Guided Heartland Facility Tours (including the Dairy), 5K Road Race, Antique Car & Tractor Show,

XCALIBER TRACToR PuLL, Farming Demonstrations, childRen’s activities (Kids’ Pedal Tractor Pull, Inflatable

Games, Barrel Train Rides, Petting Zoo), StrongeSt Farmer Competition (Men & Women),

Free Dinner Served 5-7pm, entertainment, and of course a Great Fireworks Display at Dusk!

F R E E A D M I S S I O N

Daytime concessions selling sandwiches, roasted corn on the cob, lemonade, soda, kettle corn, ice cream & more.

www.HeartlandMissouri.com • Phone (660) 284-6212BRING YOUR LAWN CHAIRS & SPEND THE DAY NO ALCOHOL PERMITTED • SHIRT & SHOES REQUIRED

Open HOuse

5K rOAD rACeOur 3rd annual 5k starts at 7am. Cash prizes $150, $100, and $50 for top three finishers in men’s and women’s divisions. Pre-registration on or before June 27th = $15 (free tshirt); after

June 27th = $20. Sign up online, or see page 11.

TrACTOr PULLSee a great FREE show by Xcaliber Pulling from10-2:30pm. The classes competing are:Pro-Stock Diesel 4x4 Trucks8500lb Limited Pro Stock TractorsModified Two Wheel Trucks

6400 Limited Pro Stock / 6100 lb Super Stock

SCHEDULE

Free AnTiQUe CAr & TrACTOr SHOWIf you have a vintage car, motorcycle, or tractor, join us! Clubs are welcome. To compete, have your vehicle in place by

11:00am. View the website for details, or see page 11 for registration forms to sign up by mail or fax.

R E G I S T E R T O C O M P E T E I N :

cns inteRnational MinistRies, inc.6417 shelby 150, suite abethel, Mo 63434

ECRWSS POSTAL CUSTOMERPRSRT-NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 1 • NEWARK, MO 63458

JULY 6TH, 9am ‘TIL DaRK

5K Road Race ....................Registration 6:00am; Race 7:00amField opens: FRee adMission .....................................9:00amXcaliber tractor Pull .................................... 10:00am-2:30pmentertainment in the Main tent ................................. 2:00pmKids’ Pedal tractor Pull ............................ Registration 1:00pm

Pull 3:00pmstrongest Farmer competition ............... Registration 3:00pm

competition 4:00pmhymn sing ................................................................. 4:00pmhomestead Pickers ..................................................... 5:00pmFree dinner & entertainment ............................. 5:00-7:00pmMusic & address by Pastor charles sharpe.................. 7:00pmFireworks .................................................................... at dusk

*Schedule subject to change.

We are living in tough days in our nation. Our economy, our government, and our national security all seem to be on shaky ground. Unfortunately, many people are still trusting in those things to get through life. And that will never work.

The good news is that we have something to trust in that will never fail, and that is God. All through the Bible we see examples of how God took care of His people during famines, wars, and just the basic troubles of this life. We also have testimonies in our own lives of God’s provision. His mercy and His never-ending love are available to all those who are called by His name.

The secret is to be called. When we give our lives to God through the blood of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, we really do find new life. We discover victory over sin, fear, anger, doubt, and worry. Life isn’t always perfect. We still have bills to pay and hard decisions to make. But, when we trust in God to lead us, things really do work out.

In this newspaper, you will read stories of some people who discovered the freedom of trusting in God. And other stories are all around you today in the lives of people serving at Open House. If we at Heartland can be of any help to you or your family, please do not hesitate to ask. We pray God’s blessings on you and yours. - Charles & Laurie Sharpe

Please join us for the annual Heartland Open House, July 6th

In God We Trust

More information on page 12. Or visit our web site for details: www.Heartlandmissouri.com

The Heartland Community...between Bethel & Newark on Heartland Drive

Heartland Christian Academy .......................... 660-284-6300Heartland Christian College ............................. 660-284-4800Heartland Community Church ......................... 660-284-6330Heartland Recovery Centers ........................... 660-284-6212Heartland Auto Repair & Body Shop................ 660-284-6377 Heartland Dairies ............................................ 660-213-5100Heartland Telecommunications ....................... 660-284-6152Heartland Tours ............................................... 660-213-4584Calvary Medical Center .................................... 660-284-4300Cleansing Waters Laundry/Dry Cleaning ......... 660-284-4131Mission House Thrift Store ............................... 660-284-4175New Creation Country Store ............................ 660-284-6347Ozark Lodge & Steakhouse .............................. 660-284-6333Scribbles & Scribes Ink - Graphic Design .......... 660-284-6230Solid Rock Cafe ................................................ 660-284-6371www.heartlandmissouri.com

We’re here to serve!

Heartland is located just off Route E (Heartland Drive) between Newark and Bethel, Missouri. Open House will be held at the north end of the Heartland campus on Shelby County Road 150. For more detailed directions, visit our website: www.HeartlandMissouri.com.

F O R v I d E O T E s T I M O N I E s O F c h A N g E d l I v E s , v I s I T O u R W E b s I T E

www.heartland-ministries.org

Jessica Bumgardner – Heartland Christian Academy

Abundant LifeBy the time I was seven years old, my

parents’ marital problems had taken a turn for the worse. They were separated for a pe-riod of time, but decided to try and work things out…this time with God’s help. This involved attending a local church. Although my mother had been raised in church, she was not walking with the Lord at that point, and my dad had never experienced a life truly submitted to Christ. However, attending that small country church really did make all the difference in the world for my family at that time. It was not long until my dad submitted his life to Christ and my mom returned to the path she was raised on as a child. My parents’ decisions at that time had a profound effect on me and in April of 1991, at eight years of age, I gave my life to Christ.

