Dear Friends,
As I reflect on this season of Thanksgiving, I am praising God for the opportunity to be part of something as important as Family Promise. We are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to visit and stay the night at First Southern Baptist, Lawrence with the volunteers from there and from the Lawrence Free Methodist Church and guests in the program. It was a rich experience. There were so many things to take away, but my favorite experience was getting to be a part of a conversation with two moms who are nearing graduation and a brand new mom who was only days into the program. The new mom was nervous and wasn’t sure she trusted anyone, and the two veteran moms encouraged her with beautiful words like, “You can do this.” “If you stick this out, it will be the best thing you’ve ever done for you and your kids.” “The first two weeks I wasn’t sure I was going to fit in; I didn’t talk to anyone, but now these people are my family.” “I was in and out of shelters, but Family Promise is different. I’ve got money in savings now, and I know how to do a budget. I know now that our lives are going to be different.”
The volunteers at the host church served delicious food, hung out with guests and were so encouraging to everyone. I loved visiting with the volunteers and coordinators. They all had much to share and we learned a lot, so thank you, thank you.
Please keep Family Promise of Greater Wichita in your prayers as we move forward with the development process.
Many thanks for your hospitality too! Happy Thanksgiving!
Carrie Corliss