Hope by Pastor Mike

This picture is part of the story, but not the whole story. The Van Rees family recently participated with many other families in making casseroles at The Ridge and then bringing them to the Bethel Mission Homeless Shelter in Des Moines. I’m not sure how the food ended up tasting, but we sure did have a good time making it. The casserole I helped prepare ended up a little short on the eggs because some of the eggs ended up on the table rather than in the bowl…oops!

As we toured the homeless shelter were able to experience a very different lifestyle than we experience in Ankeny. I was struck by being in a room with around 100 beds. One room, nearly 100 men. Can you imagine that? I wonder how well they sleep. I wonder if anybody snores. I have a feeling my children won’t complain about sharing a bedroom after seeing that! But the most memorable moment for me came when we met Steve. Steve is a resident of the mission who is there while recovering from a drug addiction. We heard about Steve’s story and as we left, we all gave Steve a hug. He mentioned that he had never gotten so many hugs in his life.

It wasn’t convenient to carve out a night for our entire family to serve together, but it sure was good. I’ve noticed a different perspective in my children…and in me. I have this lingering suspicion that the greatest service provided that night was not the casserole I brought to the mission, but the impression that the mission made on me. There is something about serving that blesses those serving as much if not more than those being served. I highly recommend it!