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diligence and workmanship; of difficulties, challenges, and disappointments, along with surprising and sometimes tear-filled moments of success and joy and wonder. For me, and I believe for all of us, it has been another monumental year characterized most of all by faith itself. We try to schedule and plan, but in truth we are all walking one step at a time, in these tumultuous times of change, by faith and not be sight, believing in and holding onto the Providential Hands that have and continue to faithfully guide us through all the variety of life’s experiences. I believe that the hands we hold are the very hands of God, not because we have become such superlative creatures that no other hands could we hold, but because God in His unmistakable and irrevocable love for us has reached into history with the powerful arm of his initiative and has grasped us all in the tender hold of His hands that will never let us go. God has decided permanently, graciously, eternally, committedly to be with us and that’s what the coming season is really about. God with us. Emmanuel. Continued on Page 2 |
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Dear Hosanna friend, As 2007 rapidly draws to a close, we send you this newsletter with earnest gratitude for your constancy in prayer and support and for your continuing concern for the welfare of those who suffer the pains of poverty throughout our region and beyond. This has been another great year for Hosanna Industries. Soon to reach its 18th anniversary, the mission reached higher than ever before to bring necessary help to the poor by way of home rehabilitation and new construction. At the time of this writing, our staff of wonderful mission workers has completed 135 home rehabilitations this year, and is likely to reach the year’s goal of 150 by the end of November. Earlier this year, a massive relief effort in New Orleans brought much needed help to dozens of households displaced by Hurricane Katrina as Hosanna worked with and led the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who had traveled to that region. This past summer, the mission commenced work on an East End Initiative in Pittsburgh, along with committed church groups in that vicinity, and |
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witnessed five households becoming new homeowners of completely refurbished homes with anticipation of completing a remaining three homes in the first half of 2008. A new five home neighborhood development was begun in Beaver Falls, PA with the construction of the first home and the installation of infrastructure systems for the remaining four homes that are also scheduled for construction in 2008. And just this past weekend, I was once again deeply humbled and privileged to labor with the mission workers and with nearly 50 volunteers from four area churches along with a father and son team who simply came out to spend the day with each other working hard to lift up the plight of another homeless family. By day’s end, I marveled to see how boys and girls, moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas pre-framed all 23 walls and partitions for a new home that we plan to build very soon so that a homeless single mother and her children will wake up this Christmas morning in their brand new home. It has been a great year of working harder and learning to work better; of acquiring important new techniques and of re-girding old values of |
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Hosanna Industries, Inc. |
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Hammers, Hearts, and Hands |
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November 2007 |
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Volume 17, Number 3 |
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Board of Directors Todd Rossman, President Michelle Bailey, Vice President Stacie Lowery, Secretary/Treasurer Bruce Edwards Donn Ed, Ex-officio Mission Workers Clem Anderson Andy Brown Dave Diercksen Adam Ed Amy Ed Amy Firek Dave Firek John Hensley Becky Hetzer Brian Hetzer Bill Kumpf Lauren Myers Jen Schriefer Julie Wettach Donn Ed Executive Director Hosanna Industries, Inc. 109 Rinard Lane Rochester, PA 15074 Phone: 724-770-0262 Fax: 724-770-0266 E-Mail: mail@hosannaindustries.org Website: www.hosannaindustries.org United Way Codes: Allegheny County: 3750 Butler County: 62211 |