I have never been as excited to hear an alarm clock at 2:30 a.m. as I was on the day my team and I finally got to fly to New York. I was ready to get going and could not wait to finally see the city the Lord had called me to spend my summer serving. I was a little anxious and nervous, but the Lord calmed my every fear and the day went so smoothly. However, I did quickly realize that I over packed, but with the help of some super sweet and respectful guys on my team, I made it to the dorm with both my giant suitcases.
Day one in New York was a super fun and exciting day. Our leader sent us out on a city-wide scavenger hunt in hopes for us to learn how to use the subways and learn to navigate the city. In a matter of 4-5 hours I had seen the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, the Statue of Liberty (from a distance), Trinity Church, Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, the NYC Public Library, and more. I can’t say I mastered the subways that day, but it was awesome to see some of the greatest places in NYC at a very quick pace.
The following day, I finally got to go to Crown Heights where I would be serving. It was a very eye opening experience to see how divided the community was and how broken both sides were. I was introduced to the word “gentrification” and learned about the effects it was having on the community. What this means is basically that people are moving into the community to take advantage of the low housing rates. This is causing prices to rise, thus displacing lower-income people. Our team’s goal is to meet needs in the community and help each side understand that they are both equally broken and in need of a Savior. He is the only one that can truly bring peace and unity.
The whole goal of the GenSend program is to learn how to live life missionally and intentionally in an urban context. Basically, what that means is that every time we go out, we seek to be led by the Holy Spirit in whatever we are doing and to be obedient when He gives opportunities for gospel conversations. So the following few days, we spent our time hanging out with kids at a local elementary school and spending intentional time hanging out in coffee shops in our neighborhood and engaging people in conversations. We met some amazing people who have been in the community for many years and got to form relationships with them that we will continue to be intentional in so that we may point them to Christ. One lady we met while walking down the street was named Fatima. She has lived in the neighborhood for 17 years and was a very kind and passionate lady. We talked with her for a while and exchanged phone numbers and hugs and have plans to have dinner in the future. We also met the owners of several local shops and are excited for the opportunity to visit them throughout the summer and continue having conversations with them.
While I loved every moment of the work we were doing, I still felt a little bit ineffective and like I had not done anything. However, the Lord quickly brought Colossians 3:17 to my mind. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Sometimes you may be asked to meet needs in a tangible way, and sometimes you may be called to just talk to people. To let them know that someone loves them and cares about them, and to let your words point them to Jesus, the greatest gift they could ever receive. It is not our job as Christians to save anyone. That is between them and God. The only thing that we are supposed to do is to plant the seed and to share with others the hope that we have in Jesus.
Sunday morning, I had the incredible opportunity to go to Hillsong Church. As always, God did His thing and the message was exactly what I needed. I am in a completely different setting than my small-town Alabama home so every day I must continue to adjust to my new setting. Much like I have to adjust myself to this new place, I also have to daily adjust the settings of my heart. Colossians 3:5 tells us to “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” It continues in verse 8, “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” And in verse 12 it says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” Every day, we must wake up and decide that we are going to put on the things in verse 12. We are imperfect human beings who have a sinful nature, and if we are not intentional about putting on the things that will lead us to godliness, then we will revert to our default settings and we will get caught in sin. We also learned the importance of standing in awe of God and the things he has done. One thing that the preacher, Carl Lentz told us that stuck with me is, “Wonder matters because it will protect you from perpetual wander.” If we are not in awe of the things of God and what he has done for us, we will wander astray and seek worldly things to satisfy our needs.
Sunday afternoon I got to attend my first service with Mosaic Baptist, the church in Crown Heights that I am spending my summer with. It was amazing how people from all different races and cultures came together to worship. When we get to Heaven, we will worship with every nation, tribe, and tongue and it was amazing to have a glimpse of what that will look like here on earth.
My first week in New York was full of many learning experiences, laughs, adjustments, and new friendships. I am looking forward to the rest of the summer and getting to watch the Lord work in the relationships we are forming, and provide opportunities for us to share the gospel with the people of Brooklyn. Please continue to pray for my team as we seek to live our lives on a mission.
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