First Street Methodist Mission was filled with music and laughing today. It may have been cold and cloudy outside, but our friends were inside celebrating together. Some of these neighbors hadn’t had a meal like this in a while, and some of them don’t feel respected or honored very often. But today they sat together, with each other and with us, relaxed and happy, just like everyone wants to be in the Christmas season. I saw a few people eat themselves into partial naps, right there at the table. Some were humming Christmas tunes. They told stories of where they had been hanging out. Some of them ran into friends they hadn’t seen in a few days and caught up. People were passing around Christmas cards. Some were reading books.

Many of these friends were surprised and delighted to get small gifts and have such a meal. Some of them had been here before at Christmas and had looked forward to it for weeks. “Merry Christmas,” “Thank you,” “This is wonderful,” and “I’m so stuffed I can’t get up,” were all things I heard today. These are regular people who have regular problems, hopes, fears, and loves. I mentioned to Bernie that I was feeling a Holy Spirit moment in the room. Like any gathering, the volume would go up sometimes and down sometimes. There were quiet moments where people were just sitting contently. A quiet, warm moment with friends. I forget how good that feels, and I was really happy to be able to be part of this one.

Andrew Hellmers

Financial Assistant of First Street Methodist Mission