Today’s Events:

-          The team sat down with Pastor Farooq and listened to his testimony, about his ministry and prayed for him (all over some fancy Indian/Pakistani drinks – Misala Tea and some Mango Lassi’s… VERY GOOD!!!!)

o       Brief Overview of Pastor Farooq: Used to Pastor in Pakistan before being forced to flee the country in fear of losing his life for leading a Muslim woman to Christ. He sought asylum in the U.S. and is now overseeing 3 church plants in NY state (2 in the city and 1 in Albany)

o       He is an amazing man who truly LOVES his Savior!!!! Amen!

-          Final day of ministry! While we are excited, there is a sense of broken-heartedness knowing we are leaving the ministry area and the area is still very lost

-          We rejoice, however, knowing the Gospel Message (not simply a church name being promoted or an event in and of itself) was presented!

-          While we do not have an official count, we can safely say that this ministry team, led by God through the students of Bethany, spoke (or attempted to speak with, before being turned away or they rejected the Gospel) one-on-one with at least 200 people (some on the subways, most in the Little India neighborhood) and gave out over 250+ tracts containing the Gospel Message (many of these given to people with whom we tried to speak)

-          Many of our attempts to speak with people were not received well, though they many allowed us to share Christ to a limited extent before shaking us off and walking away (or in one case, escorting us from the store)

-          All of these contacts were made over a period of 4 days – PRAISE GOD!!!!

-          Today’s Report (remember, these are just some of the highlights – good and not so good; these are NOT all of our visits as it is too hard to remember, or record, all of the visits or encounters):

o       Cierra visited the pizza shop owner again and he said he didn’t have time to read the card or info, but he still had it! He was kind again. She told him she would be praying for him and thanked him for his time. Pray that God will use both her contacts with him and the info she left with him to plant that seed and that someone will be by soon to continue.

o       Matt shared the Gospel with a man on the subway. He seemed quite lonely and in need of love. He even said he believes in God, but not Christ because he has cried out in help many times, but said Jesus never helped him. Matt shared with him about how Christ is the answer to fill that void in his heart and shared with him what the Bible says about salvation. After much conversation, the man stated he would email Matt soon. Pray this wasn’t an empty promise and he does so soon. Pray others will be sent his way to show him love.

o       Samantha shared with some women who stopped by for free balloon animals with their kids. Many spoke broken English making it difficult for her to share the Gospel in English, but she gave them tracts and Pastor Farooq’s info and they all received it with much excitement.

o       Christian and Pastor Farooq shared with a Hindu man on the street who, in VERY broken English, stated that Jesus was good and just another way to God. Christian shared with Him that Jesus Himself stated He was not “one way” but that He was the “ONLY way.” The man seemed intrigued and was very receptive of the information. Pastor Farooq and Christian left him a tract in Hindi, a pamphlet testimony of a man who converted from the Hindu faith to Christianity and an English tract. He gave us his contact info and Pastor John will call him to follow up!

o       Jon and Christian visited with the suit salesman one last time to share God’s love and say good-bye. The man was nicer since yesterday’s visit, but still cold to the Gospel and unwilling to listen to Christian or Jon though both tried desperately to share with him in different ways. Jon, did however, (while being drilled by the store owner about how he knows God is true and Christ is real) have an amazing moment where the store owner was silenced for a brief moment. The owner asked Jon “why you do this – why you talk to me?” to which Jon replied “because I want to see you in heaven.” The owner stumbled for a moment and then asked “why?” to which Jon answered “because I like you and God love’s you!” PRAISE GOD!!! For the second day in a row he shook their hands instead of asking them to leave! Pray that this seed is watered!!!!

o       The whole team (Jen, Camille, Christian, Sam, Jon, Matt, Carl and Cierra) shared with a number of people that were just not interested in hearing about Jesus. The smiles shared, however, and any info they received we pray will be the beginning of a wonderful collision for those people with the infinite God of the universe!!!  

