We are called to say YES

     In the last little over 15 months that I have been here at Andre' House the most frequent questions I get asked is 'Why in the world did you move from the other side of Texas to Phoenix, AZ of all places?'  My answer is always 'Andre' House of course'.  I sometimes have to remind myself that even though I think the answer to this silly question is completely obvious, maybe people don't understand that making the 1200 mile move just to serve bean burritos every Thursday night was saying 'yes' to God's call for me.  Today we heard Mary saying YES!!! to God's call to bear the Savior of the world, so I thought that this blog post would be a good time to talk about being called into service.

   I can remember growing up I always enjoyed helping others.  If there was something that needed to be done, I would be more than happy to carry a bag, open a door, run an errand, or babysit at the last minute.   As I became involved at my home parish, it wasn't uncommon for me to head over to St. Anne's after work and spend the next 5 going from meeting to meeting, office to office.  Sometimes always wanting to help out became over whelming.  I sometimes felt I never had time to do everything.  However, I wasn't truly happy unless is was serving those around me.  I told several people that my job kept interfearing with   About a year and a half ago, I was meeting with my spiritual director and talking about my frustrations of trying to find a full time job.  Fr. Andy and I have known each other for 10 years and he knows of my desire to serve others.  He asked if I had ever considered taking a year off from 'normal' to go somewhere and serve in ministry full time.  Honestly, I didn't think that was an option.  After searching the Internet I found a couple of places and began to email different organizations to get information.  I think I probably sent out 10 or so emails and received only one back with a warm welcome and the information I had requested.  As you probably have guessed, it was from the Andre' House.  After much discernment, emails, phone calls, and an interview week, I received a phone call from our director, Fr. Eric, to invite me to join the staff at the Andre' House.  Was I ready to pack up, move 1200 miles away from everything I knew, and to actually live a life of full time ministry?  Well, this was my chance to give God a big YES!!!  Like Mary, I was afraid and in some ways I still am.  Like Mary, my life is a daily yes.  I wake up every day with God whispering in my ear saying 'Are you ready to serve Me?'  Sometimes on Thursdays it is tough to roll out of my nice warm bed at 7am to get ready to go to food bank.   I have to remember that our guests don't want to get up only to be staring homelessness in the face every morning.  They don't want to have to get up to go stand in line for food, blankets, clothing, showers, or appointments when they are unsure if they can even make it through to get any of these services.  Who am I to tell God no?  Mary was only 13 or 14 when she gave birth to Jesus.  At 13 or 14 I was in the 8th grade and the most important thing on my mind was probably boys.  Saying a daily yes to God has been a great joy.  It has had many challenges, but even in the midst of those challenges there always has been a sense of peace.  Saying yes doesn't always need to be big.  We don't always need to move 1200 miles away from home to say yes.  Many times our yes to God is in the simple things.  How do we say yes to God with our everyday actions?  How are you called to say yes?

Oh! the Anticipation

     Happy Advent!!!  Thanksgiving has come and gone and Christmas is soon around the corner.  Growing up for me this time of year was a time of excitement and joy.  However, over the last 10 years, the Advent season has become more than a rush of stuff and craziness.  This time of Advent has become more of a season anticipation.  Just like during Lent we await for Christ to rise on Easter Sunday, during the Advent Season we should be preparing and eager anticipation for our Lord and Savior to be born among us.
     Last year was the first time in my life I was away from home during the holiday season.  It was hard.  I have no doubt that this year will be any different.  I was able to Skype my family early Christmas morning and I will do it again this year.  However, seeing your family over a web cam isn't the same.  I wasn't able to hug them, although I know that it made my Nana's day to at least see my face and talk to me for a few minutes.  During this time I also spent some time reflecting on what it must be like for our guests here at the Andre' House.  To be without...without a warm place to sleep, without food, with very little belongings, but most importantly they are without friends or family to celebrate Christmas.  At Andre' House we don't open the building until 3pm on Christmas day and even then only the bathrooms are open and dinner at 530pm.  I had many guests ask me to use the phone to call their family, however with the staff spread then there was no way we could open the office for phone calls.  This broke my heart.  What would it be like to not be able to call home?  To be completely alone on the streets of Phoenix, AZ and not be able to tell mom and dad that I was ok and wish them a Merry Christmas?  I imagine this is how Mary and Joseph felt as they traveled to Bethlehem.  To be told that there wasn't any room after a long journey far from home.  To give birth to a baby boy in a manger with only barn animals looking on.  This is what kept me here at Andre' House.  To be able to welcome those who have no place to go.  To give them clothing, a hot shower, wash their clothing, let them call home, to give them a hot meal, and to let them rest.  Unless the person is disrespectful towards others, we don't turn them away.  We try to welcome those who are beaten, broken, and down on their luck and treat them with the dignity of Christ.

