News & Reports
Mrs. Anne Garvin, 89, stepped peacefully into Heaven on June 20, 2021. Formerly of La Grange, Illinois, she was residing with her daughter and son-in-law in Plano, Illinois at the time of her Homegoing. Mrs. Garvin was preceded in death by her husband, Phil, in November, 2018.
At the end of May, a group of approximately twenty ladies and their leaders, along with three mothers, gathered at the beautiful Northwoods Conference Center for a Journey to the Heart. The time included large group sessions, team discussions, and personal times with the Lord, with the goal of learning to hear from Him.
Shelley Hendry loved Christian biographies and made history come to life as she shared the life stories of various women from the past. On Sunday, May 23, 2021, her time on earth came to an end when she was killed by a drunk driver.
The ALERT Missions class had the opportunity to serve in the mountains of Mexico for two weeks last month helping the Tarahumara people. The men were able to serve the local community by making much-needed repairs on a community center and a home.
After the perils and stress of 2020, hundreds of families were eager to gather in person for the 2021 April Big Sandy Family Conference! God put together a wonderful group of staff, speakers, and attendees for a week of rich fellowship, dynamic messages, and spiritual encouragement.
Praise the Lord for open doors for Journey to the Heart to return to three prisons in March! The last time a Journey was held in prisons was February of 2020—right before COVID lockdowns made it impossible for volunteer groups to enter the prison facilities.
After a ten-year pause, the Excel program returned this year with sixteen young ladies in attendance. The ladies had classes in many topics, including nutrition, spiritual gifts, hospitality, sewing, hand lettering, first aid, and spiritual growth. Five weeks of in-person study was followed by five weeks of study at home. God worked mightily in each student, as the following testimonies reveal.
Keith Daniel has been a beloved speaker at a number of our Family Conferences over the years, and we were looking forward to having him speak at our Northwoods Fall Family Conference this year. However, God, in His providence, chose to take Brother Daniel to glory after a battle with COVID-19.
As we face challenges, difficulties, and uncertainties in these unprecedented times, there can be a temptation to take our eyes off of the Lord and put them on our circumstances. It seems as if Satan is working overtime to dishearten and discourage believers.
Pastor Gary N. Fraley went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, November 14, 2020, after a brief hospitalization with COVID-19. He was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on April 7, 1941, and was the first of four sons born to Norman and Geanne Fraley.