What a whirlwind of a week… in the absolute best way possible! Just as Corrinne and I are becoming quite familiar (and falling in love!) with D.C., we packed our bags and took the train up to Harlem to help lead a team for the week! It was an amazing opportunity to see the needs of this city, meet its people, and make new friendships with a mission trip team from Wisconsin!
Rich, the team leader for this team in New York, was able to put into words the jumble of thoughts going through my mind as I reflect. Below is what he had to say about his team's time in New York and how The Lord worked through these kids.
"We are on the bus heading back to Wisconsin after a week in various parts of New York City. It is a cliché to say these trips are life saving. For many they are, but for some, it doesn’t take long for the “spiritual” high to wear off and go back living the life we lived. I say with full confidence in the Lord that this trip was life changing for every person that came along.
Sometimes it’s hard to read a teen. They don’t say much and tend not to elaborate to the extent that a desiring adult wants to hear, but this trip was different. Our past year in youth ministry back home put more emphasis in meeting people literally where they are at, and that meant more soup kitchens and street ministry. So I guess it was God’s providential plans that emphasized a more raw, less-structured, grassroots, in-the-street ministry this week. Yes we did VBS, yes we cleaned food pantries, and yes we prepared food in the soup kitchen. But this year there was more focus than ever before on the will of the Holy Spirit, going to the homeless instead of waiting for them to maybe show up.
So what did this look like? Well, it entailed walking the streets in Manhattan, looking for the needy in places they are sleeping or living. It meant praying for them and with them. It meant loading our backpacks with lunches, snacks, Bibles, money and other necessities to help those in need. So here is the impact, the “proof”: In the 50 plus miles we walked or ran this week, we went from a polite, if not timid, group to a prayerful and confident group who don’t hesitate to ask the right questions and say the right and kind things to complete strangers. THIS IS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
As one of our young men said today, “I will NEVER walk by a homeless person again with out giving them something, whether it is food, money, prayer, or all of the above.” This was put to the test from the time he said this to the time we left NYC, when we came across about 6 or 7 more homeless brothers and sisters. The kids stopped for each one. Many gave their precious spending money away. Others were so bold as to pray out loud with those requesting prayers.
I’m exhausted. Physically drained. Wanting my bed. But God has filled me, content and peaceful.
Parents, you have beautiful children. They left Wisconsin with their door slightly open for the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and God took that opportunity to open that door wide and fill them with what He thought they needed to live life to the full. I thank every single one of them for letting me mission with them. Beautiful they all are!
There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. 'It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. So the body is not made up of just one p art. It has many parts.'"
Thank you, Rich. And thank you to everyone who prayed and continue to pray for this city!
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