MAY BILL MURRAY JOINS HOPE NOW AS EMPLOYMENT SPECIALISTThis month we welcome Bill Murray as our Employment Specialist, providing job development, job placement and follow-up for Hope Now young men. With the increasing number of high-risk youth seeking our help, we have been in need of someone to come alongside Executive Associate John Raymond in these duties. Bill gave his heart to the Lord in college and graduated CSUF with a degree in criminology. With Fresno in the midst of a police hiring freeze, Bill went to work as a sales representative for a variety of businesses, spending the last nine years in automobile sales, most recently at Saturn of Fresno. For many years, Bill had felt that God was gifting him and calling him to be involved in a ministry that directly serves people. That conviction became focused in 2003 through a terrible family tragedy, so Bill began praying even more earnestly about someplace to serve. It was time to move from vocational success to vocational significance. Hearing my appeal at our February banquet, supporter Dick Yantis told Bill about the position(Thank you, Dick). With our enthusiastic desire to bring Bill aboard, he began the humbling task of raising personal support for his ministry with Hope Now. With a great start, Bill still faces the challenge each of the management-level staff does: to raise 50% of our support over a year’s period. We look forward to Bill blessing many youth with help and hope, and welcome Bill and his wife Donna to the Hope Now family. Please include them in your faithful prayers. HOPE NOW RECEIVES COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDOn May 2, during the MB Biblical Seminary Annual Commencement, Hope Now was honored with the seminary’s 2004 Community Service Award and a $1,000 grant. The award is given annually to an organization in which an MB Biblical Seminary graduate has served(Thank you, Bob Pankratz). The award read, in part, “We honor you for your leadership in Fresno and the Central Valley in helping young men develop their potential in Christ. Your commitment to a vision of businesses and churches working together has brought renewal to our community and helped break the cycle of crime, violence and poverty.” Thank you, MB Seminary, for this very encouraging honor. THIS AND THATWe congratulate one of our great employers, Hungry Howie’s Pizza for receiving one of only two Small Business Enterprise of the Year awards given in Fresno by the California Chamber of Commerce. John Raymond challenged bright Dion to get his G.E.D. and license, and then we’d try to get him the job he wanted, in real estate. In March he got his G.E.D. and in April he got his driver’s license!Does any Realtor need a focussed young man working part-time while he goes to college? Please call John at 434-0438. Some things take time: nine years after Hope Now shared the gospel with a Buddhist youth, he told us he conquered his drinking problem by giving his heart to Jesus three months ago! What a blessing for him, his wife and children. Every gift we receive is changing families. Hope Now is grateful for grants received from the City of Fresno, County Bank, Bank of the West(Sanger), and the TD4HIM Foundation. Thank you, each and every one of you, for your prayer and financial support.
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