PRAY THROUGH THE MONTH FOR MARC
1st Donors to MARC
Thank the Lord for the many generous donors that make the ministry of MARC possible. Thank Him for the generous gifts received towards the purchase of a new Cessna Caravan aircraft. Pray for additional funds to come in to offset the rising fuel costs affecting the ministry flying.

2nd Tom & Nancy Armstrong (Pre-Field Staff)
Pray for Tom and Nancy as they complete their fund raising process in preparation of serving full time with MARC. Pray for their preparation and journey north to Alaska.

3rd Peter & Sara Bastke (Director)
Praise the Lord for a good start of the year with many ministry opportunities for MARC and their family. Peter has been able to represent the ministry on several trips to the Lower 48 this year. Please pray for Peter as he leads the team at MARC. Pray for Sara as she homeschools and helps with office tasks at the hangar. Pray that their boys would grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and be tethered to Him.

4th Kyle & Ellen Braband (Flight Instructor)
They are thankful for the opportunities to minister in rural Alaska this winter. Please pray for doors to continue to open in villages across the state. They also praise the Lord for His faithfulness as they celebrated their tenth anniversary in November of moving to Alaska to serve with MARC. Pray that they would continue steadfastly in the work He has called them to.

5th New MARC Staff
Thank the LORD for many staff that faithfully serve at MARC. Pray for additional aviation and administrative staff to join the team to meet expanding ministry opportunities.

6th Brian & Elizabeth Bruxvoort (Chief Pilot)
Pray for excellence, clarity, and organization for Brian in his work responsibilities. Pray for continued health, strength, faithfulness, wisdom, and God’s perspective to do their work according to His will. Pray that they and their children will press on to know the Lord, serve God joyfully, and submit to Him. Pray for good preparations made for summer camp flying, and that many children will come to know the Lord, and that others will be strengthened in their faith.

7th Mickey & Ellen Duyck (Operations Manager)
Please continue to pray for the adoption process and patience for the slow pace. Please pray for Ellen as her employer is prepping to be sold. Pray for peace for her and for what God has in store for her next. Continue to pray for Mickey as he balances work, school, and family commitments. Please pray for wisdom and good decision-making for the boys regarding school and choice of friends.

8th Brian & Debbie Ford (Mechanic)
Pray for them as they live and serve in Soldotna/Kenai and as they are involved in church, schools, and the community. Pray that they can be an encouragement to other believers, missionaries, those in rural Alaska, and a light to their friends and neighbors who may be far from God. Praise for Debbie’s mother, her scans have continued to be clear and show no evidence of recurrence of cancer cells.

9th MARC fleet renewal
Recently MARC received a substantial donation to assist with the purchase of a new Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft. Please pray for the remaining funds to come in so the right versatile airplane can meet the increasing needs of the remote missionary communities.

10th Kevin & Brenda Fuqua (Finance Manager)
They would like to ask prayer for their family. Please also pray for continued guidance as to Kevin’s work and their location.

11th Jesse & Becky Glosser (IT Manager)
Please pray for their upcoming furlough this summer. Pray that God would provide for their journey across the country. Pray that they would humbly represent MARC’s mission and their calling. Pray that the Lord will supply their needs for the next three years of service at MARC.

12th Collier & Allyson Hard (Facility Manager)
Pray for the safe delivery of baby boy Lyle at the end of March and for the Lord to provide the right home for them to buy.

13th Churches
Please pray for the rural churches and believers that have struggled this past year with low attendance and spiritual apathy. Pray for encouragement for the pastors and missionaries. Pray for growth and revival in Alaskan villages.

14th Fred & Lydia Holcomb (Flight Instructor)
Pray for the Holcomb family for the salvation and spiritual growth of their children. Pray for working with the local church and working with people in the addiction recovery community.

15th Titus & Hannah Mease (Mechanic)
Pray that they would have wisdom with Jael’s schooling, and that they would be effective in their ministry at MARC and their church.

16th MARC Maintenance
MARC was recently able to assist a ministry in Brazil with the acquisition of an amphibian Cessna 206. After a week of maintenance and inspections, one of our pilots helped fly it from Alaska to Michigan where it will receive some modifications. We are grateful that our ministry maintenance services have extended far beyond the borders of Alaska.

