Loving Drive-By's COVID 19

At Tompkins Square Park

Lockdown in NYC can be challenging as it is everywhere.  There are a lot of homeless people who are finding it difficult to find food as many of the soup kitchens have shut down.  Street LIFE Ministries has increased our times out so we can serve some hot food and drink.  We also bring some food for them to carry away.....all at a proper distance to keep us safe.  So many are grateful.  Here's a link that shares a story of God's divine leading in the life of one woman at Tompkins Square Park recently.

From Cold and Hungry to Warm and Full- Click here for Video 

In Flushing (Queens), there are a lot of day workers who are mostly Hispanic.  They stand on different corners of Northern Blvd each day in hopes of being hired for the day or two.  The grocery store shelves have been quite empty, especially for paper and cleaning products.  Since we have been blessed with some extra funding through the United Way of NYC, we are able to bring some food out through a mobile loving drive-by.  We simply load the car with food items as well as some hygiene kits that have been donated by Samaritan's Purse.  As we drive by some of the street corners, we then stop and hand out the supplies.  There are so many needs but we are grateful to do our part.  Click the link below to hear about one of the times we had gone out. 

Loving Drive By's - Click here for video

Today's Loving Drive-By in Flushing, NY - Click here for video

We are thankful to God for some extra funding that has come in this past month, As you can imagine, all of our March and April teams had to cancel, and that meant less help but also a major loss of revenue as well. So your prayers and support are needed more than ever right now,  especially as we are GOING out 5 days a week, as the needs are so great, with so many out of work, and far less places to receive help. Street LIFE Ministries is one of the few who are BLESSED TO GO AND SERVE to the least and lost and homeless of NYC! We are so grateful for United Way who helped with an emergency gift for food which we have used and receiving 1 more shipment of goods this week through Driscoll Foods. 

Perfect Timing

Recently I learned about an older woman in desperate need during this COVID-19 crisis.  Her living conditions are terrible.  The people she rents a room from make it difficult for her.  Also, she is in very poor health so she is one who is susceptible to the coronavirus. 

She reached out to us for help with groceries and cleaning supplies because she didn’t have the funds for it.  It just so happened when she called that I was standing in the middle of a grocery store.  The timing couldn’t have been better.  After listing off items that she needed, we were able to pick up many of those things. 

On the same day, we received donations from World Vision, including some toilet paper.  Robin suggested I add a few rolls to her bag even though it wasn't on her list. 

I made arrangements to drop off the groceries and the lady was happy to receive them. 

A few minutes later she called…

“I don’t know how you knew, and I didn’t even think to ask, but I really needed the toilet paper.  I’ve been wadding up toilet paper from public bathrooms to bring home with me.” 

She thanked me for the other items that couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

Update Regarding COVID-19

Dear Friends of Street LIFE Ministries,

We pray during this current global crisis that 3 John 1:2 encourages you all: ”Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” That’s God’s heart and desire always or Holy Spirit would not have inspired John to write it.

This is a time like none other to seek Him.  Spend time in His Presence, in worship, prayer, and the Word.  Build yourselves up in the Holy Spirit, declaring His greatness and faithfulness to you and others around you! HE HAS NOT CHANGED, NOR HAS HIS WORD AND PROMISES!  Ps 91, Ps 46, Ps 20, Isa 41:10 Pray these, decree these, each are TRUE and will minister to you and to others surrounding you!

Let’s all of us redeem the time and look for ways and means to love, serve and provide.  Pray for your family, neighbors, and all those within your sphere of influence.

We at Street LIFE Ministries are doing all the above and still going to the streets and massage parlors, with much prayer and use of all basic, wisdom-filled, precautions as shared locally and federally. We will continue to press on, unless absolutely forbidden; then we will pray for further guidance and strategy.  The poor, hurting, and homeless still are poor, hurting, and homeless.  They are in even greater need of love and compassion, as well as the practical items we bring weekly. Over 60,000 are in shelters, 10-20,000 are on the streets throughout the boroughs of New York City.  All are in dire need and it’s worsening by the day! 

https://www.pix11.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-spreading-among-new-york-citys-homeless?fbclid=IwAR0ZI9F_P88uoRPtDVqs2K0W0Fi7aazSDBBzLLuLE3yYbDGgrcPNQ9vx8dw

As always, we trust God for everything and will always do so.  His grace is always sufficient no matter the circumstances we face.  Like so many others around the world, we face the fear and shaking of all areas, spiritually, economically, socially, and governmentally.  WE MUST BIND OURSELVES TOGETHER IN HIS LOVE! Fight this fight with FAITH and obedience!

