We Need You, Lord (NYC Mission Trip- Week Five)

Last week, I got the awesome opportunity to go on a mission trip with Calvary Cross-Link to New York City.  It was my first time in the city and while I wouldn't want to live there, I still loved NY and even got the t-shirt to prove it hahaha.  Lives were definitely touched and shaped by the Holy Spirit.

Our team was made up of people from all ages.  We had James, who just finished Kindergarten, all the way up to Dave and Harvey who were older gentlemen that were on fire for the Lord more than ever!  Missions is for all ages, backgrounds, and denominations, it is our call- The Great Commission

NYC Mission Trip's Background
Before Pastor John came to Calvary Cross-Link, he did full-time evangelism.  Two of the products of that ministry were an annual youth camp (Foundation Camp) and a mission trip to New York City (Staten Island).  When Pastor John came to Calvary Cross-Link, he brought the youth camp and mission trip with him. The church has been participating ever since!

Why NYC?
"In 2004, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association found that only 1.5 percent of the population of Staten Island 'claimed' to be born again!  We feel this is a mission field ready to be harvested.  We will be focusing on both servant-hood projects and street evangelism while assisting Salem Church to reach their community with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."- Excerpt from my Support Letter, May 21, 2012.

Shout-out to the Support Network!
Even though I started raising support for this trip really late, God totally blessed me!  It was a an awesome testament to the support network of family and friends that I have.  The majority of people that gave were ones who had just given a couple of months ago for my trip to Guatemala! I am so thankful for have each and every one of you in my life. (If you have been reading my blog you are a  super encouraging blessing to me as well!)

What happend on the trip?
We arrived in New York on Tuesday and went over to the Brooklyn Tab (Brooklyn Tabernacle) for their prayer night.  It really set the tone for the trip and was the first time I was in a congregation whose volume of worship overpowered the microphones of the worship team.  It was beautiful.  

Wednesday and Thursday morning I was part of a group that went to CEF NY (Child Evangelism Fellowship).  Wednesday morning we primed the walls of a room there and Thursday we painted and put the room back together.  In the afternoons, we canvassed.  This means that our team split into groups and hit the streets!  Salem Church (our partner for the trip) was hosting this outreach block party on Saturday to connect with the community.  Our job was to advertise and evangelize.  Our main goal was to go door-to-door and invite people to the party but when the opportunity to share the Gospel arose, we definitely took it.  

Friday was our free day in Manhattan! Crazyyyy! If you haven't been before you should definitely go!  We came over on the ferry as a group and saw Trinity Church, Ground Zero (the event takes on a whole new meaning when you see the site where it happend in person), then we went to Wall Street, Tiffany and Co., and all met up for lunch at John's Pizza (Pastor John's favorite place and where he ate before he proposed to his wife).  Then, Lavain's in Harlem for the world's best chocolate chip cookie, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Apple store, FAO Schwarz (where the piano from "Big" is on sale for $250,000), Trump Towers, the NHL store, a sketch place called the Yotel for a bathroom break, and back to Times Square Toys R Us to meet up with the group! 

Saturday was game day!  We set the block party up and then a group of us went to the park to hand out bottles of water and more cards for the block party.  By meeting peoples' physical need in giving them free bottles of water, the door opened for us to invite them to the block party and share the Gospel with them.  I got to share the Gospel with a group of kids using a tool called an Evange-cube which is like a Rubik's cube that tells the story of salvation!  

After breaking down the party, a group of us went back into the city and ate at Katz' Deli which was in the movie, 'Harry Met Sally', and featured on the Food Network and has, "the Best Pastrami in the City."  
I had never really had pastrami so I can't tell you what bad pastrami tastes like, therefore, don't know what good tastes like haha.  Essentially, you have to know what bad is like to get the full effect of what makes something good.  Nonetheless, I got a reuben with pastrami!  It's tastiness became my new friend but punched my wallet in the face!  

Sunday, we went to Salem Church where an awesome guy named Enrique Lopez, Head of Anchor House (a drug rehab place), shared his testimony and the the message with us.  It was great to partner and fellowship with Salem Church all week.  It wasn't about what church you are a part of and where you attend, but rather, that we are all one in the Body of Christ!  (1 Corinthians 12)

Back in the 'Burg!  
I'm not tired, rather, more refreshed than ever and stoked for the rest of the week, and summer!  Friends are coming in town and big things are happening at Cross-Link! God has His hands on this place and especially on me.  Undoubtedly, we are all "engraved upon His hands"- Isaiah 49:16.
**The title of this post comes from the song, Lord, I Need You, which has been stuck in my head and been on my heart since my return.  In this video link, Matt Maher and Kristian Stanfill discuss the song and play it.