 "I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me." (Matthew 25:35-36)

   During this Advent season let us remember to slow ourselves and to await the birth of Christ with great anticipation.  Let us also remember those who are homeless or living in poverty who have no one to remember them not only during this holiday season, but year round.

Fighting the Cold

I have been trying to find a subject to blog about for about a week and a half.  Nothing out of the ordinary has happened so I have been at a loss of what to write.  Last night as I was locking up the exit gate after we finished serving dinner here at Andre' House, I was hit by a sudden chill from outside.  Over the summer we faced 118 degree heat for several months, so when it suddenly hit the low 50's this week I was more than just shocked.  Stepping outside, an encounter with a guest from about 2 months ago came to mind.  On Monday nights I usually do what we call 'back gate' during the hour we serve the evening meal.  I thank the guests for coming, wish them a good evening, answer questions, and make sure they throw away their cups before exiting the building.  About 2 months ago there was a fight in the dining room during dinner.  Fights don't happen very often here at Andre' House, but they do happen.  I got the attention of the 2 guys fighting and had them leave the property.  After everything had calmed down, I began to make sure the other guests were OK and started to clean up the spilled water and trayes that had been over turned.  One of the guests that was sitting not to far from the fight seemed really upset by the event that had unfolded and called me over.  He began to tell me (very upset) that I would never know what it would be like to be homeless and to have to deal with having to wait in line for hours for everything (meals, showers, clothing), have to deal with grown men fighting while I'm trying to eat, then have to go and sleep outside in the cold or heat and sometimes rain or dust storms.  I stood there listening to him speak his mind and not really sure how I should react.  Last night as I hurried to get back into the building to get out of the cold, I thought of this gentleman and realized how right he was.  We gave out at least 50 blankets between 10am and 3pm yesterday through our office here at Andre' House and at least 25 at our transitional house between 430pm and 10pm last night.  How often do we hurry from our warm cars into our warm house with our nice warm jackets when it is cold?  With those who are homeless, warm houses are not an option.  Blankets and coats are rare.  Even when the homeless do find a way to get warm clothing or a blanket, many times they get jumped and everything they own is stolen from them...including there warm clothes and blankets.  Sometimes it rains and our guests have no where dry to run to and everything that they own gets soaked.  Where do they go from there?  I find one of the hardest things for me to do here at the Andre' House is to tell our guests no.  How can I tell a fellow human that it hasn't been 2 weeks and that I can't give them a blanket to keep warm with while they sleep on a cold sidewalk with nothing blocking the freezing wind or rain then go to my nice warm home and sleep in my nice warm bed?  I know that I have taken for granted that I have things available to me...no questions asked.  I in many ways am my father's child.  I love electronics and books...which I sometimes feel I can't have too many of either.  On the other hand, how much is too much?  I don't think we need to pack up everything we own and give it away.  However, how much stuff do we own and how much of it do we 'need'.  So many go without the basic things (food, clothing, shelter, health insurance) that are needed to survive and there are people who have things in excess who for some reason can't live without any of it.  I know that here at Andre' House we are running VERY  LOW on blankets and we have several more cold months ahead of us (yes, it does get cold in Phoenix).  I encourage those who can to contact a place near you that helps those in need and find out what you can donate or how you can help.  You can find out more information about Andre' House at www.andrehouse.org.  Today, let's pray for those who have little or nothing who are having to face the cold weather that they may find peace and warmth inside and out.

