Privileged ...

More positive feedback
Today I received an email from a woman who volunteered at our community Christmas day dinner.  We first got to know her through Space2B. We helped her move flats a few weeks ago.  Space2B has the motto of "Connecting people, celebrating diversity and engaging communities." The experience of the Christmas Dinner and an email giving feedback like this makes me feel like we are being successful and that what we are doing is "of God." She writes....
Dear Jean and David
Thank you so much for a wonderful and very memorable Christmas - My first in Dunedin! The food was delicious and your perfect organisation of such a huge day stunned me totally! You have indeed become like family and it made it so much more bearable to be away halfway around the world from my mum and siblings on Christmas.
Fondest regards....

That is so cool to be able to help people to feel "like family". I have a new sister! What a privilege! 
We go a long way back...
As I was handing out the gifts at the dinner I came to a simple man I have known for some time. He teased me and the people nearby were surprised. "It's OK" he assured them, "David and I go back a long way. How long is it Dave?" he asked. I didn't have the energy to do the math so I just nodded and said, "A long time!" As I drove home I began to think about that long time, which probably has been 24 years. He lived with his mother and father and was made redundant from the simple but long standing job he had. I used to visit the home, and they would come to church from time to time. The mum died of a fast paced cancer and I led the funeral. The Dad and this man lived on in a smaller unit. The dad was a veteran of WWII. He was a prisoner of war in Italy and told how he escaped for some time before recapture. He had interesting adventures to speak of. I recall getting the son involved in our walking group. In 1994 I was called to the hospital. The dad was dying and I sat for a long time beside his bed chatting with this simple son, until a brother arrived from further afield. In due course I conducted the funeral. This man comes to Christmas dinner, drops into the drop-in centre from time to time and somehow keeps in touch. As he said, we go "a long way back". I have shared a big part of the journey of his life. What a privilege!