This is a story of a son, the sun and the Son.

Just days before last Christmas, Thomas and his 11-year-old boy, Kalynn, were surprised by a knock at their door. A marshal, the bearer of bad news, was on the porch. They were being evicted, and they had 24 hours to leave. They were stunned. They were scared. “It was terrible,” Thomas says.

Thomas took his son outside, pointed at the sun and said, “You see that? That’s God. We have to follow that light.” That light led them to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, where Thomas and Kalynn found safety, security and solace … all in the name of the Son.

“We just put our hope and faith in God,” Thomas says. “And it was God’s grace that blessed us to come to the Mission.”

A series of bad breaks had left this single dad and his boy in dire straits. Kalynn’s mom died a couple years ago after years of struggling with drug abuse. Then Thomas lost his job in early 2022. Tight finances forced them into tighter — and cheaper — living quarters. They rented a bedroom from a homeowner for most of last year … until that December knock on the door and the eviction notice.

Thomas later learned that their landlord, the homeowner, was not making his mortgage payments. So everyone in the house, including the homeowner and other renters, was evicted. “We had nowhere to go,” says Thomas. “I didn’t know what to do.”

So the father and the son looked to the sun, and the Son, for a sign …

“I’d never been homeless before,” Thomas says. Thomas did an online search and made a few calls looking for a place to stay. When the Las Vegas Rescue Mission answered the phone, they said they had an opening.

It’s no coincidence that our logo features a lighthouse, shining on our community as a welcoming beacon of help and hope. Thomas was told to be at the Mission entrance by 2:30 that afternoon. He and Kalynn were there by 12:30. “First in line,” Thomas says.

As they began to settle in, Thomas started to relax. He knew they were in a safe place, and in good hands. “Outside the gates looking in, you could never tell what’s inside here … until you come in,” he says. “The people here are awesome. I feel like family.”

Thomas says Kalynn has weathered the changes well, even keeping up his grades in school. “He adapts,” Thomas says. “Through all the obstacles and setbacks, he’s really a champion.”

Today, Thomas is working to find employment and to live independently again. He says the Mission staff is encouraging him and helping with the job search. “We’re just doing our best to keep striving forward,” he says. “All I can do is believe and hope and trust.”

And keep walking toward the light.

Thank you for helping single dads like Thomas and his son. We’re so grateful!