July Video Update

Update from the Streets: Encounters I will Never Forget

"You can help me find some work? It says here you can" pointing to the side of our Step Van where we advertise the services we provide. One aspect of our street ministry is to connect people with their needs which include employment, housing, churches, detox and rehabilitation etc. By interviewing and presenting them with a list of social service agencies, we direct people in where to go. Typically after we've done all that, we ask if we can pray for the person, believing that ultimately God is able to meet their needs. This day was no different... except God gripped my heart for the struggles of the poor and unemployed.

On two separate encounters, I found myself listening to stories of families in financial struggle and how they've been laid off and how hard it is to make ends meet. Upon giving them the resource sheet, I asked if I get their contact info to follow up. Their reply... they had to cut off their phones in order to save money.

Now you might be thinking, what's the big deal? No phone? So what? But it struck me deep realizing how much I have and take for granted. In this day, having a cell phone means a lot and something that is a needed resource. That day, I was faced with the reality that the people who are doing everything to make ends meet are without an important means of communication. How then can they effectively job search? Granted you don't NEED a phone, but the reality of what the poor go through really hit me in a deeper way.

I am believing that God is able to provide for them. Please pray for a man name Jesus and a lady name Melanie and the many more that we meet on the streets who are in similar dispositions. I know God is able because we've seen how on several occasions ministry teams pray for someone and they come back to let us know that God answered! He is still a God who hears when we cry out!

Proverbs 21:13 "He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered."

(view from side of our Step Van)

(me sharing and talking to Jesus)

Ministry in Main Street Flushing

“Hallelujah, hallelujah” an elderly Chinese man approaches the prayer station gesturing a cross with his fingers, smiling to let us know that he loved Jesus. This was about the third time I’ve seen Mr Fu at Flushing. Every time I never had the courage to say anything in Chinese, but this time I asked “would you like prayer for anything.” He smiled, amazed that I spoke Mandarin. “You Chinese?” “Yes, but speak very little.” Mr Fu began to tell me how he felt God called his family here, knowing absolutely no English and having no means of income. Yet in obedience he came and the Lord provided. He showed me his benefits card and enthusiastically pointed to his groceries, thanking God for it. By the end of our conversation, I asked if I could pray for him. He had tears in his eyes as I prayed for him (in English) and to my surprise he asked if he could pray for me. I have never had someone pray for me in Chinese. A little before we departed he encouraged me, making sure I understood that even if I knew a little bit of Chinese, it was God who speaks through me.

It might sound simple but this interaction was extremely encouraging because often times when I am doing prayer stations I feel so inadequate. I’ve been so blessed with the ability to speak Chinese, but because I grew up in America, I am not as fluent. I know God wants to use me in a mighty way in Flushing, especially in a town with so many from all over the world and have never heard the Gospel (as I once was in their same position growing up in a non Christian home).

I am thankful for times like this where the Lord encourages me and look forward to someday being able to share the Gospel in Chinese.

Video Update

Sharing some brief updates on life here at the ministry and prayer requests

Naresh: A Life Transformed

The last time we saw Naresh must have been at the end of '09. To be perfectly honest, it's been so long that I believed he must have been dead. He was one of our regulars, a homeless man we served at the park every Tuesday, who had been an alcoholic for more than 20 years. Amy and I met him on the basketball courts in the back of the park one hot summer day, where we shared the Gospel with him and told him how desperately Jesus loves him. He couldn't believe that anyone would love him. His family had long ago disowned him because of his alcoholism and the many times he had hurt them through the years.

We invited Naresh back to the truck and through the following months developed a friendship with him. He hated his drinking and wanted to change, and several times we helped him get into a detox only to find out he left a day or two after checking in. The last time I saw him, he had bandages, cuts, and bruises on his head from falling down on a concrete sidewalk while drunk. He had just gotten out of the hospital where the doctor told him if he didn't stop drinking immediately he would die because his liver was in such bad shape.

Then he just disappeared. Weeks and months passed with no sign of Naresh. Amy and I prayed for him. We prayed that he was safe, sober, and free from the chains of alcoholism. We prayed that God was keeping him alive. We prayed for God to bring him back to us, just so we'd know he was okay.