“In My Eyes” (by Camille)

I look around me and I cannot believe I’m in NYC. This has long been a dream of mine, but to experience the City through Powerplant has been the best possible experience. I love the variety of people that I have seen, observed and been in contact with. I love the variety of food, the variety of culture and the geographical variety. One minute we’re in Manhattan, expensive stores, beautiful people and awesome buildings. The next minute we’re in Little India - surrounded by signs I cannot read, foods I cannot identify and clothes that are beautiful, but not normally found in Wendell, NC.  I love the city and I can’t wait to continue to explore with our group on Friday and Saturday.

You know by now that we are working in Little India. This culture is certainly different. People move fast and with purpose. Their language is so fast, so many hand motions and expressive; however, most of the expression to me seems somewhat angry. When you can get someone to smile, it’s beautiful, but I do believe some people are distrustful of us and are afraid or unwilling to make personal contact with us. Pastor Farooq confirmed today that the Muslim culture is not friendly towards the Christian culture and I have felt that generally speaking though there have been some friendly encounters. I value the opportunity to experience another culture and this has been a highlight of the trip.

Personal evangelism is a challenge for me. I have tried to be obedient to Christ to “open my mouth” and to personally tell people that Jesus died for our sins. I hope to take this mindset home with me. Event evangelism is easy – “come to revival, come to women’s event, etc.” and instead to offer people the living water of salvation. I have also been personally challenged to come back home and make sure I am being obedient to God in my personal walk and in my church service.

NOTE: Samantha’s portion will be posted tomorrow sometime.

Prayer Requests:

-          For those mentioned (and not mentioned) above whom we as a team have had contact with

-          Pray there will be an influx of people to come and share love with this community who is very turned off by the Gospel

-          For safety and a time of great rejoicing and relaxation as the students begin being evangelical tourists and check out the sights of NY tomorrow

-          For more opportunities to share our faith while traveling about the city tomorrow

-          Final details fall in place for our return home

IMPORTANT NOTE:

For those interested, you can meet and welcome home our student missionaries as they arrive at Terminal C (arrive at 6:52pm, flying American Airlines from LaGuardia Airport in NY). THIS IS A SECRET!!! The students or adults (other than Christian) do NOT know about this, so shhhhh!!! J

This was a very exhausting and very amazing experience in all of our lives and having the support of our church behind us has been very moving and very encouraging! Thank you all for your love and support! Hope to see you at RDU when we land!!!!! God Bless!

Jenn handing out the last of our contact fliers

Camille, Carl and Pastor Farooq

Camille getting her "grub" on with some real NY Pizza! Good Stuff!

Cierra following up and sharing with the Pizza Shop owner

Matt sharing with a lonely man on the subway (Sam observing and praying)

Jon and Jenn on the subway returning to campus

A view of the Brooklyn Bridge through our subway window

A view of our team strategically spread out through the subway car to share Christ with those who sit near us

Good Night!

Christian and the Youth Pastor from the other church going over the game plan for ministry in Jackson Heights yesterday

Camille and Jenn wave to a little girl at the Pizza Shop

37th Avenue Balloon Ministry in Little India

Jon sharing the Gospel and info about New Revival Church of NY

Jon sharing a flier with a Bangladeshi man (who speaks no English at all) - he was handing out fliers so Jon asked to swap with him (he did!)

A little Hindi girl with her new hat (or "cap" as they called it) :-)

The team with Pastor John and his new "cap"

Christian, Cierra and Camille Praise God for His work!!

Christian sharing the Gospel with a young man who recently moved to NYC from Jamaica

Carl and Camille discussing life and ministry waiting for the "R" train at our ministry site

Sam and Jon walking by an Indian Market on the way out of Little India

GOOD NIGHT!!!

Today’s Events:

-          Went with another youth group (from Richmond, VA) to Little India again and continued where we left off

-          After watching the neighborhood operate yesterday it gave us a better idea of how to minister today

-          Between the two teams, we met and decided to take a 3-Fold approach today:

1.      Send 4 groups to the four outer most points of the neighborhood and pray in unison for the businesses, families, vendors, people, etc. Following that all four groups prayer walked around the perimeter praying for, by name, businesses and for those we saw and encountered.

