Subject: follow-up to special Clown-Ministry.com mailing (06/01/04)
This is a follow-up to the special mailing that went out on 5/28/04. If you missed it for any reason, I’ve included a copy at the end of this newsletter.
First, I would like to thank everyone for their generosity thus far. I hadn’t expected to see any response until today, due to the Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S.A. (Monday being a national holiday). My wife and I were happily surprised when responses started coming in that very night! My thanks to everyone who has contributed — thus far, $156.00 has come in, and my heartfelt thanks to everyone. I’ve sent a personal thank-you note to everyone thus far — if you haven’t received it, please let me know.
Secondly, I’d like to address some things that I either left out or didn’t make clear initially. If you can’t afford to send any money, then your prayers are coveted and appreciated. If you can afford to send money, your prayers are still coveted and appreciated. But please, do NOT rob Peter to pay Paul; make sure that your own obligations are met, and don’t take away money that your were planning to tithe or offer at your local church — that always needs to come first.
Something that I forgot about is that lots of people prefer to send money by check, rather than over the Internet. After about 2 dozen requests, here is my mailing address:
Tom Raymond
216 Edwards Street
Wausau, WI 54401
Again, thank you for your time, for your generosity, and most of all for your prayers and encouragement. God bless you all — and bump a nose! I plan to send out the “regular” newsletter tomorrow, God willing.
Tom Raymond
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http://www.clown-ministry.com/
“Clowns work like aspirin, only faster” — Groucho Marx
As long-time recipients of the newsletter will remember, the last year has not been a good one (financially) for my family. After being unemployed for over 6 months, and then finding a temporary position, I’ve again been unemployed since the end of March. Lack of income has come to a head, and I am now facing the specter of the bank foreclosing on my mortgage if I don’t have over $2,400 by the end of June.
So, what’s a person to do? I’m (not surprisingly) trying to do more clowning (which has not been my primary income — an unemployed computer geek by trade), and am having some additional revenue from that, but not enough.
I’m in prayer, remembering that God is still on His throne, that He will provide all my needs, not a sparrow can fall without His knowledge, and all of the other promises.
In addition, I’m making my need known to my brothers & sisters in Christ. I’ve been operating the Clown Ministry web site for quite a while (since 1996), and I hope and pray that it has been and continues to be a blessing to God’s people, in spreading the Gospel, and in edifying the saints.
The Gospel is free, as is the web site. The web site, regardless of what happens, will continue to operate as it always has — there will be no monthly fees, or “premium” areas available to subscribers, etc.
I am asking that, if you are able, if you feel that the Lord has blessed you through the site, and (MOST importantly) if you feel that it’s what the Lord Jesus would have you to do, to donate a dollar to help me out of the hole that I find myself in.
You see, this weekly newsletter goes out to over 1,550 people at this point — if everyone were to give one dollar, I would be able to cover the rest. (You can see a donation button at the top right hand section of most pages)
It goes without saying that some people will not give a dollar, and others will give more — but I’m asking a dollar. Please note that I’m not a non-profit organization, not doing the web site via some church affiliation, and so there’s no tax deduction. I’m just a guy, trying to apply his knowledge for God’s glory.
Thanks for listening. In advance, my thanks to everyone who can and will donate. If you can’t, or if you simply don’t think it’s what the Lord wants you to do, that’s OK too — we love you just the same :o)