...for 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...

~Matthew 25:35

Other People’s Hands, Other People’s Feet

Several weeks ago, I happened to be working in my office on a Friday afternoon. Typically, Saint John's is quiet on a Friday afternoon, but on this day, I could hear some voices outside the office, so I went to go investigate. What I found were two women who had just gotten back from a mission trip to San Benito, Texas, where they worked with La Posada Providencia, an emergency shelter for men, women and families who flee to the United States due to political oppression, natural disaster, and other life-threatening actions in their native countries. "We're exhausted," they told me, "but what an amazing trip!" 

Having been around this church community for many years, I have heard about the many missions and service opportunities here at Saint John's through the Risk-Taking Mission and Service committee (RTMS) and other groups, but I must admit that I have never personally taken part in any of them first hand. Seeing those women, though, freshly returned from their experience at La Posada, tired but beaming, really lit my curiosity! I wanted to hear more about their trip, and knew that others at Saint John's would like to hear more, also. What follows are reflections from three of the volunteers on that trip, Emma Lea Mayton, Al Lindsey, and Amie Beckett.

The volunteers left Austin around 9 a.m. on Monday, September 23, and arrived at La Posada after a full day's drive. They settled in to the volunteer accommodations to rest up for some busy days ahead. On Tuesday morning, Volunteer Coordinator, Lessly Garza led a tour of the facilities, including cottages where residents who are in the United States legally stay while waiting on court dates for asylum approval. The Saint John's volunteers recognized that the bunk beds in the cottages were the ones that had been donated by Saint John's on a previous trip! 

The main projects that the volunteers tackled were organizing supply closets (including finding space for the shoes, underwear, hair care products, books, and games donated by RTMS), tutoring and doing puzzles and activities with the resident children, and plenty of work in the gardens, weeding and mulching the onsite fruit trees. Al Lindsay had been to La Posada before, so he was excited to go back and see what changes had been made. The most surprising thing to him was how many new countries were represented among the residents compared to previous visits, including many from Venezuela. Other countries represented among the 35 residents include Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Guinea, and Pakistan. 

"I especially enjoyed working with the children," said Amie Beckett. School-age children housed at La Posada attend San Benito Public Schools during the week. Amie recalled an incident with a third grader: "One day, I helped a third grade child with her homework.  She was grappling with regrouping in math, but quickly caught on by using different colored beans to represent single digits, tens, and hundreds. That same child was invited on a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field trip for the following day. Because she spoke more English than her mother, she took the responsibility of translating the permission form, so it would be filled out properly. Not taking any chances, she helped her mother to complete not only the English form, but also the Spanish version."

This past Sunday, as Hilary shared her message on Humility as part of our Do Unto Others worship series, my thoughts went straight to what I had learned about this trip. The Frederick Buechner quote she shared spoke immediately to me about the work these volunteers were doing: 

“God was making a body for Christ, Paul said. Christ didn't have a regular body any more so God was making him one out of anybody he could find who looked as if he might just possibly do. He was using other people's hands to be Christ's hands and other people's feet to be Christ's feet, and when there was some place where Christ was needed in a hurry and needed bad, he put the finger on some maybe-not-all-that-innocent bystander and got him to go and be Christ in that place himself for lack of anybody better.”

Friends, "for the lack of anybody better," our Saint John's brothers and sisters are out there changing the world. How blessed are the recipients of their generosity, and how blessed are we to learn from their example. 

Honor Friends and Family with Gifts of Hope this December
Purchase Gift Cards Online OR Sundays, December 8 and 15, before and after services OR on Friday, December 13 at the Tidings of Joy Concert

This holiday season, you can choose to "be the hands and feet of Jesus" by giving the gift of hope to family and friends! Each year the Saint John’s Risk-Taking Mission and Service Committee selects a limited number of organizations with missions closely aligned to church priorities to benefit from the Gifts of Hope. Under this program, during the blessed Christmas season, donations are made in the name of special friends and family members to one or more of the selected organizations. Donors receive an appropriate acknowledgment to present to that special person.

The nine organizations listed below have been selected to benefit from your gifts this year. You many click on the name of each organization to learn more about its mission. Donors may contribute to one, or as many groups as they wish. Contributors making donations online through the Saint John’s website have access to a festive electronic certificate with details about their chosen organization(s) appropriate for printing to pass along to your honoree(s). The traditional printed acknowledgment cards and inserts appropriate for mailing will be available in the church Gallery before and after services on Sundays, December 8 and 15, and on Friday evening, December 13, in conjunction with the Tidings of Joy concert.

Austin Region Justice for Our Neighbors - free immigration legal services for immigrants and refugees. 
Casa Marianella - shelter and supportive services for displaced immigrants. 
Community First! Village - permanent housing and supportive services for the homeless. 
HOPE Food Pantry - addressing food insecurity in Austin families since 2000.
Lydia Patterson Institute - Methodist-sponsored school in El Paso, TX serving needy students from Juarez, Mexico. 
OutYouth - support services for LGBTQIA+ youth and their families. 
Rainbow Room - providing clothing and other necessities to children in crisis under the care of Child Protective Services. 
The Refuge Ranch - a ministry of Arms of Hope - residential facility, located near Bastrop, providing safety and support services to single mothers and their children who have experienced trauma. 
Women’s Storybook - providing a connection between children and their incarcerated mothers. 

You may also order cards online by visiting  onrealm.org/stjohnsaustin/give/AGM . Orders must be placed by Wednesday, December 18 to be received prior to Christmas.
For questions, please contact Randy Knighten at .