Nashville Rescue Mission Newsletter November 2015

HEART of the MISSION NOVEMBER 2015

The

POWER

of Thanksgiving You give us so many reasons to be thankful

GIVING THANKS FOR YOU Thank you for giving hope and restoring life

REV. GLENN CRANFIELD PRESIDENT AND CEO

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.

PSALM 86:12 ESV

This Thanksgiving, I’m extra thankful for what I have. There are many, especially those who come through our doors, who have nothing to their name, yet their hearts are filled with gratitude. They are thankful for your support of Nashville Rescue Mission.

In Luke 17, we read of Jesus passing through a village, when ten lepers who wanted to be healed spotted him. While keeping their distance, as required by law, they cried out to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Instead of instantly healing them, Jesus tells them to go and show themselves to the priest.

As they walked off to obey, their skin disease disappeared.

One of the men, when he saw he was healed, came back, shouting

praises to God. He threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him—he was a Samaritan, someone many looked down upon. Jesus was astonished that only one man had thought to thank him. “Were not all ten cleansed?” he asked.

Unfortunately, gratitude doesn’t come naturally to us. But cultivating a spirit of thankfulness honors God and strengthens our faith. It’s why with every meal we serve, every person we counsel, we are lifting up thanks to our Lord and Savior. We are so thankful for you and your support of the Mission. Your gifts give hope and restore life.

SAVE THE DATE NOVEMBER 14 Nashville Praise Symphony Men’s Campus Chapel | 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER 23 Radiothon - SuperTalk 99.7 WWTN 5 a.m. - 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER 24 Tracy Lawrence 10th Annual Turkey Fry | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Tracy Lawrence Concert City Winery | 7 p.m.

2 HEART of the MISSION

NOVEMBER 2015

NOVEMBER 25 What Do You Run For? Thanksgiving Day Race packet pickup at Men’s Campus parking lot 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Life Recovery Program Graduation 10 a.m.

NOVEMBER 25 & 26 Great Thanksgiving Banquet noon

NOVEMBER 26 What Do You Run For? Benefiting Nashville Rescue Mission 8 a.m. at the Men’s Campus DECEMBER 1 Christmas Volunteer Sign-up December 1 Visit nashvillerescuemission.org to learn more about these upcoming events.

MISSION IN MY WORDS

BOB & LARRY from

Mike Nawrocki, co-creator of Veggie Tales, Larry the Cucumber, Mayor Karl Dean, and Bob the Tomato celebrating Thanksgiving at the Mission.

Last Thanksgiving, Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber from VeggieTales visited Nashville Rescue Mission. It was so much fun having Bob and Larry visit, and it was especially encouraging as they reminded us, “God made you special and loves you very much.” We sat down with them to learn more about why they chose to spend time at the Mission.

NRM:

VeggieTales has such a wonderful place in Christian families’ homes. Parents and kids alike love the stories and songs, as well as the values and Biblical truths in every show.

How do you decide the lessons and stories you want to communicate to kids through VeggieTales?

BOB:

Well, we always start with the letters we receive from kids. The letters are filled with questions the kids are asking. It’s in answering their questions that many lessons can be learned—things like forgiveness, loving our neighbors, sharing, and telling the truth.

LARRY:

And we always like to have fun and sing silly songs—I’m working on a silly song now that is about a bear trap.

BOB:

Larry, why would you need a bear trap?

LARRY:

Why to catch bears of course!

BOB:

Larry, I don’t think you should be catching bears, but let’s talk about that later.

NRM:

What advice could you offer the kids who might be staying temporarily at the Mission?

BOB:

Study hard, listen, follow directions, and always remember God made you special and He loves you very much!

NRM:

What made you choose to spend Thanksgiving at Nashville Rescue Mission?

BOB:

Leviticus 19:18 says we are to, “love your neighbor as yourself.” Everyone is our neighbor. This includes our homeless friends both near and far.

LARRY:

You betcha, Bob!

BOB:

Nashville Rescue Mission is helping the homeless. They are doing what Jesus wants us to do for our neighbors—to treat them with love, kindness, compassion, and mercy.

NRM: On a day with so much significance related to thankfulness, we want to thank you Bob and Larry for joining us to serve and love our neighbors in Nashville.

Thank you!

