Idaho

IDAHO CONFERENCE // NEWS

ongtime lay minister Alvin Schnell of Caldwell retired Sabbath, Sept. 28, 2019, after many years of leading the congregation at the Middleton Church. The event was marked by about 100 guests for a luncheon.

Schnell first retired from his dental practice in October 2018 after seven years in Lancaster, California, and 41 years in Caldwell. Though unpaid, Schnell — with his wife, Coral, and mother-inlaw, Mary Perry — has held many Bible studies, completed many community service projects, held prayer meetings and fulfilled countless emergency needs for all these years.

The Schnells, along with Alvin’s sister and brotherin-law, Melvin and Evelyn Wageman, began sharing Bible truth in Middleton in October 1999 through an evangelism series and then Bible study. The conference recognized the Middleton group of about 50 people as a church in 2000. The members first met in an old auto repair garage. A beautiful church building on Cemetery Road was built in 2009, with Melvin Wageman as the contractor.

The Schnells have built a home in Arizona but have promised to visit when they are in Idaho. The Middleton Church family has appreciated the many years of the Schnells’ selfless service. They will be sorely missed. Elders and deacons will be leading worship services, prayer meetings and Bible studies. Dan Ross, another lay pastor, has volunteered to minister one to two times per month as well. LONGTIME MIDDLETON MINISTER RETIRES L

Alvin and Coral Schnell are all smiles during their retirement reception luncheon.

Lynne Lent, Middleton Church communication leader

IDAHO CONFERENCE // NEWS

v fter nearly two years of planning, the Eagle Church’s community services team launched the Treasure Valley Mobile Food Pantry on Nov. 18, 2019. The first stop was at the Garnet Church in Wilder.

The mobile pantry began as a dream for David and Nikko Hess, Eagle Church members. Their dream became a reality only after many months spent fundraising, finding a truck and trailer, going through three inspections, holding three training sessions and doing paperwork.

The volunteers who run the mobile pantry are learning as they go, fine-tuning their processes. The second distribution was at the Parma Church later in November. Fourteen families, representing 48 people, were served that day. One person came by bike and attached his box of food to the back, assisted by Terry Beucler, Eagle Church interim pastor.

When asked what this food source means to her, one woman said, “It makes a huge difference to us, helps us provide good food to our children. My husband works full-time, but it is difficult to feed our family without having additional sources like this. It’s so nice to have fresh fruit and vegetables to choose.”

An additional Eagle Church outreach is distributing boxes of food, as a partner with the Idaho Food Bank, to seniors at low income senior complexes. This part of the pantry began six months before getting the trailer and truck. Seniors sign up with the Idaho Food Bank, and various organizations around the Treasure Valley deliver the boxes. In addition to the food provided by the Idaho Food Bank, Eagle Adventist Community Services packages fresh fruit and vegetables for the seniors as well.

The Hesses and the Eagle Church are praying this ministry will grow. They are open to working with all churches, regardless of denomination. They feel they are doing what Christ commanded in Matthew 25: feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty. The team looks forward to serving many more communities as other churches come on board. Eve Rusk, Idaho Conference communication director TREASURE VALLEY LAUNCHES MOBILE FOOD PANTRY A

Once the shopping is complete, volunteers help transfer food from baskets to bags or boxes. EVE RUSK Volunteers prepare the trailer for the distribution process. Terry Beucler (right) holds a guest’s bicycle while a box of food is secured on it. EVE RUSK EVE RUSK many more photos online at glnr.in/115-02-id_foodpantry