The Journey Continues

For many years, the King’s Fold Newsletter has been entitled Journeying On and many of you may be wondering how the King’s Fold journey has been in the weeks following Virgil Stauffer's untimely death on June 29th.  The extent of this tragedy cannot easily be measured, and it has had an incredible impact on the ministry and the community.  We can say with confidence that God is still inviting us to journey on together with the same vision and values that have been present at King’s Fold for so many years.  Here are answers to some of the most common questions we have been asked in recent weeks:

What is the health of the King’s Fold Community since Virgil’s death?
As you can well imagine, the tragedy has left its mark on each member of the community in a different way.  Each has been able to find support in grieving both inside and outside the community but healing is going to take time.  Immediately after news of Virgil’s death, many of you came out to offer support and perhaps to seek comfort in your own grieving.  As community members were trying to deal with their own grief, they understandably found little strength to support others in theirs. 

King’s Fold was immediately closed to guests for a time simply to deal with the shock of Virgil’s passing.  After a brief reopening, the centre closed again for three weeks in late July and early August for scheduled holidays and construction. We would like to express our thanks to the many volunteers and associates who came to serve in recent weeks.  You were a blessing to us and to our guests. The centre has recently reopened and is offering hospitality once again.  Each community member is committed to continuing the King’s Fold ministry of providing spiritual hospitality to those who come seeking rest, healing & renewal. 

Rick and Dori Robinson, long-term King’s Fold volunteers, have joined us until the end of January.  At that time we will need additional staff in the areas of kitchen and maintenance.  If you know of an individual with strong maintenance skills or a couple who would be a good fit with the community, please let them know of the need.

Who is giving leadership to King’s Fold in the absence of a director?
Michelle Newsham and Don Martin are sharing on-site leadership of the community and day-to-day operations.  The transition from a support role to leadership is a stretch for them but they are willing to grow into new areas of responsibility.  The board is taking a more active role in supporting the community’s ministry decisions and activities to ensure the centre’s continued health. Beginning in September, the board chair, Linda Wilson, a second board member and another well-respected friend of King’s Fold will meet regularly with the community for prayer, pastoral care and guidance in the operation of the centre.  Part of the board’s focus in the next months will be to determine the ministry’s leadership needs and begin a search for a new director.  It will take a considerable period of time, at least one year, before the process is complete and a new director is chosen.

How is Irene?
In response to this question Irene can speak for herself:  “Words cannot express adequately what it has meant to have such tremendously sincere and helpful support from so many during this time of my great loss.  I miss Virgil terribly but have been experiencing the strength and love of the Lord in ways far beyond what I could ever have imagined.  Thank you to all who have stepped up to the plate in some way to fill the many holes created by my dear Virgil’s absence. Your continued prayers are coveted as I seek to discern the Lord’s plan & purposes for my future.”

As you can tell from this, God has given Irene sustaining peace.  Please pray that she will continue to know this peace as her journey of grief continues.  Irene’s left hand was severely damaged in the accident but with excellent medical care and the miracle of healing she has regained some use.  Complete healing will take several months.  During this healing process, Irene will continue to live at King’s Fold and take part in community life as she is able. 

What is the status of the Kitchen Expansion Project?
The King’s Fold Community and board members convened on July 15th to reflect, pray and discuss some key priorities, including how to best proceed with the Kitchen Expansion Project. Under the leadership of Don Dufault and Kent Andersson, a plan for completing the new kitchen was presented and approved in principle by the board. A Kitchen Committee has been established, and Paul Brander has agreed to serve as Project Manager, providing financial and technical oversight to the project and consulting with the Municipal District of Bighorn.

Since the meeting in July significant progress has been made. Trades, suppliers and other key individuals have been contacted, and the status of permits with the MD has been determined. A large portion of the drywall has been installed, and the remainder will be completed once the necessary permits and inspections have been obtained. A roof over the loading dock has been built, as well as the kitchen nook and an upper deck. In August a team of volunteers made excellent progress on installing siding to the exterior of the building, and the task is now almost complete.

There is still a long way to go before all the work is done. However, thanks to God’s faithfulness and the hard work of the volunteers, community and generous supporters we are confident that the project will come to fulfillment.

How can I help?
The shock of Virgil’s death has mostly passed, and now the hard work of continuing the ministry in his absence continues.  Please pray for the community and the board for wisdom, strength, and grace to meet the challenges of this transition.

Where can I direct my memorial gifts?
In the last newsletter we reported that $30,000 was needed to complete the project debt free. We are pleased to advise that nearly $23,000 has been donated to date, in memory of our friend, Virgil. However, in discussions with the MD of Bighorn, the authorities have concluded that the new kitchen at King’s Fold will be deemed a “commercial” kitchen, a conclusion Virgil was sincerely hoping to avoid.  This means that we will be required to install an exhaust canopy and air exchange unit. The expected additional cost that will be incurred is in the range of $20,000 - $30,000.  We still need your financial help to complete this project debt free!  Please consider a donation to help us reach our goal.

Thank you again for your part in carrying out the King's Fold vision and ministry. We are so grateful for the love and support of our extended King's Fold family.