My Mission Trip to New York City

I thought it appropriate to write this article about my mission trip to feed the homeless in New York City after writing "I Worked at a Homeless Shelter" this morning. I accompanied our churches' youth group for a weekend just a few years before 9/11. We took sandwiches and blankets to the homeless who were in the lobby of theTwin Towers, to the Bowery, to a park in Harlem and to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. It was February and snowing. It was cold and people were looking for a way to keep warm.

The homeless wore layers of clothing, probably all of the clothing that they owned. This way no one would steal the little that they had. We passed out sandwiches and blankets at the Twin Towers, chatted with the 20 some people who were there, then left for the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Some of the people who were at the Twin Towers were already at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal when we arrived; they walked through back alleys and made it there before we did! I talked with an elderly women who eagerly showed me her nails. They were painted with something that looked like liquid white out. She told me she put it on her nails to make them strong because she played the organ at her church.

Many of the people who are homeless in NYC were released from mental institutions in the 1970's. This was an effort by the state to keep costs down. They were short on beds and incapable of caring for the many people who needed their services. There was an outreach program put into effect to help those who had to leave, with Case Managers and employment offices helping them find housing and jobs. How effective this was is unknown. Many people were lost in the system and ended up homeless.

We worked in the kitchen at the Bowery dishing up soup from a giant pot. We were thanked over and over again as the long line of men grew. The Bowery was a men's mission. After eating they could attend church services. Our youth group leader led the service, saying that he hadn't prepared for his sermon until he reached NYC. When we were coming into the city we ran into sleet and very slippery roads. Our youth group leader told the homeless that God is always present during the storms of our lives; all we need do is seek Him for help during their time of need. His sermon was prepared by God before we even reached the city, by a snow storm that had us all praying!

The last place we went was to Harlem; the part of the city that was once known for its drugs and prostitution. We spent an hour with a little lady who was nicknamed "The General". She had more spunk than anyone I had ever met. Her enthusiasm for her mission was catching. She vibrated with a spiritual strength that I would have loved to have. She was called on by the Lord to preach His word in the parks and on the streets of Harlem, hoping to save souls and help to bring them out of their lives of drugs and extreme poverty! We accompanied her and once again shared sandwiches, blankets and the message of salvation with those living on the streets. The General was so sure of her God and His protection that she never hesitated spending her days with some very dangerous drug addicts. Her mission was to save and that's what she did!

Our youth group leader and his group of teens met a family who lived in a cardboard box. There was snow on the ground and temperatures were below freezing. They did what they could...they gave out blankets to keep this family warm. They fed them so maybe, just maybe they would sleep that night. There were 2 young children sleeping in this box with their parents. Who knows what may have happened during the long cold night? Who knows what kind of danger they faced? The Lord never said that life was easy; He only said that He would be with us always. So, our youth group leader and his teens prayed and asked the Lord to place His arms of protection around this family...and all of the homeless in our world. And so we continue to pray.