Last Sunday, instead of meeting at O. Henry to worship, we met throughout the city in our Villages to serve and worship in the community. Here are a few highlights:

Our service day was awesome! The Brown's have a neighborhood family that they have come to know in the last year who are from India. They have befriended them and our village has gotten to meet them prior to our service day. They are unbelievers and have recently had a son (he is 5 months old) In the India tradition, they plant a tree to celebrate the birth of their child. Our village got together, and planted three trees, several plants, and did the landscaping for them to really make it special. It it was truly beautiful to watch everyone working along. People were EAGERLY working, and everyone was pitching in so greatly that it went off without a hitch! The Brown's bought all of the landscaping tools and plants and had it set up so it went like clockwork. The trees are all fruit trees and will bear fruit in the spring. The family was humbled to have us do this for them and very grateful.It was simply a beautiful morning. Janelle - Circle C Village

We fried a turkey, had lunch, and made about 100 bags for the homeless.  This week we are doing some repairs on the house of one of the Koch’s neighbors.  Great time! Paul - Northeast Austin Village

We initiated a community landscaping and beautification project for neighboring Rosedale School (a school for severely handicapped children). We were able to build a raised garden for the kids to enjoy and also reworked the memorial garden that remembers Rosedale students who have passed away. By inviting some neighbors and teachers to join the effort, we anticipate future opportunities to serve and build relationships with this school.  Trey - Rosedale Village

We served Mission Possible Austin at the Church Under the Bridge's thanksgiving meal.  There were 150 or so homeless/poor folks there and probably another 100 volunteers. Talking to these folks we were there to love on made a several things very apparent.  One, there are a bunch of hurting folks around us that all have a story.  Some of them know Jesus, most probably do not.  Two, my family is blessed beyond measure.  And three, when you consider what a meal, a roof, and some clean clothes can do for a person, it makes you re-think this "always craving more" society we live in. It was also good for our children to experience something and someone they had never encountered before.  Certainly got them out of their comfort zone as well. Beck - Oak Hill Village