Out of Options... But not really...

        Our goal as a missions organization is to bring help and healing to everyone that comes to the bus.  Although we work very hard at this, unfortunately sometimes we can only do so much.  When I come across these times of running out of options the only thing I can do is give it to God in prayer.  And He never seems to fail...
        I had one such encounter this past Saturday in the Bronx.  There is a woman named Karen that I've been working with for about a month now.  A Bronx resident, Karen is in the city shelter system desperately looking for an SRO (single room occupancy).  For about a month now I've been working with her to make this a reality.  Unfortunately we've been running into a few dead ends.  She came to the bus this past Saturday for lunch and to say hello.  Despite the fact there were no new developments this week, she greeted me with a smile and a big hug.  As we were talking I felt an anger come over my spirit.  I was angry at myself for not being able to provide the right resource.  As we continued talking one of our regular guests , Connie, butted into the conversation.  She informed both of us of different resources and organizations in the south Bronx.  Everything from attorneys to co-ops, Connie seemed to know exactly where to send Karen to get her a permanent place to live.  Furthermore Connie gave Karen (a complete stranger) her cell phone number just in case she had any questions this week.
        As I saw this unfold right in front of me I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.  As I alluded to in my last blog, our job is not to bring healing, but to facilitate what the Master is already preparing.  He never seems to stop reminding me of this... Grace & peace...

                                             Myself with Connie and Karen

facilitating a kingdom of love...

"Your kingdom come.  Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" ~Matthew 6:10

        What does this verse mean?  Often times when we go out on the street there is a subtle expectation within our souls to see men and women saved.  That somehow this is the ultimate sign of God's kingdom shining through here on earth.  Although I don't argue with this, we shouldn't limit how the Master works.  I've come to the conclusion that our job is not to save, but to facilitate what Jesus is already doing in the lives of others.
        I started thinking about this the other day when a friend of mine dropped off his chain and box cutter for me to hold for him.  My friend is an older gentleman from Elizabeth.  By most standards this man has nothing to offer society.  He drinks, is unemployed, eats at soup kitchens, is in and out of hotels and city shelters, and is always asking for money.  To the outside eye there is not much God is doing in this man's life.  He has no apparent interest in sustainable change.  I was struck however when he dropped of his "weapons of choice" the other day.  He knew he was about to do something stupid and felt safe enough with me to help him resist a violent answer.  Although this may seem like a very small and unnoticeable step, this act of resistance and accountability is a snippet (however small it may be) of God's kingdom of love shining through.  It is these small steps towards the heart of God that we work diligently towards everyday.  Its not always scoring a perfect ten, but walking with others as they make their way from a negative eighteen to a negative seventeen.

Here are a few other examples of God's flicker shining through the darkness...

    Anthony from Newark missed his intake interview for a rehab then disappeared about a month ago.  Just last week he reappeared, profusely apologized, and asked for another chance.

    

 

This is Nelson and Kimberly from the South Bronx.  Despite Nelson just getting out of jail and the couple being on the brink oh homelessness they still maintain hope.  I was able to refer them to free legal services to help with their housing issues.

This is Greg from the north side of the Bronx.  He has been clean and sober since January and is now enrolled in a technical school. 

A retired FDNY firefighter and formerly homeless, this gentleman felt lead to give us a check in appreciation foe the hope we bring to his neighborhood.

Our team of dedicated volunteers who give up their Friday nights every week to serve the lost and the lonely in Newark's South Ward.

Please continue praying for our mission as we facilitate the Kingdom of Love.  Grace & Peace...

planting seeds...

One of the sites that I regularly lead is in the South Bronx on 148th & Brook Ave.  Although I've become somewhat established, my first day at the site was anything but a cake walk.  That was the day I met Emma and Samaya.  For lack of a better word these two women initially gave me hell.  They were screaming, cursing, and making our other guests feel very uncomfortable.  After "politely" asking them to stop and it not working I decided to use a firmer tactic.  I put my hands on Emma's shoulders, looked her in the eye, and told her that her behavior was completely unacceptable and she was making my job very difficult.  That was around three months ago and since then these two women have become my biggest fans.  Every Saturday we joke around, I encourage them to give up their drugs and methadone program (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methadone), and minister to them whatever way I can.

     This past Saturday I saw my two friends in rare form.  Samaya was already high and could barely stand.  Emma had just taken her prescribed dosage of methadone (mixed with other things not prescribed).  In the midst of asking Emma about her week, she turned to me and I saw tears in her eyes.  I asked her why she was crying and she responded by telling me I was making her sad.  She continued to tell me that every week she comes I tell her what she's doing is wrong and she's starting to realize her actions are killing her.  A few minutes after this I saw the drugs starting to take over Emma's nerves.  Around this time another outreach team leader, Yaz, came to help me with Emma.  I left for a few minutes to check on our volunteers and when I came back I saw Emma on the ground weeping before the Master praying for healing and deliverance.

     Coming home that day I was reminded of something one of my professors told us, "not all paths lead to God, but Christ will meet you on whatever path you walk."  For the past three months I have done my best to be Jesus to these women and love them for who they are, not who they could be.  It broke my heart to see Emma on the ground weeping, but I believe that this will be the first on many steps towards healing.  Please pray for Samaya and Emma.  And as always please continue praying for our mission as we continue to bring hope, healing, light, and love to New York City.  Grace & Peace...

                                     Samaya on the left and Emma on the right

                                              Emma weeping before Master

Answered Prayers...