I was just a child, but I remember having an understanding of salvation and Jesus definitely did a work in my heart! However, once I became a teenager things began to get more difficult. Several of my friends were not living a Christian lifestyle and my church was having some problems at the time as well. I began searching for something different, something solid that I could stand on. I felt like the faith of my childhood was slipping away, though I re-ally did not want that to happen. I began to feel the influence of youthful desires like never before and knew if I did not make a change in my life things were not going to go so well for me anymore.

When I cried out to God in despera-tion He was so faithful to hear my prayer and send me to a place where I could learn how to live out my faith successfully. At age 19, I enrolled in what is now called Heart-land Christian College. During my time in Bible College, I truly learned what it means to be His, and how to live a life that brings

glory to His name. Jesus was no longer just a piece of my life, but encompassed every area: work, school, friendships—every-thing!

During Bible College and for several years following I worked for the Heartland Christian Academy boarding school, helping young people who had faced many of the same youthful struggles that I did. By the mercy of God they

were removed from those difficult situations and then sent to a place where they could have a better opportunity to succeed.

Life with Jesus is not a fairytale,

but it truly is more abundant.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.2 C o r i n T h i a n s 5 : 1 7

changed heaRts & lives

Since that time, I have also had the amaz-ing opportunity to be part of Heartland mis-sions, specifically in the country of Egypt. For me, this was a lifelong dream made a reality. Having the opportunity to help people in a coun-try without all the free-doms we enjoy and take for granted everyday has only further solidi-fied my own faith. It has been a privilege to build friendships with people in that country through

the years and I know the people of Egypt will always be written upon my heart in a special way.

Today, I am married to a man with a powerful testimony of God’s redemption and am blessed to walk this life with him. We recently had our first son, who con-tinues to be a tremendous blessing to our lives. I am currently teaching English and Bible at Heartland Christian Academy and love what I do. Teaching young people aca-demics while also helping them find God’s path for their lives is a privilege and great responsibility that I am thankful to God for every day. Life with Jesus is not a fairytale, but it truly is more abundant. In each and every struggle I have faced through the years He has been there to guide me and help me through it. I could not imagine life without Him.

Pictured here, Jessica and her husband Josh dedicated their one-year-old during a recent Sunday morning baby dedication at Heartland Community Church.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will

perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.”- Philippians 1:6

Courtney Mintz – Heartland Women’s Home

Set Free from AddictionMY GOD IS A REDEEMER, RESTOR-

ER, FAITHFUL, AND FREEING GOD!My name is Courtney Mintz. I had a

great up-bringing, supportive parents, and an awesome childhood. Although my par-ents never took my brother and I to church, I did have grandparents who would take us occasionally. So I knew about God and be-lieved in Him, I just did not know the depth of the Christian walk.

As a teenager I always went the extra mile to fit in or try and fill the void I felt in my heart. After high school I met the love of my life and we got married in April of 2002. I thought my fairytale life had just begun, but in reality it was headed for destruction. I had postpartum depression after the birth of our son and I started abusing pain pills. Within three years of this horrible addic-tion one pill a day turned into sixty pills a day. I was out of control; it consumed my life.

My husband did not know what to do with me so he decided to take me and our son to my parents’ to live because he had had enough and he could not take it any-more. My parents and husband decided to take me to a secular rehab in Oklahoma where I met a doctor. I left my hus-band, son, and parents and moved to Oklahoma to be with him. This turned into a nightmare. He gave me all the drugs I wanted, but he also beat me. One thing led to an-other and by the time I was at rock bottom I was hooked on heroine and ecstasy. I would do anything to get my next high.

In October of 2008 I woke up and realized I had nothing but an

empty apartment. I had lost my husband, son, and parents! I sat on the step of my apartment crying out to God to please help me because I could see myself dead or in prison if I did not do something different. I called my parents and told them I needed help. They mailed me the handbook to the Heartland Women’s Program. I read over it and within a month I was divorced, b a n k r u p t c y finalized, and was here at Heartland to start my new beginning.

After be-ing here for six months God got ahold of me. That empty void I had felt in my heart for so many years had been replaced by the love of Jesus! I decided that I had to surrender all to

Him—my wants, my family, and my son. A year into my

program I thought I had it all figured

Early on in my life I always wanted to be a part of something. Gangs became my thing. Having power and respect was every-thing to me back then, and the lifestyle that came with it was drugs and then prison.

I was in a lot of rehabs in my life, but never changed. While I was in prison I went to chapel where I picked up and read a pamphlet about a place called Heartland. I applied and was accepted after I got out of prison.

This program showed me there is a different way of living. I started milking cows for about two months, then went to Calf Town where we take care of the young calves. At five and a half months into my program, I started running Calf Town.

It was hard at times. But being obedi-ent helped me so much that I am now the Dairy Supervisor. It just shows you what the power of God can do.

It is amazing how much my life has changed. Sometimes we would rather have our own two feet on the ground so that we feel we are in control. But God wants us to hop onto His wings; only He knows how high He’ll take you.

My mom moved here from California, and now I can really enjoy our relationship. She knows I am not out partying or in jail. She has a respectful, godly man for a son. Mom, I love you so much and your prayers paid off!

