We are happy to announce our New Life Program Director, Leslie E. P. Doyle.  He will begin on Tuesday Sept. 2nd.  Les resides in Orting with his wife Kay Ann of 29 years and two children Michael and Samantha. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He served our country in the US Army and spent 4 years as an infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division. Les entered college and returned to the Army as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist. He served in the United States as well as Germany, receiving numerous awards, achievements, and recognitions for his superior work and accomplishments. Since retiring from the military in 2000 Les has worked as an STAT lab technologist at Madigan and Laboratory Manager for the Health Clinic at the Puyallup Tribe.

The mission is extremely excited for Les to join our team. Les is a man of God who knows the importance of discipline and core values. Both are needed to maintain a life free from drugs and alcohol. The New Life Program supports life skills with necessary tools helping men transition to a life free from addictions. Life skills are targeted and taught in classes for job and communication training, money management, and adult education. Other classes provide aid in anger management, problem resolution, and work therapy. Les’s leadership, love for people, and strong work ethic are vital for his position leading men on their road to recovery. He is just the man for the job!

DC 

I received an email from Gene Pankey, TRM Boardmember and all around great guy, regarding his last minute trip the Hosptial due to a TIA over the weekend.  Gene had surgery earlier this summer for a blockage in his neck artery.  He is back and home, the doctors having decided that he doesn’t need surgery at this time.  Keep him in your prayers.  Here is a bit of his note to me, “This has been more of an emotional trip than anything.  I have had no pain throughout this.  The TIA really got my attention but lasted less than an hour. It still got me a trip to the hospital and moved up other medical plans at Virginia Mason. My Doctor still can’t give an explanation for the TIA. The right (artery) supplies the left and the right doesn’t look all that bad.The Angiogram was far more reliable than the previous MRA, Cat Scan, and ultra sound tests. While they showed some potential problems, the actual photos from the angiogram showed less trouble.  One neck artery is doing a great job of compensating. They can not do anything about the plugged left side but by putting me on Plavix and keeping me on aspirin it lessons any further events. I was pretty sure I was going to get an angioplasty and stent or even more surgery yesterday, so this is really good news and prayers are answered, that is for sure.” dc

My wife Kathleen and I had a chance to visit Hanley Barker, retired director of the Tacoma Rescue Mission and his wife Evelyn, at their home in Eugene, Oregon last week.  Hanley preceded Joe Ellis as director and has been retired for nearly 30 years, but still keeps the Mission in his prayers and has many friends here in Tacoma.  They did so many great things for the Mission while serving as Director.  Please feel free to attach any comments, I’ll make sure they are passed along.  DC 

Our dearly loved boardmember Gene Pankey had to go in for a surgery today in Seattle to deal with some problems in his arteries.  He is such a great guy and has done so much for the Tacoma Rescue Mission, please keep Gene, his wife Margaret and his family in your prayers.  This is a very serious procedure and we want to make sure he has all of us praying for his fast and safe recovery.David 

Chambers Bay Golf course was the venue for our 2008 Tacoma Rescue Mission Open and it was a great day.  The event was sponsored by BCRA Architects and many other great folks.  A great big thanks to all the staff and board who helped make yesterday’s TRM Golf Tournament a success.  All of the 85 golfers had a great time and valuable support and awareness was raise to help Homeless Children.  A Special Thanks to Anna Eastabrook for coordinating the event and making it a success.  Additional thanks goes to those who served on the Golf Committee; Ron Thompson, Jim Friesheim, Larry Geringer, Rich Odegard, and Kathy Austin.dc 

Congratualtions to Brandie Thomas from Tyler Square, who was married on Saturday to James Baldwin.  She was a beautiful bride and we wish the very best to this great family.  Pass on your best wishes to Brandie and James.dc 

Great news, Rainier Pacific Bank Foundation has committed $50,000 to the new family center at the Tacoma Rescue Mission.  We are so excited and encouraged to have them as a partner.  This is a very large gift for this foundation and we are honored that they choose to support our homeless families.  Thanks to Gene Pankey, who introduced us to John Hall at Rainier Pacific, Tiffany Salese for sharing her story with Rainier Pacific and to Mar and Lynette for their work in writing the grant request. David 

This morning I have been thinking about the balance of visionary thinking and taking care of daily business. Both are essential to effective organizations. Thomas Carlyle once said,” our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.”  Most of us understand that vision is essential to good leadership. Seeing the big picture is essential to be sure. But great leaders and managers have the ability to see and do what is necessary today. This has been called the principle of first things first. Proverbs 24:27 teaches this principle also. Solomon reminds us to develop our business first before building our house. Put simply: first things first. This principle from the bible reminds us that rather than flounder from week to week we must be sure that each day business gets done. So the question that needs to be answered is: what’s your business? What matters most to you? At the Tacoma Rescue Mission our mission is to help people enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ. All that we do here is an attempt to help people become their best through the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Even all the little and seemingly insignificant things that we do here relate to this great calling. The point is simple, long term vision is great, but we also need to make a habit of taking care of today’s business today. Take some time this week to see how well you are doing with this principle of first things first. See if you can complete these two sentences:

• My real business is ____________________________ .
• I will develop it today by doing this:___________________________. 

 If our real business here at the Tacoma Rescue Mission is helping people to become their best through the power and grace of Jesus Christ, then do something today that makes you more like him. For example, you will no doubt be given an opportunity today to give, love, forgive, show mercy, or help another get closer to Jesus. So this week, develop your business first, before anything else.  

Our very own Laurene Jensen was honored for her 60 years of teaching (8 years at the Mission) yesterday with a party and now she is a media star.  I will provide the link to the newspaper article, but please make sure to post any comments you would like to pass on to Mrs. Jensen her on the blog.  http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/430565.html