2.      Divide the group into a corner ministry (to reach those who are so busy walking that getting them to stop and talk is nearly impossible). The other church brought salvation bracelets and we brought balloon animals; we combined groups and had a few from Bethany (Camille, Cierra and Sam) and a few from their group stand on the corner and use the balloon animals and bracelets as a way of stopping the people to share Jesus. The balloon animals were a big hit and were very successful at attracting attention.

3.      Divided the rest of the 2 teams into groups of 2-3 to go into businesses and talk with street vendors with the specific mission of sharing the Gospel. Matt went with Carl and a girl from the other group while Jon and Christian teamed up with a girl from the other group.

-          Reports on the day:

o       Jenn stayed at campus today for the ministry portion of the day. She was quite wore out from the constant go-go-go schedule, physical strain from constantly moving throughout the city, having to climb stairs at many subway terminals that do not have elevators, etc. She stayed back, though she truly wanted to be with the team, and slept and recuperated. It seems as though she is doing much better tonight (in Camille's words, "she seems like a whole new girl") and, as of dinner time tonight, said she thinks she will be ready to return to the site tomorrow.

o       Carl and Matt’s group talked with a Muslim man and tried to share Jesus Christ, but he rejected them and when they offered to pray for him, he said “No, I pray for you.”

o       Carl and Matt’s group also spoke with a Hindu man who, believing in Karma and good work being the key to eternal existence, kept saying “more work less talk” and “God help those who help themselves” hinting to them that their work was useless because everybody could do it themselves, they didn’t need help. Their eternity was based in their good works (as goes the Hindu faith).

o       Carl and Matt shared the Gospel with a Jehovah’s Witness who was in the neighborhood to share their faith. Matt shared the tract “Six Points of Truth” that we brought with us and the JW said he “liked [Matt’s] style and boldness.” J The man though wasn’t interested and not interested in the Gospel.

o       Camille shared the plan of salvation with 3 people/families – one of which (a Hindi woman) was quite proud to proclaim they were already Christians. She also handed out many posters advertising the revival through the New Revival Church of New York.

o       Samantha and Cierra interacted with children offering balloon animals and sharing love with them as Camille or other group members shared the Gospel with the parents.

o       Camille, Cierra and Samantha’s group approached a Hindi woman and her kids offering a bracelet and balloons for the kids, but the women said no out of fear of her husband finding out she associated with Christians. She said if she had anything from Christians he may hurt her. Pray for this woman who seemed genuinely interested in the Gospel but had to refuse out of fear for her safety. Pray for her husband’s heart also to be softened.

o       Christian and Jon’s group visited the Newsstand again and Jon asked if he had read the material he left yesterday and he said “no.” So Jon asked to leave new info with him and he said “no” because he didn’t have time and Jon asked him to try during some down time and he said “ok.” Jon told him that he would visit him again tomorrow. 

o       Christian and Jon’s group visited a tailor shop and met a man doing some maintenance and asked if they could share Christ with him. He said he didn’t have time, but maybe later. They left him a tract and told him they would stop by another time (maybe tomorrow).

o       Christian and Jon’s group also revisited Kayaani (the suit salesman from yesterday) not sure what to expect since he basically walked away. When the group entered the store the man was very friendly and asked, mockingly, how the Jesus business was going to which Christian reminded him that he doesn’t sell Jesus, but offers eternal life FREE through Jesus Christ. He was still argumentative and not interested in hearing the Gospel. He interrupted Christian every sentence and by the end basically escorted the team out of the store (but not before they thanked him and promised to return and visit him tomorrow).

o       Christian and Jon’s group visited a clothing store and Jon shared the Gospel plan with the man ironing clothes in the back. He seemed interested and asked questions. Due to the language barrier, Jon offered to have someone else contact him and he was interested in having the contact. Jon took his info and we are relaying it on to the Metro Baptist Association.

o       Matt engaged about 5-6 people throughout the day with the Gospel and one young man (he may have had Muslim roots, but they weren’t deep) was able to share the Gospel with him. After a while the young man began to debate Matt and he defended the faith WELL!!!! When the man exited the train, Matt invited the man to email him and gave him a tract and the refuge email address. After he exited the train, the other youth group began giving the very wore out Matt (defending the faith can be a joyfully wearing task at times!) high fives and words of congrats! Even a woman on the subway not affiliated with either group came up and gave him thumbs up and said she heard the whole conversation and was very impressed. J

-          We left the site and joined Jenn at campus for dinner at Junior’s. This is a middle to up-scale eatery with America’s Best Cheesecake (#1 in NY for sure). Very good food – amazing Cheesecake (Camille and Cierra love splitting the Chocolate Moose Cheesecake and Matt and Christian split the strawberry cheesecake.

