Question: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" (Jeremiah 13:23).
Answer: "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come" (2 Cor. 5:17).

Dear Friends and Family,

How does true and lasting change happen? I mean, really happen. Is there any hope for a person to truly change? Can change come to a person who has been so entangled in the muck and mire of sin that he is completely enveloped by it? Where do we go and what do we look for to bring this authentic change? The hunt for the answers to these questions in our culture can be dangerous! The reason is because ideas have consequences. Act on the wrong idea, and the inevitable consequences will follow. These consequences are rarely neutral, and they can bring even more destruction, pushing us further away from the answers and healing we seek. Seeing the current condition of our culture's counseling community is cause for a hard swallow indeed. GULP!

The treatment, rehabilitation, and counseling arenas have become big business in our society. They often prey on the vulnerable, the ignorant, the weak, and the wounded during a time in their lives when they cannot carry an additional burden. Masked Freudian counselors charge horrendous amounts of money to sit and listen and give their atheistic answers for help (oftentimes under a Christian banner!). Mr. Worldly Wiseman prescribes advice and medicines in abundance for non-physiological troubles to be used like band aids on cancer. The effort is often designed to bring comfort and relief to the ailing, but it only serves to draw one off of the narrow road and entangle the wounded sinner even further. Residential treatment centers perform their "professional" behavior-modification techniques that temporarily clean the outside of the cup but offer nothing to address the inside, where the heart and roots of the problems lie. We then wonder why the recidivism appears so quickly. Yes, the heart of man is desperately wicked, and even in times of peril and impending doom, sinful hearts often look away from Sovereignty and look towards frailty (Isaiah 2:22, 31:1).

Real and lasting change comes from Christ and Christ alone. Healing originates with Him, and it works on a man from the inside outward. Only a change in the heart (mind) of a man can bring true and authentic change in a man. The mind must be renewed (Romans 12:2) and the Spirit quickened (Ephesians 2:1,5). Only when the mind and spirit are changed will lasting change occur in behavior, speech, and all of the subsequent emotions that closely follow. Let's be clear on this: the mind is the battlefield, and the Word of God is the change agent to win the war! "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word..." (Ephesians 5:26).

Do you find yourself in the same boat as the rest of humanity? Are you being threatened and attacked by the polluting agents of this world and even by your own flesh? Are they threatening your relationships, your thinking, your emotions, your life, even your very soul? Then it's time to get very busy with the sanctifying work of biblical replacement (brain-washing). Because the truth of the matter is that while we are living in this world, our brains need washing! May He give us the Grace.

God continues to bless TFR with the enablement to faithfully serve in its Calling. This is our busiest time of year with many more applicants knocking on our door from all over the US. We can/will only accept a limited number of women because of our convictions regarding true discipleship. These efforts take time and energy and must not ever be compromised by the desire for larger numbers without our having adequate resources to minister effectively. In addition, even in our short seven-year existence, we are seeing an increase in the severity of the problems that lead people to come to us for help. Still, God's Word is sufficient, and true change is happening, by His Grace!

NEW LIFE!
Carrie, like all of the women who come to TFR, came to us wounded and hurting. Having a broken spirit and residing at rock-bottom long enough, she received and responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ just two days into TFR's program! Please pray for her ongoing sanctification and protection as she learns to follow and obey her newfound Lord and Savior.

Our barns have been exploding with new (physical) life as rabbits, kittens, goats, and sheep have all been born at about the same time. (You'd think we were an animal maternity ward!) These animals don't give us much notice at all sometimes; you can walk right into a situation where new life is arriving, and guess what? You're the midwife! Just the other day, Carrie found twin baby goats that had dropped onto the scene unexpectedly, one boy and one girl!

The B.C.C.O. (Biblical Counseling Center of Okanogan) has officially opened its doors in the town of Tonasket, and we were not prepared for the onslaught of counseling needs that we were faced with. In particular, the need for biblical marriage counseling has been huge, as there is nowhere else in Okanogan County that offers this service. We have had to turn many away simply because we do not have the staff/resources to help them all. (Any NANC/IABC counselors out there interested in moving to Tonasket?) We have been able to use the former Tonasket Free Methodist Church building, free of charge, for our counseling offices, and it has worked out great for us. They have been extremely generous, and we are indebted to them and to the Lord for their help in meeting these needs.

