When Andy Littleton was 17, he met Jordi* at a restaurant the two of them worked in. The job didn’t last all that long for either of them, but about 20 years later, Jordi and Andy reunited, this time, when Jordi walked into Mission Church one Easter Sunday where Andy was pastoring. “We recognized each other immediately,” Littleton said.
Over a meal shortly after, Littleton learned that Jordi, who has special needs, had recently lost his mom and was currently homeless. Mission Church, a congregation of the Christian Reformed Church in North America in Tuscon, Ariz., helped him find a few places to live, but none of them lasted long until last October when the church purchased a house almost next door to Mission. Previously, the house functioned as a school, a grocery store, and as a Catholic parish until it was sold to Mission. Today, it is home to Littleton’s office, a conference room, a podcast studio, a woodshop, and an apartment for Jordi. “This space is a God-send,” Littleton said. “We wanted a place where we could make the rules in such a way that worked for his particular needs.”
Jordi, who loves to decorate, has made the place his own. There’s a quail on his front door, and candles and flower pots on his back patio. He’s also cultivated a garden where he grows basil, cilantro, kumquats, and chili peppers. He sells what he grows two to three times a week, but he also cooks with it, turning just about anything—including ramen and mac and cheese—into a Mexican dish.
Besides cooking and gardening, Jordi works as a dishwasher for a pizza place. “I see how everything is made—from the dough to the cheesecake,” Jordi said. He also likes to rebuild bikes, and the one he’s working on now has a trailer and new front forks. He uses his bike to go to nearby stores for groceries and other necessities.
The Mission Church members see the provision of an apartment for Jordi as one of its callings in being a place of transformation, like the creation of a colorful mural when the church first moved into the neighborhood. After that act of community building, Littleton was invited to tour Austin’s Community First Village with other nonprofit and city leaders.
There’s potential “for a more substantial partnership with the city agency,” Littleton said, but, “All of this would take a long time and may never pan out.” In the meantime, they could start with what was in front of them. “That trip (tour) was inspiring but also opened my eyes to the small things God likes us to begin with, and the fact that our quest to help a special needs friend at our church find housing, was indeed our invitation into this work.”
Many congregants at Mission have helped Jordi live as independently as possible, including helping him manage his money. Jordi appreciates one man, Andrew Youderian, in particular, for helping him with his savings. “He helped me make the right choices,” Jordi said, adding, “It’s hard to say I need help.”
“That’s all of us,” Littleton agreed.
*Jordi was happy to speak with The Banner and have his picture taken for this story. Because he lives with some vulnerabilities we have agreed to use only his first name.
About the Author
Callie Feyen is a writer living in Ann Arbor, Mich. She attends First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor. Callie writes news for The Banner and contributes to Coffee+Crumbs, and T.S. Poetry Press. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and is the author of The Teacher Diaries: Romeo and Juliet, and Twirl: My Life in Stories, Writing, & Clothes.