The needs here are increasing.  With the loss of all of March teams, and potentially April’s too, SLM is down $15,000 already.  Teams are a major source of revenue to sustain the ongoing work of SLM. Would you pray and consider sending a sacrificial offering to bless SLM and help enable us to continue to be a blessing to all those we serve?  If you are unable, we fully understand.  Please PRAY, which we all can do.  We are believing for an outpouring of grace and favor.  The harvest, that we and so many others have been praying for, is HERE.  It’s ready and ripe for Jesus and His Kingdom, a Kingdom that will not be shaken!

Please also send us ANY PRAYER REQUESTS YOU MAY HAVE.  We fast and pray every Wednesday and Friday and would count it all joy to lift you up before the Throne of Grace in these times of need. Heb 4:16

Rom 8:31-39 THE MESSAGE

“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us — who was raised to life for us! — is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.

We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us.  I'm absolutely convinced that nothing — nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow,  high or low, thinkable or unthinkable — absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”

AMEN!

For the King and His Kingdom,

David Van Fleet

Executive Director

God Sees the Heroin Addict

As we were serving out on the streets during this COVID-19 pandemic, I noticed a young man who seemed distraught.  There was a look of anxiety and depression on his face. The Holy Spirit prompted me to go and strike up a conversation with him. I asked him how he was doing and the first words that came out of his mouth were “I’m a heroin addict”. He has been addicted to the drug for three years, has lost everything and is now living on the streets. He used to be a Christian, but this drug got a hold of him. As he spoke to me, he cried at times.  He hated what had happened to him; he had lost so much. 

I asked if I could pray with him and he very willingly said yes. I commanded the addiction to leave him, that he would be restored to the Lord, that God would pour out His love on Him, make His voice clear to him, and draw him back unto Himself, as well as for his health. He was grateful for the prayer, for the food, and a good jacket he received from us. He wasn’t ready to re-commit to the Lord at this time but was thankful to be cared for and loved on.

In my bible next to Psalm 91 I have his name written down as a reminder to pray for him every day, will you join me in praying for him too?

Jim is having a conversation with someone (not the man from the story)

Exposing My Faith

Hello! My name is Chaerin from Grace Church and I had the privilege of joining Street Life Ministries in their Prayer Station Outreach this past weekend.

The entire week before setting foot on the mission ground to pray for the locals of Flushing, Main Street, I was very anxious about publicly exposing my faith in Jesus Christ. I asked for prayers left and right in order to gain some comfort and confirmation that this was truly what God wanted me and my church to do.

The night before the outreach, I read chapter 2 in the book of Ezekiel.

“2  And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. [...] 6 Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks [...] 7  And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear” (Ezekiel 2:2-7)

The main message that the Lord was speaking to me was for Godly obedience. His promise that the Holy Spirit will set us on our feet and bring us to a place we do not want to go, called for action upon my faith. And once again on the morning of the outreach, God confirmed His message with me, as I listened to a sermon preaching for obedience in the Lord.

At the Prayer Station itself, I encountered so many different kinds of people and reactions to our offers for prayer. Some would completely ignore us, others would kindly accept, and the rest would just give us weird looks or wave us away. I met this one beautiful homeless lady, Lourdes, who was not mentally well. My partner and I approached her, offering prayer for her to which she gladly accepted. As we conversed, whenever my partner or I would mention the name of Jesus, Lourdes would start singing praise to Him for a minute straight! We must have said the name Jesus ten times because we stood there for almost 15 minutes, watching her lift praise and worship to the Lord-- It was a beautiful sight to see His daughter singing for her Father.

