Dear Friends –
Impact is into its 21st wonderful year. And now, as always, we are indebted to you. Your gifts of all kinds – time, energy, money – make real what was once a dream. You make it possible for the Impact family to thrive and grow.
I think it’s a good idea to do as little record-keeping as possible in measuring the success of our work in the kingdom of God. We should celebrate at all times, even the discouraging ones, knowing that God is in all things, recognizing that sometimes what we judge to be success may in fact be failure and what we think has failed God uses to do his will.
But maybe we can be forgiven if we especially rejoice in the fact that 18 Impact young adults are attending universities. EIGHTEEN!! Each of them has worked to get the opportunity that we believe will transform in positive ways both them and Impact. To know them, to know the neighborhoods from which they come, to realize what they’ve already accomplished is to be optimistic about the future. To put them and the fact that they’re going to college into a word is to say "Wonderful!" Sometimes I want to shout "Wonderful!" for the world to hear. Other times I want to whisper it quietly to myself.
Adding to the wonder is the realization that their accomplishments are theirs, but that they are under girded by others, including you. In most cases I’m not at all sure they’d have gotten to where they are without Impact. And I certainly don’t believe Impact would be what it is without you.
We write a letter like this annually, asking you to help with the year end contribution which is so important to us. Please know that our gratitude is real and deeply felt. Do what you can.
Through Christ,
Charlie Middlebrook