"I'm An Atheist"

There was an older gentleman sitting at the bar, and he looked lonely. I watched him order another drink as he looked around the crowded room for someone to talk to. Remembering that one of our goals in Greater Love is to form relationships with people in the LGBT community, I decided to venture over and give him the company he seemed to be looking for. That night, a friendship was born.*

"Hey, how are you doing this evening? My name is Ryan... and you are?"

"Well, Hello. My name is Daniel**, and I'm doing fine."

"Pleasure to meet you Daniel. Do you mind if I take a seat?"

"No, not at all!"

I sat down next to Daniel and just started asking him questions to get to know him. I soon realized that a little interest would go a long way. I only had to ask a few questions and pretty soon Daniel was unfolding his entire life story to me, including the details of his upbringing, when he discovered his same-sex attraction, and the difficulties he faced growing up as a homosexual in the 60's and 70's. I so appreciated his willingness to share his story. After some time, he began to ask me about myself and what I do here in NYC. I told him that I am a Christian missionary and about the work I do with Street LIFE Ministries. He had a Catholic background and enjoyed hearing about our work with the homeless. "Going to the poor and homeless... that's a pretty big part of what Jesus told us to do, right?" He said with a sarcastic smile on his face. "It sure is!" I replied.

Knowing that I was a Christian, Daniel made the point to tell me, "I'm an atheist, I don't want to talk about God or religion. I just want to talk about art, music, and history." I assured him that was alright.

Since that night, Daniel and I have gone out to dinner twice and even attended a small jazz concert in Manhattan. One of the more significant moments I had with him was after our first dinner when Daniel insisted that we take a walk to the Hudson River. "Let's go see the river!" he said emphatically. "C'mon, it's really close!" As we stood at the bank of the river he told me how often he comes here to look at the beautiful scenery. We both stood there silently for a while, soaking in the view. In that moment God reminded me of Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Daniel's desire to see the river reminded me that we can't escape the beauty of God's creation, or the message that it sends to us; that there is a God and that He is awesome. Daniel might be an atheist, but I know everything in him is crying out for God (even if he doesn't know it), and we are patiently waiting for the opportunity to introduce him to the God who made the Hudson River.

*To clarify, this outreach is done by a team of screened applicants. This testimony is simply written from the perspective of one of those team members.  

**Name changed for confidentiality. 

When God Intervenes

As I was handing out food donations to the long line of needy people, I noticed that Jess had sat down to have a discussion with a man that I had never seen before. He looked weary, but seemed to be enjoying his cup of soup and his conversation with Jess. I was thinking, "Great, it looks like we're making new friends!" Some time  later Jess asked me to talk to this man as he was interested in the men’s Bible study that we host. I said, “Absolutely!”

I hustled over to him and introduced myself, but, for the sake of privacy, let’s call him Eric.

Ryan: “So I heard you’re interested in attending our Bible study.”

Eric: “Yes. I consider myself to be a spiritual person, and I definitely believe in a creator, but I don’t know what to make of all the different world religions. Every time I read the Bible it just confuses me. I feel like I need someone to teach it to me so that I can understand.”

Ryan: “Well Eric, the whole purpose of our Bible study is to gather together and understand what God has clearly spoken, so it sounds like the perfect place for you.”

Ryan talking with Eric

He agreed and assured me that he would be there on Sunday. Eric began to share more of his story with me. I did not get all the details, but through his struggle with alcohol and recent marital issues, he ended up on the streets, hurt, bitter, lost, and lonely. I had the opportunity to share some of my own testimony with Him and the ways God has delivered me from sin and healed pain in my heart. He was very receptive and definitely acknowledged his need for guidance. Before Eric left, I told him I would give him a call in a few days to see how he was doing. I began praying regularly for Eric, pleading with God to intervene in his life.

Two days after meeting him, I decided to give him a call...

Ryan:  "Hello, is this Eric?"...

Eric: "Yes, who's this?"

Ryan: "This is Ryan, the guy you met at the park a few days ago."

He cut me off and started shouting…

Eric:  "Ryan! I'm so glad to hear from you! I was going to give you a call. I have to tell you what happened!"

Ryan: "Eric, tell me what happened!"

