Hello Brothers and Sisters in Grapevine,

Well things have been really hectic around here for a few days, but the good thing is that it all just stuff that was destroyed in the storm. There were no major injuries that I was made aware of. Other than the boys both being really kind a freaked out by the noise and the glass breaking we are all alright.
The church building being the size that it is had over 30 broken windows as well as lots of damage to shingles and the metal roofing as well, so we are just beginning to total all the damage. I was finally able to get a hold of my insurance companies, both for my car and for the house, which is good but they just put me on waiting lists to get my stuff looked at. And with the holes in my roof waiting is not a good thing, not with the weather getting worse and worse. But it will all work itself out in the end.
I know that I have mentioned "Friendspeak" in previous letters but we are still trying to work out a time to get this outreach program running, with all the excitement I think that we are going to try for the fall. With this program we are planning on having a bible class running along side of it for anyone that wants to join, for people that may come for the program but want even more, as well as members that want to come and join us but not teach in the program. I will be leading this class and am really looking forward to this new outreach opportunity. I am really praying that there will be a great response. We are also planning on offering kids classes at the same time so that parents can bring there kids with them, and not have to worry about the cost of babysitting.
As for how all of the classes are going. I have been teaching on Sunday morning the preteen class, as well as the Wednesday men’s bible class, and a Thursday morning Bible and tea time. We have had good attendance at the men's Bible time and the Thursday tea time for sure with there being great times of fellowship and growth. There have been visitors come and join us, which is always encouraging.
Our church activities some what slow down during the summer because there are just so many away and travelling. But we always plan for the Fall Retreat in the beginning of September. This is always a fun time of fellowship and bonding, being able to reconnect with all the members as well as some visitors that make the trip up for the weekend. This year Ray Mcmillan a missionary that is supported by the Regina and Yellowknife churches of Christ will be our guest speaker. I am really looking forward to this weekend.
As part of the outreach that I am involved with here is the local Food Bank of which I am a board member as well as a volunteer. This is always an area of need in our community. There are just so many people that are in need of food even though our country has so much.
I have much to be thankful for, God is good. I have been getting so much from all of you there in Grapevine, financially as well as prayers and notes from the kids and it is just nice to know that people care, and there is just this great cloud of witnesses that support you. In the years that I have been connected to Grapevine from the earlier years working with high school students to now where I am the minister, lots has changed. There have been 5 baptisms, there has been growth in many area's as well as movement. We have changed buildings, started new projects and shut some down. But the one constant is always our Rock, our God, the strong hold. In him we can truly depend. So I just want to thank you for all that you have done to support me here, and may God continue to bless your work.

In him
Randy Foss

Hello,
Things here in Dauphin are going well, even though the weather has been very up and down all summer. Summer is so short, so we want it to at least be warm... Tami and I as well as the boys are currently enjoying a visit from Debbie Goodwin (my mother-in-law). It is always nice when she is here. She is just such a great example of a strong Christian woman, who has a tremendous serving heart. As for my family they are doing well, the boys continue to grow so very fast. Ben is up and Crawling. Man that kid can move. Noah is 3 years old and really starting to develop into such a little person, with great ideas and thoughts about the world. They sure do grow up fast. Faster than I would like some times....
This year’s version of our annual Fall Retreat is also fast approaching. We are planning to have Ray and Ellen McMillan come to be our featured speaker. Ray has been a pulpit minister for many years as well as a missionary to various countries around the world. We are looking forward to this event very much.
As for the Parkland Crossing things are starting move in this area as well. We have schedule some engineers to come and tour the facility so that they came help us to assess what areas need to be upgraded so that we can continue our plans for the building. This is a very huge task, and we ask that you could be in prayer for this. Only through God is any of this possible.
There was some very sad news in the past week as Marge Roberts, mother of Kerry Roberts (one of our elders) passed away. I know that she will be greatly missed, but I can also say with great confidence that her passing will be met with a certain level of celebration, because she was an amazing Christian woman. Marge was a Christian woman that helped to guide and mentor hundreds of others in their walks with the Lord. As I said before she will be greatly missed.
I continue to work for the Lord here in Dauphin, being the pulpit minister as well as teaching various classes both on Sunday and through out the week. I am also involved in other benevolence activities with in the Parkland Crossing and outside of it as well. I thank all of you that have helped to support me, as well as all of the people that have been in prayer for me. I know that our Lord hears and answers those prayers. Thank-you for all of the amazing support may God Bless you.
Randy Foss