-          Jenn, Camille and Cierra remained at Campus to recuperate further while Christian, Jon, Matt, Carl and Samantha went to the Staten Island Ferry Harbor on the Hudson River to watch the fireworks. We were going to go the the Statue of Liberty but were told this set of fireworks was much better. Very good show!

“In My Eyes”

This entry is being skipped tonight due to time. Two will be posted tomorrow night.

Prayer Requests:

-          Read through today’s events and pray for each of those we encountered. Pray also that God would allow us to cross paths with many of them again and for wisdom in sharing the Gospel with them in a way they can understand

-          For Jenn and the constant travel needed around the city. Pray for strength for her.

-          For endurance for all of the team… we are walking many miles each day (a minimum of 4-5 miles per day and are wearing out faster and faster each day.

-          Continue to pray for God to reveal Himself to these people through us despite the language barriers

-          For God to soften the heart of those whom are so cold toward Him

-          For people’s curiosity to begin to reveal itself tomorrow as we have only 2 more days on the mission field

-          For our approach to ministry tomorrow and the wisdom and discernment necessary  

-          For boldness for those who struggle in their confidence in Christ, and patience and discernment for those confident and eager to share with others

-          Carl – the constant walking is catching up with him too; he has developed one major blister that has become annoying (nothing major, just causing discomfort as he walks and ministers to people)

Jon and Matt sharing with a gentleman on the subway

Carl pretending to pose so I can take a picture of Matt defending the faith (see above for this story)

Christian and Jon at the Fireworks

Samantha at the fireworks

Because we were divided today and the ministry work was so intensive, not many pictures were taken. More tomorrow! :-) BE BLESSED... Good night!

Today’s Events:

-          Today was our first day in the ministry field!!

-          We went to “Little India” and prayer walked for nearly 2 hours

-          We ate dinner at an Indian food restaurant and all of the team LOVED it! We ate Chicken Makhani, Chicken something, GOAT curry (even Jenn, Matt and Christian!), nan-bread and some other foods – we loved them all!

-          We also walked through the same area and attempted to share the Gospel with many people

-          Here are some of the reports on that:

o       Carl was able to talk with an Indian gentlemen in a deli, but as Carl began talking with him about God he got uncomfortable and ended their conversation (pray that God continue to send people into his life to express the love of God and the Truth about Jesus Christ)

o       Jon and Christian met a Bangladeshi gentleman and attempted to have a conversation with him. He speaks Bengal and broken English and so we talked about God and Jesus Christ with him, but the language barrier was too thick. PRAISE GOD, though! He was interested and wanted information so we got his name and number and are forwarding it to the NY Baptist Association and they will pair him up with someone of his native tongue!

o       Jon spoke with an Indian Newsstand Clerk and initially the man rejected Jon and the info, but Jon asked for a brief moment and that the gentlemen give the information a chance. So he accepted it and said he would read it. We will try to stop by his stand tomorrow possibly.

o       Camille spoke with a gentleman on the subway for a bit about religion. He states he is spiritual, but not religious (believes in a higher power, but not necessarily God). Camille shared with him about the trip and purpose here. She asked if she could add him to her prayer list and he said yes, but the doors opened and he exited the subway. Pray someone else may come along and show him the ONLY "Higher Power" (God) and that Power's Son, Jesus Christ. 

o       Carl, Matt and Christian were confronted by a suit salesman who said “I sell suit for money, you sell Jesus.” We assured him we sell nothing, but offer eternal life for free and he wanted nothing to do with it. Answering his philosophy on life Christian asked some basic questions, but the man simply shut him down and walked off telling him to take his son (he thought Matt was his son) and go play basketball with him and live a good life. Pray that God will soften his heart and his anger toward “organized religion” will be taken away so that Truth may penetrate his heart.

