Volume XVI, Issue I

Love Thy Neighbor Minist r ies

t The Good Neighbor

January, February, March 2020

Ministry Update Steve Kacprzak, Executive Director

Oh, the joy of serving the

Lord! 2020 got off to a

great start and we look

forward with anticipation to

what the Lord has in store

for us this year. But to

begin this first newsletter of

the New Year we need to

look back at least to

November and December.

In addition to our normal ministry outreaches, our

focus and energy were directed to the Good

Neighbor Get Together events and the Blessings in

a Bag Christmas gifts program.

The theme for the November Good Neighbor Get

Together was “Giving Thanks” and we focused on

giving thanks to God through song, word and

displays. The master magician/illusionist Adrian

Van Vactor provided

entertainment for our

guests and volunteers,

25 in total, and

delivered the Gospel

message in his

performance. In

December, with the

theme “Celebrating

Christmas,” we

explored Christmases past with family and friends

and of course The Reason for the Season. We all,

22 in total, sang Christmas songs and carols

accompanied by pianist Donna Hess.

The Blessings in a Bag Christmas gifts program

was a complete success and produced Christmas

gifts for these nursing homes: Pueblo Springs,

Park Avenue, Santa Rosa, Sapphire of Tucson,

Devon Gables, Mountain View, La Canada, and

Casas Adobes in addition to Sapphire Estates

assisted living. This was all possible thanks to:

• people who purchased gifts at Calvary Christian

Fellowship and Vistoso Community Church.

• our wonderful Stitches for Love volunteers’ hand-

made gift items.

• special financial gifts from Sonora Investment

Management and Vistoso

Community Church.

Getting the gifts ready and

distributed to the facilities was

exhausting but a work of joy

for our Board Members.

Virginia and I delivered most of

the hand-made gift items.

Virginia, Charlene Van Pelt and

I checked each gift bag making

sure everyone on the lists

received an equal number of

gifts. Kevilee Watterson made

herself available to personally

purchase some needed last

minute gifts. And Matt

Cuthbertson picked up and delivered late gift

arrivals and played Santa for the residents at Park

Avenue.

We ran and finished this race rejoicing all the way.

The gifts given to residents, through this program,

totaled 1,096.

In December Virginia and I were invited to speak

at Vistoso Community Church to explain the work

and outreach of Love Thy Neighbor Ministries. As a

result of that presentation, 17 people indicated an

interest in volunteering in a LTNM program by

attending our ministry orientation given the week

of January 20th. Praise the Lord!!!

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you

righteous; And shout for joy, all you

upright in heart! Psalm 32:11 NKJV.

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will

serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or

the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve

the LORD. Joshua 24:15 NKJV

Matt Cuthbertson

AKA Santa

PAGE 2 The Good Neighbor—January, February, March 2020 VOLUME XVI , ISSUE I

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

Our Wonderful Sponsors

Our heartfelt “Thanks” to each and every one who gave a financial donation to Love Thy Neighbor Ministries in 2019.

Ryan & Cheryl Anson Louise Bender David & Frances Bryniarski Calvary Christian Fellowship Carlton Village Senior Care Harry & Diane Carpenter Anna M Chamblee Popeye & Delia Costa Matthew & Tanya Cuthbertson Devon Gables Care Center Virginia Dixon Scott Ehrsam Carolyn Farley David Geoffrey Enrique & Sandra Gonzalez Bill Goodrich Lisa & Robert Grenier

Margaret Haack Billy & Dionna Hardwick Jennifer Harris Morgan & Sharon Hunter Frances Ivie Stephen & Virginia Kacprzak Dot Koller Colleen Kriz Ken & Ella Kunkle Thomas & Arlene Mazur Judy & John McFarland Jr. Joan McGee William McPherson Charles & Mary Mills Linda Nickles Mary Jane Parks Randy Reynolds

Ray & Carole Rogers Lavonne & James Seitz Smile Amazon Susan & Brad Soland Sonora Investment Management Dick Stup Pauline & Gary Suerwier Karen & Mark Tenace Kathy & Ned Thomas Susan & Tom Tjossem Vistoso Community Church Gain & Bill Von Fabrice Patricia Wait Kevilee & Steven Watterson Charles & Virginia Wiersma Tim & Heather Wilcox

Memorial Gifts received since our last newsletter

In Memory Of: Ron Bender From Lou Ann Bender

From Judy & John McFarland Jr. From Frances Ivie

From Ryan & Cheryl Anson

In Memory Of: Dave Van Vuren From Charles & Virginia Wiersma

In Memory Of: Richard Nichols From Linda Nichols & Ricky Nickles Jr.

Also our warm “Thanks” to the following folks who gave material and/or service gifts in 2019. These include such

things as hand-made items, professional time, gift items, materials, meeting room, etc.

Debbie Bohl Vickie Brennan Mary Casey Calvary Christian Fellowship Matthew & Tanya Cuthbertson Morgan & Sharon Hunter Ramila Janevski

Steve & Virginia Kacprzak Kevin & Pam Kercheval Colleen Kriz Barbara Montgomery June Parker Carole Riedner Patsy Reynolds

Dorothy Smith Linda & Bob Stewart Sharon Stark Vistoso Community Church Debbie Walker Kevilee Watterson

An editorial comment

I remember reading an article some years back suggesting that this nation has made a terrible mistake. We’ve thrown out a very valuable national treasure: our senior citizens’ wisdom. It’s not from a lack of compassion or caring; maybe, though, from a touch of arrogance. All too often society treats our senior citizens as if they were children. Society today is just moving too fast. Our senior citizens have spent a lifetime sorting out what is important from what is foolishness.

We do need to take good care of our senior citizens’ physical needs, but we must let them give us what they have been collecting all their lives: our inheritance of wisdom and the understanding of life. Where did this idea come? It came from God in His word: “Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.” Job 12:12

Slow down and listen to the wisdom of our senior citizens. Receive it, put it in your hearts, use it, spend it freely; it is your inheritance.