17th Joel & Sarah Oyoumick (Flight Scheduler)
Pray for continued wisdom in parenting and balancing ministry, family, and community activities. They are thankful for more open doors to rural Alaska. Please pray for safety in flying and maintenance as the spring and summer season approaches. Praise Him for His faithfulness and how He proves over and over that He is enough.

18th Kylor & Tabitha Schultz (Parts Manager)
Please pray that they could get Hudson's allergies figured out. The poor sleep and all the extra cooking has Tabitha pretty worn out. They are looking into adopting. Please pray for direction as they try to finalize decisions. Please pray for the longer spring flights Kylor has coming up.

19th MARC Flight School
Pray for the students that come to MARC to receive flight training. Many are not Christ followers. Pray that the conversations and interactions with our missionary pilots will lead them to a relationship with God.

20th Paul & Cindy Scoskie (Flight Instructor)
Paul and Cindy are completing their first year in Alaska. Pray for Paul as he flight instructs and interacts with the local aviation community. Pray for Cindy as she serves as a nurse at the local hospital.

21st Derek & Hannah Steward (Mechanic)
Pray for their upcoming furlough this summer as they make plans to meet with their ministry partners. Pray for wisdom parenting their wonderful kids.

22nd Aaron & Maila Stocks (Flight Instructor)
Praise God for His provision of a pickup truck when the engine on theirs unexpectedly seized. Pray for wisdom as they steward all the resources and time God has entrusted to them. Pray for encouragement for believers in the villages.

23rd Missionaries serving in remote villages
We are grateful for the pastors and missionaries who serve faithfully in remote communities. Recently MARC began assisting a ministry couple that moved to the village of Marshall. Please pray for encouragement, health, and ministry success.

24th Dwight & Kristen Wenger (Flight Instructor)
Praise the Lord for the safe arrival of Trent, baby boy #6, on February 23rd. Pray for grace and wisdom as they raise their boys for the Lord. Pray for wisdom to use their time wisely and to point others to the Savior.

25th Volunteers
Praise the Lord for the many volunteers who are scheduled to come this year and help the ministry with various facility projects.

26th Chris & Denise Williamson (Mechanic)
Praise for the new opportunities to be involved in their new church family. Pray for Hannah as she finishes her senior year. Pray for her as she makes decisions about her next steps in life. Pray as they start searching for a house to buy, that God will direct them to the right one.

27th MARC board
Thank the Lord for the people that serve faithfully on the MARC Board. Pray for wisdom as they make decisions to increase the effectiveness and longevity of this ministry.

28th Bryan & Diane Wilson (Development Manager)
Please pray that Bryan can complete the maintenance work on the C210 plane in Arizona soon. He is grateful for Derek’s help recently. Pray for Bryan as he works at MARC this summer doing development work and flying. Pray for Diane as she serves at a local Bible camp. Please pray that Toby can get a job in AK this summer. Diane and Charis plan to make a quick trip to England before coming to AK this summer.

29th Kids to Camp
Please pray for the kids that MARC will fly to camp this summer. Pray that the Lord will prepare their hearts to receive His Truth.

30th David & Olivia Wolf (Pilot, Flight Follower)
Pray for the Wolfs as they return to Alaska for their ninth summer of partnering with MARC. Pray for David as he flies and assists with flight following duties. Pray for Olivia as she is involved in many local ministry opportunities.

31st Ministry Flights
Thank the Lord for a busy start to the year with an increasing number of ministry trips. Pray for safety for the flight crew as they deal with various weather conditions.

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING WITH US

Greetings!
HopeKids' events focus on the whole family because siblings of children who have a life-threatening medical condition can be unintentionally overlooked due to the attention needed to care for a child with unique needs. In fact, studies show 80% of siblings have elevated levels of post-traumatic stress, which makes including them in events all the more crucial. Take a minute to look at the spring HopeNotes magazine to learn about HopeKids through the perspective of artwork created by siblings, and read about our long-time partnership with the Colten Cowell Foundation.
 
Thank you for providing opportunities for families to spend time together and helping siblings to feel special. Your support of HopeKids continues to further the mission to provide hope--and hope is a powerful medicine!


