From the Director
Dear Friends of ABM,
He has risen. It is a time of renewal and rebirth. I see all the flowers blooming and the new life with the ducklings that cross the road with their parents.
Part of our renewal at AUDIOBOOK Ministries is reconnecting with the Lions of 19B. I was invited to the virtual convention this year to talk about AUDIOBOOK Ministries and to see if they could partner with us. I loved learning about the program Knights of the Blind and other parts of this great organization.
At the end of the month, I will also be talking with the Kiwanis group from Burien to see if they can help us reestablish our children's book part of AUDIOBOOK Ministries.
We continue looking to the future of AUDIOBOOK Ministries, seeking new office space so that we don't need to worry about where we are going to be in 3 months and just focus on the work of the ministry. Do you know someone in the Sea-Tac, Burien, Normandy Park area of Seattle that has office space? Please pass along our contact information.
Yours in Christ,
Laurie van der Roest
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Merlin Richard Arney
1925-2022
Merlin Arney was a great friend to Tape Ministries NW now AUDIOBOOK Ministries. Merlin and his wife Martha had a Christian tape library for the blind for many years. They purchased Christian books and wrote to the authors and publishers to get permission to record the books on tape and then distribute them free of charge to blind persons throughout the United States. This was done first on reel to reel, then cassettes. The mailing was done by them and the entire ministry was supported by them with an occasional donation, with Martha doing the reading of the books to record them.
Martha was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and Merlin lovingly cared for her until her death. Afterward, he contacted Tape Ministries NW in Seattle, Washington which was very thankful to get the Martha Arney Library for the Blind turned over to them. AUDIOBOOK Ministries continues to distribute the books to this day after they were converted to digital. God blessed this couple and guided their lives. It has been an honor to know such wonderful people.
Paula, Merlin's caregiver said, "He embraced the attitude that there was always someone worse off than him. You would never know the hardships of his childhood, the health issues he and Martha shared, or the depth of his sorrow over losing Martha. During one of our conversations, we talked about the Fruits of the Spirit. I told him I believed he possessed most if not all of the fruits. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control exemplified his life."
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The good news is…We are starting our Easter Giving Campaign with our Board of Directors offering a matching fund of $10,000! We would love to meet this generous challenge by May 31st. Can you help?
You can join in this Easter Giving Campaign by sending a check to our new address at 109 SW Normandy Rd., Seattle, WA 98166 or click on the Donation application in this newsletter
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We still have a few things that need a new home: a conference table (that has a lot of great memories large round tables with a rolling storage cart; a very nice heavy desk with drawers; a Brailler and paper. We also have Braill Bibles |
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We have been working really hard to empty out our old office and it has been a lot of work. I want to thank my husband Raymond for taking time off of work to help empty our old office. Also, thanks to Christine Scott and her team from the American Legion that picked up so much stuff for their yard sale in July.
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This daily devotional offers inspirational reflections on scripture for Christians who yearn for God’s presence in their lives. Every day.
Our Daily Bread – is enriched with God’s unfailing promises and blessings.
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This quarterly study presents stimulating lessons that explore the biblical message and how to apply it to daily life and helps adults move from a focus on the Word to reflection on personal, family, church, and community concerns.
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“The Evangelical Voice for Today” Decision Magazine features hard-hitting stories and cutting-edge commentary about the world around us from an evangelical Christian perspective. |
The Upper Room daily devotional guide contains meditations that show real people struggling to live faithfully in real-life situations, with the Bible as the touchstone for and measure of faithful living. |
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Spotlight Volunteer
Julie Ausen
I am a retired CTE teacher who volunteers at AUDIOBOOK Ministries. A friend of mine, who is also an AUDIOBOOK Ministries volunteer, recommended it when I mentioned that I was looking for a volunteer position in September of 2020. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my time and skills at AUDIOBOOK Ministries. It has not only been a blessing to me personally but to the sight-impaired clients who use this service. I pray that AUDIOBOOK Ministries will be able to continue to provide audio Christian books and periodicals to those who need them.
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1,267 Patrons all over the US
3,429 available books
63 children's books
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We moved
As of February 1st, we are temporarily housed at John Knox Presbyterian Church in Normandy Park until we can find a new home.
We have extended our stay though July.