He went on to say that he went to his AA meeting that night after we met. He was asked by the group leader to share his story. Apparently this really touched one of the other men who was there. He came up to Eric after the meeting and said, "I own several apartments here in the city. Here, these are the keys to one of my apartments. You can stay there until you find a job." Go had provided a way for Eric to get off the streets immediately! Our conversation was short because he was actually in the process of walking around town and filling out job applications. He was filled with gratitude and joy, and assured me that he would definitely be at the Bible study and service on Sunday.

Eric showed up on Sunday, and has been regularly attending ever since! Praise God for His intervention in Eric’s life! We know that Eric is not in the Kingdom yet, but it's a step in the right direction. Please continue to pray for Eric; for his full surrender to the Lord, for the right job, and for total reconciliation in his family situation.

Restored Fellowship

We met Yvonne a few years ago at a prayer station in Jamaica, Queens. She had an amazing testimony of how God delivered her from drugs. She knew the power of God in her life, but after being hurt from some negative experiences with her church, she began to distance herself from other believers. We had a good talk with her about the importance of and having fellowship with other believers despite their flaws. We exchanged contact information and invited her to join us at King's Fellowship.

Amy kept in touch with her, calling her from time to time to check up on her and pray with her, encouraging her as much as she could, but we eventually lost touch with Yvonne. Several months went by without hearing from her. But then, last fall, Amy received a voicemail from Yvonne stating that God had been speaking to her about needing to be a part of a church again. She knew she needed the fellowship and the encouragement. Since then, Yvonne has been a regular attendee of our Sunday night services and has even joined us for outreach.

Yvonne is not the same woman we met a few months ago! God is healing her heart and drawing her into deeper relationship and she has even expressed an interest in volunteering more of her time with us. It has been incredible to see God's commitment to Yvonne and it has also been a big answer to prayer, as we are constantly praying for those we meet to be drawn closer to God and come into a church where they can be discipled.

One Can of Chili

As I was working the clothing table, a young lady walked up to me and said, “You guys just brought some light into my day… I didn’t know where I was going to get anything to eat today.” I stepped out from behind the table to introduce myself and learn more about her situation. Her name was Sherri and she told me that she is new to New York City, two months pregnant, and living in a shelter. All she had to eat in her room was two cans of vegetables and one can of chili. The cravings from the pregnancy were making her anxious… She had no idea where she was going to get the food that she needed to keep her and her baby alive. She was so grateful to have met us out on the street and get some food.

Sherri was actually on her way to one of the nearby churches that gives out free lunches throughout the week. She did grab some food from our truck, but because she didn’t want to miss the lunch, she couldn’t stop and talk for very long. She thanked us for being there and then went on her way. I was so grieved and angered over her situation. I started to wonder, “Where is her family? Where is the father of her child? Where are her friends? Is there anybody in her life that is looking out for her?” I could not allow Sherri to go off on her own without doing more to help her. God was aware of everything Sherri was going through, and He was not insensitive to her plight. I knew God wanted to meet Sherri in this difficult time. By this time she had already walked about half a block away, but she was still within eyesight. I ran to the truck, grabbed a gospel of John booklet, and started to run after her. As I caught up, I shouted, “Sherri! Sherri!” She turned around and looked surprised to see me running after her. When I finally caught up with her, I gave her the booklet and began to talk to her about the compassion of Jesus and that he knows everything that she is going through. She started to cry and said, “I feel like I’m going through this all alone.” I prayed for her, asking the Lord to act on her behalf and to protect and provide for her and her child. She looked up at me with tear filled eyes and said, “Thank you.” We exchanged contact info and I told her we’d be in touch.

It just so happened that Jessica and I were going to be attending a prayer meeting not too far from Sherri’s shelter the following night. We contacted Sherri and asked if she would be available the following night for us to come drop off some food for her, and of course she said, “Yes!”That night I packed two large bins filled with non-perishable foods and canned goods. I also got her some Hershey’s Chocolate and a package of Oreos… because every pregnant woman is going to want chocolate and Oreos at some point, right?

The next night we traveled into Manhattan and successfully delivered the food to Sherri. She was blown away with gratitude and she couldn’t stop smiling. Since we were on our way to a meeting we were not able to stay very long with her, but Jess asked her a lot of important questions about her pregnancy. She is taking prenatal vitamins and is working on setting up appointments with doctors. Even though we heard a lot of good news from her, we also learned some unfortunate details about her situation. She is originally from Virginia, and the reason she moved here is because she is a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic and her family was tired of taking care of her. She is still on medication and it seems that she is still receiving some sort of medical support from her family, but from what it sounds like, they either kicked her out of the house or she ran away. We didn’t dwell on this for too long, as we didn’t want to ruin the joy she had in that moment from receiving all the food and extra goodies, but this does add another, more serious element to her situation, and it is just another reason we need to be praying for her.

