Surprised Hut

The look of a surprised face is almost always a pleasant sight. I've had the fortunate pleasure to see friends surprised out of their wits on their birthdays. You see their eyes light up, their whole face just shines. Those are the memories that burst into your head and make you smile spontaneously just at the right moment; it comes when you really need it on a not so great day. Those are the memories that make you laugh out loud when you've never really intend to. However, there's one surprised face ingrained in my memory that's bittersweet.

Since the beginning of my spring semester, God placed in my heart a need to serve the homeless in my spare time. I rejected the idea for a long time coming, but there came a time when I could no longer put it off my plate. So, I filled my canteen with green tea, packed my bag with cups and granola bars and I left for Penn station. I wasn't expecting it to rain and was dismayed to see the rain fall as I exited the subway. Where would the homeless be? I was scared out of my wits. Out of the four homeless men I met that night, the one man's face I remember the most, the one man's name I pray for the most is Hut. He sat in a wheelchair and the people swarmed past him as if he was just a rock in a river, someone forever placed between the currents.

“Would you please give me some change?!” he said, in a voice that shocked me. I thought he was mentally unstable. He kept repeating those lines over and over again. No one gave him any eye contact.

“Sir, would you like some green tea?” I asked. And my heart melted right then and there. What I saw was something truly amazing. His face was so full of surprise; it was as if he was one of my memories. I offered him a cup of tea and he was speechless. On the corner of 34th and 8th I stood there and prayed for him out loud on the raining streets of New York and I praised God that I moved in obedience that night. It was bittersweet. How much generosity has this man ever been shown? In a city of multiple mega churches and strong fellowships, I walked wondering why he was so speechless and why my heart was so torn.

Ahav this spring semester sums up well into memories like these. I remember the faces of so many who've lit up because of generosity. Week by week I realize how great the exponentially limitless bounds of God's generosity truly is. What does it mean to love unconditionally? When I look into the eyes of the homeless, some dangerous, some drugged, some dirty, some unstable, some rude, some disagreeable, I realized how shallow my love has always been. Jesus broke bread for men and women like these. Would I have been a Pharisee frowning upon such actions? Yes, regrettably so. Being called to such services as he, bore in my heart a burden to share the love that rescued me and reminded me of the cross I've neglected to carry. When I touched the shoulder of a tattered man, smelled the odor of a tired woman, I was broken not only of my own inability but of God's great ability. This semester, we focused on evangelism and I was blessed to see seeds planted. Bibles were distributed, smiles were seen, jokes were given, prayers were spoken, but above all His gospel of salvation was preached. I saw hearts slowly lit. Not only were their eyes opened, but ours as well. Our helpless nature gave way to God's power manifesting within, reminding us that He is the ultimate healer, while we are simply the tools in between. Walking away a little helpless, I realized the blessing in realizing how much God needs to ultimately lead us.

Above all, I saw God's heart for New York and for the homeless. I leave with this-generosity is scarce. In a city blessed with so much the poor, the widowed, the orphaned and the fatherless receive no comfort. May they no longer be homeless; I pray they may find their home in You, Father. May they no longer be hungry, but find themselves satisfied in You. We were once orphans, but were given adoption into your family. Compel us and send your workers out. Revive our hearts. No longer shall we be blind to Your ways.

Bruce Willis bought me a bottle!

I mainly spent most of my time with one guy this past sunday. He was a new face and a relatively cheerful one as well, surprisingly.

One of my teammates asked him what we could pray for specifically and he said "forgiveness. we all need to learn to forgive each other you know what I'm saying?" (hah, when was the last time we ever prayed for that?) and after we were done praying I thought we (my teammate and I) would move on, but the guy started talking about random things to me and thus started my seemingly-hour long conversation with him.

Some interesting facts I discovered is that he had a job in private security for MSG (Madison Square Garden) and other places maybe? This would explain why he was new to me, he always worked on sundays. However, these past two sundays he was able to take the day off and went to church both times (Times Square Church). Even more surprising is that he's someone who has bounced back and got back up from the homeless world.

One interesting statement of his: "I learned to pick up my feet. You know all these people, or not even these people alone but also rich people too. They all fall down, we all are going to fall down. its going to happen to matter what. and some people don't know how to get back up you know? when I focus on something, I'm going to go after it. I'm not going to let no one or anything prevent me from chasing after it you know? I pray to God and I go for it and look what happened!"

And he tells me he's receiving housing in two more months and I ask him where. "Oh just right here [points to a tall building maybe like 5 streets away or so]. yeah you know its like right here, not too far. but I don't mind being around here you know, I'm used to this environment. this is where I grew up you know what I'm saying? I try not to get stuck on the bad things you know, I'm a cheerful guy. I like to have fun."

He then goes into how he has fun and what not... which is... yeah things I don't need to say haha. But he really lives it up haha. He told me one time bruce willis (or however you spell his name) asked him how he was doing and he answered with a line from one of his movies and bruce willis laughed and bought him a bottle of liquor. He also told me he's met most of the nba players which is kind of cool (we talked about the nba playoffs for a little, hah).

