Bowery Women's Mission Center

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

“You’ve given me Hope!” said after the first session of a new career development program at the Bowery Mission Women’s Center.

The Bowery Mission Women’s Center is located in a five story brownstone in Manhattan. Residents enter a 9-15 month program built around three areas of transformation: spiritual, economic and emotional. Women who enter the program have experienced homelessness, abuse, depression or addictions. The women are equipped to mange anger and heal relationships. Each woman is taught about God’s love and offered practical life skills and career training. As graduates of the program, women will be able to find secure jobs and become financially independent.

For the next several weeks, my co-worker Sandy will teach a career development program called Work Net. Today I had the opportunity to help Sandy launch the program at the Bowery Mission. I was able to get to know a few of the women over lunch and observe there excitement as Sandy introduced the curriculum and shared all they will learn over the course of the program. Most of the women are eager to make necessary changes to live more productive lives.

One woman shared how she is now trusting the Lord. She confessed to living life on her own strength and shared the joy she found when she finally dropped her defenses and followed the Lord. She spoke of drug addiction, abusive relationships and losing three homes. You should have seen her smile as she told me she would never get tired of sharing her testimony of how the Lord changed her life! She has a passion for working with children and wants to one day be a drug counselor for teenagers. She wants to help those who are facing the same challenges she experienced as a teenager.

The Lord is working in big ways through the Bowery Mission! Please pray for the women who are participating in the program.

Watch this Video! – Women share how their lives have been changed at the Bowery Mission.

Mom Visits the Big City

My mom flew to New York with me to help me get settled into my new place. It was great having her here. It was her very first time in the city! We were able to unpack, explore my neighborhood, and squeeze in lots of sightseeing in a very short amount of time. Let’s just say I know she slept well every night.

Highlights of her time here: Mary Poppins on Broadway, seeing Donald Trump, San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy, dessert at Ferraro’s, FAO Swartz, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza, visiting the Here’s Life office and having dinner with my director and his wonderful family.

I’m super thankful that she was here to help me get settled.

Miss you mom!

Evangelism Training

At the end of October, Here’s Life hosted an evangelism training in preparation for our Thanksgiving Box of Love outreach. Overall we trained 303 people from inner-city churches in New York City.

This Thanksgiving 4,000 families will receive a Box of Love ( a box filled with enough ham, stuffing, potatoes, rice, vegetables, fruit and dessert for a family of 6) We hope the training equips our partner churches to not only deliver a box but to deliver a message.

Pray for the families that will hear the gospel this Thanksgiving!

Sharing a Testimony (above) Registration (below)

Here is a great story from a Box of Love outreach in Atlanta!

It was right there, looming across the street — the big housing project. As believers from the church in Atlanta prayed and planned, they determined to try to connect with — and share Christ with — people in that project. The tool the chose: Here’s Life Inner City Boxes of Love.

People from the church went into the forbidding hallways of the projects. They knocked on doors and offered a Box of Love as a gift from the church. They also asked people to complete a community needs survey.

Behind one of the doors was Sarah, a young single mom. She was carrying a baby, and a toddler played nearby. The team went through the survey, and the conversation led to spiritual things. Sarah said she was willing to hear more, so they went through the Gospel as presented in the Would You Like to Know God Personally? booklet. Sarah responded by asking Jesus into her life.

The next week she showed up at the church, and she quickly began to grow in her new faith. Through the loving counsel of mothers at the church, as well as the pastor, she walked away from bad relationships and filled her life with positive influences. She started coming to Wednesday night Bible study and Sunday school, and she got involved in the women’s fellowship ministry.

Sarah had been on public assistance, but after she began growing in her walk with the Lord she determined to be more independent. She enrolled in a local Technical College and made good grades — there was enthusiastic applause when her grades were announced to the congregation in recognition of all positive steps she had taken.

The latest news is that Sarah met a nice young man at church who loves the Lord. They have talked about a future together, a solid family for Sarah and her children.

When Sarah opened the door to receive the Box of Love, she opened the door to a whole new life.

And the Adventure Begins!