There is a Peace I found here at Heart-land, and so I stayed. Now I’m part of a powerful church that reaches out to people like me. God gives me the ability to talk and help change lives because the power of God changed me. He can change anybody.

God transformed Andy’s life, and Andy continues to trust in God every day to live for Him and be an example to those God puts in his path.

Andy Garcia – Sharpe Land & Cattle

Changed by God

out, but because I was trying to do it in my own strength, I lost that passion for Christ in my heart. But God kept working in my life.

When my ex-husband called me and offered to let our son Spencer come live with me, I could not believe it! I thought to myself after all I had done, God still loves

me enough to give me back my son and have another chance to be the godly mother that he deserves.

Even another chance at get-ting my son back did not stop me from falling into temptation. After I graduated I did stumble, but with the awesome sup-port system we

have here at Heartland I got back on track. I truly believe if I had not walked through that I would not be where I am today.

Today I work at the Heartland Wom-en’s Recovery Home. I oversee the Women’s and Children’s Home, helping other women learn how to be godly mothers our children deserve.

I can say today that because of Him I am redeemed and free from my drug ad-diction. He has restored my relationship with my parents and brother, He gave me my son back, and best of all I can call my-self a child of God.

Courtney prays her story will encourage other women to seek help. “If there is any-thing I want to do,” she says, “it is to give hope to mothers who are trying to get their children back because I am a living proof that God works miracles.”

My childhood was a typical All-Amer-ican one—great family, big house, good neighborhood near lots of family. Growing up in a small Ohio town in “Amish country” was about as picturesque as a childhood could be. I grew up in the church and have a very religious family legacy. Yep, living the dream and loving every minute of it.

Many times we wish to live in our childhood innocence but then the great big reality of growing up starts to set in. The challenge then becomes keeping our dreams alive when so often the circum-stances around us seem to want to rob us of them. My family moved to Missouri when I was ten, and when I was thirteen, attending a local youth conference, I had such a dream. I dreamt that I was in a far off place talking to people that didn’t look, talk, or act anything like me. I held on to that dream watching and waiting for it to become a reality.

I remember the first missions trip I went on with our local church to Mexico. It was a real eye opener to the reality of how privileged I really was as a kid. During my junior year my family moved to Heartland to become part of the ministry. During my senior year I went on two mission trips: to Mexico again and the Philippines for the very first time. I was certain that I was see-ing my dream come true.

I hit a wall shortly after that. My family began to have some problems and I really questioned God for letting things happen that did. Having grown up in such a tight-knit family enviroment made it that much harder to deal with. I thought my dream had run its course and that this was life as it would be from now on. Every day was a struggle. But God remained faithful.

Did everything turn out perfectly the way I would have wanted? No. Strange as it may seem I found a lot of comfort in the Bi-ble from the story of Job. Job said “though He slay me yet will I trust in Him”(Job 13:15a). I knew my situations were noth-ing compared to what Job faced and knew that if God was still worthy of honor, trust, and love in the middle of those circum-stances, He was worthy in the middle of mine. “Though He slay me yet will I trust in Him.”

His plans are good. Having made it through those tough times I was happy just to be in one piece, but God had a greater plan. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “they are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope”(Jeremiah 29:11). Not only did God help me weather the storm, He gave me my dream back. And not just gave it back, but

made it grow and expand beyond what I thought was possible. I was given the op-portunity to join Heartland’s Missions team traveling with Pastor Charles Sharpe and the many teams we send all over the world to share the gospel and help those in need.

I have been out of the country more then twenty times to at least ten different countries. What I discovered was not just God’s faithfulness to get us through the day, but His plans are never for us to stay at that place of just getting by day after day after day. He has a dream and sometimes we have to let our dream die to make way for His.

When he is not circling the globe, Jaymes is work-ing at Scribbles & Scribes as a graphic designer on projects such as logo design, websites, and branding.

Jaymes Schrock – Scribbles & Scribes Ink

Making Way for God’s Dreams

V I S I T O U R W E B S I T E

www.hlandmissions.org

Out of a desire to bless others, Heartland’s Mission House Thrift Store opened its doors in July of 2010. All proceeds go directly toward the Church’s missions department efforts in places such as Thailand, Haiti, Egypt, India, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Moldova, Israel, Jericho, and the Philippines. Our newest venture to the res-ervations in South Dakota is also exciting. Spe-cifically, we have provided dishwashers, dryers, a car, bicycles, motorcycles, food, clothing, elec-tronics, land and so forth.

We are thankful for all of the donations from the surrounding communities and neigh-boring states. Donations are welcome during store hours; for after-hours donations, use the drop box in the parking lot of the New Creation Country Store. To contact the Mission House, call 660-284-4175.

The Thrift Store is open 10am-6pm Thurs-day, and 10am-4pm Friday-Saturday, offering:

• Clothing and shoes for all ages• Household items such as dishes, mugs,

small appliances• Household furniture and decor• Jewelry• Books and games• Baby, toddler, and children’s items• Handbags and luggage

Connie Krzesinski – Heartland Community

Do You Know Him? I grew up in the small town of Pauld-

ing, which is located in the northwestern part of Ohio. My family was Catholic and I always knew there was a God but never re-ally understood what having a relationship with Him meant. My husband joined the church soon after we were married and we had three children, Vinc, Ryan and Kelly. Our family was active in the church and I thought life was pretty good.

