term hope.

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

An Example of Thanksgiving
In early September, a group of our men gathered around their table for a meal before Wednesday night Bible study. One of our pastors took a moment to snap a picture. He went on to describe how laughter and encouragement filled the room. Prayer and praise followed all through the course of the meal. It reminded me of what a true thanksgiving should be. Not what is on the table but the hearts that surround it.

We got to celebrate our men’s program Alumni Dinner a few days after that, and we realized how grateful we should be that God has given us a generational blessing of guys coming out of homelessness into places. These Men are finding their calling and being found by God for His purpose and Kingdom!

Overflowing Gratitude
The blessing didn’t stop there as Pastor John was picking up supplies last week, he saw an old friend named Jay we had helped in our day program a couple of years ago. He was so happy to see Pastor that he asked for a picture and shared how well he was now doing since he was homeless and being helped by Strong Life. He is now in a home that he said was filled with love and food. He has transportation and a community where he finds support. This reminded us that we don’t hear these stories from the homeless community nearly enough.

The past 2 weeks have been incredible. We have seen ten folks come out of homelessness into homes. We praise God that we were able to journey with them and help connect them to agencies to help make this happen. We encouraged and proclaimed hope to these folks as housing seemed so bleak for many who had been waiting for months or even years. There were very few homeless finding homes earlier this year and then suddenly ten of our friends now have housing!

 This turn of events has reminded us of our mission to help the homeless find their way home in every manner possible. We proclaim hope through Jesus and journey with people every step we can to see these moments of thanksgiving come. We give thanks to God for making it possible. It is an amazing thing to hear a story of a changed life, but we are incredibly grateful we get to see it!
 
We encourage you to gather around the table and share your heart with those that matter most and give thanks to the One that has the strength to bring hearts home.

Difficulty in the Storm
Shortly after 4 a.m. on the day Hurricane Helene moved through the area, Pastor John was awoken by the winds and rain. Strong Life had let some folks gather under their pavilion, but there were too many out in the woods in a dangerous situation under potentially falling trees. The storm was unfortunately worse than expected, and contingency plans weren’t enacted for the homeless.

With the help of the Kindness Project, Pastor John spent all morning in the storm getting homeless out of the woods and to Strong Life. The day wasn’t over, and neither was the storm. A falling tree struck a transformer, creating a dangerous situation and power outage at Strong Life. We were left with only our emergency lighting to get through the day.

A generator was brought in and a hot meal cooked for the homeless. Large fans had to run for hours to dry out our day center from all the drenched folks that spilled in from the storm. Our local homeless community was blessed not to have lost any lives. A tree fell on one of our friends in his tent trapping him inside. He was able to call emergency responders to get him out and he was thankfully unharmed.

A Wonderful Unity
Locally, we were just beginning to recover from the initial challenges caused by the storm when we started hearing about the incredible devastation in Western North Carolina. We quickly joined forces with other agencies to assist in relief efforts by delivering truckloads of supplies to the mountains and to Hickory Airport.

Strong Life was happy to share our resources with local agencies to help people during this crisis. We provided everything from food and water to generators and flashlights. We've received numerous testimonies about seemingly random phone calls for supplies that were desperately needed at just the right moment. It was inspiring to witness unity among people, as they put aside their differences to help others in need. On off days at the Rescue Mission, Pastor John has taken teams to assist those who have been devastated by the storm. We ask for continued prayers for them as they travel weekly for these day trips.  

We know one thing for sure God is with us in the midst of life's storms! They can be difficult to weather and to understand but God will bring healing and restoration. We have faith in this and continue to pray for all involved in relief efforts and for our local community to not grow weary. It has been a blessing to see faith in action this past month and we look forward to a brighter future as we remember such a dark day.