o       Matt met a young, athletic gentleman on the subway on the return to campus and talked with him about his beliefs, whether or not he goes to church and his belief in God. Matt ended by asking if he could pray for him and he said absolutely and listed off a bunch of things – Matt wrote as fast as he could, but only got three of them (see prayer requests). The most amazing thing happened as the group was getting off the train. With his hat lowered over his eyes, the young man states to Matt: “Don’t forget about me, ok Matt?” It broke our hearts and now we only wish our stop was an hour later! Matt gave him his contact info, pray he contacts Matt. Know that God used a 13 year old “boy” in the world’s eyes to humble a 20-something year old man’s heart!! It was AWESOME to witness!

o       All of the group handed out a dozen or so tracks to people and talked with a handful who either were uninterested or spoke too little English to carry on a conversation.

“In My Eyes” (by Carl Jr.)

My impression of the city has been drastically changed from the last and only time I was in NY. I never got to see any of the places, people, and culture that we have encountered so far. I only went to the Time Square/Manhattan area before and experience what it was like to be in NY, but so far this time; I’m experiencing what life is like in and around the big city. There are a lot of diversified and concentrated areas of people all through out the city. And in those areas are a lot of people trying to survive, trying to get by, and trying to live. A majority of those people seem to have it hard from the hustle and bustle of the busy lifestyle, but they are so very lost in life that it shows in there appearance and mannerism. Most of this people aren’t rude like New Yorkers are normally portrayed; they just try to keep to themselves, like most of us.  

            Mingling in and about the Hindi/Arabic culture so far has been a life experience that is very surreal. It was very, very intimidating. I’ve studied about the religious aspects of the culture, but to actually be in and amongst it was larger than life.

We prayer walked many times around a few blocks in Little India, observing many people lost in their ways, ideas, and life. Lost to the only thing that could give the peace they long to find. Lost to salvation they so desperately seek.

            I have seen God work so far in the fact that we have devout teenagers ready to do the task given. They are taking a few steps into the unknown of an area of ministry they’ve never experienced and they are amazing. I’ve seen the boldness of one reaching out to people on a subway and sharing about Christ and asking for prayer concerns. I’ve seen dedication on fierce prayer walking, praying for the souls of the people they have just seen. I’ve seen God working opening the mouths of one that once was too timid to do so before. I’ve seen God work tremendously so far. But that is what God does, if we let Him, he let us do some of His work through us.

Prayer Requests

-          The language barrier is THICK!! We are having quite a time communicating with people. This was expected, but actually working through it is a different story than thinking and “prepping” for it.

-          Outside of the language barrier, we are in an area that is HEAVILY Hindu and Muslim! Starting and leading a conversation toward the Gospel has been a hang-up for the students (and adults in many cases) who spent much of the day praying for wisdom. Pray for boldness, confidence in Christ and wisdom to step outside of comfort zone approaches to sharing the Gospel, that we may lead one (or more) to Christ!

-          The people are constantly moving and shuffling about their lives! To talk with someone on the streets you almost need to step in front of them to get their attention. Pray that God will reveal to us the time and way we are to share His Word.

-          Each team member requests that you pray for boldness for them!!!!!

-          Tomorrow we may join ministry efforts with another teen group from Powerplant who are also ministering in Jackson Heights. Pray that we are wise in planning and thinking through the needs and opportunities to minister to the community.

-          For Steve (guy who Matt shared with on the Subway) - he wants prayer for confidence, happiness and strength; Pray that God gives him all three of those based in Himself as we know these things come through Christ alone ultimately!

-          Pray for the team to stay focused on the task at hand and not get lost in how big the city is, how different the culture is or how hard it is to reach a people - many who don’t even care.

-          Pray for a girl (I don’t know her name) from one of the other groups. As she was ministering today on the street a man purposely spit in her face for offering truth. She is perfectly fine and even shared with all the youth that she counted it JOY to be able to minister and serve Christ, even after that situation. WOW!

