CAMPFIRE NEWS

Featured Story:

“Christ has become real

to us!”

- Dalton & Hope, Students at the

Wheeler Mission Training Center

In This Issue

Thankfulness

Director’s Corner:

Dwayne Shares His

Training Center

Updates!

God Changes Lives:

Dalton and Hope’s Story

The Story Continues…

How Can I Help?

Bill, Isaiah, Scott, and Reginald—Four of our graduates from November’s commencement!

November Commencement!

In November, we celebrated another commencement cere-

mony where we acknowledged three students who graduat-

ed from the Addiction Recovery program and one student

who graduated from our Servant Leadership Training pro-

gram! Scott, one of our recent graduates, has enrolled in our

nine-month Servant Leadership Training program where he

will be interning at the Training Center. Scott will be helping

students learn about Jesus and the hope that is found in Him

while growing in His walk with the Lord and his understand-

ing of God’s Word. Please keep Scott and all of our gradu-

ates lifted up in prayer!

A Newsletter from the Wheeler Mission Training Center at Camp Hunt—Bloomington, Indiana November/December 2015 #4

Thankfulness… By: Josh Callahan, Training Center Administrator

1 Thess. 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances; For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Being thankful for the forgiveness and newness of life that Jesus gives us is one of the most important aspects of our life. Some of our stu-dents wanted to share the reason that they are thankful while enjoying

this Thanksgiving holiday:

“I’m thankful for God giving me life and not what I deserve.” -Dalton

“I’m thankful for God giving me salvation, for giving me family in this season of my life that I love individually. Thank you, God, for bringing me from under a bridge to this amazing place. Thank you for giving me an eternal perspec-tive and changing my life that I get to live out with my new found brothers in Christ.” - Nick

“I am thankful for Jesus Christ for being my guide in my recovery and for Camp Hunt for helping me with like-minded, Christ-oriented relationships.” -James

“I am thankful for what God is doing in the reconciliation with my daughter, Emma. Just four months ago, she didn’t want my last name anymore and I didn’t blame her, but by being obedient and giving my life over to God, He has opened the door for me and Emma to be pen-pals and she wants me in her life and tells me she loves me.” - Jimmy

“I am thankful that God makes all things new!” - Dwayne

In this holiday season, we are reminded to always be thankful—made possible by our Savior’s love and sacrifice. On behalf of all the staff and students here at the Wheeler Mission Training Center, we want to express our thankfulness to everyone who gives to help this ministry

and wish everyone a joyous holiday season!

Director’s Corner: By: Dwayne Gordon, Wheeler Mission Bloom-

ington Area Director

We’re hopeful that the families of students had a

blessed Thanksgiving holiday! Many of our stu-

dents were able to travel to their families homes

for an extended visit this year. Often times I think

that there are questions surrounding the visits,

especially for those families that have been rela-

tionally strained by past addictions and sins. It

takes time to rebuild trust. It also takes testing.

James Chapter 1 says, “Count it all joy, my broth-

ers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you

know that the testing of your faith produces

steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full

effect, that you may be perfect and complete,

lacking in nothing.” All of us go through testing;

sometimes we fail. The growth occurs when we

learn how to proceed forward in the face of the

obstacles. Don’t lose hope if you’ve seen failures

in your family members. God can do awesome

things through those failures. People who have

been to the depths of despair, as often times

experienced in drug addiction, need to know that

they can get back up. If they don’t learn that

through testing, it may end with a great fall.

As we approach Christmas, we ask for your pray-

ers for the students and families involved with our

ministry. Many men don’t have homes or family to

go home to yet. It can be a difficult season for

them. We will do our best to remember that this

season is all about our Lord and Savior Jesus

Christ!

Merry Christmas!

Ellery and his family enjoying a Thanksgiving meal together on campus!

God Changes

Lives!

Our Addiction Recovery

Program and our Family

Counseling and Advocacy

Service are two of the

ministries located at the

Wheeler Mission Training

Center.

