December 2013 Newsletter

December 2013 Newsletter by Amy HoYin Wong

Click here for the Street LIFE Newsletter

Inadequacy: my reflections

I have a confession to make… I often feel inadequate. In ministry and in life, sometimes the thoughts “am I good enough” and “if what I am doing makes a difference” haunts me. It’s not something I always show, but sometimes in moments of doubt I wonder if this is something I am to do with my life? Recently, I’ve asked this question repeatedly as we’ve been in the process of pioneering an outreach for ladies in the sex industry. Although I know God's been clear with my calling to serve with Street LIFE Ministries, I find myself questioning if I’m the right person for it all.

Sometimes on the streets, I encounter people with situations beyond my ability to help.  Take Jane for example, she's new to NYC and had left an abusive boyfriend in another state. We talked for hours and I did my best to connect her with resources, but in the end because she had a dog, we were not able to do much. I saw Jane the next day and she was in the same place we left her, this time her countenance much worse, talking in front of me to men passing by, as if there was some “transactions” going on. Even though I referred her to some agencies, there was nothing I could do or say to help her.

Then there’s Donna, whom I have known for years and most days when I see her, she’s either been abused by her “husband” the night before or drunk. Donna’s been homeless for over 20 years and she continues to live her life on the streets. My conversations with her (when she is coherent) often consists of letting her know how much we love her and affirming her. Sometimes she gets upset when I say it, but in the end, we hug and laugh about it. She calls me “her China daughter.”  Yet when I am with Donna, I feel so inadequate. What can I do or say to help you? What will it take to breakthrough? Or my biggest fear for her, what if she dies, never overcoming her addiction? A story I am too familiar with, as I’ve known many through the years that have.

Honestly, I don’t have the answers but the other day when spending some time with God; I stumbled upon this Bible verse:

“Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Cor 3:5-6

Paul said it with such simplicity, it’s not anything that comes from ourselves, but God who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant. A covenant of peace, life, hope and freedom, that Christ died to take the place of my sins and took the suffering of man on the cross. It’s about His Spirit living inside of me and letting it give Life to others around me. It’s about serving and knowing He has qualified us to serve. In the end, it’s about God and not anything coming from what I can do. I am made adequate, not in my abilities to pray, serve or share the Gospel, but in Him.

I made a commitment six years ago to be where God wants me to be and today, although feelings come and go, I know that as long as I’m willing, He will provide the strength, grace and adequacy I need to continue on. Although I don’t always have the answers or the right words to say, ministry isn’t about that. So I conclude this with a challenge to myself and others… am I willing to change my thinking? To know it’s not about what I can do (or don’t do) but about what He has done to make me adequate? I want to be found in Him and be led by His Spirit even if it puts me in uncomfortable, “out of my control” situations. I know that it’s in that place that I will find the freedom from His Spirit to give life to others. I want to bring His Life and trust that He has made me adequate to do all that He has in store.

Thanks again for reading this update and your prayers & financial support through the years. I cannot begin to express how grateful I am to each of you and to God. 

Divine Encounter

Testimony written by my coworker & friend Mary Anna. She was the one who heard God to do this... I was just blessed to be a part of the opportunity.

"We planned to go into Manhattan for some adventuring today, and as I was praying in the morning before we left God told me to bring two sandwiches. I got out the leftover turkey and made some yummy sammies with stuffing and gravy, then bagged them up with some fruit and chips, excited to see what the Lord had in store. As soon as I saw this young woman seated on the ground with her sign, I knew one of them was for her. As we talked with her we learned that she had only been in the city for a few days and doesn't know where to find meals for the homeless. She had gone hungry on Thanksgiving day, and when she learned the bag contained leftovers from our Thanksgiving a big smile swept over her face. She told us she had been praying for food the past few days, as well as just wishing she could have a delicious holiday meal. I am still amazed at the goodness of God. He saw her. He saw not only her needs but also her wants and spoke to one of His people to help fulfill them. Beautiful."

Street Update!