It’s my first official Friday night in the city that never sleeps. You’re probably thinking I should be out doing something fun, right? Well the truth is I am absolutely exhausted. The move, the transition, the emotions, the walking… all of it has worn me out! I cannot remember ever being as tired as I have felt for the last three days. My co-worker, Sandy said it would probably take six months for my body to get acclimated to the pace of NY. Let’s hope my body adjusts quickly.

I moved up last week and am finally all settled in my new apartment. I’m in a great neighborhood in Queens. Life here is different. The population of people here is so diverse. No one looks the same, and it’s normal to hear several different languages spoken as you walk down the street. I love taking in all the new sights, sounds and smells of the city. I’m a block from the Subway which is my primary means of transportation. The grocery store, CVS, Starbucks, restaurants and shops are right down the street. I love running downstairs and making it to the grocery store in a couple of minutes. The apartment has plenty of room. My new friend and roommate Liz did a great job finding us a place. I also have another roommate, Anna who will be joining us in October.

I started at Here’s Life on Wednesday. I arrived at 11:30am for a staff meeting and welcome lunch. I love each member of my staff team. Some of the staff have been with Here’s Life for several years. It is so neat to hear their hearts for serving God in New York City. They gave me a fun welcome bag full of everything from hand sanitizer to a I love NY coffee mug. My afternoon was full of meetings with my director, intern coordinator and other staff. I received lots of information on Here’s Life and what my role will be at the ministry. I learned of upcoming projects I will help manage. I got a schedule of ministry partners I will visit over the next three weeks. I will have the opportunity to visit several ministries before I decide where I will spend my field time. I do know that I will help at the Bowery Women’s Center on Monday afternoons. I will help Sandy host a Worknet Program for the residents. Work Net is a career development program for adults who have been labeled unemployable. We will help the women overcome barriers to begin a career rather than just finding a quick-fix job. I’ll also visit two S.A.Y. Yes Centers (after school programs) and a soup kitchen/food pantry.

When I’m not in the field serving, I will be serving as the director’s assistant. As the assistant, I will do what I can to support Clint and the ministry of Here’s Life. There are projects I will work on over the course of the year. The biggest will be managing a project to create a Web site for Here’s Life-New York. I will also be serving as a volunteer coordinator for the purpose of promoting volunteer opportunities, following up and maintaining relationships with volunteers and increasing volunteers.

I am excited about each opportunity. I can’t wait to see all the Lord will do during my year here.

An Inside Look

The leaves are so beautiful here! They’re mostly a burnt orange and gold color. With the wind, I’m sure they’ll be gone in no time. Fortunately, the last couple of days have been warm. (can’t believe I’m calling 58 degrees warm) We have had very COLD weather. It’s the wind that makes it unbearable, add rain and oh man. Liz is letting me borrow this heavy duty coat. It comes down past my knees and keeps me warm. Next thing I need is a good hat, you know those ones with the ear flaps, yeah a warm fuzzy hat would be perfect.

Besides adjusting to the weather, I’ve made an easy transition into city life. I thank the Lord often for how easily I’m adapting to my new home. Of course, I miss my family but I’m not homesick. I’m content knowing this is where the Lord wants me for this time in my life.

I’m really happy with my apartment and neighborhood. I love being close to Manhattan. I’m entertained just finding a neighborhood to walk around in. I go into the city three days a week for ministry and usually on the weekends to do something fun. Liz and I have been decorating our apartment. We rearranged the living room and it looks so much more homey and welcoming!

I spend a good amount of time on the subway. My commute to work isn’t bad, the 35 minutes goes by fast. On Mondays, I take a bus into the city to volunteer at the Bowery Women’s Mission. I have about 10 blocks to walk once I get off the bus. ( I do a lot of walking) On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have a 45 min to 1 hour ride to Harlem on the subway. I usually read for my online class or secretly watch people. It’s always interesting whether it be the people or the task of getting off at the right stop while herds of people are cramming on.

Things I’ve enjoyed so far about living in NYC:

Getting my haircut by an Israeli at a Russian hair salon

Shopping at a Chinese market

Eating Indian food- Chicken Tikka Masala is very good!