On December 27, 1993, my life was forever changed. My husband and our two sons were cutting wood and a tree fell on our son, Ryan, and he was killed. He was nine years old. A part of my heart went with my son that day and I had emptiness inside of me that I cannot describe. If there is a mother reading this who has lost a child, you know exactly what I am talking about. During this very difficult time in my life, my marriage seemed to be falling apart, I felt like I wasn’t being the mom I should be to my other children and I knew our family needed help. One day I had a sudden desire to start reading the Bible, which was something our family had never done. I was searching for the answer to why this was happening to our family. Our family started attending a Christian church; we started reading the Bible together as a family and the children enjoyed going to Sunday school. I felt that God was pulling our family back together again. In July of 1998, my husband and I gave our hearts to the Lord and for the first time in my life I had a peace that I had nev-er known before. My favorite Bible verse is: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6. I knew that whatever God would put before me, He would be there to help me through it, if I put my trust in Him.

It is easy to say that we trust the Lord, another to put it into action. Our oldest son turned away from God and it was a down-ward spiral for him for many years and in-stead of trusting God to take care of him, I thought I needed to be there to bail him out all the time. He ended up in prison and I felt that I was losing another son. In 2010, the hand of God came upon our family when a judge in Ohio allowed our son to come to Heartland to go through the men’s pro-gram instead of more prison time. His wife and children moved here in 2011. (We have five wonderful grandchildren!) It was such a blessing to know that they were raising their children in a Christian community.

Our daughter visited Heartland several times and she felt God calling her to move here. In October, 2011, we packed her up and moved her to Heartland. I was really struggling with “empty nest” syndrome back in Ohio. Our children and grandchil-

dren were 500 miles away and I was having a very hard time adjusting to the quietness of our home.

The more I came to visit our children the harder it was for me to leave; not only because of the children but I felt a real sense of belonging here. After a visit in January, 2012, I clearly heard God telling me that we would be moving to Heartland and it would be in July! I thought there is no way; we would have to sell our home that we had lived in for 25 years and all the stuff that goes with it. My family all lived close by and

I helped out a lot with my elderly mother. How could this work out?

My husband and I talked to Pastor Char-lie about what God was telling us and he

said “Well, I don’t want you to move here just because of your children; this is a min-istry and you need to be here to help other people, but if this is what you want to do, then list your home with a realtor and if it sells, you have your answer.” We listed our

home and had a buyer in two weeks. We had our answer—we were moving to the middle of a cornfield in Missouri. On July 14, 2012 we arrived at our new home in Heartland. It wasn’t easy leaving our fam-ily and friends but my husband and I knew that God was directing our paths.

I am currently working in the posi-tion of fourth grade instructor at Heartland Christian Academy. God has been faithful to pro-vide my daily needs in and out of the classroom. I have been so blessed to share the love of Jesus with my stu-dents and I am so thankful to be able to work with such wonderful people at the school. God is so good.

In September, 2012, our daughter mar-ried a wonderful man from Colombia, South America and we are now expecting our sixth grandchild. I have really enjoyed meeting so many people from different countries and learning about their cultures here at Heartland. This is a privilege that I would never have experienced in Ohio.

Pastor Charlie often asks us, “Do you

know Jesus, do you really know Him?” I believe to really know Him we must trust Him with ALL of our heart and when we do, He will take us places we never thought possible. If you don’t know Him, I encour-age you to start reading the Bible and God will speak to you. God bless you!

In addition to their own children and grandchildren, Connie and her husband Keith open their home to other young people in need of friendship and encouragement.

Drugs and alcohol. This was the very thing that I grew up seeing, so I went after the same things that the people around me were doing. I was the typical high school all star athlete and had a drug and alcohol addiction to go with it. Notice I said addic-tion and not sickness because it was all a choice.

I chose to live this kind of lifestyle and I can say that the only reason I would re-gret it is because of the time lost to be able to serve Jesus. On the other hand, I would not take it back because I strongly believe I would not be where I am today if it was not

for the rock bottom roads that eventu-ally led me to Christ and into a two year Bible college.

Jesus has set me free and because of His love and mercy I now have the life I always wanted—one full of peace and joy with the help of true friends and leaders that have surrounded me in their lives, who have displayed to me what it means to have a true relationship with God and with friends.

Coming to Heartland Christian Col-lege has truly helped me and has shown me that there is something far greater than just living life. Bible College has given me pur-pose and direction in my life not because of the College, but because of the Jesus who lives on the inside of me who has used Bible College as the foundation for the rest of my life.

Since his graduation from Heartland Christian College, Jeremy continues to work on Heartland’s construction crew. He plans to continue his education.

Jeremy Deacon – Heartland Christian College

How Firm a Foundation

...to really know Him we must trust Him

with ALL of our heart...

Victoria Van Horn – Ozark Lodge & Steakhouse

What God has done for Others,

He will do for YouYou have probably seen Pastor Charles Sharpe and the Heartland Community Church on your local tv station. Our Straight from the Heart program airs every week, and is also available online at www.hland.tv.

Our church is the focal point of this small community in northeast Missouri called Heartland. One of our greatest joys is seeing families restored and made healthy by the power of Jesus Christ in their lives.

Our church services are held at the Heartland Christian Academy gymnasium (located at 101 Nations Boulevard), and are always open to visitors. We welcome anyone from the surrounding area who would like join us for:

Sunday School ........................................................................................9:00amSunday Worship ................................................................... 10:00am, 6:00pmWednesday Worship (Royal Rangers & Missionettes for Kids) ...... 7:00pm

Also, a Spanish-language meeting is held Fridays at 7:00pm in the Men’s Cen-ter Power Barn building near LaBelle, with Spanish worship music and a translated sermon.