Fall Break

This week Andre' House is hosting 13 people from Notre Dame University for their fall break trip.  We have 10 young women who will be living with us at the staff plus three adults who are accompanying them (the adults will not be staying with us at the staff house.  15 of us is enough for one house).  They will be working side by side of us in our ministry.  They arrived on Saturday afternoon and settled in.  So far they are doing great picking up on how things work here at Andre' House.  The guests seem to enjoy the group.  I always enjoyed groups who come to spend time with us.  Showing others the face of homelessness and sharing the joy of helping others is what I hope to share with our new friends who come to visit.  It's usually a little tight at the staff house with 15 of us living on top of each other for a full week, but its great to show share ourselves with them...to share our family with them.  I have gone back to Beaumont, TX twice since moving here 14 months ago and I struggled with trying to explain Andre' House to my family and friends.  To truly understand Andre' House you must come, serve, and encounter Christ in our guests.  This is why I love when new groups come to volunteer...I love it even more when people return to Andre' House with friends and family who have never been here before.  Hopefully this week will move our new friends from Notre Dame to see the world with new eyes and maybe come back to serve with us in the future.

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

     So the last couple of weeks has been a time of goodbyes.  Watching a person leave or pass on is always hard, but when more than one person leaves us without a chance to say goodbye makes it even harder.  Here at Andre' House we see lots of faces come and go.  However, it still isn't easy.  Over the last couple of weeks we have had 2 of our guests at our transitional housing leave...neither one of them said goodbye.  The guests that stay in our houses become like family to us.  We eat dinner with them every night and we take turns staying with them on various nights.  For those of us who aren't from the Phoenix area, our community, volunteers, and guests become our family that we have left behind.  Both of these guests have been with us since March and we have gotten to know them very well.  One guest just didn't show up one day and the other thought we where going to ask her to leave so she just packed up and left with out telling anyone.  It's hard when things like this happen.  Even at our main facility, we notice when a regular guest all of a sudden stops showing up.  We want the best for our guests.  We want them to succeed.  However, when they suddenly disappear, we worry that the worst has happened.  Our guests most of the time have depended on themselves and try not to make to many friends so when it's time to move on, it's easier for them to leave.  I personally took it hard when our two guests left.  I grieved because of the way they left.  I was worried that something happened to them then I was angry that they left the way they did without saying goodbye.  I understand that with our ministry and the people we work with that this is the way they know, but it still hurt.  We have spoken to both of these guests over the weekend and both are safe.  A couple of our community members have also lost friends who have passed on.  It's hard to watch someone you love grieve the loss of a friend.  Friends also become family.  They laugh with you (or sometimes at you), they cry with and for you, and the really good ones help keep it real.  Loss of a really good friend is hard, but knowing that they are in the arms of our Creator is some comfort.


 "I  will spend my heaven doing good upon earth. I shall let fall from heaven a shower of roses. My work begins after death."  --St. Therese' of the Little Flower

Celebrating the Ordinary

Well, I remembered I had a blog yesterday and realized it's been a little while since I blogged.  Not much has been happening...which is good and bad.  Good because that means that nothing bad has happened.  On the other hand, nothing awesome has happened either.  I had a nun tell me once that it's good to celebrate the ordinary times.  Celebrate the times that everything is going as it should, but also celebrate the normal flow in life.  I think sometimes I look forward too much to the exciting or keep watching over my shoulder waiting for the awkward bad things.  This year's staff (there are 7 of us) have settled in and gotten into the rhythm of life here at Andre' House.  We finally have memorized our schedules and have found a routine.  This time last year Fr. Eric (our director) and Br. Richard were about to leave for Rome for the canonization of Br. Andre'.  Br. Andre' is who Andre' House was named after so his canonization was a big deal.  This year we are being content on being in our routine.  I'm not saying that routines don't have their down sides (routines can sometimes makes life become dull), but I think some people live for the not so ordinary.  I'm a creature of habit. I've always like routine.  Here at Andre' House there is just enough routine in my schedule to make me happy.  However, I've also learned that there is enough things to keep my routine from becoming dull.  Even though our schedules look the same week to week, you never know what's going to happen from day to day when staff, volunteers, and guests walk through the door.  If you guys want to see about life at Andre' House check out our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/andrehouse or our new and improved web site www.andrehouse.org.

To-do Lists: To do or not to do...that is the question.

