Uniquely Tailored

I love living in New York. I have to admit, I didn’t always. At least not knowing the value of why this city is such an amazing place. Yes it’s crowded, expensive and noisy. Yes, there never seems to be any break from the busyness and stimulation and yes even parts of it smell… but there is no place like it in the world. It didn’t hit me till a few years ago how blessed I was to grow up in the City of Nations. In a city of 8.4 million people, you have just about everyone from around the world here. I grew up in a school system where I had friends from African, Middle Eastern, Latin American, European and Asian descent, all sitting within the same classroom!  Some of my childhood best friends came from Columbia, China, Dominican Republic, Philippians and Jamaica – which was no big deal.  I was and am surrounded by people of ethnic descent.  Recently, it hit me again how amazing it is that I live here, serve and get to share with the love of Jesus to people from all over the world.

A week ago, while handing out clothes at Tompkins Square Park, I had what I would like to call a pretty "funny moment". Since I was in charge of the clothing table that day, I was helping the ladies that came up to look for things. That day, it was pretty quiet and so certain ladies hung around more. I took that as an opportunity to try to converse. Of course, while trying to talk, the lady only spoke Spanish. So, I took advantage of my limited Spanish (I took Spanish for 7 years school but never feel confident enough to try to speak it).  Then out of the blue, two more ladies come by the table, I hear one of them speak WenZhounese (my parent's native dialect) and the other Mandarin. Ironically, for some of you that know, I struggle to be confident in my Chinese speaking abilities but I spoke to them in both dialects of Chinese. So in the course of a few minutes, I was trying to converse in three different languages (all of which I am not fluent in but can understand/get by).  One of the Chinese ladies even asked if we were from the church. I found this encounter to be laughable (at least to me anyway) cause I so sense the delight of God over it.

This whole encounter caused me to realize one thing… I’ve been so blessed to have been exposed to so many cultures and languages, especially knowing that I have somewhat of an ability to communicate it.  God has uniquely tailored my life in such a way where cross culture evangelism is right in my door steps and I’ve grown up being exposed to so much. NYC is home to over 200 languages and being in the midst of so many people groups, means more opportunity. Once again, I stand in awe of God’s amazing grace in how He desire to make His name known among the Nations and choose to use us in the midst of it. Please pray for us as we continue to minister on the streets and especially for me to continue growing confident and being faithful with what He has given me.

Beautiful One Update - Melissa: I Want to Follow God

We came down the stairs to the small, dirty, basement massage parlor one Thursday night to find that all the ladies we knew there were no longer working there. Slightly disappointed to not be seeing our friends, I began to pray and ask the Lord what He wanted to do that night. One by one, all the ladies received a customer except a woman we'll call Melissa. We made small talk for a while, and then I told her that we were there not just because we love her but because God loves her. Her eyes opened wide, and she exclaimed, "You're here to tell me about God? Tell me the story from the very beginning!" She had heard the Gospel once before while she was visiting Shanghai, and God had been using the seeds sown at that point to stir some serious hunger in her. We spent over an hour with Melissa that night sharing testimonies from our lives and helping her further understand the Gospel.

Every time we would explain that God loves her personally and wants to do the same miracles in her life that He's done in ours, a huge smile appeared on her face and she got chills. God was touching her! At the end of the night we prayed for her, and she said, "I feel different, like lighter!" Then we invited her to the English classes we've been offering, and she said, "I'd love to learn more English but will the classes have enough time to discuss the Bible? I really want to learn more about the Bible!" Throughout our time with Melissa, we were blown away by her responses and her hunger for the things of God. That very night, she was on the verge of converting but was afraid of what her family, who are all Buddhist, would think of her decision. We lovingly explained that it is her choice, but to follow Jesus means to give up Buddha. She went to church the following Sunday, which happened to be Easter, with our translator. Just a few days ago, we received word that Melissa quit her job at the massage parlor because she wants to follow God!

She is taking real estate classes, and I cannot say enough how thrilled we are at what God is doing in her life! Please keep her in your prayers, and we'll keep you posted!