With Hope,
Brian Anderson, Executive Director
HopeKids Minnesota

​March 2022 Thank you
 
Each month we are grateful and humbled by your monthly gift that allows the ministry to continue.  You are a vital link in our outreach to the inner city needs of San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
This past month Jose said everyday people from the neighborhood and other local churches came to the mission seeking advice, prayers, bible studies, food and to hear the Good News.
As I write this note, one of the boys (Joni) who we raised (2008 - 2019) just informed me that his older sister passed away this morning.  She had been struggling with cancer for some time.  The entire family has been living in San Luis Potosi to be with his older sister so she could receive the medical attention she needed.  Joni, as some of you know, comes from a tiny village in the remote hills of Oaxaca, Mexico as Joni´s father is a coffee and banana farmer.
Jose is with Joni´s family at the hospital to help comfort and to share that our facility is available for them.  We are to be witnesses to those who hurt.  Joni asked for prayer and said he feels so alone.  I just reminded Joni that he is not alone, God is with him now more than ever, his family needs his witness as a believer along with his father´s faith.  Because of Joni´s faith he witnessed to his father who was baptized April 2014, and together they can share the peace and hope that only God gives in times like this.
Small moments such as these are how your support can comfort and bring understanding to those that grieve and celebrate with those who know who holds the future.
This year, 2022, the Ontañon Church of Christ will celebrate 30 years of faithfully preaching and teaching the Gospel to the inner city of San Luis Potosi, Mexico.  Has it been easy?  No, but we continue because we answered the call to, “go and make disciples”.  Thirty years of struggles, thirty years of challenges and thirty years of victories.  There have been many baptisms and many times to share in the celebration of life.   
In the coming months we will share more how your support continues to change lives.   
Thank you.
Jose, David and Sheri

Greetings from The Open Door!

We appreciate your recent gift to help feed the hungry! "Normal life" has mostly resumed for many of us, but COVID-19 has dealt longer-term setbacks to single-parent families, mothers of young children, and low-income workers paying higher prices for essentials like rent, groceries and gas.

With your help, The Open Door has scaled up our services dramatically since the spring of 2020, doubling the number of people served monthly across Dakota County since 2019. We provide a variety of nutritious food items through programs like our fixed-site Eagan Pantry and Garden to Table, which recently added its 12th location and helps food-shelf clients grow their own fruits and vegetables, 

Our food shelf does its work with 400 active volunteers each month, but we still need and welcome new ones, especially at the Eagan Pantry and to stock vehicles at our mobile distribution site in Apple Valley. To schedule a first-time volunteer shift at one of our pantries, go to https://theopendoorpantry.org/get-involved/volunteer/.

Thanks again for bringing healthy food and peace of mind to those in need.

Hello !

It's been awhile but I hope you are all doing well! There has been a lot going on with GoCorps so I thought it was time for an update!

The GoCorps staff was able to gather in person for our annual Staff Retreat in January! It was a great time to focus on what God has in store for GoCorps for 2022 and beyond. On February 22, we announced that GoCorps is partnering with the Urbana Missions Conference. If you haven't already seen our announcement video you can see it here.

But Mike...what have YOU been doing?
Good Question! I have been able to do a little bit of everything since my last newsletter! While my main role with GoCorps is in Operations, I get to put on my mobilization shoes and visit college campuses and talk with students and faculty. Here are some highlights:

• Northwestern College (Iowa) campus visit in November and February to talk with students about using their degree overseas and network with staff and faculty (and I got to have lunch with a great friend both times!)
• Researching and implementing processes to be able to recruit, train and send 100 Goers each year! (See video above for more info!)
• Attended the Midwest Conference on Missionary Care at Bethany Global University in Bloomington, MN
• Implemented a new texting service to keep everyone updated on what God is doing through GoCorps!

Starting April 24th, GoCorps is having its 3rd annual Walk Week.This year we'll be sharing 7 stories of Goers who are serving overseas and sharing 7 ways you can pray for your neighborhood and the world. I'd love to have you participate with me! Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information.

Some things you can definitely be praying about are:

• Upcoming mobilization trips (Crown College and Northwestern College) would be fruitful
• Prayers for the smaller group of Goers we have for this coming Spring
• Prayers for 2 people on staff with GoCorps who are going through cancer treatments
• Praise God for health and provision for the Nelsons

Thank you for your continued prayers and support! Please know that I try to keep all fo you in my prayers as well. Let me know of any specific ways that I can be lifting you up in prayer.