As a church, we are eager to serve people in our community and beyond. Our College students do service projects in nearby towns, and we provide a monthly worship service at a local nursing home. Members of the congregation also help feed the hungry through an outreach to the homeless in Kansas City. We also send mission teams to places like Egypt, Israel, India, Moldova, and the Philippines ev-ery year. We support local pastors in many nations and host an annual conference where missionaries can come to be refreshed and renewed. Our Thrift Store pro-vides affordable clothing and household items to local residents, while the pro-ceeds go toward blessing people internationally.

If you are looking for a church home, we invite you to consider Heartland. And if you would like to know more about new life in Jesus Christ, please call us at 660-284-6330.

Our Mailing Address:6417 Shelby 150, Suite A, Bethel, MO 63434

Phone 660-284-6330

• • •

R A D I O & T E L E V I S I O N P R O G R A M M I N G S C H E D U L EcW (Formerly Wb) .......................................sunday, 6:00amKtvo channel 3 ...........................................sunday, 9:00amWgeM channel 10 & WgeM 105.9 FM Radio sunday, 9:00amcgeM Quincy cable (Fox) .............................saturday, 12:00pmKhQa hannibal tv7 (cbs) ............................sunday, 7:00amWtJR channel 16 .........................................sunday, 11:00am / tuesday, 9:30pm / thursday, 2:00pm

Heartland Community Church

stRaight FRoM the heaRt

V I E W T H E T V S H O W O N L I N E : www.hland.tv

Hi, my name is Victoria Van Horn. I was born in the great state of Texas, into a Christian home, with two older sibblings—Joshua, and Elizabeth. But our family didn’t stay small for long. A couple of years later I had a little sister named Rebekah, and then along came Michael, and Andrew, then another little brother named J.B. But, God didn’t stop there, He blessed us with one more... and this time it was Hannah, which we were all excited about after all of those boys!

My parents always took us to church; every Sunday and Wednesday we were at God’s house. So, growing up in a Christian environment I was blessed to hear the story of Jesus and how He came to save us from our sins over and over. When I was about seven years old I accepted Jesus as my Sav-ior. Soon afterwards I was baptized in water. My younger sister was filled with the Holy Spirit before me and I wanted the same ex-perience for my life, so I began seeking the gift of the Holy Spirit. God did not forget about me and He gloriously filled me too!

Some could say I have missed out on the pleasures of this life. I have not used drugs, or drank alcohol. I have had a sheltered upbringing. But, when I look back on my life, I don’t really feel like I have missed out on a thing. It is quite the contrary, I have been so blessed to have not been ex-posed to the hard-ships and pain that sin brings. I am very thank-ful to God and my wonderful parents for how I was raised—in the fear and ad-monition of the Lord.

My family and I moved to Heartland in the summer of

2012. We are blessed to be here. I now work at the Lodge in housekeeping and some-times I cover the front desk. I really enjoy my job. I believe God has blessed me with a love for cleaning. I like to make things pret-ty for our guests. One of my favorite parts about my job is starting the day with group prayer; it is the perfect way to start the day! My Supervisor, Miss Judi, leads this time, and I will always hold it dear to my heart. I hope I will go on to do the same all of my life, because when you put Jesus first every-thing else works out.

Life has not always been easy, but it has been good because God has been here with me through it all. I am learning more and more to trust God. He is always the same, He does not change. What He has done for others He will do for you. If you will call out to Him He will be there to help you and bring life to you through His Son, Jesus.

I have learned over the years that walk-ing with God is a continual process. It nev-er ends until we get to heaven. Just like the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians, “Not as though I had already attained, either were

already perfect: but I follow after... Breth-ren, I count not myself to have

apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those

things which are behind, and reaching forth

unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippi-ans 3:12a, 13-14 KJV).

Victoria just finished her first

year of Bible Col-lege, and is always

ready to share about the joy Christ brings

to her life.

I’ve heard that the name Christo-pher mean “bearer of Christ”. However, up until about a year ago, I lived my life in every way but Christ-like. I am not proud of the man I used to be, if I can even call myself a man during those times, but I suppose I would not have this testimony to give without having experienced the chaos which was my life. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to readily recognize the amazing and undeniable redeeming power of Jesus without having been through it.

I used to be a drug addict—I start-ed smoking weed at age fourteen, using acid and crack almost daily at age fifteen, snorting heroin at age twenty-four, and eventually to the point of shooting any-thing that would break down in water and get me high (although my true am-bition always remained heroin). During those years I also sold drugs; mostly marijuana and heroin, but I did not dis-criminate. If there was a market for it, I would sell it. I mainly dealt so I could use as much as I wanted; also for status and recognition among the people I as-sociated with. What a fool I was to think that pleasing and impressing other dope fiends would ever amount to anything. Then of course there’s plenty of fast money that comes from with being a drug dealer. I could satisfy any sinful desire I had at the time, but money was never my biggest motivating factor.

That reckless behavior turned me into a criminal—I’ve had seventeen various felony arrests and countless misdemeanor charges. Of the seventeen felony arrests, I’ve been charged in a court of law for eleven of them. Of those eleven charges, I’ve been convicted of seven. This has caused a revolving door effect for me in county jails and Missouri prisons. From what I now know is God’s awesome grace and mer-cy, I have been fortunate to have only served a total of five years locked up. Although, that does not include time spent in inpatient rehabs for drug abuse and depres-sion.