~Testimony written and copied from Mary Anna's (Beautiful One's Coordinator) newsletter~

Gifts and bookmarks for the ladies

Confessions of a Backslidder

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love, Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above” – Come Thou Fount Every Blessing

Recently, at church our worship leader shared the story of Robert Robinson, the man who penned the famous hymn "Come Thou Fount Every Blessing". He shared how Robinson wrote this song when he became a Christian at age 22 but in his later years walked away from the grace that he found. It wasn't until one day during his travels; a woman sitting by him moved by the words of the hymn quoted it and began sharing what an encouragement it was to her. Without knowing it, the woman was quoting the very words he wrote. The story doesn’t end there… in his sadden state, he tearfully replied "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who composed that hymn, many years ago. And I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I then had!” What happens next amazes me… she replies: “Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are still flowing.”

Now why do I share this story? Because sometimes I feel the words quoted above are so true to what my relationship with Christ is like. So many times, especially when trials and temptations or even just life happens, my heart has been prone to wander and prone to leave the God I love. No matter the commitments, the desire and even zeal to do better, there’s no denying it happens.  I slip up and do something I don’t want to do (have a bad attitude, exchange some mean words, get upset, remain bitter, etc.) and the battle with my sinful flesh is real.  Like Paul, I do what I know I do not want to do and find myself in a battle (Roms 7). There are times when the very sheer act of will isn’t enough to stop it and I feel upset and want to walk away from it all (okay, maybe not that extreme). But when I do mess up and the feelings of shame, guilt and condemnation come, I wonder… is this worth it when I fall time and time again and feel like I’m not bringing honor and glory to God’s name?

Truth is… through this journey of faith, I have learned that God isn’t after what I do, or how I behave. He is after my heart to know Him. Like the women’s reply… God’s streams of mercy still flows, even when I wander, fail or mess up; even when I have fallen so far and if I chose to walk away, His pursuit of me isn’t going to stop or end. Truth is, I love Him because He loved me first (1 John 4:19). By the very act of God coming to dwell among us in human flesh (Immanuel), He has chosen to love us, lay down His life for us and live His resurrected life through us. That “Jesus, sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God, He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood” like Robinson, I find comfort in knowing that God hasn’t given up on me but seeks after me, and desires my heart to know His grace. His grace died for me when I was hostile to Him, His grace that rose Him from the grave and the love that lead Him to the cross is the same love that ever beckons my heart to worship Him.  The grace that doesn’t come from what I do but His unmerited favor, “for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8).

Truth is… though I am prone to wander, prone to leave His side, God’s gift to us is that He doesn’t change and His love sought after, ran towards and embraces a sinner like me. That though I fall, and this battle feels like a never ending war sometimes, I take comfort in knowing that I have a Savior who is Victorious and isn’t willing to give up until He perfects the good work He started in me (Phil 1:6). That He doesn’t leave me when I wander, but brings me back home as the Good Shepherd that He is. Like in Robinson’s life, who came back into the fold, I trust there are many wanderers on the streets of NYC that need to know this truth. Truth is… it brings me HOPE knowing our Heavenly Father longs to embrace them like He does with me. 

Happy New Year to you all! 

Click here for SLM's Latest Newsletter 2014 Year in Review

Death While Homeless: Reminiscing Lost Friends

“When you die on the streets, the material part, whatever little there was, is held temporarily in a public place that is private. Then it is emptied onto an isolated island. It is entirely and absolutely gone. 

With nothing to ground them, the memories dissipate, growing larger and more diffuse, expanding into nothingness. Only friends hold them. The memories, everything that was you, dies when they die." 

I recently read this quote in Chris Arnades Photography series of the homeless at Hunts Point, Bronx. It was titled: “death while homeless”. I don’t know about you, but this made me sad. It bought back memories of friends whom we’ve lost through the years. I don’t want to be morbid, but it inspired me to reflect and remember friends that I’ve shared a soup or two with, laughed around our truck and had deep conversations about life. People we’ve prayed with, served together and seen at some of the worst and best times. Since we go to Tompkins Square Park every week, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to have such rich relationships. So for this update, I wanted to honor and share memories of friends who have gone on but are not forgotten. People who have mattered and made an impact on my life from Tompkins Square Park, I hope you will join me in celebrating their lives.