LARRY: “Keep on keeping on” whether you’re doing your schoolwork, sports, or anything really—even when things get tough.

NOVEMBER 2015

HEART of the MISSION 3

The

POWER

of Thanksgiving You give us so many reasons to be thankful

Every year, millions of American families come together for Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday about giving thanks for the good things in life and celebrating with family and friends.

But what about the man who is hungry and homeless this Thanksgiving? Or the mom with two small children and nowhere to go? For them, is there anything worth being thankful for this holiday season?

With your help, this Thanksgiving can be different for countless hungry and homeless men, women, and children in the Nashville community as their lives are touched through the Mission’s annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet. While there are many without homes to go to, there is a place where the door is always open—Nashville Rescue Mission.

And if you ask, many of the guests staying at the Mission will tell you, there are many reasons to be thankful.

Despite being homeless, they have learned there is power in a thankful heart.

“IT IS NOT always easy to give thanks, but it’s the very thing we must do, to see God’s will accomplished in our lives,” said Jerry, who’s been staying at the Mission this past year. “I’ve got a lot of health problems. It would be easy to think ‘woe is me.’ But I’m grateful, I’m looking forward to enjoying the Thanksgiving feast at the Mission. I hear it’s amazing.”

4 HEART of the MISSION

NOVEMBER 2015

When it comes to a sizable guest list for Thanksgiving dinner, the Mission outnumbers even the biggest of families. With your help, over 6,000 meals will be served this Thanksgiving to the homeless in Nashville. Volunteers will arrive as early as 4:00 a.m. to start preparing for the day’s meals. Every turkey must be carved, every potato chopped, every pie sliced. So much time and preparation goes into preparing and serving this extra-special meal.

While the Mission focuses on providing those in need with food to nourish their bodies, with your support the Mission also provides the spiritual guidance they need to nourish their souls.

“I RECENTLY completed the Mission’s Life Recovery Program. I found a job, and for the first time, I’m learning how to save money,” said Chris. “I’ve learned life skills and work skills that are preparing me for my future. I’m thankful for the Mission, and the support friends like you give to make this place a reality.”

It’s hard to imagine how men and women who are in the deepest and darkest time of their lives can find something to be thankful for. Yet, gratitude seems to be the antidote to life’s hardships and a magnifier of its blessings. Many of the men and women at the Mission demonstrate on a daily

basis that having an attitude of gratitude expands their capacity to feel joy. It’s not something that is felt only in good times, but it is something practiced at all times.

“When we choose to see life through the eyes of gratitude, it changes everything. Especially each of us,” said Amy, who has only been staying at the Mission for a couple of months. “I find something to be thankful for every day.”

“THE TRANSLATION of the word thanksgiving is ‘good grace’ in the New Testament’s original language,” said Rev. Glenn Cranfield, president and CEO of the Mission. “When we are thankful, we are remembering the One who owes us nothing, but gives us all. Isn’t that the very nature of grace—receiving what we do not deserve? Watching a guest who has seemingly lost everything, lift their hands in praise during a nightly chapel service is humbling. I’m so thankful for you and other faithful friends who support us. Because of you, those in need can find a safe sanctuary, a hot, nutritious meal, a shower, clean clothes, and a place where hope lives.”

“I’M LOOKING forward to Thanksgiving this year,” said Lisa.

In the past, being homeless, especially during the holidays, brought up feelings of guilt and shame for Lisa. But this year she’s excited to graduate from the program the day before Thanksgiving and is especially thankful for all she has learned during her recovery.

“It’s not just about serving our guests a traditional Thanksgiving meal,” said Cranfield. “The meal might be the first step in reaching a man or woman struggling with homelessness or in the grip of addiction and guiding them down a new path. It’s an opportunity to show them there is hope. And because of you, HOPE LIVES HERE.”

“When we choose to see life through the eyes of gratitude, it changes everything. Especially each of us,” said Amy, who has only been staying at the Mission for a couple of months.

“I find something to be thankful for every day.”

NOVEMBER 2015

HEART of the MISSION 5

Lots of

FLOUR

and a Dash of

LOVE

How a kitchen volunteer is impacting lives

Twice a month, Karen Flowers walks into the kitchen at the Mission’s Men’s Campus and says, “Is the broth ready?”