ANSWERED PRAYER!
More answered prayer has come our way as the Lord provided for our tractor/tilling needs! If you remember from our last newsletter, our old tractor had all but given up the ghost. We thought she was a goner until some strong mechanical skills were applied to it by some local Christian men. Combined efforts were made, a few vital parts replaced, and she's up and running again! Admittedly, she's not real strong or dependable, but it looks like one more season of plowing and tilling is going to come from this old faithful Ford tractor—Lord willing!

TFR is getting a facelift this month as the entryway to our facility receives new signage, new rock on the driveway, and even a new pasture/corral area. A men's group from New Life Christian Center in the greater Seattle area came over for a "power-service weekend" to help out with all of these needs. This group of men absolutely tore up our "to do" list. They installed a new road sign, built new fencing complete with new gates, spread out new rock on the driveway, fixed our electrical problems on the trailers, repaired our greenhouse doors after a harsh winter, and performed a host of other jobs. A big "thank you" goes out to these faithful servants! These visiting service groups are our lifeblood, and we would never be able to keep this 100+ acre facility in turn-key condition without them. We are now expecting a women's group from SeaTac Bible Church. They arrive the first week of June, and we're looking forward to seeing them!

We are developing our water system a bit further this month as trenches are being dug and more new, frost-free water hydrants are being put in. This trenching is being done free of charge by a local Christian man who owns a large backhoe that makes short work of a 500-foot, 5-foot-deep trench. The Lord's provision is ongoing, and we are thankful for the great help.

TFR's finances are a topic for praise and for continued prayer. Our mortgage is now down to about 38k as we have diligently pushed any extra money we have had towards this debt. Unfortunately, there isn't any "extra" money to be pushed. As you know, Churches, ministries, corporations and families all over the world are experiencing financial trials right now. TFR is no different. While we are doing our best to faithfully endure these hardships through solid, biblical, stewardship principles, the Lord continues to graciously meet TFR's needs with His ongoing provisions, allowing us to serve and minister without being muzzled. Please pray that TFR will continue to thrive and blossom in the midst of a withering economy, especially during this summertime season when giving traditionally drops.

GARDENING 2009!
Here comes the garden! We have about 110 days of solid growing season from the end of May through the beginning of September. There's not a lot of room for error, so we have to be on the ball and ready to plant when the weather looks right. Potatoes, peas, and such are the easy ones, but the corn needs all the days between frosts that it can get! Even when the timing is perfect, sometimes it just doesn't work out. Last year, a "maverick" hailstorm hit TFR in mid-July. It came over the top of TFR for about 30 minutes and devastated our corn crop. Our corn was ice packed, and we lost it all. This was obviously disappointing, but we ended up with more corn last year than any other year. Our local farmers heard of our loss and brought us more produce than we would have grown! Grace triumphs over works!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Here's a new tidbit for our newsletter. From time to time, as we get phone calls, letters, e-mails, or visits, we receive the blessing of being able to see what the Lord has done with the lives of those who have come through TFR's program. It wouldn't be right to keep these blessings to ourselves, so we'll do our best to share them with you, our ministry family, as we receive them.

Here's the first: Becci came to us from Portland, Oregon. At just 22 years of age, she was entangled in an anorexic and bulimic lifestyle and suffering from the symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Drugs and alcohol had been used as a temporary escape from the pain, but the price tags for these behaviors were now coming due. Self-abuse and suicide were knocking on the door of her heart, and she desperately needed help before it was too late. She arrived at TFR in 2003, scared and broken.

Christ brought her rescue and relief! She was able to find healing through his Word and peace through His presence. She was able to come off of all her psychotropic medications and leave TFR physically, emotionally, and spiritually whole.

Shortly following her time at TFR, Becci volunteered at Camp Morrow Bible Camp where she met David Baumgarden, who is now her Christian husband! They were married in late 2004, and the Lord has now blessed them with two beautiful little girls: Dorothy Grace, age 2 1/2, and Charlotte Noelle, age 4 months. They enjoy spending time together as a family by playing board games and camping, but mostly just staying at home. They attend Church on the Mountain in Welches, Oregon, and they would love to hear from any/all who would like to re-connect with them. We have been given permission to give you their contact information, so if you would like to catch up, simply give us a ring.

God's grace knows no bounds and has no limitations. It can reach into the deepest, darkest pits and save the worst of sinners. The German hymn writer, Frederick Martin Lehman, said it very well in the third verse of his hymn entitled "The Love of God," written in 1917.

"Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. The love of God how rich and pure! How measureless and strong. It shall forevermore endure the saints' and angels' song."

Thank you for standing with us. We love you.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Craig Lofthus