Our Addiction Recovery

program is designed to

present the truth of the

Gospel of Jesus Christ

while engaging students in

a process of in-depth dis-

cipleship training. This six-

month residential program

is intensive and designed

to help each student con-

front their past while em-

bracing their need for a

Savior.

During this process for

students who are married,

wives can join their hus-

bands in discipleship train-

ing with our Family Coun-

seling and Advocacy Ser-

vice. We believe that hus-

bands and wives should

heal and grow together as

they mature in a relation-

ship with Jesus and with

each other. It is our hope

that the entire family can

be helped while being a

part of our programs here

at the Wheeler Mission

Training Center.

Meet Dalton and Hope, along with their daughter, Anna!

Dalton and Hope’s Story By: Brandon Syrek, Student in the Servant Leadership Training Program

Dalton and Hope were married in May of 2013. Due to their lost condition apart from God

and Dalton’s drug abuse, their marriage was struggling. Hope shared, “It was a hard time in

my life. I was very numb, hopeless, angry, and bitter. I felt like Dalton was either going to

leave me or die.” Their daughter, Anna, was born on October 22, 2014. They both agreed

that something had to change. They tried to fix their marriage on their own strength and

through other counseling. Nothing was working and they were becoming hopeless. In their

search for an answer, they found Wheeler Mission.

Dalton first entered the Addiction Recovery program with the attitude that he was going to do

whatever it took to save his marriage. During his stay in the orientation phase, Dalton said, “I

felt the weight of my sin and surrendered to the Lord and accepted Jesus Christ as my Sav-

ior.” In putting God first, God has also restored his relationship with his wife, Hope, and his

daughter, Anna. Dalton and Hope have been attending the family counseling that is offered

to students at the Training Center.

Dalton and Hope shared, “We have been truly blessed to find Wheeler Mission. The mar-

riage counseling has been so helpful, giving us the tools we need and teaching on how to

apply biblical principles to our everyday life. Christ has become real to us. We feel God is in

control, and we don’t have to be. We are thankful for God’s grace over our lives, our new

found salvation, and the opportunity to raise Anna in a God-centered home. We are so excit-

ed to see what God has in store for us and hopeful that our marriage will continue to grow in

order to glorify and honor the Lord.”

It is truly amazing and inspiring to see how God has worked and is still working in the lives of

Dalton, Hope, and Anna. Thank for you praying for them and all of our students at the Train-

ing Center!

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A

cord of three strands is not quickly broken” - Ecc. 4:12

Contact Us

We would love to hear from you!

If you or someone you know is in

need of help with addictions or

other life-dominating issues, or if

you would like to partner with us

financially, please contact us!

Wheeler Mission Training Cen-

ter at Camp Hunt

7790 N. Fish Rd.

Bloomington, IN 47408

(812) 332-2452

(Training Center Office)

General Information:

DwayneGordon@wmm.org

Visit us on the web at:

www.wheelermission.org

The Story Continues… Over the past two months, we have had eight students complete our Addic-

tion Recovery Program, with four of them entering our SLT ministry intern-

ship! We also had one student complete their ministry internship in Servant

Leadership Training. We are excited for what God has in store for these

men! To date, this brings the total number of people who have completed

our programs at the Training Center to 290! Thank you for being a part of

the work that God is doing here through your prayers and financial support!

How Can I Help? With our new Shelter for Men in Bloomington, we will be filling up quicker

than ever here at the Training Center. We have $225,000 to go before we

are fully funded for our new multi-purpose building. We are also preparing to

make plans for a new dormitory, but we need your help to raise $175,000.

We currently average 30 students in our Addiction Recovery program and

we can house 31. If God puts it on your heart, would you consider helping

us by donating to and praying for this cause? Please mark your donations

by writing “Training Center Building Fund” in the memo line of your check.

We would also welcome any help with finding potential donors, developing

fundraising ideas, and expanding our network. Thank you for your help!

Wheeler Mission Training Center at Camp Hunt

7790 N. Fish Rd.

Bloomington, IN 47408

PLACE STAMP HERE