Then she and her team of volunteers wash up, don aprons and hairnets, and pull around a giant cart of flour. They mix flour, seasoning, and a few other ingredients in the largest bowls they can find. They mix well and then cut the dough into strips, carefully dropping them into the steaming vat of broth. They’re making dumplings—55 gallons of them.

Fondly dubbed “The Dumpling Lady,” Karen never really planned to roll hundreds of her family’s favorite dumplings in an industrial rescue mission kitchen. It just … happened. “I was there volunteering one day when Sven, the Kitchen Manager, asked if anyone knew how to make dumplings. I didn’t respond because I figured someone else would know better. But my friend Joy volunteered me. So I went over and made dumplings. And I’ve done it ever since.”

6 HEART of the MISSION

NOVEMBER 2015

For the past six years, Karen has served in the kitchen.

She never would have imagined that a recipe her mother taught her would touch so many. “She’d be proud to know that her legacy is living on in this way,” Karen shared. “We put a dash of love in each batch. It’s our secret ingredient!”

Beyond feeding hungry stomachs, these dumplings are the gateway to a conversation. Many of the men return to the serving line after eating and ask who handmade them.

“They tell me that my dumplings remind them of recipes from their mothers or grandmothers,” Karen said. “‘I haven’t had dumplings since my grandmother made them when I was a child,’ one man recently told me. In those moments, I am touched.”

Moments like those remind Karen and her fellow volunteers that the individuals they serve are not so different from them. They have families, they grew up somewhere, and they may have had similar struggles.

Some of the conversations Karen has with the men and women have her flashing back to her own childhood. “I grew up on a farm with six siblings. We were poor, but we didn’t know it. We always had food and we always had clothes. The men and women at the Mission probably didn’t plan to be in this situation. I could be just like them if my circumstances had been slightly different.”

Karen’s heart of service touches hundreds each time she is in the Mission’s kitchen. Her cooking skills directly impact the lives of the homeless population in Nashville. Thanks to volunteers like her, who step up and use their talents to help others, Nashville Rescue Mission is able to serve nearly 2,000 meals each day.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SERVE? Go to nashvillerescuemission.org and click “Get Involved” to sign up.

“They tell me that my dumplings remind them of recipes from their mothers or grandmothers,” Karen said. “‘I haven’t had dumplings since my grandmother made them when I was a child,’ one man recently told me. In those moments, I am touched.”

GET READY TO #ROCKTHEHAIRNET A great way to share your volunteer work with friends and family, make memories, and encourage others to get involved, is to #RockTheHairNet! Snap a photo of you or your team in your hair nets when serving in the kitchen at the Mission. Upload it to Twitter and Instagram with the #RockTheHairNet hashtag. You’ll even be able to see images of volunteers at rescue missions across the country doing the same thing!

Can’t wait to see you in the kitchen and #RockTheHairNet with you online!

NOVEMBER 2015

HEART of the MISSION 7

CHRISTMAS WISH LIST * MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN

Last year your generosity brought smiles and holiday cheer to homeless women, mothers, and their children staying at Nashville Rescue Mission. We are so grateful for your support.

This year, will you help us brighten the holiday—for the women and children again—as well as the men who are staying at Nashville Rescue Mission?

We invite you to be a part of helping those in need make lasting memories as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the realization of His endless love for us.

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP MAKE THIS CHRISTMAS BRIGHT! PURCHASE an item off the Christmas Wish List.

ORGANIZE a stocking party at your church, workplace, community center, etc.

GET CREATIVE and gather some friends together to throw a Christmas Party at the Mission!

Donations may be dropped off at the Mission's Donation Center, located at 616 7th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203. Open Monday − Saturday, 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

LIVES YOU HAVE

TOUCHED SEPTEMBER 2015 Daily Avg

Monthly

Meals Served

1,422

42,657

Nights of Lodging

843

25,303

Chapel Attendance

593

17,786

Education Hours

101

3,041

Bible Class Attendance

21

629

Decisions & Prayers

41

1,238

Volunteer Hours

93

2,778

Travel n/a Assistance

98

Program n/a Graduates

6

is a proud member of

DOWNLOAD

Christmas Wish list at

the

nashvillerescuemission.org

*For the purpose of this list, we request all items be new.

639 Lafayette Street, Nashville, TN 37203 615-255-2475 | nashvillerescuemission.org