All these elements contributed to me being a huge failure throughout my life. I dropped out of high school twice before finally graduating after a fifth year. I enlisted in the Navy and was discharged before I ever made it to boot camp. I dropped out of college three times. I quit every good job and career opportunity after a short period of time, and passed over quite a few more because I knew I would not follow through. I have also destroyed many re-lationships and caused a lot of hurt to people who loved me. Yet, the biggest mistake I ever made was being raised in a Christian family and knowing who Je-sus was, but denying Him and consider-ing myself an agnostic. I was definitely a real loser, going nowhere real fast.

Then somewhere along the way, God began to get my attention. Because I kept myself so numb, it took me a long time to realize what was happening. Heroin has a remarkable capability of killing pain and all feelings, whether it be physical, mental, or spiritual. The first big wake up call came when my brother (and closest friend) died of an overdose on April 1, 2007. I was in prison at the time and felt responsible because I was

the one who in-t ro du c e d

him to heroin.

I vowed to stay clean and attempted to live a good life, which I thought would honor his life. That lasted about three months.

After another short stay in prison for parole violations, and a divinely or-chestrated series of events, I heard about Heartland. The mother of a woman I was in a relationship with was very fa-miliar with Heartland. She knew of my history, my addiction, and the trouble I was in. She highly recommended I get to Northeast Missouri immediately! At first I did not think it was the place for me, but after two back-to-back marijua-na distribution charg-es, and God throwing me signs saying, “This is the way dummy!” I figured I better give it a shot. It was not long after coming to Heartland I knew I was where I was sup-posed to be.

Being raised in the Catholic church and going to Catholic grade school, I had a foundation in the Bi-ble and who Jesus is. Sadly He was never introduced to me as a living person I could have a relationship with. He was more like a character in a book. That has changed since coming to Heartland. I had the opportunity to take a class at Heartland Christian College and it proved to be the most influential and educational experience I’ve ever had concerning Jesus and my individu-al spirituality. It was there that I learned who Jesus really is, why He came to earth, what He accomplished, and how to have a relationship with Him. I also learned how to pray more sincerely and effectively, how to worship in a manner pleasing to God, and to be bold in my faith and love of the Lord. These princi-ples coupled with weekly group classes at the Heartland Men’s Recovery Cen-ter, daily morning devotions, and regu-lar church services at Heartland Com-

munity Church have been instrumen-tal in my growth as a man

and a child of God. With all that

being said, I consider

Chris Orr – Heartland Men’s Recovery Program

The Grace of God Poured Out my time in the Men’s Recovery Center as discipleship training.

I know there are many areas of my life needing work, but I also know I am no longer the broken and empty man I once was because I have been sancti-fied by the blood of Jesus. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” It is also written, “Even though I was once a blas-phemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abun-

dantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” I believe these things with all my heart. The death of my brother has given me the de-sire to spread this good news to others who may not know the Lord, because you never know how much time you have on this earth, and ev-eryone deserves the chance to know the joy and peace which comes from knowing

Jesus, and most importantly, the oppor-tunity to spend eternity in heaven with Him. I thank God every day for giving me new life and allowing me to see just a little clearer what His purpose is for me.

People are noticing a difference in Chris. He gives his best on the job every day as part of the electrical crew, and is an encouragement to the people around him.

I thank God every day for giving

me new life and allowing me to see just a little

clearer what His purpose is for me.

Zach McCurdy – New Creation Country Store

He Makes All Things New My testimony isn’t the typical “ad-

dicted to drugs and alcohol” story, but it is about how God took a man from nothing and made him into a new creation.

I grew up in a “semi-Christian” home. When I was growing up my mother was saved and always made sure my siblings and I were in church. My dad wasn’t saved when my parents were married. I was saved when I was nine years old at youth meet-ing, and my dad was saved not long after.

When I was first saved, I was on fire for God, and went to every church event that I could find a way to get to. I had great sup-port from my mother and friends. When I was in junior high our church hired a new youth pastor, who helped me through some of the toughest times in my life. My family life wasn’t the greatest. My parents fought a lot. I fought with my siblings all the time. We were in and out of church, but my youth pastor helped me stay on track. Then one summer the leaders of my church decided that they didn’t like the way he was running the youth group, and asked him to leave. I remember it being the first time I lost hope in the church, in God. I was so upset and couldn’t understand why God had taken him out of my life. That was the beginning of my descent.

When I went into high school, I was still attending church, but my relationship with God had all but vanished. Then, when I was a sophomore, I started dating an old-er girl in my school. After a few months, we started having a physical relationship, and it spiraled into a sexual addiction. I put my relationship with her before everything else in my life. Everything I loved —band, football, my family, church, God—all be-came secondary to my addiction. I found myself lying to everyone, sacrificing every-thing, so that I could spend time with my girlfriend. One day my mother confronted me about my behavior and I broke down. I realized that it was consuming my life and I ended the relationship. After that I start-ed getting my life back on track. I was back in my Bible and prayer time.

My senior year of high school, my par-ents decided to get a divorce. It was pretty hard on me and it sent me into a serious rebellion. I was very angry with my father and started doing the things I knew he hat-ed. I started drinking and smoking, I got a tattoo, and I was in several different physi-cal relationships. I was falling away from God for the second time since I had been saved.

Towards the end of my senior year, my uncle had me convinced that I should move to San Diego to live with him and join the Navy. So, the week after I gradu-ated, I jumped on a plane and headed for California. While I was there, I had lots of time to myself. I started getting into my Bi-ble several hours a day, and began to real-ize that my life was in a serious mess. I re-dedicated my life to Christ and started liv-

ing for Him again. After a lot of prayer and talking with my spiritual leader, I decided that the Navy wasn’t what God had in store for me. When I returned home, I found out what He did have in store for me. Two weeks after I got home, I met the woman that is now my wife. She has helped me to be the godly man that I have been called to be. I have re-kindled my relationship with my father and have let go of the things in my past that have caused me pain.

