Check out our Thanksgiving photos on Facebook
Dear Friends,
Blessings to you! Here at the Mission, we’ve been enjoying a wonderful fall. Recently, a group of residents, staff, and a few of our staff’s children took an early-evening hike in Fairmount Park along Forbidden Drive. It was a perfect time to connect, laugh, and take in the beauty of God’s creation. The fall colors were simply breathtaking.
This past week, we celebrated with a graduation ceremony for four remarkable men – John, Rudy, Donnell, and Donnie. It was such a blessing to hear each of them share how God has transformed their lives. Each man successfully completed the New Life Program and is employed, no longer homeless, and thriving in this new season of life. When John moved out, he took the stray cat that was living in the Mission courtyard with him (Li’l Mama, as he named her, especially bonded with him after he nursed her through an injury). I am happy to report that Li’l Mama is also thriving in her new situation and has been fully transformed into a house cat.
We’re also excited to see the Mission alumni actively looking for ways to give back and encourage our residents. As I write this, they are planning to host a game night this Friday evening, bringing snacks and board games to share. It’s a blessing to witness their desire to support other men along their journey. They understand firsthand how important healthy friendships and community are to recovery and life, and they are eager to pass that along to the next generation of Mission graduates.
Soon, we’ll be preparing our famous Thanksgiving Feast. As we do every year, before we eat on Thanksgiving Day, we’ll gather in the chapel and give thanks for our many blessings. Please know that YOU will be at the top of my list of thanks. I’m truly grateful for everything you do to bless us – whether you donate a bag of clothing, a tray of brownies, a box of medicine, new bed sheets, food, gift cards for food, cash donations, or your time as a volunteer, just to name a few things. Your generosity, often unseen, is an essential part of this ministry. We could never do this alone! Your kindness is a tangible expression of God’s love, the impact of which will ripple out in the lives of men and their families for years to come. Thank you for your continued support!
From all of us here at the Mission – our staff, graduates, and the men who call this place home – we wish you and your family a joyful and blessed Thanksgiving.
With a heart full of gratitude,
Heather L. Rice, D.Min.
Executive Director
Some photos from our hike in Fairmount Park:
Thanksgiving Day is a special time at the Mission, not just because we gather together for a meal (we do that three times a day, every day of the year!), but because we pause to thank the Lord for the amazing ways He has blessed and helped, guided and protected, provided and sustained each of us throughout the year.
As a Mission family, we gather together for a chapel service to give thanks before we enjoy our feast. And feast, we do!
Last year, at our Thanksgiving chapel service, our Learning Program director’s teenage daughter, Alice, jotted down highlights of the testimonies as they were shared. After the service, she tore the page from her journal and gave it to us. It’s a beautiful record of our collective thanks to God!