The Mission Newsletter – October 2011
A Home for the Holidays
Kevin and his daughters spent the past five Thanksgivings with nowhere to call home. This year, your generosity made sure they won’t have to again.
“Being a dad is the most beautiful thing in the world,” says Kevin, the father of two beautiful daughters, Miranda, 15, and Tahila, 12. “But right now it’s hard. I never dreamed we’d be in this situation.”
Kevin and his daughters have experienced homelessness for five years, after Kevin lost his job in Seattle. “Me and the girls were doing pretty good. But after I lost my job, we lost our apartment and everything else. I lost it all,” he says.
They moved to Oakland for awhile to take care of Kevin’s father, who was battling cancer. After his father died in 2008, Kevin and his girls moved to Los Angeles. “I have family here,” he says. “I thought I had a chance to get back on my feet.”
But the challenges of finding a permanent job and housing continued. Running out of options, in August 2008 Kevin and his daughters moved to Union Rescue Mission — the only mission in Los Angeles that offers shelter to single dads with kids.
“We’ve been homeless five years,” Kevin says. “Five years we have been trying to get back what we lost.” Now, just in time for Thanksgiving, circumstances are looking up. Kevin moved his family into their own apartment and is assured that a new job is right around the corner.
“I’m looking forward to getting my own place again. That’s all I want, to get on my own again,” he says. “But I’m grateful to Union Rescue Mission for opening up this place for families like mine. This has been a stepping stone to get back everything we lost. And I’ve taken full advantage of it.”
Kevin is already planning to host Thanksgiving dinner for all his family scattered throughout Los Angeles, the first time they will all be able to celebrate together in years.
“I’ll probably shed a tear,” he says. “Before we even sit down, we’re going to bless the food and everyone will say what they’re thankful for.
“But really, since we came to Union Rescue Mission, I’ve learned that every day is a blessed day of thanksgiving. No matter how hard things got, I still have my kids. I thank God every day for my daughters, and now for the new apartment we’re moving in to. God has blessed me with more than I could have ever hoped for.”
Gratitude Born of Hardship
Some people say you can’t be truly thankful until you’ve experienced suffering. Real gratitude is born out of hardship. It’s a truth I understand well. As a Type 1 diabetic, I’ve battled health problems most of my adult life. But the past year has been particularly hard. Last Thanksgiving, my kidneys failed. I tried battling back with a strict diet all year, but I just learned they are now operating at 15%, meaning I’m facing dialysis now — and hopefully a kidney transplant.
I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m not discouraged. In fact, my poor health only makes me more grateful for the privilege of doing God’s work at Union Rescue Mission. A preacher recently said to the guys here, “When you think you’re about ready to get snuffed out, that’s when Jesus shows up and does something powerful.” That was a great message for guys who’ve hit rock bottom — and it was a good message for me. I may be weak, right now, but with Jesus I have great power.
This Thanksgiving, that’s what I’m thankful for.
Blessings,
Andy Bales, CEO
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Patricia Banks
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