Lisette Williams
After 33.5 years, Lisette retired as the Mission’s Community Relations Manager. Her dedication to the people we serve and building relationships with the community has been an incredible blessing. Well done good and faithful servant!
What did it mean to you to build relationships with the community?
I always thought of it as building friendships for the Mission.
I made so many great friends working alongside wonderful, humble people and also in the community. It was such a privilege to tell them about Denver Rescue Mission, what we were doing and what we needed. The world measures your importance by the number of people who are serving you, but God is more concerned with the number of people we are serving.
I wanted to bless people and instead, I ended up being the one who was so blessed. My first day, I was so excited, and my last day, although I was incredibly sad because I was leaving, I still pulled up and was so happy that I got to work there. Working at the Mission isn’t a job, I really think it’s a calling.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time here?
I would do the raft trip for the guys in our New Life Program, and I remember one guy said, “Thank you. I never knew I could have fun in nature without drinking or doing drugs.” It was neat to see—through kind people donating things that we think are expected or ordinary—that doors would open for people. Also, just all the kind people in the community and how willing they are to help. It was the Lord who opened so many doors for me and touched so many people’s hearts. People who sometimes feel unseen—we see them at the Mission, and we love them. It really is an incredible privilege that the Lord lets us do that.
How do you hope the Mission continues on into the future?
The Mission is in such great hands, with all the wonderful people who are currently working there. The Mission is not just making a difference by providing a meal or clothing or a safe place to stay. Everybody at the Mission is making an eternal difference for the Lord. The Mission really is holy ground. When I see our Jesus Saves sign downtown, especially when it’s illuminated, it just brings tears to my eyes because Jesus does save. It’s a beacon of hope.
This post is part of October’s Changing Lives Newsletter. This month, we’re sharing how a single coin flip brought Dan to the New Life Program, where he found faith, community and a life worth living in: The Coin Flip.