Well it seems as though summer is finally here. Both the boys have really enjoyed being outside more, now that the weather has turned hot. Ben has learned to crawl, so the world of our backyard is really opening up to him. Noah who just turned 3 is so full of energy. Everything is done in high gear. It is great. The new adventure that they have discovered is the garage sale. Noah loves rummaging through boxes of stuff and Ben just loves being out and about. They are both so cute. Tami is staying busy right now with the start of her own business. www.fossfotography.com if you are interested. We are all pretty excited about her really being able to explore and use her talent for photography.
As of the first of the month Carol Harvey has officially retired from her work at the PC as well as Church secretary, and has left a hole that cannot be filled. She was amazing at her job as well as great to have around. She will be missed.
The weekend for our Fall Retreat has been nailed down, it will be the 14, 15, 16 of September. If you are able to attend all are welcome. The speaker has not been finalized yet, but I know who we have asked because I am on the committee and so I know that we are in for a treat. It will be a great weekend.
We had our Friendsspeak training weekend and things went very well. We had some people from the Brandon church of Christ come, as well some visitors from the community that just thought that it was a worthwhile program. Teaching people english by using the gospels, it still kind suprises me how many people in our community have a hard time with the english language. There is no better way to teach than through the gospels.
I continue to be a part of the Food Bank board as well as a volunteer there. The summer months always pose a challenge because people seem to forget that there is still a need to give even though the weather is nice out. There are still people going hungry. This year as a whole has actually been a really good year for the food bank, due to many peoples kind hearts and giving spirits.
For quite a few months now I have had the pleasure of teaching a class for the young kids. Not the teenagers or the "little kids", but for the "Big" kids. I have to say that they are great. There is never a dull moment with this age. Oh to be like these children...
Our major mission the Parkland Crossing is still going strong even though we have seen some hard times. The fire commissioner has thrown a monkey wrench into some of our plans, but he is just doing his job. We are constently in prayer that God will guide us through these waters, as he has Guided us these past years. There is something so great about being apart of the family of God. Seeing the absolute faith in the eyes of others is amazing. I know that no matter what happens that the congregation here will be able to go to God in a prayer of thanksgiving, which is not always easy when things aren't going the way that "we" planned for them to go.
But as I said activities are still going strong. There is still the clothing giveaway, there is still the Foodbank, there is still the playtime for preschoolers(which has been very well attended even in the summer months), there is still the school, there is still the metis child and family services office and housing. There is always lots going on at our facility.
We have to give thanks to the Lord that we have been blessed. There is know denying it, no getting around it. Our God is a great and mighty God. One who loves and blessses his children. A part of that great blessing is all of those that support the work here. For that I am greatly appreciative. I continue to thank God that he has made it possible for me to be where I am, through all the prayer support as well as the finacial support of many believers. Again Thankyou and may God bless you this day.
Randy Foss

April Report:
Thanks to all the people that have left comments on the blog site, it was nice hearing from you all. I really appreciated the feedback. Things have been rather unique around here in the last month. We have had a few floods, and in the building that we have when there is water leaking there can be a lot of water. I felt like I was back in the Old Testament for a while there. With the warmer weather there is always lots of water, with the snow melting and all, but the snow is pretty much gone now so that is good.
I have also been blessed to have my Mother-in-law here for the last week. It is always great when she comes to visit. Tami's little sisters came as well, so we have a pretty full house right now. Noah and Ben love seeing their Grandma and their Aunts, and there is a huge amount of energy burned during these visits.
We received some mixed news this past month as well. I say mixed because it is both good and bad, all at the same time. Carol Harvey who has served as our secretary slash rentals manager, slash everything else person is retiring this coming June. We will all be sad to lose her here in the building, but know that it is for the best that she slows down a little and spends more time with the grandchildren. So maybe she isn't planning on slowing down at all. I know that I will miss the times that we spent together chatting, and the wisdom that she was willing to share with me.
Our Wednesday studies are rapidly becoming one of my favorite times of the week. We have been looking at The Power of a Praying Husband. All of the men that come to this time have really made it a very special time. The power of prayer is just so awesome. Our God is amazing, and can do amazing things with our lives if we are willing to turn it over to him.
We now have a sign up in front of the building. This has been a concern for quite sometime now, and finally it has been resolved. This obviously enables us to highlight who we are and what we are doing with the facility that God has given us.
We have also finalized the date for our Friendspeak training. Many of our members are looking forward to being able to run this program, and opening up some new doors of ministry in our community.
Spring has finally arrived it seems and with each new season I am more and more amazed at the wonderful blessings that our Lord bestows upon us. I know that this past weekend was Easter and that millions of people around the world stopped to remember our Savior. This is for us however a blessing that we experience everyday. Not just once or twice a year, but each day to know that our lord walks with us. This is such a life changing, totally amazing, it must be shared, kind of feeling.
Thank-you, to all of those that help make it possible for me to continue the work here in Dauphin. I hope that you know how truly appreciative that I am for all of your prayers and your contributions. I go to God daily in prayer to thank him for all those who give of their time, their talents, and their treasures so that I can be where I am.