Walking 2 minutes to the grocery store

Building relationships with people that are different than me

Central Park

Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future

The career development class at the Bowery Mission Women’s Center is going so well! The women are engaged and applying what they are learning. The first couple of classes were fun as we talked about dream jobs, interests and values. Now the classes address tough issues. The women are facing their pasts and employment barriers as they seek solutions. Sandy and I thought the women may shy away and not participate as much in the lessons but we were wrong. They are willing to push through so they can succeed at finding meaningful employment.

I have worked one on one with a woman who will begin job searching before the rest. I’ve been helping her formulate answers to interview questions. I help her practice by hosting mock interviews. She has improved greatly from three weeks ago. She’s sharp and remembers the tips I give her. Her answers were once long and off target and she included unecessary info. With the help of the WorkNet curriculum, I helped her create concise answers that offer valuable information and quantify her skills. She is going to do great on her interviews! During our time together yesterday, I got some insight into her past. I wasn’t sure how she ended up at the Bowery and was surprised she was there after seeing her job history. She opened up by tellling me she was in the shelter system before she was recommended for the Bowery program. She had an 11 year career as a home health care attendant. Her identification expired and took some time to renew. During the process, the company she was working for had to let her go. She lost her apartment and ended up at a shelter because she couldn’t pay her rent. She had her apartment for 8 years. I asked what happened to her belongings while staying at a shelter. She got tears in her eyes and told me she lost it all. When she left her apartment, she sent all of her things to storage. When she could no longer pay that bill, everything she owned was auctioned off. What she had worked so hard for was gone. She is now walking with the Lord, has a positive attitude and is looking forward to finding employment as a home healthcare attendant once again. She hopes to start out there while she continues her education. She eventually wants to be a medical technician.

You Are My Family Now

Last Tuesday I helped with an ESL class in Queens. Sandy B teaches the class every week. We had five students. They were from China, Pakistan, and Nepal. We taught them how to say body parts in english and how to communicate ailments to the doctor. I can’t imagine going to a country and having to learn their language from someone who can’t speak mine! One of the Nepali women is a Christian. The rest are Hindu or Muslim. I had the opportunity to talk about what I believe. One of our exercises was to introduce yourself and tell where you’re from and what religion you follow. I participated and shared about Christianity. It was so hard to explain it clearly and simply so they could understand. Remember they are learning to speak english and don’t know too many words. Soma, from Nepal asked me questions and said she had been reading about Jesus in a track she received from Sandy B. The track lists the basic truths of the Gospel in english and nepali.

Today, Sandy brought Soma to the office to help. She helped stuff packets for our upcoming training event. I conversed with her and she asked me all kinds of questions. (How are you, How is your family, how old are you, what did you have for breakfast? etc.) She did very well. She then began to tell me and Sandy that we are her family. In Soma’s words, “You are my family now. Nepal is far, where my family is. Before I knew you I was bored. Now I am happy. I’m learning. My mind is fresh. You are my family.” It was so sweet. While she was in our office she began to read a booklet she found on my desk, His Story. It’s a kids story of creation to the resurrection of Jesus. She asked us questions about it which allowed us to continue sharing with her. I’m excited to see her grow in curiosity and learn more. Please pray the Lord will begin to open her heart to believe in Jesus.

The Future of East Harlem

I spent the afternoon helping at an after school program in East Harlem. I really enjoyed being there. I arrived early enough to pray with the leaders and volunteers about our time with the kids. I also spent some time with Mother Helen learning about the group of kids who attend. Their program has been open for 11years! There are 18 kids who come Tuesday-Friday. She told me that most of the kids would look clean and neat but many of them had difficult lives. They serve a full meal because some kids are not fed supper at home. I worked at the 2nd grade station with two little boys- Tyron and Glenroy. I heard about Tyron before he arrived and was told he would need one on one attention. He was so cute but did not have a very good attention span. He was constantly looking around, any sound or movement would draw his attention away from me and his homework. He talked so low, I had to lean in to hear. I continued to talk to him and try to get him to loosen up. He finally relaxed and began to talk to me. Finally his voice was loud enough for me to hear without straining. He did really well writing sentences and spelling the words I called out to him. All of a sudden he was spilling all kinds of info about his family and home life. It was really confusing but I did get that his home life is not the best.