A few months after we were married, my wife started talking about moving to Heartland. At first I was strongly against the idea of moving here because of rumors I had heard over the years. After visiting several times, talking with Pastor Charlie and Mr. Barton, and seeing Heartland for

what it really is, we made the decision to move. I can’t imagine calling any place else home. Just being surrounded by people with the same beliefs and hearts for God has changed me for the better more than I could ever have imagined. I love being in a place that is all about winning souls for Christ. Living here has helped me come closer to God and be a better father, and husband to my family. I thank God for Heartland. God willing, I plan to stay for quite some time. We have a son and plans for more children and wouldn’t want to raise them any other place.

You may recognize Zach from his post behind the register at New Creation Coun-try Store. He is usually wearing the same smile he has passed on to his son.

Heartland Tours

Customized tours of Heartland are available for groups.

Visitors can tour the Heartland Dairies and see the milking carousel—where

over 3000 cows are milked three times a day. Plus, there are lots of new kids

at the goat dairy right now! Also, learn about the businesses and ministries

which make up the Heartland community.

To schedule a tour, call 660-213-4584. (All guided tours must be scheduled in advance. Scheduled tour times start at 9:00am with last tour given at 3:30pm. Tours take 1.5-2 hours

depending on group size; we can accommodate from the smallest of tours to charter buses.)

Open House EntertainmentLive, from Silver Dollar City in Bran-

son, Missouri, Heartland welcomes The Homestead Pickers back to our 2013 Open House. They are a special collection of four seasoned performers, musicians, come-dians, actors, storytellers, and composers with many years of experience entertain-ing audiences both in Branson, and around the United States as well as tours of Ireland. Their performing home is the McHaffie Homestead cabin built in 1843 and located on the main street of Silver Dollar City.

Their eclectic blend of fiddle, banjo, guitar, hammered dulcimer, and unique vo-cals depict the early days of American mu-sic, bluegrass, gospel, and even some Irish tunes with humor. They’ve performed for governors, senators, preachers, and presi-dents. The Homestead Pickers have thrilled millions over the years with their antics and top-notch musicianship and they continue to be the highest rated attraction at Silver Dollar City.

Please join us for a free performance on July 6th, 5:00pm in the Entertainment Tent at the Heartland Open House.

FREE TRACTOR PULL

STRONGEST FARMERFARMING DEMO

To enter these events, clip & mail the registration form, or visit our web site for details:

www.Heartlandmissouri.com

5k Road Race RegistRation inFo

Sign up for the Annual Heartland Open House 5K Road Race to be held at 7:00am on Saturday, July 6th. There will be cash prizes of $150, $100 and $50 for the top three finishers in the men’s and women’s divisions. There will also be first place medals for men and women in the following age groups:/ 14 and Under / 15 – 19 / 20 – 29 / 30 – 39 / 40 – 49 / 50 – 59 / 60 – 69 / 70 – 79 / 80 + /. The race will be professionally timed on a scenic hilly route on Heartland Drive (Route E).

Pre-registration on or before June 27th = $15 (will receive a FREE t-shirt); registra-tions after June 27th until race day = $20 (free t-shirt only if still available). Sign-in the day of the race begins at 6:00am at the Ozark Lodge & Steakhouse, 400 New Creation Road, Newark, MO 63458. Visit the web site to register online.

antique caR & tRactoR show

Remember the look of the old ’57 Chevy Bel Air, the ’67 Mustang Fastback, or the ’67 Plymouth Road Runner? If you are a car enthusiast who enjoys viewing them or if you have a vintage car, motorcycle, or tractor you would like to show off, join us for the Heartland Open House Car & Tractor Show. Car and Tractor Clubs are also welcome.

For the Car Show, Special Features or Class Entering include: Mustangs – all mod-els; Corvettes – 1953-present; Street Rods – any to 1948 and 1949-present; Muscle Cars – 1960-present; Cars Stock – 1900-1954 and 1954-1965 and 1966-present; Truck – all makes, all models; Motorcycles – all makes/models.

Tractor entries will be 1975 and older, judged on originality, condition, and appear-ance. To pre-register, please complete the online registration form, mail the form below, or pick up a form at the Heartland Auto Shop. Registration is free; prizes will be award-ed for First, Second, Third Place in each category as well as Longest Distance and Par-ticipants Choice. Participants may also register the day of the show before 11:00am.

To be eligible to compete, vehicles must be on property, in place by 11:00am on July 6, 2013. NOTE: Route E will be closed from 7-8:00am due to the 5K race. Awards announced at 2:30pm at the registration tent. Must be present to win and be photo-graphed. No alcohol on property, and pets must be supervised or on a leash.

caR & tRactoR showRegistRation FoRm

Heartland open House - July 6, 2013Registration is free! One registration form per car/tractor registered.

Name __________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________

City________________________ State______ Zip ______________

Make____________________ Year_____ Body Style ____________

Liability ReleaseI agree that Heartland or Representative Staff are NOT responsible for any accidents to me or my car/tractor or its contents.

