Despite the consistently warm weather, our New York City mission team continued to focus on serving and loving the people of this incredible area by relying on His power and strength working within us.
So that every group had the opportunity to be exposed to the many boroughs and the diverse needs of the city, serving groups 1 and 2 got to experience their own prayer tours today. Despite hearing a little bit about the tours from their peers in groups 3, 4, and 5 who completed their prayer tours yesterday, groups 1 and 2 approached the day with open eyes and hearts, ready to learn about New York's people, to see where God is already moving in the City, and to see what needs exist in this place. It was interesting to see that while this northern city has many unique issues, there are also many struggles faced by the locals here that even our students from the suburban south could relate to. Towards the end of their tour time, group 1 shared an emotional moment at a church right outside Ground Zero that had a memorial honoring all the firefighters who died in 9/11. Over the course of their prayer tour, Group 2 enjoyed some challenging conversations with local residents on issues of homelessness in the City, and was challenged to think about our roles in the fight against poverty and the unequal distribution of resources. Groups 1 and 2 ate dinner together at an Indian restaurant before heading back to the housing site.
Group 3 began their day at the Russian Community Life Center, distributing bibles to the local Russian community in that area. The group enjoyed immersing themselves in a different culture while simultaneously helping share God's word with people in their own language. Many bible-recipients responded with extreme gratitude for the free gifts handed to them by your children. In the afternoon, the group served at a ministry happening at our own housing site called Operation Exodus, a tutoring program for young kids in the area. The group was truly touched when the teacher asked for a volunteer to pray, and every child's hand shot into the air! One young girl was chosen to pray, and she delivered a heart-felt, passionate prayer that left the entire group in awe. Hanging out with the kids for the afternoon gave us a peek at another small bright spot already at work in this city. Group 3 experienced some incredible Senegalese cuisine to finish out there afternoon.
In the morning, group 4 headed to Yorkville Common Pantry, where they organized and helped store new food deliveries that would go to feed hundreds of needy New Yorkers. During our evening porch time, several leaders commented how they really saw Jesus in the incredible work ethic of the group members. The staff at Yorkville was not expecting group 4 to complete their assigned task; however, not only did they finish the task, they also worked without complaint or quarrel the entire morning. In the afternoon, they participated in a type of neighborhood scavenger hunt at Grand Central Station, engaging with the New Yorkers in that area and getting an even better feel for the City. Leaders again commented that it was nice to have a slower afternoon to really sit down as a group to process the experience in a more intimate and focused setting. Group 4 ate dinner at a dominican restaurant, then returned to the housing site to get ready for porch time.
Group 5 started the morning at We Care Soup Kitchen, preparing food for the clients and helping with the daily set-up and running of the center. At different intervals throughout the morning, small groups of students were able to hang out in the dinning room, talking with residents and getting to put names and faces to the issue of urban poverty. Many of our kids commented on how much they loved interacting with people from the community in this setting. After serving at the Soup Kitchen, the group participated in the Harlem Plunge, an interactive activity where the team finds and attempts to "bless" a person without a house or job by sharing a meal together and purchasing small necessities for him/her, such as socks and toiletries. This experience turned out to be a huge blessing for the group, who encountered two really engaging people in need and were able to not only meet that small tangible need, but to also share some love and light into two dark situations. Group 5 met up with Group 4 for dinner and together returned to Manhattan Bible Church.
When all the groups had assembled back at the housing site, we circled up for an extremely exciting and encouraging porch time. We shared laughs and funny stories, as well as a very encouraging time of "I saw Jesus." Your children are seeing Jesus all over the place - in both the people we're serving and in each other. Lex gave a talk that continued to challenge the students to see Jesus in the faces of the people whom society considered "the least of these" (Matt. 25), and in each other (1 Cor. 3:16). We are really excited about all the great serving opportunities planned for tomorrow, and are so appreciating of your prayers and support.