Maximo: dearly loved comedian. If I could see him one more time, I would ask him to sing and play his guitar. He loved indulging us with his sweet Spanish tunes and rich voice. He never failed to make me laugh and affectionately called me “Terminator #2” because we would encourage him to read the Bible. When I first met him, he told me he was a backslider and that he knew God wanted his life. He had a hard time giving up the pleasures of this world, but when he was around us, it drew him back to his childhood days of singing praise songs to God. Maximo died in 2012 of cancer. Although I never saw him during his last days, he kept in touch with us while he was in the hospital and some of our team visited him just before he passed. I had a lot of fun times with Maximo. He never let us forget that one day he ate four cups of soup and bragged about adding his own hot sauce. Maximo was a dear friend of mine and when he passed he left a void in my heart, the park was never the same again. I miss him.

Jewels: what can I say about Jewels? I cannot believe it’s been over a year since he’s been gone. We had many sweet and funny times together. I will never forget the first time I met you and we sat down by the park entrance on the ground. You were sharing how much you love to cook and that you went to school for it. We used to have many talks about the food you love to cook. Then there was that other time when you and I sat down and you wanted to read the book of Joel because it was your namesake. Other times, we had talks about your life on the streets and the poems you wrote. You were such a creative individual. Even that picture, you walked around in December with a black Santa hat and your cane. You never ceased to amaze me with your ability to express. Jewels, you were truly a gem out on those streets and I miss you my friend, wish I got to hear you perform "80 Proof Tears" again.

Shorty: no one had a temper like Shorty did. Yet deep down he was kind and looked out for those in the park, he even helped us at the clothing table a few times. I never really got to know Shorty except the few conversations we had about his military days. He died from some sort of medical complication due to his drinking (doctors told him to cut back but he never could). When he passed they had a little memorial at the park’s chess tables. No one really knew Shorty’s real name or if he had any family members but that didn’t matter. At the memorial they celebrated his life with memories and lit a cigarette for him, they were his family. Funny thing was, a few years after his passing, I met his next door neighbor and we exchanged stories. Shorty was the same no matter where he lived and his reputation preceded him.

This was where they found Liz's body

Liz: last time I saw her was in August during Worship Warfare Week. We talked about getting into a place to get her life straight. She was on heroine but wanted off. She hated what it had done to her. We talked for a while, laying out options for change but the urges kept getting stronger. Finally in a desperate attempt, she found someone she could stay with for the night. I tried to stop her, even got angry at the man but in the end it was her choice. Although it pained me to see her go, I could not do anything. She walked away, letting me know how thankful she was that I cared and assured me that I will see her again. That was the last time I saw her. We went on break and I came back to news of her death Sept 10, 2011. She died sleeping on the streets, cause of death: unknown. Liz died in her 50’s with not much known about her past. Although I didn't have many encounters with her, the little time I did have, I keep in my heart and remind myself how temporary life really is. Ironically, they found her body the same place where Grace (another lady we had ministered to earlier that year - picture below this post) passed away while freezing to death earlier that winter.

Carol giving Grace a coat. Winter 2011

Thanks so much for reading this... you guys are just as much part of the work we do on the streets! Thank you for the impact you've had on these individuals and many more. 

Little Acts of Kindness

Care Pack: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap
& shampoo

Recently on the streets, there was a lady that always comes asking for specific items in her “care pack”. Sometimes we have them and sometimes we don’t. That day we did. Usually I would give them to her and she would make her way somewhere else, but that day I felt I was to initiate more. Without thinking much about it, I gave her what she requested and started sharing how God was taking care of her because we don’t usually have these specific items and then proceeded ask her questions.

Now in the past whenever I would try, she would give me the silent treatment and then there would be an awkward tension. This time, after I said all that I felt compelled to grab her hand and said my name is Amy, what’s yours? I think my actions took her by surprise because she told me her name (which felt like a huge victory!) and we started to talk a little. I started sharing how thankful I was that she was here and also how God took care of her today cause she received the “hookup” (okay maybe not those exact words). This might not seem like much, but sometimes, when someone on the street repeatedly rejects your attempt at conversation, it’s easy to just give up. Even though we didn’t talk that much more, I was just thankful that God took care of Anna in such a specific way and how a simple gesture could show someone that they matter.

