One of the “artificial” goals for many families in Rotation and Program 515 is to have their own place by the holidays. Year after year, we see a surge of families meeting that goal and getting into their home by Thanksgiving, or by Christmas, or before an anticipated milestone birthday. This year is no exception. We have the following graduations and transitions over a 2 week period:
* Last week, we celebrated as one Mom and her son, after going through the rotation much longer than she anticipated due to a couple of job losses, is now housed! The last church she was hosted in, Eudora United Methodist Church, gave her a Christmas tree and decorations as a House warming present!
* This weekend, a Mom and her son and daughter are moving out of a Temporary Housing unit, where they have lived for about 8 months after being in the Rotation program last winter. It has been a long journey, but through working closely with Tenants to Homeowners, she and her children will be in their own place by Sunday night!
* Next week, a Dad and his son, who started his work with FPL in the Rotation program for a couple of months, then moved into the new Program 515, is now stepping into his own place, also through working closely with Tenants to Homeowners!
These are milestones to celebrate and acknowledge! All of this move and transition is wonderful…but to some it can also be painful and difficult. For those families still in rotation and Program 515 it can be especially hard. Not only are they losing close daily connection with a family that has now become like family to them, but they have a critical reminder through the holidays of what they have not yet achieved.
Please keep the families in all the various programs of Family Promise of Lawrence in your prayers throughout this holiday season. This week the families are staying at Morning Star Church, next week they are at Plymouth UCC with supporting congregations, the Islamic Center of Lawrence and the Jewish Community Center. The week of Christmas, Vintage Church and their supporting congregation, CityChurch Lawrence will be hosting the families in rotation, and the week of New Years, the families are hosted at Corpus Christi Church and their supporting congregation, St John’s. …and on it goes, every single week of the year at 13 different hosting congregations. Please also be lifting up in prayer all our wonderful volunteers, congregations and hosts. May all involved in this good Kingdom work (hosts and guests alike) find hope, peace, love and joy as they experience Christmas in a unique way this year through praciticing the lost art of beautiful hospitality.
“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:9-10 (niv).
Home for Christmas
