So while Jeff and I are pondering our circumstances Jeff says to me “You know… all the great stories in the Bible have one thing in common – Adversity”, he continues on saying “The adversity we are facing on this trip is just God’s way of reminding us of the adversity Prodigal’s Home has faced over the past nine months”.

I have several important things to tell you today.  I will be following up over the next several weeks with additional details.

Several months ago the City of Phoenix approached CrossRoads UMC with the desire to settle the situation with Prodigal’s Home.  This settlement would include CrossRoads withdrawing the lawsuit filed in U.S. Federal District Court in January 2010.  The settlement would have  effectively ended our ministry at CrossRoads UMC.  On Wednesday, April 28 the Church Council for CrossRoads UMC voted to reject the settlement and seek alternatives to their current legal representation.

This vote was taken and approved even after we announced our intent to move back to the Sunnyslope area in the future (more on that below).

We are grateful CrossRoads UMC has continued to do the right thing in the midst of great adversity.  It would be easy for them to toss in the towel and accept a bad settlement that not only hurts the homeless and poor but also the broader Church.

We are moving back to the Sunnyslope area and we know we are to move into a  place of our own.

We know we are to move back into the area where most of the folks we serve live.

We also know we are to be in our own building.  This is HUGE.   This is a big step for us and one not taken lightly.

We began the process of looking for a place nearly a month ago and hope to be moved within six months.  We know we may have to be in a temporary place before we move to a final location.

This is so big I am simply not able to cover all the details in this e-mail.

But it is our intent to serve those in the Sunnyslope area seven-days-a-week.

For now here is what we need.  Continue to pray for those we serve as the weather gets warmer.  Last year several of those we serve died from the heat and living outdoors.  Pray for the leadership of Prodigal’s Home and CrossRoads UMC as we work through the details of the legal struggles and how we will move to our new home.

We need your financial support.  More than ever we are serving more people with more needs.  We haven’t missed a week in more than four years and we believe God is calling us to more.  Thank you for continuing to believe in us and the work we are called to do.

Grace & Peace,

Mike