Dear Bridges to Home Ministry Friends:

I pray this blog finds you all well and settling into the new year.  If you made any resolutions, hopefully they are not abandoned just yet.  

I read an article in the Inland Catholic Byte recently, and I would like to share a portion of it with you in case you did not have the opportunity to read it. It was written by Jeanette Arnquist, and I found it to be quite apropos to Bridges to Home's mission.  Jeanette is addressing the many reasons why our hope for a more healthy, peaceful, united 2022 is in question, and she asks if there is hope in all of the darkness surrounding us.  She goes on to quote Pope Francis  who said, "Let us nurture hope by the power of gestures, rather than by gestures of power."  Further into the article she says, "As individuals we can't stop COVID and we can't bring about civility, much less unity.  But there is hope.  Hope begins in small ways.  A tiny baby laid in a manger 2000 years ago is the light in the darkness, the hope of the world.  If that hope is to be found in 2022, it is up to us who believe in that baby and the Gospel He preached to be ambassadors of hope.  Even if we can't do great things, we can do small things.   We can do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. (Amos 6:8).   We can share bread with the hungry.  We can welcome the stranger.  We can say words of kindness and gentleness to people who think differently than we do.  We can make the time to listen to each other.  In other words, we can take the love that God gratuitously showers on each of us and shower it on our friends and enemies, family and strangers, people close by and far away.  If we can do this, surely we will begin to bring hope, little by little, into 2022."

Bridges to Home continues to live by this belief and you are all a part of the mission to bring hope to people who are feeling hopeless.  Sally, David, and Andrew were hoping that someone would lift them out of their homelessness.  The pictures you will view below portray what you, through this ministry, have done to bring rays of light into their darkness, and renew their faith that they are important and they matter greatly.  Sally is a senior who was referred to us by our new partners, United Way 211ADRC, and David and Andrew are both veterans referred to us by our good friends the case managers at the VA in Loma Linda.   Please click on the arrow to progress forward or backward.  

We are called to be a channel of blessings to all we meet, and the financial support provided by members of this ministry continues to prove that you are eager to fill this role.   Sincere thanks to Pat F., Mary Ann, Nathan, Dave and Eileen, Jenny, Max and Marilyn, and an anonymous donor for opening your hearts in very big ways in order that this ministry's work can continue.  Grateful thanks for your faithfulness.

Please read the email for details on the next two moves and how you can participate in their success.

Let us praise God for how He is using us to change the world,
Mary
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