Hello and thanks for catching up with us!

    It has been an incredible summer very busy and extremely enjoyable.  Thurston Ministries was asked to be involved with the Maine Celtic Celebration in the month of July of 2007.  For the first time in Belfast’s history Gospel music was played all day.  We had an wide variety of music from southern Gospel to Irish, to Christian Rock.

The “Hyssongs” Southern Gospel recording artists under the Sanctuary label performed first then it was Elzadia Parsons, The High Meadow Quartet, The Gold Duster’s, Shamrock, Christian rock band “7”.

The day was an lively to say the least.  We also decided to help some people who were and are in need in this area, so we had 2 free meals and served Hot dogs from 11:30 till 2:00 pm giving away over 250 dogs for the hungry crowd.  Then to top it all off at 5:00 pm we had a fish and chips dinner with a beverage.  Our best guestamates are that we served over 500 people that day and showed the community that Jesus is love, in a tangible way. Did I forget to mention that we had a bouncy room and games and prizes all day and that the area was called the “Blarney Stone Castle”(please see the pictures).  Thurston Ministries was responsible for bringing this family fun day to the City of Belfast we worked in conjunction with the Children’s committee for the Celtic Festival, and we owe special thanks to Jim Bell director of parks and Recreation in Belfast, and also to Amy from the weathervane and to Nancy, from the University of Maine Hutchinson center, they are great people and we thank them sooo! Much.  A special round of applause goes to Grace Tabernacle for their generosity and time!

    During this summer Thurston Ministries better known as (T.M.E.A) has been partnering with “The Good Shepard Food Bank” here in the state of Maine.  We have been having monthly dinners as well as free breakfasts for the Searsport, Belfast areas as well as being an supplier of needed food and personal items for approximately 30 families.  We now have 2 refrigerators and 2 freezers to store and maintain the food that we gather from the food bank.  Karyn and I along with some of the folks from Grace Tabernacle make a monthly trek to Auburn Maine (1 1/2 Hours away) to rummage through food and personal care items to help people in need in our area.  We also have been partnering with the University of Maine at the Hutchinson Center to help single moms that are trying to go back to school with some needed items, and some other people that need just that extra little lift during the month.

         We really feel the need to share with you what God has been doing.  In June of last year my family decided to come up with a special gift for Karyn and I.  They brought my sister Sharon’s old Mercury Villager van for us to have, little did we all know that that van would be used as a truck to bring food for people in need.  We cannot thank them all enough for that necessary gift, We love you!!  Only eternity will tell the impact that that gift has had on this area! 

    Karyn is still unemployed and her foot is doing much better since she has been off it.  It has been 6 months since she had to take medical leave from her previous job, but God has been faithful and He is providing, but as one missionary friend stated to me some years age, “I get tired of walking on water”.  
I am still pastoring Grace Tabernacle, and that is a full time job in and of itself but we are seeing increase in our labors.  The need in this area is so great, and we thank God for bring us to this place for such a time as this!    

Please check out all the new phases of web site and keep watching for our web cast of “More Than a Song”

         Just a quick note of thanks to the Glen Myers clan & Eleanor that came to Maine and stopped to visit us at Grace Tabernacle. It was the highlight of our month and you guys made us homesick and happy all at the same time! Thanks for singing Glen.  Thank you for coming and visiting with us!!  To all the folks at Ardara UPC we send our love, and condolences at your Pastor’s retiring (Good ones are hard to find and he is pretty close to being the best!)

Now Karyn has a few words top share with you about
“Ladie’s Night Out”

Hi,Everyone!
    Just wanted to tell you about the Ladies’s Night Out at Grace Tabernacle!  It was an exciting night that I think we will all remember!  The food was excellent – prepared and served by the men of Grace Tabernacle. We had Chicken Cordon Bleu or Baked Ham with all the extras.  There was a fabulous punch fountain, and of course, a milk chocolate fountain as well as a white chocolate fountain.  We dipped everything!  We had strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels, pound cake, potato chips, pineapple, cherries, apples, etc.  Some of the younger ones looked a bit chocolate covered themselves!  But even more than the food, we enjoyed the fellowship.  Have you ever heard 70 ladies in one room laughing and talking?  I really don’t know how we did eat, we never stopped talking!  It was so much fun, and we are so grateful to the men of the church for having it for us.  But the highlight of the evening was the entertainment. We had piano music played by David Mallek, a song by Wayne Drinkwater, and one from  “my” favorite singer, Pastor Harvey!  We can hardly wait till next time!     

                      With Lots of Love

                 Harvey and Karyn Thursto