We see a lot of the same people on the streets, and I don’t ever want our job to just be someone who hands out clothing, food and toiletries. It is my hope that those who receive it also know they matter, even if it’s just something as simple as greeting a person by name when they come by. Whether we think about it or not, to know someone’s name is an important step in building trust and relationship. My prayer for Anna is that she will continue to open up instead of being one that keeps her distance.

Thank you so much for investing in the work that we do on the streets and the impact you guys have by reading and praying with us!

Giving out Apples to People on the Streets

Praise Report!

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to share this brief praise report/update over the story I shared last month.

Some of you might recall, I posted a story from our Corona outreach (I Cannot Believe You Guys are Here Today), and I am happy to report a quick update about what's happened to Edison since then. Last week I called his daughter to follow up and found out he is still there and doing very well! She shared how he's been singing at different churches on weekends and redeeming the gift that God gave him as he used to sing professionally. Please keep praying for his progress. We are so thankful to God for this timely encounter and the work that He is doing in Edison's life right now. PRAISE GOD!

Also, just wanted to ask if you can join us in prayer for our end of summer outreach: Worship Warfare Week August 11-17. We will be ministering at different parks in NYC, bringing worship and prayer to those in the community and also hanging out with children inside the parks. Please keep us in prayer as this is a pretty big week and this year we will be doing bible studies and games with the kids (something totally new!). I am super excited to see where God takes this, as most of the kids in the parks have never heard of the name of Jesus before and this will be an exciting opportunity to love on them!

Thank you so much for your partnership in prayer & finances! It has been an amazing summer and looking forward to sharing some more in the next update.  We go on break after August 18th and this year during that time (a little under 3 weeks) I will be working the US Open again (as a supervisor!!). I am looking forward to it as last year I learned a lot about myself and met some amazing people. It was a humbling experiencing knowing the things I've learned in ministry have formed skills, character and a leadership I never knew I had. I am sure this year will be even more challenging and stretching as I will be leading others.

Thanks again for everything!

Love,
Amy

“I cannot believe you guys are here today…” - Corona Outreach

For years, David Van Fleet, director of Street LIFE Ministries has had a vision to go into Corona, Queens, (a predominately Hispanic community) with our Mobile Resource Center. Recently this month we had the opportunity to go twice on a Saturday. With the help of my friend Ana Maria, some team members and Nicole (a girl on staff who studied Spanish in school), we spent the morning getting to know people, listening to their needs, praying and serving soup, juice and bagels. Since Corona is neighborhood with a lot of need, I was chosen to go as the social worker. Personally, it was a humbling experience since my Spanish is limited and I wasn't sure of what it would be like to do outreach there. However, God shows up despite my limitations!

Our team praying for Edison

Two Saturdays ago, a woman came up to our truck crying, asking for referrals to a detox. She explained that her father was an alcoholic and he was hitting rock bottom, but because she did not have funds and there were no beds available at the city hospitals she was desperate to get him help. Furthermore, she explained how she was just walking to the nearest hospital to check if they had beds but saw our truck and could not believe that God would bring us here at her exact time of need. At that point, Ana Maria began sharing the testimony of her father being a former alcoholic and how God healed him and restored their family. She began crying and shared how her father was a Christian, fell away but knows only God can save him. However, she did not know of any Christian places that could help him since he spoke only Spanish. As our team was talking with her, I began making phone calls and got her father connected to a Spanish speaking Christian rehab. That day, we were able to give her the details for this place and prayed that her father would follow through this decision. She thanked us and said she was going to keep us updated with his progress since he still needed to go detox.

A few days later, I called to see how she was doing, and she related the following: she was able to go straight to the rehab with her father and it worked out that he did not have to go to detox! This was such an answered prayer for her, since she was not sure how she was going to pay for detox. She also shared that she hasn’t heard from him, which meant he was still there. PRAISE GOD! I love how God knows what exactly we need and how He meets us in the place of desperation! Even for me, I was incredibly encouraged knowing how SPECIFIC this need was and how much He cares/loves us to do it! Please keep Edison and his family in your prayers as this is just the beginning for them.