All in all I think the biggest thing I walked away thinking about is that because my teammate who was with me earlier said she didn't go to bars or clubs because she's focused on school, he was telling me that he understands that school's important and if thats your priority then go for it. but you got to have fun once in a while. what happens when school is taken away from you, or perhaps your job?

And I guess more applicable to us believers - What happens when we're too focused on worldly success - Can we also take time aside and spend it for God (in whatever form or shape this takes place in)? If all we're doing as college students is seeking good grades or whatever to land a job after graduation or if all we're doing as young professionals is seeking the moola or moving up that corporate ladder, then I think we're missing the focus. I could barely could carry a conversation with the guy since I had no experience in what he was talking about. not saying I want to go clubbing or bar-hopping anything, but does this mean I should completely reject any relevant knowledge about it? how can I talk about something and have a conversation with if I know nothing about the subject? and what do a majority of these people know a lot about? drugs, sex, violence (in general), sleeping on the streets, jail, broken families, cops, having no reliable friends, etc etc...

Time to get real and live it up a little (in the spiritual sense).

Answered Prayers

I admit, I am one of very little faith. It’s pretty easy to have “faith” when you’re surrounded by a comfortable, encouraging body of believers. It’s quite another story to be thrown out into the world and expect the unexpected to happen. This week, God showed me just how pathetic my faith is and how good He is.

The Bible testifies in bright red letters that Jesus promises “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). In our world today, I feel like the world general believes that miracles are a thing of the past and prayers are seldom clearly answered. At AHAV each week, we spend time standing in line getting to know these incredibly interesting and amazing people. We always ask if we can pray for them. Some always appreciate a blessing, some believe others need it more than they do, but mostly their prayer requests are usually simple and realistically human – a home, a job, warmer weather. Not too far off from my own.

For whatever reason, this week, God answered clearly. The Cincinnati missions team joined AHAV this week since we were a little short staffed. Deb Jung and I were talking with one couple, M & I, who told us their story of how they recently got married after falling in “love at first sight.”

We asked them what we could pray for and they replied, “Oh, you don’t even need to. Everything James prayed for last week, it came true! We thankful got into the transitional housing we’ve been waiting for and an apartment will be coming up soon!” I couldn’t believe it. I’ve encountered people at work who wait years for that. What a coincidence. We prayed and thanked God for His awesome works.

Then, I spotted one of my “favorites.” (I know we’re not supposed to have favorites, but if you met him, you’d understand). Rudy is at least 7 feet tall and tells us he used to play for the NY Knicks back in the 70s. When he’s in line, you know he’s there. But despite his towering appearance, he has this incredible ability to make you feel important and loved. Everyone in line knows he’s the nicest guy around, never curses, and stands at the front of the line reading Scripture each day.

Since Rudy no longer plays anymore, he joined a friend in starting up a sports packaging business (selling sports arena tickets + airfare + hotel). He told me this week that this friend happens to also be a street evangelist and how he wishes we could meet him since we’ve been ministering on the streets as well. He mentioned how the business wasn’t working out well since their office space has been too small and they need to move to a bigger office. When he asked for some prayer, I obviously obliged. We talked a bit more and I invited him to come play ball with our brothers after church one week.

Then suddenly, his eyes lit up and he started praising God. He couldn’t believe that just a few minutes ago he had hoped his friend could meet us, and there he was walking around the corner. Not only that, his friend told him that he had just come from signing a bigger office space for their business. I couldn’t believe it, and neither could Rudy. There God was answering prayers left and right. Maybe I ought to pray more…

Blessings,
Tiff

A Challenge

After going to the Open Door every week, we’ve gotten to know the “regulars.”

- Sammy, a schizophrenic, who says the devil tells him every day that he can’t be saved because he keeps messing up every day.

- Rudy, a seven plus foot ex-NY Knick, who stands at the front of the line reading Scripture and is known to be the nicest guy around.

- Lynn, an avid reader, who can recommend the most interesting books and converse passionately for hours about literature.

Each person comes with such amazing stories, journeys, and experiences. And yet, each week, I leave that alleyway feeling unsettled. I don’t have a doubt in my mind where my next meal will come from or where I’ll sleep that rainy night. It’s been a harsh reality wake up call that life isn’t fair and there’s so little I can do to help those in need.

One conversation I had with “Bob” really shook me. As I introduced myself, he knew immediately that our group had come from a nearby church.

He asked, “Does your church have any kind of programs to help the poor and the oppressed?”
“Well, we’re a part of an outreach group that seeks to serve the community,” I answered.
“Do you serve food at your church?”
“No. But we’re here with cookies and hot chocolate.”
“What about the rest of the week?”
“No.”
"You know, one day, when I get my act together, I've got plans to go to the church and challenge them to use the position and power they have in this world to really make a difference. To really go out to the streets and do what Jesus would have done."
“Do you have any kind of plans to help those that are homeless to build affordable housing? You know, I heard that the government gives funds to churches to do that sort of thing. Does your church do that?”
“No.”

The questions continued and the answers remained the same. I started asking myself, What DOES our church do to answer the cries of those hurting in our own city? AHAV is a small step, but I’m still challenged to see how God is calling us to be light in a very dark city.

James 2:14-16
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

-Tiff