The new address:
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Looking for a Home...
In Seattle, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church has been a great friend to AUDIOBOOK Ministries. This wonderful church provided space for our library and office for over 20 years, free of charge!
We are now at John Knox Presbyterian Church as our temporary location. We are so very thankful for their continued support over the last 41 years. However, we still need to find us a forever home. Please pray that God will provide a new location to house AUDIOBOOK Ministries.
We're looking for 1000 square feet near Burien, Normandy Park, or South Seattle so we can stay close to the volunteers who make this ministry possible. If you have potential leads on available space, or if you want to donate money for the move or rent, your help will be much appreciated!
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How Purchases at Amazon Benefits AUDIOBOOK Ministries
Do you shop on Amazon? It's that time of the year when it is back to school and if you are planning to buy school supplies then you can shop and support ABM at the same time. Did you know that AUDIOBOOK Ministries can benefit from eligible purchases any time of year?
Simply go to Amazon Smile and sign in (or create an Amazon account). This will take you to Amazon Smile, and you can shop as you would normally do. Bookmark this website so you can be sure to order from www.smile.amazon.com every time you shop. AUDIOBOOK Ministries will receive 0.5% of eligible purchases.
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Kroger Rewards Benefit AUDIOBOOK Ministries |
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If you shop at Fred Meyer stores and have a Rewards Card, you can now link your card to AUDIOBOOK Ministries so that we can benefit from the dollars that you spend shopping at Fred Meyer. Fred Meyer Community Rewards donates up to $625,000 per quarter to non-profits throughout Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Customers will continue to receive the Rewards Points, Rebates, and Fuel Points they're used to getting, but now their dollars will earn donations to ABM.
Signing up is simple: to link your card, click here and click on the purple "Link your Rewards card now" box. After logging in (or creating an online account), search for AUDIOBOOK MINISTRIES or enter our Non-profit Organization (NPO) number 86677. Complete the signup process, and you will be good to go! Feel free to share this information with anyone you know who also shops at Fred Meyer.
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Matching Gifts: Your gift can be doubled, or even tripled if you or your spouse work for a company with a matching gift program. All you need to do is ask your human resources office for information.
Tribute Gifts: What better way to honor someone special than to make a donation to AUDIOBOOK Ministries? This works for celebrating a special birthday or other milestones as well as a memorial. We list these donations in our newsletter every quarter.
Bequests: Have you thought about where you would like to leave your legacy? A charitable bequest can be tailored to a variety of circumstances, and it provides an unlimited deduction for estate tax purposes. In a last will and testament, you may stipulate a specific cash donation to AUDIOBOOK Ministries, or state a percentage of your gross assets. We also accept stock donations; just contact our office for the correct procedure and forms. As always, we thank you!
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Gifts In Memory and Honor
Giving monetary gifts is a beautiful way to remember or honor a loved one, friend, neighbor, or co-worker while supporting our ministry. AUDIOBOOK Ministries received gifts this past quarter from the following:
Thank you to our donors
Roger & Joyelle Neubauer
James DeBruhl
Gregory Thielen
Bob &Shirley Black
Dennis & Karen Miller
Carol Marshall
Dana Zahler
George & Karen Pettingell
Benjamin Dernbach
Carolyn Myers
Dale and Jinny Sewall
Raymond & Laurie van der Roest
Julie Ausen
Steven Blow
John Serfling
Cindy Anderson
Jeri-Lynn Clark
Ruth Blair
Connie and John Hemmer
Iva Sutherlnad
Christine Gray-Scott
Lillie Wilson
Stephen & Martha Wendover
John Knox Presbyterian Church
Highline Christian Church
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Mission Statement
Statement
"To provide wholesome, inspirational recorded material for people who cannot read due to blindness, visual impairment, or other disabilities. We aim to share the pure joy of reading through books that inspire, entertain, and provide encouragement, comfort, and hope."
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About Us
AUDIOBOOK MINISTRIES is a ministry dedicated to making Christian literature accessible for all. We are a Christian lending library with over 3,300 audio titles - inspirational, faith-based books, recorded by volunteers and mailed nationwide to share God's love and the joy of reading with people who have
reading-related disabilities.
Our services are free.
If you know of someone who can benefit from our services, please visit our
for more information and an application.
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