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My first Christmas at the Urban Missionaries
I have heard so many wonderful stories from all of the people I’ve met this Christmas season that it is hard to remember them all. One story that I remember really touched my heart, and made me have a little sniffle.
There was an older couple that came to volunteer. All of their children had grown up and moved away. Their grandchildren had also grown up and were in many different places. They weren’t going to be alone for Christmas, but it just wasn’t as busy as it use to be. They missed the hustle and bustle of the Christmas preparation. Because of this, they had some time on their hands before the holidays.
They had heard about Urban Missionaries and thought that they might be able to help. At first, it seemed like it was not such a good fit. Some of the bags were too heavy and the stairs were a problem and challenging for them to get up and down.
Finally, we found something for them to do and they thought it really was special. We have quite a few clothes that we give out and in the rush to make bags for children, the clothes get all discombobulated and they need to be refolded and sorted. This helps other volunteers to find the items and right sizes.
This older lady was thrilled to help by just folding the clothes. She would fold and her husband would place them on the top shelves where she could not reach. She told me later that she prayed for whomever would receive the clothing. She said every child should have someone to pray for them.
This really touched my heart, because I know that the power of prayer is awesome and that every child should not only be warmed by a good coat but also the warmth of prayer that lets them know someone cares and loves them unconditionally. Prayer touches others even if they never meet.