Randy Foss

March Report:
Well things have continued to stay busy here in the frozen north. Tami and the kids are really longing for spring so that they can get outside a little more, but there is still another month or so before that will happen. The snow is extremely beautiful so we don't really have anything to complain about. Our God is good.
An indoor playground has been started, with ages 0-6 in the auditorium and 7-12 in the gym, with age appropriate toys for each. This will be open to the community. This gives parents a place to take their children to play when it is really cold out (many months of this). There are lots of programs in the community as well as parents that will be able to make use of this area. There were quite a few toys put in that are for younger children. I know that Noah has had a great time playing, and enjoying his time there.
A decision has been made to go forward with the training for the Friendspeak program. Friendspeak uses the Bible as a training aid while helping people improve their English. We are hoping to have the training done with in the next few months so that we can start the program before the summer really kicks in. It is surprising how many people in our community have a need for this type of program as English is their second language. We are in prayer over this and would be grateful if you could pray for this as well.
This past month we also held our official Open House for the Parkland Crossing ministry. Approximately 100 visitors attended, and toured the facility, as well as took part in the festivities. I think that it was a successful day. A lot of work and planning went into it so it was nice to have such a good turn out. I know that God has blessed us. Along with the visitors there were a few local dignitaries that came to do the official ribbon cutting. All in all things were really good.
A movie night was held on 28th of Feb. and even though it was snowing quite hard that night we had a good turn out with a few visitors. The movie was good and everyone had a good time. We are hoping to hold another event like this again this month. The movie that we showed was "Facing the Giants" and it was well worth the price of admission, which of course was $0. Add to that some delicious popcorn, a great message, and the night was worth braving the snow.
On a very sad note. One of the young girls, Jennifer Coombs, that comes to church on her own lost here mother this past month. This is not only very sad for her as she deals with this loss, but also means that she will be forced to move, to live with either her father or her grandparents. We really need your prayers in this situation, as she comes to grips with this loss and for us as we minister to her in this time of need. Jen is only 12 years old.
I thank you for all that you do. I know that God has been watching over me, and my family through all of your prayers and your support. It is truly amazing what God can do through those that are willing to give in the name of our Lord.
Randy Foss

February 2007 Report:

Well another month has come and gone and it is still winter here in Canada. Things have been extremely cold over the past week or so. You would think that after 28 years of it I would be accustomed to the cold by now. You never really get used to it though. Tami and both boys are finally recovering from a bad case of the flu; they weren’t very happy campers there for a while. Things are starting to get back to some stage of normal now though.
We had at the parkland Crossing ministry a Family Fun Time for families that need a place to learn and to be mentors on the functioning’s of a healthy family. There were lots of games and crafts and stories for the kids as well as a full meal for everyone. This time was a huge success with app 50 people showing up, as well there were plenty of wonderful volunteers that made the day go very smoothly. We are hoping to have another event like this in the future.
I have started two new programs over the course of the last month in order to try and open up our church to more and more people. We had a Wednesday night men’s Bible study, which had gone really well. We are going to be looking at the book “the power of a praying husband”. Also we now have a Thursday morning scripture and teatime. This was focused toward our seniors and stay at home parents that needed something to do throughout the week. We just had our first one of these last Thursday and things went well though I think there is room for improvement. Both of these events are times that we can be inviting people from our community into the church so that they can be fellowshipping with us as well as learning about our Saviors.
We have also have plans of adding a library into the building, so that we can offer people some resources as well as have a nice quiet place in which to have our prayer room and meetings. These plans are in the very early stages and need prayers so that we know which direction in which to go with this possible development.
God continues to bless our church Family here in Dauphin, as we continue to do the very best that we can for our Lord. Thanks for all that you do for us, which helps to make that possible. I know that all of the people that have come through our doors and have left fed and clothed, both physically and spiritually are a testament to your generosity and love. So again thank you.

