Spring is fast approaching and as the seasons are changing we find ourselves about a month into a new season at The Refuge. We began taking applications for our first residents in January and on February 10th our first resident arrived! It has been an exciting and busy month as we get settled into new routines and God has been very good and gracious to help us in this process. We currently have 2 men in the program and God is doing good things in their lives. It is exciting to see men diving into the Word of God and finding God’s help that can lead to lasting transformation in their lives. Our mission is to provide men with an environment that they can daily behold the glory of the Lord and be transformed by the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18). Transformation comes from the Lord who is Spirit, not from the staff at The Refuge.
We should have the bathroom remodel in the basement of the house done by the end of this month. That will be a big blessing as we are praying that God will bring several more men to the program by the end of March. There has been a crew of skilled people doing all kinds of work from framing, electrical, tile, drywall, and plumbing to make this project a reality. Keep checking back to our Facebook page to pictures of the progress and of the finished project.
Now that we have men in the program we are thinking seriously about how we can minister to the families of men who come to The Refuge. I am thankful for Misty McMurry who is leading the charge in helping us think outside the box and ask God to help us think of ways that we can minister to the immediate families of men who are at The Refuge. Many times wives are left to function as single moms and take care of their family on a single income while their husband is getting the help that he needs. The pressures and responsibilities of these situations can quickly be overwhelming without the support of extended family and of the church. One initiative that we are rolling out is to create a way for churches and individuals to donate directly to a fund at The Refuge that will be used only to minister to families of men who are at The Refuge. If you would like to donate to this fund you can do that online by going to https://refugewinterset.churchcenter.com/giving/to/family-support or you can send cash or check donations designated for family support to PO Box 15 Winterset, IA 50273.
As I close out this update I want to try to communicate how thankful I am for God’s blessing and goodness to The Refuge. In 2017 The Refuge was established with the vision of opening a long term gospel-centered, Bible-based residential program for men struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. In the beginning, it truly was a dream that stayed alive on a wing and a prayer. We had much to learn along the way but by God’s grace in 2020, the vision has become reality. I am excited to see how God will continue to establish The Refuge throughout the rest of the year. Thank you to everyone who has prayed and given their time, talent, and treasure to support The Refuge!
Blessings,
Ben Funkhouser
Executive Director | The Refuge