August, 2019
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This might not be the letter you expected this month (or any month!) You may know me as the person who handles the administrative work in the background for Friendship Ministries. I have enjoyed interacting with many of you via phone and email.
I have worked for Russ and Friendship Ministries since 2004 (15 years – wow!). At that point, I had been a Christian for 5 years. I had a background in business (CPA and MBA) and at God’s |
prompting was about to go back to school to get a Masters in Christian Counseling. The short story that led me to Russ and his ministry is one of those funny, ironic ones that only God can write. I took the job with Friendship Ministries primarily thinking that it was a way that I could both serve and earn some money to support me while I went through school. Little did I know it would mean much, much more than that.
I grew up in an abusive household. My father was a man who could be loving and fun. He was also a man who gambled, cheated and got very, very angry. Mom did her best to “deal with it” for seventeen years until she finally divorced and quickly remarried to a man who wasn’t really what you would call an improvement. Needless to say, my picture of love in general, of men and of marriage was skewed (understatement). Of course I took all of these images into my own relationship attempts. As you can imagine this was pretty unsuccessful. In another ironic God story, it was one of these bad relationships that led me to the Lord.
Why am I telling you all this? Because, it wasn’t really until I started working for Russ that I began to realize that there are men that can care and that caring doesn’t need to be controlling (or scary!). There are men who seek God and seek to grow in their ability to love those around them well. There are men who care – aren’t “perfect” – but who both seek and demonstrate God’s mercy and grace. Russ and his wife, Virginia, have personified God’s love and grace for me and for that I will be eternally grateful.
I am encouraged by you; and I want to encourage you. Your efforts and desire to seek and chase after God in this world that doesn’t make that easy, are not in vain. Those who are loved by you; those who love you; those that simply observe you in action are grateful or will be grateful. The world needs you and your heart.
So, thank you. Your participation and partnership in this ministry has meant more to me than you may ever fully recognize. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your ongoing support of Russ and this ministry.
In His Love,
I grew up in an abusive household. My father was a man who could be loving and fun. He was also a man who gambled, cheated and got very, very angry. Mom did her best to “deal with it” for seventeen years until she finally divorced and quickly remarried to a man who wasn’t really what you would call an improvement. Needless to say, my picture of love in general, of men and of marriage was skewed (understatement). Of course I took all of these images into my own relationship attempts. As you can imagine this was pretty unsuccessful. In another ironic God story, it was one of these bad relationships that led me to the Lord.
Why am I telling you all this? Because, it wasn’t really until I started working for Russ that I began to realize that there are men that can care and that caring doesn’t need to be controlling (or scary!). There are men who seek God and seek to grow in their ability to love those around them well. There are men who care – aren’t “perfect” – but who both seek and demonstrate God’s mercy and grace. Russ and his wife, Virginia, have personified God’s love and grace for me and for that I will be eternally grateful.
I am encouraged by you; and I want to encourage you. Your efforts and desire to seek and chase after God in this world that doesn’t make that easy, are not in vain. Those who are loved by you; those who love you; those that simply observe you in action are grateful or will be grateful. The world needs you and your heart.
So, thank you. Your participation and partnership in this ministry has meant more to me than you may ever fully recognize. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your ongoing support of Russ and this ministry.
In His Love,
Michelle L. Kimmerly
Administrative Associate
Friendship Ministries