-          With that last point in mind, pray for safety for the students. No other incidents have occurred, nor threats of things happening. It was an isolated incidcent and in all the years Powerplant has been doing ministry in NY, this has never happened here or anywhere else in the country. (Don’t worry moms and dads – we are keeping a close eye on your precious cargo, your precious children!! :-) ) I simply mention this request because when we step into a world that completely rejects Christ so that maybe even one may come to know Him – evil rears its head in many ugly ways. The Divider (Satan) is always at work trying to prevent people from experiencing God’s Grace and love!

Personal Note from Christian:

Words cannot describe how proud I am of these students! God is working in each of their lives and through each of them and I am so blessed to be a part of this amazing mission! They are truly doing the work that adult missionaries are doing all over this country, and they have truly taken ownership of this task and calling with all of their hearts. Thank you to all of you who have sent email!!!!!!! Your words bless and encourage our students EVERY night!!! They LOVE getting your letters… keep them coming!!

One Part of "Little India"                                               

Dinner at the Indian Restaurant

Carl doing a Wake up Dance at morning assembly :-)

Camille Ministering on Subway - Cierra and Sam praying for her.

Children hanging out of a window in Jackson Heights wishing they could play outside.

Jon sharing with the Newsstand Clerk.

Our Church Group time. Carl reading the team emails from home!!

Good Night!

Today’s Events:

-          Went to a very contemporary (seeker-sensitive) SBC church in lower Manhattan called “Mosaic”

-          Visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Catholic Church)

-          While on the subway, we started to spread out on the subway car to talk with others while commuting around Manhattan. Matt really took this to heart and was able to talk with 3 ADULTS!! Due to short time commutes for many, he only had a brief time to talk with them. Following each of his conversations he asked if they had anything they would like prayer for and all THREE gave him some prayer requests! Christian talked with a woman (“Rosa”) who it turns out was in ministry. He offered to pray for her and she was delighted to do so and even prayed for him in Spanish in return

-          Had lunch at a trendy midtown deli “Café Metro” (very good food)

-          Began evangelism and church planting training (very insightful and good)

-          Had Prayer service in evening for ministry work that begins tomorrow!

-          Our church devotional time was very encouraging

-          Read the emails we’ve received from home so far (even the one from Mckenna and Connor J) – students and adults alike really enjoyed them and it was truly encouraging for all (keep writing!)

“In My Eyes” (by Cierra)

My heart seriously breaks for the people of New York. How can anyone think that a statue is God or even worship something we in our culture know is not real? The real question is would Buddha, Muhammad, or any other idol willingly give their life for their people or followers? More than likely the answer is NO. Many religions focus on self and what someone can do or say to make themselves more enlightened, happy, or “ahead.” Also, how can you worship something that you don’t know, never knew, never will know you, doesn’t care or love you, because they don’t know you, and that you don’t or can’t have a personal relationship with? It is unbelievable. Everyday when we are walking down the streets of New York, there are so many people we come in contact with that are lost and need to be found. Although we aren’t the people that can save someone knowing only God can, we can plant seeds and step out and try to reach them with the Gospel knowing it brings glory to God while doing His work. “We don’t have all of the answers,” which is a statement I’ve heard many times, is a very true statement. We DON’T have all of the answers and definitely never will, but if we trust God to show and guide us, we can give people hope and hopefully they will want that hope and love that can not come through anyone other than Jesus Christ. Thinking about sharing Christ and actually doing it are two totally different things. It’s when we put those two together that we begin to fully experience God while doing what God called and lovingly commanded us to do.

It’s amazing how so many religions and cultures are different, but in some way alike. Although they may have common practices or traits, not all paths lead to God. The only way to get to heaven is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Many people have no clue what this means or how to get this personal relationship. This team has one week to try and spread the Gospel in New York in the hope that the people have a changed heart and look towards God. When we come back to North Carolina, the mission does not change and will never change, because we are called to spread the good news and I’m sure I speak for everyone on the team when I say, “And that’s exactly what we’ll do.”

