By Brenda WinterThere is a gentle way about Fran Stenberg. He seems tired but not resigned. His gray handle-bar mustache and buckhorn belt buckle might be more expected at the rodeo finals, or Sturgis maybe.But here he is leading a small group of Hills Christian School kids through the Union Gospel Mission. He calmly puts his hand on the shoulders of the wiggly kid who can’t stand in line, wait his turn or listen very long. He asks the kids who they think started the Mission 104 years ago and laughs when they answer, "You?""Nope," he laughs, "It was a drunk. A drunk who got in a fight and killed a man outside of a bar and went to jail for seven years. After he got out of jail he gave his life to Christ and wanted to open a place for people to go when they get out of jail." The children stand in awe, secretly wondering if maybe Fran ever killed anybody … probably not.This man has been the director of the Mission for 27 years, longer than anyone else. He’s seen the typical stay at the Mission extend from a night or two 20 years ago, to months at a time now. He’s seen the beds grow in number from 16 – 10 for men, six for women and children – to 86 beds today and often a dozen or more people sleep on the floor.People used to need a bed and a meal as they passed through town. Now they need drug and alcohol counseling, job training, parenting training and basic homekeeping skills. But Stenberg doesn’t approach the problems with despair, or with undue optimism. He says, "All you do is something and let the Lord do the rest."Stenberg said. "We’ve gone from offering basic services to rehabilitative services. They have more problems now and more serious problems. That’s the big change. What we do is more of a discipleship nature. We’re in their face teaching them to live a Christ-like life. We want to focus on mind, body and soul."Stenberg said the Mission offers a discipleship program that lasts a minimum of six months and can take a year or more to finish. The program requires that people try. "You can stay here five days and do nothing as long as you behave. That’s Level 1. Level 2 is for people who want to stay longer. They have to help out, look for work and we ask them to read a book. Level 3 is the Shepherd’s program. If there is nothing going on in your life and you’re not trying, the Shepherd’s program requires more of you. You can’t sleep all day."Stenberg leads the group of school children from one level of the building to another.The women’s dorm is a row of beds about 200 feet long. The men’s dorm is dark and has two rows of bunk beds. A sick man sleeps as does another man who works at night. A few women browse in the thrift shop. Older model computers are lined up in the learning center. The school children peer into a room-sized refrigerator. The lobby is warm and welcoming with angels and garland decorating the window. A Christmas cactus blooms in the north window. Not a bad place — to a visitor passing through.This all takes money. About $700,000 last year. Eighty percent of the money comes from individual donations and 20 percent comes from churches. The Mission served 65,000 meals, provided 24,000 night’s lodging and employs 15 full-time and seven part-time people.Stenberg gives the statistics to the group as he has to hundreds, maybe thousands, of other groups. The Mission needs money, it always needs money. There are needy people. There will always be needy people.He tells the kids, "Maybe that’s why you’re here today. Maybe because of this tour, when you grow up you’ll be involved in a rescue mission." He laughs, "You can have my job. I’ll wait for you."