I got up to the building about 1030 this morning with every intention of making the hour and 45 minutes of time count before I had to help Eric open up the parking lot.  I have a to-do list that keeps growing so I thought I'd knock some of it out since I had a little time.  I had planned on finishing the rough draft of my newsletter article that is due on Monday.  Well, I checked my email then logged into Facebook.  It was all down hill from there.  The community and I have known about the newspaper article due date for at least 3 weeks.  I started writing it 3 weeks ago thinking I was going to get it done and be done with it.  Well, it's now sitting at the bottom of my computer screen as I'm typing this blog post and I'm hoping it finishes writing itself.  I also have been putting off cleaning my room, cleaning my bathroom, writing letters, calling people back, and making sure the first aid kits are updated.  The only reason my laundry gets done is because I run out of clean clothes and I'm not allowed to show up to work naked (luckily I don't have to many so I'm forced to stay on top of it).  I have also been telling myself that I need to go to Confession every Saturday morning for 2 months only to wake up and tell myself that I can go next week.  Why do I keep putting things off until the last minute?    Sometimes I feel like I don't do a lot of anything, but I can account for little things that get done that were not on my to-do list.  Today I did do a little research on two senior living places, helped open up the parking lot, hosted 35 people in the clothing closet, dropped Alicia off at the men's transitional house, uploaded pictures onto Facebook, and wrote this blog.  None of it was on my to-do list, but my day wasn't a complete bust.  I guess we shouldn't be so hard on ourselves for not accomplishing what is written on a list, but celebrate the things that we do get done.  Maybe I'll add a half hour of 'do nothing' to my to-do list from now on just so I feel like I accomplished something.

The Mighty Bean Burrito

So yesterday was Thursday which only means I spent many hours in the kitchen prepping, coordinating, and making life happen for the Mighty Bean Burrito soup line.  Here at Andre' House we serve dinner 6 nights a week (every night except Friday).  The menus are as fallows:  Monday -- turkey pasta salad, Tuesday -- spaghetti, Wednesday -- hot dogs, Thursday -- The Mighty Bean Burrito, Saturday -- goulash, Sunday -- chili.  The main dishes stay the same with varying sides depending on what we can get at food bank (we go to St. Mary's food bank Monday through Friday).  So Thursday mornings (after food bank run with Br. Richard, morning staff meeting, and Mass) I light the beans, take the tortilla's out of the walk in cooler, turn up the radio real loud, and have a cup of coffee while I try to decided to make for lunch for the staff and volunteers.  I usually make cookies for lunch so i get them in the oven while I season the 100 pounds of beans and begin getting lunch cooked.  After mid-day prayer, lunch, and clean up, Lou comes in around 1pm to start washing the 150 pounds of potatoes, veggies, and fruit so the 25-30 volunteers can have things to chop when they come.  Tom comes in around 130 to finish seasoning beans and makes salsa.  Bill gets in around 3 and helps Tom and Richard strain the beans into about 8-10 pans and gets them into the cam bro for when dinner begins.  Volunteers usually start coming around 3 and begin to cut potatoes.  Big John comes in around 315, gives me a hug, and starts gets himself ready to start cooking potatoes and making them yummy.  At 510 I gather all the volunteers into the family dining room to give last minute directions as well as reminders of job duties.  At 530 I tell the middle gate person (usually Fr. Eric) to open the doors.  This is when all the fun begins!  We serve between 350 and 700 trays of food every night.  Guests are allowed to come around as many times as they want (as long as they get a new ticket from front gate) so the number count is number of trays not the number of people that come through our doors.  At 630 we shut the line down and begin cleaning.  At 730 the guests have been fed, the building is clean, and my staff mates and I are tired and hungry.  We head over to our transitional houses on Polk St and have dinner.  I then head home tired and dirty.  Thus is Thursday Mighty Bean Burrito soup line.  On Fridays we have a staff meeting followed by staff activity.  Today we went over to Ted and Joy's house to partake in a picnic lunch and swimming.  And there it is.  Peace out!

Who, What, Where, but more importantly Why?

Hello, y'all!!!  Welcome to my blog.  A little over a year ago I packed up what I could into 2 suit cases and my backpack and moved 1200 miles away from my home city of Beaumont, TX to Phoenix, AZ.  I joined the core community at the Andre' House which provides services (such as clothing, laundry, showers, phone calls, and an evening meal) to the homeless here in Phoenix.  My friends and family encouraged me to journal and keep them updated.  Well, that was over a year ago and I have embarked on a second year here at Andre' House.  I thought I'd start a blog so I could keep everyone better informed of what was happening.  Andre' House is an amazing place with amazing people and I hope to share my many adventures with those who wonder what the heck I'm doing.