Prayer Requests

-          For Elizabeth, David and Renu (the 3 people Matt spoke with on the subway) – pray for God to send other people in their lives to continue where Matt left off

-          For “Rosa” and her ministry – for chances for her to continue ministering to others in the Metro area and Hispanic community

-          For the fatigue the team is facing

-          For the students – they are beginning to see the bigger picture in regards to God’s plan for sharing the Gospel; pray that He continues to break and mold their hearts!

-          Jon would like prayer regarding his sharing the Gospel tomorrow and the rest of the week. Pray for boldness and confidence in God.

-          Carl would like prayer for patience (chaos of the city and commuting through it with a group of people, each with their own agendas)

-          The people of Jackson Heights (Queens neighborhood that we will be ministering in)

-          Opportunities for us to share the Gospel

-          Pastor John Farooq and the New Revival Church of New York

-          Ministry and work details to be worked out

Cierra at the Buddhist Temple         Camille, Jenn and Cierra coming out of Subway

Jon at St. Patrick's Cathedral                      Jenn and Sam entering subway turnstiles

Group about to head to Mosaic, stopping to appreciate the big buildings

Good Night!!! More tomorrow!!!

Today's Events:

-          Woke up at 3am and met at church at 3:50am

-          Flight went SMOOTHLY and Sam and Jenn (both have never flown before) loved flying

-          Arrived on time at LaGuardia International Airport

-          After arriving at campus, we went out to Chinatown and visited the Buddhist Temple

-          Observed the very diverse and completely different cultures that surrounded us (WOW!)

-          Had lunch in Little Italy (real Italian pasta and sauce!!!)

-          Registered and went through in-processing procedures with Powerplant (North American Mission Board group)

-          Began sessions about Church planting and the evening message revolved around teens moving past complacency

-          Students (and adults) are WORN OUT after a long day of travel, walking and such

-          Pictures will come tomorrow – we promise. Need to go to sleep to be ready to worship God and share the Gospel tomorrow.

-          Tomorrow will attend worship service at an “edgy” (as described by our Coordinator) and very new Baptist church in Manhattan called “Mosaic”

-          We may also meet with our church planter and discuss ministry details (due to the time it takes for us to commute to the work site by subway – and many subways do not run on weekends due to lower number of passengers – we may not be able to visit the work site)

-          Students begin intensive training in evangelism and church planting in afternoon and evening

“In My Eyes” (by Jon)

            There is so much to see here at New York.  As we strolled through China Town and Little India we encountered hundreds of people.  Too see the way the city is built, stacks of buildings and the compactness of the city will leave you in awe.  I but not only me, the whole team, we appreciate what everyone has done so far.  We hope that you will continue to pray for us through our walks with Christ, our encounters with others, and the knowledge that we will posses when we walk away from this city. 

            I want to leave the ones I will talk to with someone they can look too.  Yes I know I do not have all the answers and I know I will not but for the answers I can or will give I ask for your prayer that they will leave that person with a real saving knowledge of who Jesus Christ really is and that there is hope.  We here, as a team from Bethany Baptist Church, thank and welcome all of your prayers for we need them.  We can not do this on our own.

Prayer Requests:

-          For the hearts of those whom we will be sharing to be open and receptive to the Gospel and see that we genuinely care for them

-          For BOLDNESS as we will try to engage people with the Gospel tomorrow

-          Lives of the students to be changed

-          Lives of New Yorkers to be changed

-          Work/ministry details to be settled as God would have it

-          For all of us to trust that God is completely in control (regardless of how big or small the details)

-          That we would seek God’s face and truly approach Him in humility

More tomorrow! Good night!

Just a quick message from the fellas (the guys of Bethany - Christian, Carl, Matt and Jon) to let you all know we made it safe and sound, and to let you know our internet DOES work! We'll be posting an official update later tonight with some pics hopefully! Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement! Thank you Mrs. Debby and "Mamma" :-) for the breakfast this morning (I don't if any of us have ever eaten breakfast at 3 in the morning before!). Thank you Brother Clyde for the encouraging email (you were our first email!). Thank you Pastor Phil for waking up so early this morning to drive us to the airport. Thank you God (literally) for bringing us to this point in all of our lives and walk with You!! We are blessed to be your servants!  