       I often tell people that without our partnerships and resources, New York City Relief could not operate as an organization.  And in fact its true.  Its because we have places to connect men and women to, the Relief Bus can operate as a doorway to healing.  However I was reminded just last Thursday of our most powerful resource: prayer.
      Two weeks ago I had a gentleman named Keith come to the bus inquiring about potential employment.  Truth be told out of all the services the Relief Bus offers, employment placement is the most difficult.  Often times I teach people how to find work, things like showing people how to use employment websites, how to write resumes, and setting people up with emails.  After he told me that he was actively looking for work and had sent his resume to multiple places, I told him that there wasn't much more that I would be able to do for him.  As he got up to leave I said there was actually one thing that I could do, which was pray.  I shared with him a little bit of how Christ promised to take care of our needs and that I had faith that God would provide for him.  As I put my hand on Keith's arm to pray he gave me a very uncomfortable look.  I asked him if he thought this was weird.  Awkwardly he laughed and said it felt very weird.  I laughed back and agreed it can appear to be weird.  I then continued to pray Christ's promise of provision over him.  As he left I told him to come visit me again to give me an update.
         The very next week (this past Thursday) Keith came by.  Excitedly he told me that just a few hours after I prayed for him he got a call back from one of the places he applied to and had got the job!  As I hugged him in celebration I reminded him (and myself) that pray does work!  He of course let me pray for him again!
       Often times I know I can get bogged down, discouraged, angry, sad, depressed, and just tired from the everyday things that come against us.  Although I know I need to keep in constant prayer, it sometimes goes by the way side.  Keith's story was a personal reminder to myself that despite the highs and lows of our lives, God is still sitting with open arms waiting for us to acknowledge His presence, provision, and love in our lives.  May none of us ever forget this! Please pray that God would continue to show Keith His infinite love for him.  And pray for myself, that God would continually remind me to seek Him at all times.  Grace & peace to you all...

Don't Walk By...

In addition to our regular outreach here at The Relief Bus, our organization has joined a revolutionary partnership with multiple missions organizations in the city for "Don't Walk By" or DWB.  DWB is a project that mobilizes hundreds of volunteers every Saturday night in the month of January and the first Saturday of February.  What we've done is break up Manhattan into five different sections for the five Saturdays: upper west side, mid-town, lower, upper east side, and Harlem.  In those sections we have zones where we send teams and search every single block in the entire island looking for homeless.  If someone is interested we bring them back to the "host church" and provide a hot meal, free medical attention, and a bed for the night.  And for those that are willing to take the necessary steps, they have the option to get into a program.  My job is to drive men and women from the streets back to the host church.  Although these past few Saturdays have been long and exhausting, its been amazing to see the results of what God is doing through these organizations.  These have been the numbers for the first two weeks:

January 8th, the Upper West Side-

Homeless Engaged on Street: 99
Served at Church: 55
Transported to Beds: 12
Transported to Hospital: 2
Transported to Detox: 1
Cared for by Medical Team: 11


January 15th, Mid-Town-
Homeless Engaged on Street: 285
Served at Church: 172
Transported to Beds: 21
Transported to Detox: 2
Cared for by Medical Team: 14


Please pray that God would continue to help us bring men and women off the streets of NYC for the remainder of DWB.  And please pray for those who we do bring back to the host churches, that they would be willing to take the steps they need to receive healing. Grace & Peace...

 

          Men and women talking to counselors about possible next steps.

 

   
                           My driving partner, Pastor Doug from Queens and I.

Photos taken by Caitlin Stiefel

Christian...

Greetings from the frozen tundra of the New York City metro area! The Master has decided to bless us with an abundance of snow this year and the blessings just keep coming! (truth be told I am quite done with the snow) However, three weeks ago (coincidentally during a snow storm) I was leading a team in midtown Manhattan.  Although I was expecting a low turnout due to the weather, the opposite was true!  In addition to our kitchen being busy, our outreach office was just as flooded with inquiries about jobs, shelters, and clothing.  It was during this craziness that I met Christian.  Christian shared with me that he had arrived in the City from LA the previous night! He had traveled across country for the sole reason of finding a job.  He shared with me that he felt God was leading him to NYC.  As we spoke I saw the genuine desire in his attitude to find employment and get on his feet.  The only problem was that Christian had no place to stay during his job search.  Fortunately I had been searching for shelters with openings most of the morning and knew that New York City Rescue Mission had some beds available. After writing a referral I bought Christian a metro-card to get to the mission.  The next week I saw Christian and he shared with me that he had been staying at the mission, but still looking for work.  The next day we were able to extend his stay at a shelter while he continues to look for employment.  Please pray for Christian as he gets on his feet and please pray that The Relief Bus will be able to continue helping him as he gets settled in his new home.

     

My friend Jeremiah...

It's amazing the things that we often take for granted.  About a month ago a gentleman named Jeremiah came to one of our sites in the Bronx seeking help in finding employment and possible housing.  At the time him and his wife were living in a shelter.  As I sat with Jeremiah looking at places where he could apply I asked him if he had an email so he could send his resume to potential employers.  He didn't.  So I did the simple task of setting one up for him.  So grateful for what we had done, he began to share his story with me.  He told me about his days as a drug addict and dealer.  The Master has since rescued him from drug addition and Jeremiah is currently part of an organization based out of Harlem called 'ARC' or "Addicts Rehabilitation Center Gospel Choir".  After setting him up with an email and getting him information on a few different resources we prayed that God would pour out his grace, mercy, love, and provision on Jeremiah.  Just today I saw Jeremiah wearing a LARGE smile and telling me that he and his wife were leaving the shelter and are going to sign a lease on an apartment today! He told me that since we had talked a few weeks ago he has been praying and seeking God everyday!  Although he is still looking for a job, both Jeremiah and I have faith it WILL happen.  We continued to search for different places today.  Please pray that God will continue to bless Jeremiah and his wife.  His goal is to eventually talk to young adults, encouraging them to stay away from drugs.

Here is a link to the choir that Jeremiah is a part of...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN9fsB2nuBo&feature=related