The Gospel is Free

Each time we do outreach for the women in the massage parlors, there is a sense of anticipation of what God will do.  It is quite unpredictable. Sometimes it will be one conversation that goes extremely well.  Other times each place we go is happy to receive us.  Then there are nights where doors are shut and no one wants to talk.  No matter what happens the Lord is working – through our prayer and obedience to GO.  

On a recent outreach, our team noticed a new massage parlor.  We decided to visit and see what would happen.  When we walked in, a woman greeted us.  “We are from the church and we have gifts for you!”  She was happy about it and invited us to sit.  After a few minutes of chatting and learning more about her, a man who works there came into the room.  He gave us each a cup of water and sat down with us.  

We asked, “Do you go to church?”  He said he did not and then he had a few questions of his own.  “Do you have to pay something to go to church?  Do you have to know the Bible to go to church?”  His questions were so innocent.  “Have you heard about Jesus?” we asked.  “No,” he said.  At that moment, we had the joy of sharing a portion of the Gospel with him.  

He listened intently.  We invited him to church and gave him a Gospel of John.  We found out that he just came to America three months ago.  As our conversation was drawing to a close, we offered to pray with him.  He was not ready yet to pray himself but allowed us to pray for him. The Lord definitely opened the door into this new place.  And we have found out that he has visited the Chinese Church several times already. 

Watch Law & Order SVU S21 E7 Counselor, It's Chinatown for a real-life depiction of human trafficking through massage parlors here in NYC.  Here's a link: https://www.nbc.com/law-and-order-special-victims-unit/video/counselor-its-chinatown/4059560

God Hears the Cry of the Poor

One of our volunteers shares this story from Tompkins Square Park... 

We have the women’s and the men’s clothing on a couple of tables next to one another.  I was talking to Bob.  He tends the table for the men and this fellow comes up and he was looking around for some shoes and he asks us for some shoes and a shirt.  And we reply, “Oh, yeah” because I had seen some tennis shoes and they were really good, leather shoes.   And he said, “Oh my gosh.  Do you think they fit?”  And we said, “Try em on”. He put them on and he couldn’t believe it.  

He said, “I was walking down the street, saying, God, what am I going to do?  

I don’t have any money.  I can’t get any shoes and I need some really bad 

and I don’t know what I am going to do”. 

And he walked right up to us and we had a pair that were his size and very good quality; they weren’t junk.  And he was so appreciative.  Then we said, “Do you need anything else?”  He said, “Well I could use a T-shirt or something.” And we just handed one to him and it was a perfect size and he was just shaking his head, going, “I can’t believe this.” 

It was really neat to see God meet somebody’s need when they’re walking down the street in bad shape in their life and talking to God wondering what they are going to do and then 
              

BOOM, 

it’s right 

in their hand 

or right 

on their feet.