Where to from here?

Upon my return from NYC, someone made the comment that they couldn’t wait to see what God did with my trip experience. To share this, I must first start with the day before I left NYC. I went to Chef Pedro’s Food Pantry in Brooklyn to help out. This day in particular God used as a lesson for me. To get to the food pantry I walked through one of the worst parts of Brooklyn by myself. (Sharon, a volunteer from NYC RM, was supposed to meet me @the train, but was delayed.) Chef Pedro’s church was huge. As we worked through the morning, bagging up the food, I observed Chef Pedro walking back and for the, pacing and stating that things were changing. From then on the recipients would be coming through the church, not collect their goods outside the church. He felt that this was important because, they needed to be able to sit in the sanctuary to think about Jesus. His passion for what he was doing, and what he now believed, was evident in how he delivered the message. I was drawn in by his passion for the needy. Later that day, Sharon walked me back toward the train. We decided to go have lunch. We went to a diner. We sat in the busy diner chatting about the events going on in each of our lives. The waiter was trying to rush us out, but Sharon would have none of it. She had something to say to me. She wanted to pray over me. The busy diner was suddenly quieted in the background of powerful prayer. She was speaking to me at the same time as she was praying. She would say something to me and then immediately pray. It was powerful. These moments profoundly put my NYC trip into perspective, and God used it then to propel me forward to be bold in speaking about all that He had done, and continues to do in and through me. My life will never be the same as it was before. Only God can make those powerful changes in our hearts if we let Him. Here is a list of all that God has accomplished in, and through, me since my return. 1) Immediately I was drawn to serve at St. Bernard’s Soup Kitchen in Rockland. I began with the understanding that I wanted to learn to cook. I served for about a month on Mondays, when I was asked to switch to Friday’s to cook. I thought the challenge was going to be the cooking. It turns out that that is not the case. Through the Soup Kitchen I have met some pretty awesome individuals. I did go to the Hospitality house in Rkld to explore opportunities to serve. I was directed away from there. I ran into a friend @ Rock City (another coffee moment). She told me about the Cornerstone Mission in Rkld. I did not know that it existed. I immediately went there to explore possibilities. The moment I walked in I knew that it was the place I was supposed to be. God wanted me there. I am now serving in the capacity of Church Liaison (I am laughing with God about this.) 2) I have had several speaking engagements. One of the things that Sharon prayed for that Saturday afternoon was boldness. My reply to her was, “ I am an introvert by nature.” Her reply to me, “It doesn’t matter. God wants you to be bold in sharing about everything you have learned here. 3) A beautifully written article was on the front page of the Camden Herald about my trip. I sent the article to NYC Rescue Mission. (We shouldn’t hold these things in or keep them to ourselves. We need to encourage others in their faith.) I wanted them to see how God had used them in changing my life. Subsequently an article will be coming out in their monthly newsletter this month. 4) Recently, as a result of the article, God orchestrated a meeting with me and another woman who had read the article. On this particular day, I was pretty discouraged. I was working at the Cornerstone Mission. She called wanting to make a donation. She was very excited that we existed. I told her I would wait for her to come. She called 20 minutes later and said she couldn’t make it, and asked if I could meet her in Camden. I said I had to go to Camden later on that day, took her number and told her I would call when I was 5 minutes away. We met in front of the library. I had Ben with me. He needed to get some books. She asked if I would sit and talk with her for a few minutes. I said yes, and sent Ben in to do what he needed too. She wanted to know about the Mission. I gave her the information. Through our conversation my NYC trip came up. Her jaw dropped. She said very excitedly, "I have been looking for you! I called the paper and they wouldn’t give me any of your information. When are you going again?" I replied, "May." She said she couldn’t go then, but if I went later in the year, she wants to come with me. I asked if we could have coffee together every few weeks. She agreed. We hugged, said goodbye and agreed to stay in touch. I walked away scratching my head, smiling, thanking God for picking me up at those times when I feel like giving up. Next Blog coming later today.