On a chilly November morning after a heartwarming service, the crew at Crown and Anchor hopped on the Flash Love bus with a mission to help end hunger in Clark County, at least for Thanksgiving.
When we think about the meaning of Thanksgiving, we imagine pilgrims, freedom, or your moms' famous mashed potatoes. However, while we're sitting across from people we love, enjoying a warm meal, and feeling gratitude for our blessings, there are thousands who are left cold and feeling defeated. There are thousands of single parents or elderly couples who sit in silence, alone, and without a meal. However, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year. This year, Crown and Anchor and Flash Love decided to not only preach the gospel but to walk it out and serve the community like we'd serve our own families, after all, we're all brothers and sisters.
After the turkeys were loaded, and the bus was blasting with worship music, the teams headed off to a nearby trailer park to begin to surprise families with the gift of Thanksgiving.
Those on the receiving end were shocked and honored. Small acts of kindness can change someone's entire perspective on life in an instant.
In fact, this story comes from one of our amazing volunteers, Carmen Pruett, who shared this with us after the day came to an end. "Brent (Lahti) and I got to talk to a man and pray for healing in his knee. He was crying and talking about how kind it was of us to do that, how he loves Jesus and had just been worshiping and singing about the blood that morning before we showed up. He showed us pictures of Jesus, and his family, then he shared his struggles, and mentioned that he had been looking for a community."
This is just one moment where a turkey and a bit of conversation brought a man to tears because what he desired more than food, was a connection.
We don't share our "good deeds" to be praised as a nonprofit or as a church, but instead to remind you that buying some Turkeys, loving on people, and doing it with your friends is a simple task that can change lives. On this day, we were honored to serve many families in our community and show them that God's love is alive and real and that we don't need to know you to love you.
HUGE thank you to Crown and Anchor church for supporting us, joining us, and doing life with us! Your hearts for Jesus and your endless effort to heal the community doesn't go unnoticed.