We were at Duane L Atkinson 's home church tonight for a Thanksgiving dinner. It was wonderful!! There was Turkey Noodle soup and a dumpling/turkey gravy hot dish as the main course and either apple or pumpkin pie for dessert. Oh GOLLY was it ever GOOD!  Duane was serving a quick moving line of us from Mountain Ministries. There was at least 20 of us if not a few more. (Not all the women went tonight. there was a few that stayed behind. I'm not sure if they stayed here, cooking for tomorrow or there just wasn't room in the van for everyone.)  

Duane's a Hard Hats for Christ full time missionary.  He lives here in Rainer and travels to Hard Hat's projects. (and he could sure use more supporter's in case you would like to do that... )

We had a young man, about 20 years old maybe, sit down with us at our table. His name was Eddy and we got to talk to him a bit.  At one point in the not too distant past he had been homeless in Portland. But now he's got a place to be out of the cold and as long as he has food stamps, he has something to eat.  He was just so thankful to get such a good meal.  I mean, it really touched me to hear him say how much he was enjoying this hot meal.  It was not just a meal.  It was a GOOD TASTING meal.  The best he'd had in quite some time. 

I was asking him if he knew anyone here. He explained that this is his folks' church. He nodded toward a woman about my age bringing things out from the kitchen and said that was the pastor's wife. He knew that Pastor Steve, her husband, had passed away a few months ago from cancer. We got silent for a few bites.  

Robbie came over and sat down with us and I introduced Eddy to him. I said, "Robbie is in charge of intake for the Mountain Ministries Men's facility." Eddy excitedly said that this was his 30th day of being clean.  He said that he had made some poor choices in the past but that he felt he was on the right track.  He was helping at one of the homeless shelters in Portland now.

It was time to go and we shook his hand. I really wanted to just reach across and give him a hug.  I was pretty sure that even though his mom was in the kitchen alongside Pastor Steve's wife, that she was watching to see how he was doing. I wanted to give her a thumb's up in some way to assure her.  I think Eddy's gonna be just fine.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  May your table be surrounded by family and friends and if you have to be apart from any of them, may your prayers and blessings for them be felt and heard.

Hugs!