Covered dish dinner at 5:30, followed by the movie: "I Am David." Imagine being thrust alone into the big bad world at the tender age of 12, armed with little more than wit and courage, a loaf of bread, a compass and an envelope you’ve been instructed to deliver to a country you’ve never heard of. That’s reality for David, a resourceful and courageous boy who came to life in the pages of Anne Holm’s 1963 young adult classic, North to Freedom. In this fine screen adaptation, David makes a bold breakout from Bulgaria’s Belene Forced Labor Camp in 1952 and sets out on a mission to deliver a mysterious letter to Denmark. He has few life skills beyond what he's learned from a fellow labor camp prisoner, and only vague memories of nurturing parents to give him emotional strength. The words of the unseen accomplice who has primed him for the journey lead him past the prison guards and launch him into unchartered territory; none reverberate more loudly than these: “Trust no one.” David's daring adventure takes him past harrowing border crossings and into the rat-infested cargo hold of a freighter. It bumps him along dusty country roads in covered farm trucks and dumps him beside a stunning Swiss alpine lake. The people David encounters along the way stretch his limited understanding of human nature, challenge his deeply ingrained fears and coach him in his pursuit of life. A sailor gives David safe passage. A baker teaches him to smile. An aristocratic Italian family takes him in. And finally, a widowed artist (Sophie) restores his spirit with compassion and understanding. Under her patient guidance and encouragement, David begins to let down his guard, peek over the walls of distrust and discover who he truly is.

"Thrift Store Saints: Meeting Jesus 25ȼ at a Time," by Jane Knuth. Jane Knuth’s middle-class, suburban, church-going background had not prepared her well to serve as a volunteer at an inner-city thrift store. Reluctantly, she decided to give it a try. Thrift Store Saints is a collection of true stories based on Jane’s unexpected, soul-stirring experiences at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Michigan. She begins to see the poor served there, one at a time, in a completely different light—as saints who can lead us to the heart of Christ. Jane’s transformation is rooted in the prevailing message of the book: When we serve the poor, they end up giving us much more than we could ever give them. Each chapter introduces readers to new “saints,” as Jane thoughtfully, at times humorously, describes how her frequent encounters with the poorest people were really opportunities to meet Jesus—25¢ at a time.