April 2008
Friends,

Frederick Buechner, a former minister and author, has a great quote about vocation, “the place God calls you is where your deep gladness and world’s deep hunger intersect.”

Now, it doesn’t take a minister or an author to recognize a deep hunger in the world.

If there wasn’t a deep hunger, teenagers wouldn’t carry guns to school and shoot each other (as of last week, 20 students in the Chicago Public School system have been killed this year by gun violence).  That’s a deep hunger and an even deeper hurt.
If there wasn’t a deep hunger there wouldn’t be several boarded up houses on nearly every block in Roseland.
If there wasn’t a deep hunger we wouldn’t serve 240 meals every day to hungry people.

There is a deep hunger in the world.

But here’s the hope; here’s the good news: there’s an even deeper gladness that has everything to do with the resurrection of Christ.  The deep gladness is Christ’s resurrection ushered in a new creation that promises God will dwell with us, all that is broken can be healed, there will be no more mourning, no more tears, no more pain, and every tear will be wiped away.

That’s a deep gladness.  And it is honoring that we get to be participants in that new creation.

When a group of students from Dordt College come to Roseland to work on a boarded up house for their spring break, their deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger intersect. Something broken is healed.  And if you look hard enough, you can catch a glimpse of that new creation in a rehabilitated home.

When God’s people all across the country, including yourself, give to Roseland Christian Ministries, we hope and believe that your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger intersect.  Something broken is healed.  And if you look hard enough, you can catch a glimpse of that new creation in the smiling faces of men, women, and children at Roseland Christian Ministries.

There is a deep hunger in this world.  We are honored that your deep gladness intersects with that deep hunger in Roseland, and we hope this intersection is right where God has called us to be.  Thank you for your participation in the new creation.

Peace,



Joe Huizenga, Development Director