We took a break from homework to have chapel time. A few of the kids led our time by praying and reading the months memory verse. It was so sweet. After chapel, the kids would usually have Bible club but today they got extra time on their homework before game time. I played the board game,Trouble with Tyron and another kid. I enjoyed seeing Tyron be silly and have fun. There was a huge change from two hours earlier when he was distant and distracted. As the kids were picked up, we sang songs and practiced saying the months of the year. I was really encouraged to visit the program. Afternoons spent at the church are so important for these kids. They are loved and encouraged. Sometimes kids just need structure and a stable authority figure to trust. Most importantly they hear about Jesus.One of their volunteers is in high school and participated in the program in elementary and middle school. She is grateful for the difference the after school program had in her life and wants to give back.

Career Night and Weekend Fun

Friday Night we hosted a career night at the Bowery Mission. Sandy invited women from her church to speak about their field of work and give insight into how they got the job they have now. I also spoke about my experience in state government and gave an overview of all the job opportunities available. We had a brainstorming session where we each wrote down our fields of interest, values and skills and came up with possible job matches. My roommate Liz was able to come and help in the brainstorming. It was a great night. I’m continuing to get to know the women better and can’t wait to see them tomorrow for our class.

I spent Saturday afternoon with my friend Charlotte. She is another SC gal. I met her in NYC on summer project two years ago. She’s a Campus Crusade intern working on college campuses in Brooklyn. I’m thankful she is here. We had a great time visiting and walking all over Central Park. The weather has been beautiful. I go outside every chance I get. I want to enjoy the sunshine before it gets cold!

I went to church this morning. After lunch, Liz and I spent most of the afternoon in Starbucks getting some work done. My cousin Ben goes to school in Queens. He came into the city to meet us for dinner. We had chinese in the West Village. It was a great weekend. I’m looking forward to the week ahead!

The view from Belvedere Castle in Central Park

Hope Grows In Brooklyn

Time goes so quickly and I’m trying my best to post as much as I can. Before a new week starts I want to share a few things from last week. I volunteered with a S.A.Y. Yes! Center in Brooklyn. I traveled an hour and a half by subway and bus to get to the church. I got there early enough to visit with the director, Ms. Gloria and learn about the children who attend. I walked with with her to the nearby school to pick up Tristian- an adorable first grader. The rest of the kids came on their own. After snack, I began helping two of the girls on their homework but all the kids were squeezing around my table. It didn’t take much to win them all over. Before homework was finished, they were asking me when I would come back. Most of the kids are so welcoming and it’s so easy to fall in love with each of them. After homework, Mrs. Gloria asked me to lead the devotion. Each child was very respectful and even answered my questions. I then joined the group for dinner. We had watermelon for dessert and I had everyone going back for seconds so they can try it with salt. They all thought I was crazy until they tried it and liked it! Recreation time was after dinner. We played outside on the sidewalk. The kids love to race and I impressed them by beating all the boys. (too bad I was sore the next day) Overall the kids were great. I would love to be able to spend more time with them. This location is one of my choices for my field time and I’m praying for direction as I decide where I should go on a weekly basis.

Thursday I returned to Brooklyn to visit one of our partner ministries. This church has a soup kitchen on Wednesdays and Sundays and a food pantry Tuesday and Thursdays. I spent a few hours at the food pantry. I had great conversations with the volunteers. It amazes me that they all show up to work for free and have done so for years. After a few hours at the food pantry, I went to Red Hook. Elder O drove me around the area which has been one of the worst areas of Brooklyn for many years. He spent time talking about his heart for the area and the changes that are taking place. There are some businesses moving into the area but many of the area residents can’t take advantage of the job opportunities. Elder O hopes to implement programs offered through Here’s Life like Holistic Hardware and Work Net. These programs offer curriculum to help people become employable. He took me to a church he works with in the neighborhood. He and his wife have their own ministry which consists of street evangelism and hosting various outreaches in his community. The church is between a liquor store and a Chinese restaurant. It’s a small space but in a perfect location. On many occasions, people have wandered in off the street on Sunday mornings.

