Dear Friends,

Happy Thanksgiving! Here at the Mission, we have so much to thank God for – prayers answered, needs met, relationships restored, staff that were supplied at just the right time…I could go on. We’ve seen God provide what we needed before we even knew there was a need! Each instance is a reminder that God is so very good. Things like the chess tournament Shorty just organized (which Kisho and Andrew won), or the 10-year-old granddaughter’s birthday party that Cory just attended – these are reminders of God’s goodness. It’s easy to think of these things and give thanks. And so we should!

And then there are other things we thank God for – things for which giving thanks feels more like a sacrifice. Things we know are good, even though they’re hard – like when God starts tearing down long-standing strongholds in a person’s life one stone at a time. That can be hard and painful work. Often it involves losing some things that are precious to us. But the light of the Gospel – the good news that Jesus brings life, reconciliation, healing, forgiveness, recovery, and peace – begins to shine through the newly-formed cracks in those stronghold walls. And when it does, we begin to realize even more profoundly just how good God is.

We’re also thankful for the way the Lord makes us a family here at the Mission. Holidays can be hard and lonely for folks struggling with addictions, homelessness, and the like. The strain of broken family relationships weighs especially heavy at times like these. We try our best to make the Mission as warm and inviting as possible. We pull out all the stops for Thanksgiving. It’s a joy to pause the normal activities of life for a day and just gather to worship the Lord, feast on good food, and fellowship around the tables with our brothers and sisters. It’s a reminder that none of us is alone, and that God is so good to us.

Please give thanks with us for the good work God continues to do in this place. And if the Lord should lay it upon your heart, please consider partnering with us in the work that lies ahead! Thank you for your prayers, your donations of needed items, and your financial support! May the Lord bless and keep you and yours this Thanksgiving in His mercy, love and grace!

Grace and peace,

Heather L. Rice, D.Min.
Executive Director