As of this week she has officially applied for food stamps and has an appointment set up in the next few days, which is great news! Sherri was so blessed by our encounter and said she is going to start coming to the park every week to hang out with us. Hopefully, as we develop more relationship with her, we will learn more about her life and how we can serve her. We will do everything we can to help her, and by God’s grace she and her baby will make it through this. I believe God is greater than this situation, and even greater than her schizophrenia. Please join us in praying for Sherri and her baby. My prayer is that she would be overwhelmed with compassion and love, and come to saving knowledge of the Lord.

The Favor of God

“You can take a look inside if you want. Just don’t talk to the ladies.” The head bouncer said to my teammate and I. This particular strip club is classier than some others and has strict codes for letting people in. The first few times we tried bringing gifts to the ladies they told us the manager won’t let anyone inside to simply talk or bring gifts to the women. However, in prayer we felt that we should continue going to pray and build relationship with the bouncers.

Before heading in last week, I reminded our team to not ask about going inside since we knew their stance. If we were to get inside, God would make it happen. We stopped in the main entrance to drop off some treats and say hello. The head bouncer recognized us, said a quick “Hi”, and then invited us inside! My teammate, Debbie, and I were stunned as we passed through security and into the club. We stood near the bar for a couple minutes praying over the club, careful not to overstay our first welcome. In leaving, we thanked the bouncer and made casual conversation with him another few minutes, amazed at what took place.

Back in the car, where the rest of our team was praying, Debbie remembered that she asked the Lord for open doors in our prayer time before going out. In the car, another team member told us that she felt led to pray that they would invite us in! I am amazed at how God works and thankful for His favor. The saying is true - If we do everything possible, God will do the impossible.  As we have been faithful and consistent to simply show hospitality to the bouncers, God has been working in softening this one man’s heart to let us inside. Please pray that we find more favor with this club and are able to eventually bring gifts inside to the ladies. Thank you!

A Volunteer's Perspective of Don't Walk By

Jillian has been faithfully serving with our Beautiful One outreach for over a year now and when she heard about Don't Walk By, she was very eager to sign up. Now, she's just completed her first ever Don't Walk By, and we'll let her tell you all about it:

"My first year of Don't Walk By was awesome! They needed volunteers in the transportation department, so my job was to sit and talk with the guests as they waited for the van to take them to the shelter. I asked one of the men I was waiting with if I could pray with him. He allowed me to and after I finished , he looked up and I could tell he was touched. He said, 'I really felt that!' That's what the Holy Spirit can do in the blink of an eye!" I would definitely recommend Don't Walk By to others. Getting to sit and talk with the people is so personal. There are no barriers!"

Jillian was not the only person who noticed the atmosphere of unity and compassion during the outreach. Another volunteer named Dahee told us that she was blessed to see so many believers united for the cause of Christ. She said, "This level of unity was literally a taste of heaven. I pray that churches in NYC  would continue to mature into oneness as we elevate Christ together."  This year we had over 1,000 volunteers unite to flood the streets with the mercy of God. Hallelujah! 

Salvation on the Streets: A Testimony from Brazil

The "Red Light District" of Belo Horizonte is a neighborhood populated with brothels, porn theaters, and lost souls. It's the perfect place to do ministry! We went there several times on this trip, each time bringing worship, the Word, and the presence of God. This past year we saw God move upon one man's heart in an undeniable way. Here's the story from Ryan's perspective:

"Our first night in the Red Light District, during our second or third worship set, a man who was either just leaving a brothel or on his way into a brothel  was drawn by the music and stopped by to see what was going on. A few members of our team approached him with a translator to talk and share with him (I was watching all this happen from about a hundred feet away). After a few minutes of conversation, I saw the man put his hands over his face and start to weep uncontrollably. His sobs where audible even over the music! Then he dropped to his knees and just started crying out to God, confessing and repenting of his sins. This went on for several minutes. Once he calmed down a little bit, he stood back up shouting, "Jesus! Obrigada Jesus!" (which means "Thank you Jesus"). Without any hesitation at all, he joined in with us praising and dancing, just worshipping Jesus. I even went over and joined him! We both danced and celebrated his new life in Christ together."