Randy Foss

January 2007 Report:
Well we have been blessed with a new year. 2007, wow, it doesn’t seem that long ago that we were ushering in the new millennium and here we are now only a few years from 2010. Tami, Noah, Ben and I had a wonderful Christmas season. We were able to go to Tami’s parents house for a few days and spend time with her family. The boys just love spending time at the farm. The animals, the machinery, the people, the never want to leave. It is just a wonderful time to be with family. I know that when we got back home though it was a wonderful feeling not only to be home and be able to spend time with our church family as well. If you could also keep in your prayers Tami as we plan for the future. Here maternity leave will end soon and we are really struggling with have to send two kids to day care and with her job as well as what that means for me and our family. Please pray that God will show us that path that we are to take in this. Thank you and praise be to our God in advance for his answer to your prayers.
This past week we were able to spend time celebrating the answer to prayers. We had a 60th birthday party for Mal Tarrant. Who was as recently as a few months ago having so many health problems that we were not sure how much longer he was going to be with us. God Answers Prayers!!!! We should by now not be surprised at how wonderful our God is. Yes we should stand in awe of his power and might and Holiness, but it should not surprise us that he loves us and listens to the prayers of his children. So thank-you to all the people that spent time in prayer for our congregation and for Mal specifically. Mal was definitely surprised, when he came to a staged wedding anniversary and found out it was actually a birthday party for him. It was a lot of fun.
I am still working as a part of the local food bank. The wintertime is a terrible time for many people in our region. As you can imagine with the cold comes a lot of struggles. There is a lot of need in our community when it comes to people being hungry. With out going into anyone personal details I will say that one of the saddest truths that I have learned from working with the food bank is the number of children that suffer, children that have no way of making more money for food or any other alternative, they are simple going hungry. I know that this community is not the only one that suffers from this problem, which is a sad testament to our society. Matthew 25: 31 – 46 says a lot to how important this issue really is.
One of the things that we did here that I was able to be a part of was through the Parkland Crossing ministry, we offered all of the people that live here at the building an opportunity to come and share with us in a full Christmas dinner. There was food and games and every that was able to attend got to enjoy lots of both. It allows us an opportunity to share with people a meal that they might not have been able to have otherwise, but it also allows us to share in their lives in a very fun and relaxed atmosphere. It was a great idea, and a lot of work went into it. So I must say thanks to Loreen Husband and Carol Harvey for doing almost all of the planning and the work.
We are still working on a sign for the front of the building that identifies who we are and why we and when we meet. There is some question as to the funds that it will take to accomplish this as well as exactly how to best go about having it made. In a small town those are always hard things to get accomplished. So please pray for that as well.
A new opportunity that I have just been made aware of this past week is the Family Fun Time Project. Which is geared towards tutoring families in how they can become a healthy family unit. This would be a time where there will be playing and learning and eating together. This would be a joint effort between the Manitoba Healthy Child/Family First programs and the Parkland Crossing Staff. Again we need your prayers to make this a success for the betterment of the family unit, which has really been under attack from Satan.
A few of the men from the congregation were talking golf the other day, and so we had to spend some time lamenting the fact that winter will last another 3 months and that golf season is probably at least 31/2 months away. However, as I thought about that conversation later I thought how amazing it is that our Lord knows exactly what we need. The weather is always changing but our Lord is unchanging, he is and always will be the giver of salvation. He is the corner stone on which we can build our lives. Praise the Lord O my soul. (Psalm 103) Thank you for all that you do for me and my family, and for all the ways in which you support us and the Church here in Dauphin.
PS: I hope to have some new pictures for everyone to see real soon.