Dear Friend,

I don’t need to tell you how cold it gets around here in the winter, especially overnight. Bone-chilling, teeth-chattering cold.

Most of us have winter coats and heated homes to ward off the frigid, dangerous temperatures. But what if you didn’t have either? What if you actually had to spend a January night on the streets?

Andy, featured on page 3, had to do that more than once. But he eventually made his way to MRM, where he found those critical yet basic essentials of warm shelter and hot food. Praise God!

Which brings me to the theme of this month’s newsletter: Shelter from the Storm. As a rescue mission, we aspire to be that place of refuge for neighbors in need. We’re a literal refuge for homeless neighbors to get out of the cold — but we’re also a spiritual refuge for souls in need of spiritual help.

I love this story of John Wesley, the 18th Century English preacher. Wesley was struggling with his faith when he went to a meeting at church. The speaker was reading from Romans when Wesley said “[I] felt my heart strangely warmed” as he fully grasped Christ’s gift of grace, and that he was saved from his sins.

Strangely warmed. That’s a good metaphor for the refuge we offer at MRM. For folks who’ve been struggling with things like addiction, poverty, domestic violence and hardship — some for years, even decades — to suddenly be in an environment of nurturing and safety can feel strange. But, through your support, we offer both a warm refuge from the cold, and the warmth of God’s love.

I invite you to help us in that mission by becoming a monthly giver, ensuring our struggling neighbors can find shelter from the storm — and be “strangely warmed” — all year round. Become an MRM Sustainer at milmission.org/sustainer.

I am so grateful for your partnership. God’s warmth and blessings to you!

Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.
President