Thank you! Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless community update!

Hello!

I want to take a moment to THANK YOU for your support in this years Thanksgiving dinner at Quest Church.  What an amazing evening!  We had 136 homeless men and women come out and join us!  The event went so well from the set up to the tear down!  So many have shared such positive and thankful feedback.  Several expressed the overwhelming feeling of being in such a warm environment with a hearty meal amongst gracious and caring people. 

In fact, a couple who I have known for several years shared that they hadn't had a Thanksgiving meal as a family in years.  They explained how things had been tough for so long but that this meal gave them a sense of hope and faith that there were people who cared.  They had a new sense of joy that they would be successful in getting back on their feet and could rest knowing that they had been recipients of such amazing care and love.  Misti's mom and dad who also attended the dinner had been experiencing digestive issues and had been unable to eat for years but the dinner was so good that they were able to eat everything and SECONDS! 

Thank you for your role in making this possible!  Your sacrifice and care was felt by the larger community and that is an astounding gift to be a part of. 

BIG UPS!  To Marilyn and Hazel who coordinated the meal!  They literally were at the church cooking in the kitchen from 7 am in the morning and really brought so many of the efforts together.  Thanks to Ralph for bringing his bbq and cooking 10 turkeys! 

We had quite a bit of left overs and we were able to take several loads of food over to Nickelsville.  Thanks to Sam for continuing to build friendship and support to the community @ Nickelsville. 

I also want to encourage you to continue joining us in our efforts to minister to the homeless.  I would challenge you to cultivate your passions for the poor and marginalized by educating yourself on issues of homelessness and how those issues intersect with the culture of Seattle.  Part of that process can happen through joining us each month in our distribution to the homeless through TO THE STREETS, coming out to the depth class WHY THE HOMELESS?, and continuing to pray for the needs of those that are homeless AND listen in your prayer life.  How is it that God is calling you to creatively serve the poor?  How can that be partnered with the work of your church family?  We are called to be a presence in our community-- to be light and salt.  So much of Christ's ministry was about 'going' and 'being' amongst the needs of the people in His community.  That is the beauty of To the Streets-- it allows us to go and be.  We are not waiting for those in need to come to our doors but we are being faithful in going and being amongst the needs in our community where the homeless-- live, eat, commune and play.  And we are to be humbled to watch, listen and build.  The To the Streets ministry focuses on story and people not on statistics and numbers!  Will you join us in building those friendships and as we build relationships extending the gospel message of freedom, transformation and grace?  The holidays is a great time to serve, but we need to remember that the need extends throughout 365 days of the year.  I challenge you to find ways that you can contribute through your gifts and resources to bring hope to this population-- you are the salt and light that Christ has called.

Thank you!!  I look forward to serving alongside you!

His hands extended,

Pastor DeAnza