I don’t know how to explain what a blessing it is to meet these pastors and leaders of our partner ministries. Every meeting builds me up and encourages me. The pastors, wives, and other church leadership are passionate about their ministries and you can’t help but feel energized after talking with them. I hear amazing testimonies of transformed lives and passionate vision for what God is doing in the inner city.

Worldwide Day of Prayer

Today was Worldwide Day of Prayer for Campus Crusade for Christ. As most of you know Here’s Life is the urban ministry of Campus Crusade. Today over sixty Crusade staff members gathered at our Here’s Life office to pray for our ministries across the world. There are Crusade ministries throughout NYC focused on high school students, college students, the arts, the United Nations and more. I enjoyed meeting several other Crusade staff and learning all that is happening in other areas of ministry across the city.

We had nine prayer stations. Each station represented a region of the world. We had specific praises and prayer requests from ministry teams in places in Germany, Mongolia, West Africa, Spain and Taiwan just to name a few. It was amazing to get a big picture of the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. The Lord is working in huge ways and thousands of people are hearing the gospel across the world. What a privilige to set aside a day along with missionaries across the globe to pray and acknowledge our complete reliance on God.

S.A.Y. Yes!

Meet Buzz, Caroline, Matty, Sally and Ken

I recently participated in a three day training for our S.A.Y. Yes! program. Our first activity was to blow up five balloons, draw faces on them and give them names. We had to care for our balloons (children) for the next 48 hours. We couldn’t lose them, pop them, tie them together or put them in a bag. Our job was to keep them alive. Hmm, I knew immediately things would get interesting because I had to take the subway home! Let’s just say 24 hours in, I was trying to find ways to accidentally lose my children! It was so hard to navigate crowded train stations with five balloons in tow. I couldn’t see where I was going half the time because holding them in front of me was the only way to keep my children from hitting strangers.

Each day was informative and packed with fun. There is so much involved with starting a program. Here’s Life does a great job equipping inner-city churches with everything they could possibly need to effectively minister to youth . I loved getting to know each person at the training. I gained a better understanding of what SAY Yes! is all about. I’ll have the opportunity to volunteer at a after school program in Harlem this Wednesday.

S.A.Y. Yes! is a Biblically-based program that takes place in an after-school setting. There are 26 S.A.Y. Yes! Centers in New York City. The goal is to give at-risk children a solid foundation from which they can build a successful future. Through the local church, each child is ministered to spiritually, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and socially.

The Lord's Timing Is Perfect

This is going to be a great year! I already love my job. Yesterday marked two weeks of living in the city and today marked one week at Here’s Life.

The Lord’s timing is perfect! Fall is an exciting time for Here’s Life Inner City, and the best time for me to report. I arrived just in time to participate in a three day S.A.Y. Yes! Center training to equip inner-city churches to host after-school programs. In a few weeks, we kick off the Fall season with evangelism training for 100 churches. Soon, Thanksgiving preparations begin for our Box of Love outreach, which provides food for 5,000 needy families. I also arrived in time to help with a new career development program at the Bowery Mission Women’s Center. So as you can tell, I came during an exciting time. I’m thankful for this season and the opportunity to jump right in!

Today was super busy, I didn’t leave the office until 7! I went to my first official staff meeting. We opened our time by reading a passage from Joshua and praying about God’s faithfulness. This was an encouraging time and a great reminder to reflect daily on all the Lord has done for me. After discussing upcoming events, Bright and I led the group in brainstorming for our Web site. We got great feedback. After the meeting, I had a conference call re: the Web site. Then I squeezed in lunch before helping set up for the S.A.Y. Yes! training. I had to assemble booklets and redesign a treasure hunt game. I met with my intern coordinator to discuss the online training I start next week. I will spend a couple hours a week taking a class online. I don’t have all the details yet but I think the focus of the course is evangelism.

Pray for powerful and effective training for our S.A.Y. Yes! workshop. We have three new ministries coming through the training for the first time. The training involves topics such as spiritual development, child development, team building and organization of an after school program. The training will be held October 2-4. I’ll post a full report next week!