Thursday in CO

Today we were at the Gathering Place, a women and kids shelter. What a neat organization – a huge blessing to the city of Denver. Women can come here for a variety of services. They can receive 3 meals a day, bus tokens, mail, voice mail, e-mail and clothes. They can also take a shower, a nap, GED classes and can drop their kids off at “daycare” while they are in the building.

Most of the women who use these facilities are homeless or are currently living in a transitional housing unit. Some may have a home but still need to use the Gathering Place as a supplement for what they do not have (hot, nutritious meals for example).

After being on the road for a week – without a home base other than our van (sedgwick) – I am better able to grasp the importance of having a familiar place to retreat to in order to rest and to be able to connect with the outside world. In some ways, I feel like these women: sometimes I (Latreia) wonder where I will be sleeping the next night, where my meal will come from, when the next time is that I will be able to check e-mail or even when and where I will be able to receive regular mail or connect with my family. Yet, I will never be able to fully relate with these women or begin to imagine what they are (have been) going through…By the grace of God, I have friends and family who love and support me (both here and at home), I have a college degree behind me, I have the funds to draw on if need be, and I will always have a home to retreat back to…

God is continually opening my eyes to the numerous blessings He has placed in my life. He has blessed me beyond my wildest imagination.
Stephanie