Today was quite the ride. I have met an amazing amount of people with amazing talent, character, and hope. Hope is something folks hold onto here in New York City. You can tell when you talk to the ones with the shopping carts and crates full of their only belongings. I met Joseph today, a young man you had just recently gotten his only belongings stolen. I can relate to him a little more now, seeing as when I got back to the church where we were staying, a few of my things were gone. Now my things are by no means important compared to vital things needed to live, but I can definitely connect with the pain and deep disrespect you feel when something important to you ends up missing.
Something I can look back on and feel accomplished and happy about today is when I got to sing with a group of guys on the streets. It was an amazing feeling being able to give something God has given me to other people. (I was encouraged by one of the men to use my God-given voice to make people happy. A pretty sweet task to be told!)
I LOVE people. And even though these people are far from my home, they are just like the ones I know and love at home. And this is their home. Their life. It has only been one day of ministry and it feels like we’ve touched enough people (and our feet enough sidewalk) for 3 days! If this is a little taste of what the whole week will be like, I am definitely looking forward to where God will put us next. We have touched more than 75 people in my small group alone! Praise God for the folks who let us pray for them, and the people who just saw us walking down the street and wondered what we were doing with water bottles and bags of bread. People are so welcoming and willing to receive things that are generously given to them. Pray that we are received by more and more eager people as the week carries on its very bountiful surprises and blessings!
~Caitlin, Michigan~
Short-term mission trip participant
