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.