2011 Grand Finale

"I was hungry, and you gave me food.  I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.  I was a stranger, and you welcomed me." 

Matthew 25:35

As 2011 drew to a close, the Mission Athens team worked with all our brothers and sisters at Central Church of Christ to end the year in grand style.  We devoted one night of our church "service" to just that--various acts of service to help those less fortunate in our community and around the world.

We got organized in the Family Life Center, dividing into small groups and tackling various projects.  A small group had planned the food to be included in our Christmas food boxes and bags, and many of our number got to work in an assembly line, packing together various grocery items including turkeys, pantry items, produce, meats and staples to get families through the holidays.

Another small group bundled and bagged the remainder of our shoes that were generously donated as part of the Soles for Souls shoe campaign.  We challenged our church family of around 400+ to donate one pair of shoes per member, and once again, the Central family far surpassed the challenge.  Almost 600 pairs of shoes were collected and will be sent to people all around the world who need them.

Down the hall, another team worked to organize the books that were donated as part of our "Operation Page It Forward" Book Drive benefiting the Downtown Rescue Mission for the homeless in Huntsville.  We challenged our church family to "fill the trailer" with books, and literally thousands of books were donated.  The books were delivered over the holidays, and the Mission staff were so thankful to have these resources in their library for their residents.

While the assembly line continued, across the hall a group of ladies sent over 100 notes of encouragement to friends who have been struggling with illness or hardship.  It's amazing what a note from a kind friend can do to lift the spirits of those hurting.

It was amazing how much we accomplished in such a short amount of time.  Very quickly, the food was organized and ready to go.  We actually delivered two large boxes of items per family, and several of our members volunteered to go out and deliver the boxes and bags to those in need all around Limestone County.

In less than an hour, we prepared and packed over 20 food boxes, 20+ bags for those living in hotels who did not have standard kitchens, packed up thousands of books, bundled and bagged about 600 pairs of shoes, and sent over 100 notes of encouragement.  That work gave the Mission Athens team a whole lot to smile about!

As much fun as it was to work together, nothing could compare with the joy of sharing.  As this sweet friend told us after receiving her food box, "You absolutely made my Christmas."  No, my dear, you made ours!  It is such a joy to give, and the Mission Athens team is so thankful for the ways God has opened our eyes and our hearts to those in need all around us in 2011.  We can't wait to see what He has in store for 2012!