As you can probably imagine, I was elated when he walked up to our truck today, in brand new clothes, looking vibrant, healthy, and sober! He told me the most amazing story of how God had answered our prayers. His brother, from whom he had been estranged for many years, came and found him in the park one day. He insisted that Naresh was going to come live with him and quit drinking, that very day.

He found a policeman who had arrested Naresh on several occasions for public drunkenness, who told him either he would arrest him again that day or he would go with his brother. He went with his brother and quit drinking, cold turkey, that very day. He has been sober ever since, for more than a year and a half now. Today he is working a full-time job and living with and taking care of his elderly father.

He brags about his nice new clothes, warm bed, clean apartment, and money in the bank. He told me he is saving to buy the first car he will have had in many years. He loves being sober, and attends weekly AA meetings. He is still not sure about Jesus, but I told him today he is living proof that the Lord is real and He answers prayer. Naresh wiped tears from his eyes as I told him how much Amy and I (and all of us at Street Life) love and pray for him, as well as how thrilled we are to see him safe, happy, and sober.

As we traveled back to our offices today, we rejoiced at what God has done in Naresh, prayed for more lives to be transformed, and looked forward to the day when he will come into relationship with the One who has kept him all these years! God is so beautiful, and I am amazed today by the depth of His love, even while we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Wow!!

-written by Mary Anna Coulter (co-worker of mine)

Naresh, Mary Anna and I back in Feb 2009

Naresh in March 2010

March comes out like a Lion!

Whew, the month of March went by so fast!

Updates:

We hosted two teams, a group of college students from Norway and Troy Christian School from Ohio. As always it’s awesome to hit the streets with people and show them ropes of street ministry in NYC. Not only do teams get stretched by being here, they see how REAL God is. In a city so BIG, I love seeing how God is BIGGER and able to use us in such a powerful way, especially in our weaknesses.

(picture on right: team from Norway)

Prayer Stations:

Two weeks ago, we took the Ohio team to do prayer stations in Time Square subway station and usually this spot is a hard place to do ministry since there are so many who are on the go rejecting prayer and such, but God showed up mighty. Not only was there non-stop prayer happening, a man name Obey (it might be spelled differently) came up for prayer and accepted Jesus in his heart. That day, the team came home gleaming, amazed at how God met them so powerfully, even in the midst of their fears, tiredness and doubts. (picture credit: Michelle Brown from Troy Ohio team)

Tompkins Square Park:

That same week, at Tompkins Square Park a man name Naresh, gave us the good report how he had been alcohol-free for the past year and half. This was amazing because we hadn’t seen him in a long time and we’ve been praying for him. Read the testimony on our website.Or just check out the post above this.
(picture taken in Feb 2009)

Video Update:

In this update, I am sharing some things God has been doing in my life personally.

Thank you so much for watching & reading this update!!

Amy

Updates

School

After having 8 months off from school, I am back! Spring 2011 semester has kicked into full gear and I’m on my way to finishing my last year and degree in Social Work. I am currently taking three classes and doing a social work internship at a nursing home. This has been a really exciting time because a lot of preparation has come to bring me to this place and I know God wants to teach me so much through this last year of school.

As far as life at SLM goes…

February passed by so quickly and the Lord has been doing so much with us as a team. Earlier that month, we were invited to host a weekend youth conference about purity at Grace & Peace which is one of the churches that have been coming on missions trips with us. As a team we got to pray and pour into the youth and God did so much in and through us. It was a really exciting time for me because at one point the girls and guys split up into separate groups and the girls were able to anonymously ask the SLM girls questions about life. Since this was a weekend about purity, most of the questions were directed towards relationships, however it was such a powerful time because not only was there such a hunger and desire among the girls, but the questions they asked were so genuine. It was almost as if God hand-picked every girl that was supposed to be in that group.

Here are some pictures from that weekend...


The ladies from our group :)










Also, for more updates about some things happening at SLM, please check out our latest newsletter.

Once again, thank you for all your prayers & support. Please if there is anything you would like prayer for please let me know. Or just let me know how you are doing.