Home to as many as 300 people including about 80 children, the mission was abuzz with pre-Christmas excitement. The youngsters were like every child at this season, able to forget at least for a while their homelessness and anxiously anticipating two days hence - a multitude of gifts made possible by generous donors.

Joy Junction Assistant Resident Services Manager Lisa Woodward described the scene to me
"The volunteers load bags of gifts - "'Santa's treasures.'Children are following their parents pleading to just open one present today. Parents are mumbling they have no idea where they will put it all."

However, the children's attention was diverted by small snowflakes falling. They came running to Lisa asking her, "Can you call Dr. Reynalds. Please Lees." (The children's affectionate name for her).

Lisa was curious why the youngsters wanted her to call me. Without a lot of success, she tried to explain that I was very busy.

As she asked the kids why they wanted her to call me, she was peppered with their questions for me. "Ask him if we can build a snow man?" "Does he like snowball fights?" "Will he let kitchen Mike make us snow ice cream?"

Lisa said she laughed and promised them that she would e-mail their requests to my ever-active Blackberry and return with an answer should we actually get enough snow to scoop up.

That answer wasn't what they wanted, Lisa said. She told me, "Slightly annoyed with my apparent lack of being able to prioritize, they wandered off with a parting comment, "Lees,you better remember. We are gonna ask him; he likes us."

Lisa said she watched the children make their way to a Christmas activity reminding them about the true meaning of Christmas and why we give gifts. Especially touching, she said, was as she heard the kids talk to the Lord about what they had just told her.

"He would understand their dilemma and phone the good Doctor (Reynalds)," she said.

Lisa said, "I'm an adult and remember at least flashes of my Christmases prior to Joy Junction. But I had never felt love or the true spirit of Christmas until I came here."

Lisa, who lives on site at Joy Junction, said, "Someday I will live in a dwelling away from the loving land of Joy Junction. Who knew that this ground could be so blessed or beautiful? But I hope God will call Dr. Reynalds every year and remind him to invite me "home" for the holidays."

I appreciate Lisa's work at Joy Junction, as well as the tireless efforts of the rest of our staff. Working at Joy Junction is so much more than a job. It's almost a way of life-or a calling. Thank you so much for allowing us to share the love of Jesus with the ever-increasing number of those in need. Without His faithfulness and your generosity, we would be unable to continue.