We arrived in Manhattan on January 13th after a long drive from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and what an adventure it has been!
While in Indiana, we spent three full days in training, learning about how we currently view God, ourselves, others and His creation. We also explored the concept of dignity, which brought about some impactful questions (from an Experience Mission video we watched)—“When the rich give, do the poor feel dignified? Or do they feel pitied?” and “Is my work more about doing something good, or seeing others as equals?” Through talking about, and praying over these concepts, our team was able to sort through why we are here, and what purpose we will each serve abroad.
In New York, we have just begun to scratch the surface of what our IMMERSION journey will entail. During the weekdays our group has been volunteering at the Salvation Army in a number of different locations, as well as at a local nursery. For my service personally, I have been working at the New York Temple (the Salvation Army Headquarters) in a soup kitchen in the mornings, and then heading into Harlem in the afternoon for an afterschool program with elementary-aged children. On Thursdays, our entire group has been volunteering together at Common Pantry, a wonderful organization that demonstrates the concept of dignity well.
During our time here, a reoccurring theme that has continually been at the forefront of my conversations is the power of love—God's love, specifically. Although several of the people that we have spent time with in New York are without many of what we would consider to be basic needs (food, water, shelter, etc.), a number of them have touched on the influence that love has in their life. Some of my most joyful encounters have been with those who have expressed, in essence, 1 Corinthians 13:2: “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”
For these people, God’s love is what gets them up in the morning, and what gives them hope and courage to face the day—what a living testament this has been for me to see!
As we move to complete our final days of service here in New York before embarking to Africa (we leave on the 30th!), the verse that comes to my mind is John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” God is always good, and always faithful to His people, and New York has been the perfect reminder of this.
To conclude, three of the many things that I am thankful for are:
- My amazing team that I get to work alongside with, and the varying perspectives that each of us brings to the table
- The individuals I have met while in New York, and the way that they have poured into me (without even knowing)
- The love of the Lord that I am both rediscovering and renewing in my mind each and every day Again, thank you for taking the time to read about my adventure—I am so grateful for all of the support I have received, and count myself blessed beyond measure!
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