"He lifted me out of a pit, and I will sing, sing a new song." - Psalm 40
River of Life Mission was born out of compassion. Forty years ago, our founders, Jack and Audrey Stankus, along with a small group of kind-hearted individuals, pulled up in a station wagon filled with sandwiches to offer a simple meal to people struggling on the streets. Moved by compassion and a deep love for Jesus, they responded to His call to care for the poor and needy.
Today, we celebrate our 40th anniversary! What a milestone! Reflecting on all God has done—starting with curbside compassion and growing into a mission that has served over 12 million free meals to people in desperate situations—is awe-inspiring. As we all know, homelessness is a growing issue across Oahu, not only in Chinatown but in communities throughout the island.
We praise God that just over two years ago, He led us to go fully mobile. Through His miraculous work, we can now serve and support people in almost every community on Oahu. Our mobile HUB model has enabled us to help people get off the streets and prevent others from becoming homeless. Through exponential growth and the diverse needs of our HUBs, we are now also able to serve at-risk youth, single mothers, Native Hawaiians, our Kupuna, and college students facing financial struggles far from home.
This year, we invite you to join us in celebrating this significant milestone for River of Life Mission—40 years of serving those in need, alongside you and so many others, creating a powerful force of compassion that has made a difference in the lives of people who have lost hope. As our former Executive Director, Pastor Bob Marchant, often said, "We want people to know that hope is on the way." Hope is on its way through the lives of many compassionate people who have joined this God-led mission—River of Life Mission.
Throughout this year, we look forward to sharing stories from our history, focusing on key moments from each decade. When I think of the Biblical significance of 40, one example that comes to mind is the Israelites' 40 years of refinement in the desert before entering the Promised Land. Moses' life is divided into three sets of 40 years: the first in Egypt, where he learned and led; the second in Midian, where he learned to lead a nation; and the third, preparing that nation to enter the Promised Land. In a similar way, River of Life Mission's first 40 years have been a time of learning about compassion and how we can grow as an organization. God has incredibly blessed our journey so far. Now, like Moses, we are moving into the next season—learning how to lead a nation. We are leaning on Jesus to help us extend compassion across the entire island, through a community of people who not only have hearts full of compassion but are also equipped with the resources and tools to truly help those in need.
There is so much to celebrate as we enter our 40th year. Together, we have lifted people out of hopelessness daily. And together, we can’t wait to "sing, sing a new song" throughout the year.
Let’s celebrate and sing about all that God has done. We invite you to join us in celebrating River of Life Mission’s 40th anniversary, continuing to love Jesus and respond to His call to care for those in need.
God bless you in this incredible new year. Let’s go 40!
With gratitude,
Pastor Paul Gates
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