Another particular person I encountered was a 90-year-old retired medical doctor, with a prosthetic leg named Francisco. He started arguing with me about the righteousness of God. In silence, I listened to his reasoning about how he could not believe in a God who allowed suffering for humanity. It deeply broke my heart to hear that Francisco grew up in the church but quickly fell away due to the corrupt churches that he went to and the hurt that he had received from Christians. I could not offer any satisfying counter-argument, but God compelled me to share my own testimony with him about my journey as a Christian. Francisco listened intently and ultimately replied that he needed faith in God.

The one thing I was most afraid of was meeting someone I knew. I even prayed that I would not run across a friend while at the Prayer Station; However, God is funny sometimes and He still allowed it to happen in the best way possible. I met my good friend from high school, whom I actually evangelized to many years ago. He was not a religious person, but still came to church with me for about half a year. I found out that he had moved to California last year and was just visiting New York for ten days. And I happened to run across him after losing contact with him for 6 years, at that exact moment, place, and time. It was truly a divine appointment. I was able to reconnect with him a couple days after the outreach and am currently in the process of praying for my friend.

From the way God has connected our ministries together, I know that He has already set a perfect plan to use Street Life Ministries and Grace Church as one Body in Christ. Thank you so much for inviting me to join you in this wonderful outreach. I know for a fact that the Lord is powerfully moving within your ministry through your faithful obedience. God bless you all!

In Christ,

Chaerin Grace Kim

Living Water in a Massage Parlor

It was a Thursday evening and the night of our Beautiful One outreach.  The worship and prayer beforehand gave us expectancy for what “open doors” we would encounter that evening.  We entered the one massage parlor where we have gone so many times before.  “Lucy”* manages this place.  She invited us to sit down and we gave each lady a gift bag.

It was not busy so we started conversing with the three ladies that were there.  We were having some lively discussions about children, family, and culture.   One of the ladies was on her way out.  She had her coat on and she was walking back and forth.  However, she seemed drawn to the laughter and stories amongst us so she stayed.  I talked about my own children and a story about my eldest son and the struggles we went through as parents of a teenager.  Sharing our stories seemed to open the door for “Nancy”* to talk about herself.  She shared how she had a temper but has been going to meditation classes that focus on emptying oneself of emotions. 

It seemed like the right moment to share about Jesus being the LIVING WATER that fills us and whoever is thirsty and would drink of Him would never thirst again.  I shared how HE can live inside of her and He is the one who carries our burdens.  We empty our cares unto Him and He fills us with His peace.  What she was learning had some truth to it but it is the Word of God we meditate upon.  We die to self and JESUS fills us.  After sharing the Gospel some more, she admitted she didn’t understand everything I said.  Yet was very engaged as she did not move from where she was standing.  The other women were also speaking to her and sharing about the love of God.  We gave her a Chinese Gospel of John for her to learn more about Jesus. 

Many seeds have been sown in the past by Carol and others who have visited this massage parlor.  BUT THAT NIGHT, the seeds that had been planted and watered over and over again actually started sprouting. Her heart was more open than ever before and she listened intently.  She let me pray over her before she finally left the massage parlor.  Our prayers afterward were for revelation of the Father to flood her heart and open her eyes to the true Prince of Peace.   We invited her and another woman to our service on Sunday night where we have a meal, worship, and hear the Word of God.  This way, they could learn English faster.  But their only day off is Tuesday.  Our hearts were so full at the end of the night for the grace of God that was present with us.

*Names changed to protect identity.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Recently I was part of a team from Green Pond, and Highlands Bible Chapel, serving the Lord on a "Don't Walk By", SLM weekend. I have served three other times over the years, and I can say that this is definitely a blessing. We don't often think about this type of outreach in our safe little suburbia life, so getting down and getting out there where the "rubber meets the road", is so humbling and a blessing beyond words.

“Don’t Walk By” is a super outreach, and I highly recommend it to everyone young and old.

I personally had an awesome interaction with one particular "guest", who had just fell into hard times, and needed to be put back on the track again. I pray for this man, who I really felt just needed to be reconnected with the right resources, and to make him feel part of society again.

I am so energized to continue in some form of outreach mission, helping those who need it most. God bless all who continue to serve in this very important mission. -Glenn Donnelly