Signature___________________________ Date ____________________

Fax registration to 660-284-6320, or mail to Heartland Open House, 6417 Shelby 150, Bethel, MO 63434

5k Road RaceRegistRation FoRm

Heartland open House - July 6, 2013

Name __________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________

City________________________ State______ Zip ______________

Age ____________ Male___ Female___ Tshirt Size______________

Liability ReleaseWaiver Must Be Read and Signed Before Mailing:

I know that running is a potentially hazardous activity. I should not enter or run this event unless I am medically able and properly trained. I agree to abide by any deci-sion of a race official relative to my ability to safely complete the run. I assume all risks associated with running in this race including, but not limited to, falls, contact with other participants, the effects of weather, including high heat and/or humidity, the conditions of the road and traffic on the course, all such risks being known and appreciated by me. Having read this waiver and knowing these facts, and in consid-eration of your acceptance of my application, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release Heartland 5K and all sponsors, their representatives and successors from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in this event even though that liability may arise out of negligence or carelessness on the part of the persons named in this waiver. All fees are nonrefundable. Furthermore, I hereby give the event sponsor permission to use my photograph or video/film and to publish and/or display the same without incurring any debts or liabilities to me of any kind.

Signature___________________________ Date ____________________

Mail with payment to: Heartland Open House, 6417 Shelby 150, Bethel, MO 63434

FOR KIDS

BBQ

TRACTOR

= Restrooms

= handicap Restroom

5K Heartland open House road race, 7amthe first event of the day starts early at our third annual heartland open house 5k Road Race, so get your running shoes on and get ready. Registration at 6:00am, race at 7:00am. entry fee before June 27: $15.00 (includes free t-shirt) / after June 27: $20.00. Pre-register at www.heartlandMissouri.com, fill out the form on page 11, or sign up on race day at the ozark steakhouse.

info about Heartland & open House eventsat the Main entrance information tent you can get an overview of the ministries and businesses which form the heartland community. the heartland creamery is on hand with free cheese samples from 9am-5pm, and be sure to RegisteR to Win a free night’s stay at the ozark lodge. also register for open house events such as car & tractor show, Pedal tractor Pull, or strongest Farmer competition.

Car & Tractor Showif you have a vintage car, motorcycle, or tractor, join us for the car & tractor show. clubs are welcome. to compete, have your vehicle in place by 11am. Pre-register online at www.heartlandMissouri.com, or fill out the form on page 11. Participants may also register at the info tent the day of open house. entry is free.

Heartland Tours, Departing 10am-4pmhop on the tour bus for a driving tour around the heartland community and over to the heartland dairy. see the 60-stall carousel milking machine in action, and make a quick stop at the goat dairy. upon your return, visit the heartland Ford Museum and solid Rock café, and browse through the new creation country store featuring heartland apparel, creamery cheeses, our own candles, cookbooks and more. or, request a drop-off at the Mission house thrift store and see what we have to offer.

Threshing Demonstrations, 10:30am & 3:30pmJoin us at the north end of the open house field to see the antique steam engine in action. no gas will be running this machine! it will be full steam ahead as you watch farmers demonstrate how to thresh the way your grandpa used to do it.

FoodPlenty of concessions will be available to purchase snacks throughout the day – sandwiches, roasted corn on the cob, kettle corn, ice cream, lemonade shake-ups, soda and more. (a free dinner will be served 5-7pm.)

Xcaliber Tractor Pull, 10am-2:30pmit first began as a competition between farmers who would boast about the strength of their horses. now come and enjoy the contemporary version as Xcaliber Pulling brings us a truck and tractor pull with some real “horsepower”!

games & activitiesthere is plenty of old fashioned fun for the children to enjoy! in addition to inflatable games, kids can play games, have their face painted, and laugh with the clowns. a reading tent with puppets gives them a chance to rest and wind down. We also have some fun planned for the adults—watch as your neighbors compete in the “strongest Farmer” competition. bring your lawn chair and settle in to enjoy the day together.

Kids’ Pedal Tractor Pull, 3pmRegister your kids or grandkids to take on some weight of their own in the li’l tikes tractor Pull. sign-up for this event begins at 1pm at the info tent, and is open to the first one hundred 3-12year olds.

petting Zooa popular spot at our annual open house is the Petting Zoo filled with calves, kids, ducklings, and rabbits for children to experience hands-on. heartland also has exotic animals on display. Wild zebras, camels, peacocks, and watusi cattle make their home in the fields near the heartland water tower.

Strongest Farmer Competition, 4pma little friendly competition among neighbors for the title of “strongest Farmer”. both the men’s and women’s events include: water bucket carry, bale toss, corn scooping, hedge post toss, feed sack stack, and wheelbarrow race. First ten men and women to register at 3pm at the info tent will compete. Prizes awarded.

Entertainment Under the Big Topthroughout the day, the entertainment tent is available for shade and visiting. We will also feature music by heartland children’s choirs, a hymn sing, and a special show by the homestead Pickers. see schedule on page 1.

Free Dinner & Entertainment, 5-7pmJoin us from 5-7:00pm for our free open house dinner featuring bbQ pulled pork or beef sandwiches, good old fashioned baked beans, cottage cheese, and soft drinks. then, sit back and enjoy some great music and a greeting from Pastor charlie sharpe.

Fireworks!stick around at the end of the evening for a big fireworks display over the lake. there is a great view from the north end of the field.

2 0 1 3 O P E N H O U S E E V E N T S A N D A C T I V I T I E S

SHELby COUNT y ROAD 150 AT THE wEST EDgE Of HEARTLAND

Visit Our Website for Details & Directions:

www.Heartlandmissouri.com

OPEN HOUSE SITE MAP