"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Colossians 2:7

Strong Men Moving Forward
Earlier this month we had the privilege to celebrate what God has done at our Strong Life Men’s program.  We had an Alumni dinner and homecoming as we gathered at New Life Church in Conover. Many of our prior graduates from the past 2 and a half years came together to focus on what God has done and what God is going to do in the lives that have been transformed here at Strong Life. We are excited to report that we now have over 10 graduates, and none have returned to homelessness!

The guys enjoyed a steak dinner at the event catered by Home Sliced of Conover.  Family, staff, volunteers, board members, and teachers who have given time and effort to the men's program came out and were overjoyed as stories were shared and testimonies were given. We were all extremely thankful to reconnect in unity and brotherhood and to be reminded we are still on the journey together. Some of the men shared about being reunited with family they never thought could happen. Others shared stories of continued sobriety and starting Bible studies in the community.

A New Life and New Home
At Strong Life, we have a great privilege to get to know folks like Linda. Who came to us after the van she was living in broke down about a year and a half ago. We counseled her, helped her get to and from her Dr. appointments, and assisted with medical copays. She decided to turn things over to God last fall and was baptized. She fought through many health concerns and was living in the woods this past year as she helped volunteer with us at Strong Life.

Three months ago, we were able to connect her with a team that found her housing and we had the great privilege of assisting her in moving out of the woods into her place 2 weeks ago. We are so very happy for her and ask you to continue to pray for her new start!  She is the example we pray to see more and more of at Strong Life as she had a changed heart and changed life that we got to see as she made her journey home from the woods.

Our admonishment as a team for these past few months has emanated from the word GROWTH.  We thank the Lord for collective, organizational, and personal growth.  As we move forward, we remain committed to our mission of offering hope and support to those in need. The successes of the past year and the generosity of our community has given us great encouragement. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact, especially as we prepare to meet the winter needs of our friends.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Your contributions and involvement are vital to our mission, and we look forward to working together to create positive change and foster a community where everyone can thrive.

"Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress." 1 Timothy 4:15

Persistence and Provision
As we reflect on the past season at Strong Life Rescue Mission, our hearts are filled with gratitude and joy for the blessings and successes we've experienced. The support from our community and partners has made a profound impact, enabling us to extend our reach and enhance the quality of services we provide to those in need.

The last few months have been marked by significant strides forward. We’ve successfully broadened our outreach efforts, resulting in a noticeable increase in the number of individuals we can assist. Our programs, from day sheltering to productive job search, are seeing renewed results, equipping our friends with the tools they need to build a brighter future.

When the tropical storm hit this past month, we were right here with those in need. We ran our bus on an extra route to pick up anyone out of the consistent downpour and high winds that came to the area. We extended our normal operating hours until the storm cleared, and all could proceed back to our drop-off points. Prayer and this extra effort were successful in everyone staying safe on this day as we weathered the storm together.

The purchase of a large upright freezer for our facility has been the start of something great at Strong Life. This acquisition has greatly improved our ability to store and manage daily provisions, ensuring that we can consistently provide fresh and nutritious food to those we serve and the organizations in our area who cook for them. Additionally, we are deeply appreciative of the donation of a riding lawn mower. This invaluable contribution has streamlined our maintenance tasks, allowing us to manage our resources more efficiently and focus more on our core mission.

Moving Forward Together
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Infinite Beginnings NC for their hands-on support and dedication. Their selfless work towards case management and mental health services has been instrumental in enhancing the services we offer. They weekly spend an entire day utilizing offices here at Strong Life to fast-track folks through case management to assist us with the help to move folks forward on their journey out of homelessness. Their involvement has not only bolstered our operational capabilities but also inspired others to contribute to our mission.
 
Strong Life has received 2 more stable volunteers to help with our day program and case management this past month. These individuals share a heart for those in greatest need and are willing to sacrifice their time and show their commitment when it matters most. We are excited when folks see our vision to show the love of Christ to others by meeting their needs and walking with them on their journey out of homelessness. We invite you to partner with us and our vision through prayer, financial help, or in person here at Strong Life.

If interested please reply to us via this email or call 828-351-3455.