Today a man came by our clothing table with no shoes and an open wound on his foot (his toe was busting out of his sock). I had the opportunity to clean and bandage the wound and give him a new pair of socks. Also we had a new pair of shoes stored in the truck and they were his exact size, which was such a blessing since we didn't have many shoes left at the clothing table by the time he got there! On a cold day like today, I am so thankful that we were able to take care of him in such a tangible way. Please continue praying for Michael, as he is an alcoholic living on the streets and has a medical condition which causes him to lose his balance.

Strip Church Training Update

Weekend of Oct 11-13, I went to the Strip Church training in Miami. Initially I went into the training excited yet uncertain about these next steps of ministry. After years of praying for the issue human trafficking, Mary Anna and I both felt it was time for action. Little did we know that action would mean outreach to workers in the sex industry and having the opportunity to go to this conference. 

From the moment the training began, to the last session we had, I couldn’t begin to explain the overwhelming emotions of peace, excitement and readiness I felt knowing this was where God had me. There were over 21 ladies from all over the country, some housewives, some ex-industry girls and others who had never done anything like this but feeling God’s tug on their hearts. We heard from speakers from several different ministries that taught on topics like “how to get into the strip clubs”, “what to do when you are in” and other practical issues in approaching this type of ministry. In addition, they took us to the clubs and where we were able to apply what we learned. Personally this was amazing because originally, I wasn’t signed up for outreach (there were limited spots available). However right before I left, I received an additional $100 gift and learned they had room, so I was able to pay the exact amount I needed for the outreach! PRAISE GOD!

In general, the outreach was amazing as my group went to 5 different clubs and brought gifts and love to the dancers, waitresses, bouncers and managers. At one of the clubs, a client was so surprise by our actions that he kept repeating “the church is at a strip club, what? The church is at a strip club!” I guess you can say we rocked his world right there. J

Overall, I am still blown away at all that God did during that time and super excited to continue forward in this ministry. Right now, Mary Anna and I are still processing all that we have learned and hopefully in the next couple of months we want to expand the outreach to strip clubs. Stay tune for more updates! Until then, please continue to keep us in prayer as we are need wisdom on how we want to move forward from this point on. Thank you once again for all those who gave towards this and made this happen!

Making gifts for the club

new friendships and like hearted women

Strip Church Training

There are 127 Strip Clubs in New York City, 1 within our neighborhood of Flushing. In my last newsletter, I shared how Mary Anna and I have been prayer walking downtown Flushing and desiring to reach the ladies who work there. If you’ve been following my latest email updates, shortly after our decision to go into the club, we found it mysteriously closed. Since we had gifts already made, we decided to go into the Asian massage parlors and give them away there. From that time on, we’ve been going bimonthly and building relationship with the women who work there (See June & August update for more details: http://adorkableamy.blogspot.com).

It is our heart to continue this type of outreach and be trained and equipped so we can reach more ladies working in the sex industry. In October, I will be attending a mission training through Strip Church in Miami. Along with the training, Mary Anna will have an opportunity to do outreach at the clubs there, so we can gain more experience and ideas on how we can effectively reach the ladies here.
 
Recently I learned that though the strip club was closed down, they will be opening another one in that same location. Though I am not thrilled that this is happening, I know it is God’s desire for us to go and be light in the dark and often forgotten places of society. To show the ladies that they are loved, valued and have purpose.

Please would you join me in prayer and support to make this happen? The conference takes place Oct 11-13, 2013. I need to raise $700 in order to cover the cost of the flight, registration and hotel. Any additional money I raise will go towards the outreach (as we’ve been using our personal expenses to cover the costs of gifts for the ladies). You can give online by going to https://www.wepay.com/donations/stripchurchtraining or if you are interested in receiving a tax deductible donation, you can give by going to the Strip Church fundraiser page I have created. The first portion of the funds ($337), I would need to raise by Sept 18th in order to pay for a discounted hotel fee. Go to: https://www.myxxxchurch.com/campaigns/view/adorkableamy.html

For more information or questions, see the bottom of this newsletter on how to contact me. 

Gifts for the ladies

Victor's Story

Amy's Adventures: Victor's Story by Amy HoYin Wong