Mike & Jackie
Olivia, Eden, & Brielle

Grocery and gas prices are soaring. You see it in the checkout line and in your monthly budget. For many families fighting to stay afloat inflation and supply chain issues mean empty cupboards and empty bellies.
This February our Executive Director, Jason Viana, caught up with Karishma Vanjani from Barron’s Online – Powered by Dow Jones to chat about the harsh reality of rising food costs in America.
At The Open Door the impact of rising prices has materialized in food expenditures more than doubling from a year ago and the amount of purchasing power declining by around half.  On average, families took home a few pounds less food on each visit this January than they did last year due to the challenges in the global supply chain. 
Check out the full story below.
US | February 12, 2022 · 02:36 pmOn a recent February morning, Joe Slater watched a line of people wrap around the large parking lot of Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis, in below-freezing temperatures.
Slater, chief financial officer of Indiana’s largest food bank, said up to 25% more people wait for food there than before the pandemic, and for roughly twice as long—anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours. The longer lines have come hand-in-hand with rising consumer prices: Inflation surged at a 7.5% annual pace in January, according to data released Thursday. The price of chicken, for instance, has jumped about 10% from just a year ago. “We are still trying to buy as much quantity [but] it’s forcing us to limit what we buy,” Slater said. “Everyone wants chicken breasts, but they are so expensive now, so we buy drumsticks and chicken legs.”
Soaring prices have increased demand at many food banks that supply staples to low-income families. To keep up with the growing need, Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks purchased 58% more food in its 2021 fiscal year compared with the previous year.
Some organizations say they are struggling to afford certain items, especially meat, and can’t supply as much food to families as they did before the pandemic.
That means many of those consumers must reach into their wallets to buy the items they used to find at local community pantries—leaving them with less money to pay for other basic needs.
“With budgets already strained, [people] have told us clearly that less food during their visit has a real impact on their ability to make ends meet,” said Jason Viana, executive director at The Open Door Pantry in Eagan, Minn.

“Less food from us equals less likelihood they can both pay their rent and feed their family.”

The Open Door now serves about 14,000 people each month, double the number it served pre-pandemic. At the same time, it has had to reduce the number of meat and dairy items it can provide to families because of elevated costs.The rapid rise in food prices, in particular, has outpaced a number of other sectors. In January, grocery prices, which include cereals, milk, and bread, jumped 7.4% year over year.
Minnesota’s Second Harvest Heartland food bank is seeing the impact of inflation firsthand: It can no longer distribute free meat to its partner food pantries. Julie Vanhove, director of supply and demand planning, said the food bank had 40% less meat available in the last six months versus the same period a year ago.
Overall, Second Harvest’s food purchase prices were 9% higher in the last six months of 2021 from the year-ago period, but its supply to pantries was down 15%. Case in point: It has been paying $9,500 to bring in free apples and pears from the state of Washington. Last spring, “our average freight cost was $3,000 per truckload,” Vanhove said.
Similarly, the Food Bank for New York City now pays $51,000 for a truckload of peanut butter, roughly 80% more than it did in June 2019, according to the bank’s chief procurement officer, Bob Silvia. Rising transportation and packaging expenses play a big part in such increases: Feeding America says that freight costs to move donated food climbed more than 20% last month from a year ago for its food bank network.
The rise in food prices is disproportionately affecting low-income households because they spend a larger share of income on food, said Maurice Obstfeld, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund.

The lowest 20% of earners spend 27% of their income on food, whereas the highest income quintile spends only 7% of income on food, Obstfeld said, citing 2020 data from the Agriculture Department.Nathan Sheets, Citi’s global chief economist, agrees. Lower-income consumers’ higher spending on food “is an iron law of economics,” he said. “It leaves them with fewer other financial reserves to absorb the rising costs.”
Food-insecure families and the pantries that help them might not get a reprieve from inflation any time soon, amid continued supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and robust demand. Sheets doesn’t see a significant improvement in the next six months.
“It may not be getting worse,” he says, “but it’ll also be far from normal food prices.”

For more information on how you can support The Open Door’s hunger relief efforts visit our “How to Give” page at https://theopendoorpantry.org/how-to-give/.

Thanks for reading!The Open Door Team