On June 25, we were officially commissioned by the church and "sent out" as their representatives and the "hands and feet" of God, so to speak. Here are some pics from that service.

OUR TEAM

DEACONS READY TO PRAY OVER STUDENT MISSION TEAM

PASTOR PHIL LEADING THE CHALLENGE AND CHARGE

OUR MISSION TEAM
Cierra (14), Jon (16), Jenn (19), Matt (13), & Samantha (14).
Leaders: Christian, Camille, and Carl.

Throughout our Mission endeavor to New York City, you can keep up with the progress of the trip, see pictures, and learn how to pray for us and those we are working with daily! We will have a blog (online journal) throughout the trip at:
www.thediary.org/refugevirtuallounge
You can email us at: students4truth@myway.com

We will do our best to update this journal daily while in NYC. Remember to pray for us, those we are working with, and those we are serving daily!!

THE WORK WE'LL DO!

• Working with the church called New Life Revival Church of NY (in Queens, NYC). This church works primarily with the following people groups: Pakistani, Indian (India), and Middle Eastern decent. The three dominant religions there are Muslim, Hinduism, and Sikh.
• We will primarily work in Jackson Heights, Queens NYC. There we will be:
  • Prayer walking all of Jackson Heights and maybe Astoria
  • Going door-to-door in Jackson Heights (in "Little India" and Middle Eastern neighborhoods) inviting people to the church's July 7-9 Revival and sharing the Gospel with those willing to listen.
  • Possibly visiting a town park and making balloon animals for children (using that as a tool to share love with the kids and open windows of communication with parents).
  • Street evangelism using common interactions.

PRAY FOR US!!
In addition to praying for safety and general items for the trip, please pray for these specific items:

• Pray for the Pastor in charge of the church we will be working wtih (Pastor John F.). He is in charge of 3 church plants, one which is 3 hours from NYCity.
• Pray for our hearts to be in line with God and seeking His will, not our own agendas.
• BOLDNESS for the adults and students going.
• The hearts of our students to be challenged and strenghened through this trip.
• That the Students (our group and others) will answer a calling to the mission field through this trip.
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal in your heart how to pray for this endeavor (Rom 8:26-27).
• PRAY for the heart of New Yorkers to be open to the Gospel
• Wisdom for all team members in ministering to those in NY

TRIP UPDATES

-          PRAISE! Finally made contact with Missionary/Church Planter in New York: working job specifics out (looks like we’ll be doing a LOT of prayerwalking with the potential for street evangelism)

-          The church we are attached to right now has a Muslim background (people group that make up the church are primarily of Pakistani/Middle Eastern descent; converted Muslims); We will most likely be working in portions of the city with people groups of Middle Eastern descent

-          Right now students’ training revolves around prayerwalking, evangelism (through prayerwalking and event evangelism), cultural sensitivity training, sharing the Gospel through language barriers, and exploring the Islamic faith

-          All tickets are ordered, money is nearly worked out, paperwork is nearly completed, and we’re almost ready for New York City!

-          Arrival/Departure info:

·         Leave 6:40am on July 1 (fly into LaGuardia Int. Airport)

·         Return approx. 7:00pm July 8

-          Students will be working exclusively July 1-7

-          Sightseeing: majority of time in the city will be spent “working”; however, students will get to see some of the major NY attractions: Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Broadway Show (Disney’s brand new Tarzan), Empire State Building

PRAYER UPDATES

In addition to praying for safety and general items for the trip, please pray for these specific items:

-          BOLDNESS for the adults and students going

-          The hearts of our students to be challenged and strengthened through this trip

-          Students (our group or others) will answer a calling to the mission field through this trip

-          Students and adults (whether going on the trip or “staying home”) will have a renewed heart for missions and prayer!

-          Mission assignment (though we’ve made contact with the Missionary/Church Planter, we are still unaware of our exact role; Pray this is resolved soon)

-          Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal in your heart how to pray for this endeavor (Rom. 8:26-27)

-          Heart of the New Yorkers to be open to the Gospel

      -     Wisdom for all team members in ministering to those in NY