Serving with Compassion!

Its 6:35am on Saturday morning. Yesterday was a full day of ministry from the morning we woke up around 6pm, till we return to NYSUM after midnight. Unfortuntely I had no time to blog!

So now that I have a couple precious minutes, let me go through the day. Please forgive any typing or grammer mistakes. I am not fully functional yet! lol

We all wake up around 6 or 6:30. Every meal, half our team helps with the food cooking and washing dishes to help the NYSUM staff. That starts at 6:30am (Currently we have 6 young men doing it as I type).

After B-fast our team split into 2 smaller groups. One group had the opportunity to go to "House of Hope" soup kitchen. It was a free kitchen for those in need. We arrived, worked to set up the tables and serving area's, Tyler E. and Adam B. took cooking duty and cooked up some yummy salmon. Before we feed the individuals, we let a 45min service, where our team sang songs and shared their testimonies. A minister from the area came in and shared a powerful word for the congregation.

Our other group also went to another soup kitchen called "Love Kitchen". The formate was pretty similar. Cooking, setting up, serving, talking with those who are being served. Ronald and John P shared powerful testimonies to the people and many appreciated hearing what God had did in there life.

In both places the students worked very hard and us leaders came back praising God for the work they did through the students..

After dinner, we started prepping to go out to reach the homeless in NYC. Before going out, we had a worship service in their chapel to get our hearts right, seek God's Spirit, and pray for His Guidance. Around 9pm we then hopped in the vans with sandwiches, water, bibles, and toiletry kits for those in need. We split our group within smaller groups of 3's and 4's with a leader and each group and drove down to Manhattan. The reason we wait till 9pm, is cause usually if people are still out, they are homeless, or that is the time they start laying down.

It was a very humbling and touching experience to come up to those who have nothing, ask them if we can sit down next to them, and engage in conversation as we gave them what we had. Many were extremely friendly and thankful to have company. Many shared with us why they were in the situations they were in, and spoke into our lives! Almost all the people the students encountered allowed them to pray for them.

We all came back very somber and excited at the same time. People we walk by and get annoyed with or forget about when we are down town, are human's too, with a loving heart, and a need for a Savior.

Please pray for us TODAY!!! Saturday AM. I know all the students are feeling it today physically. 12 members of our team is going out to lead a VBS for 50-75 kids! Wendi and Christian will be leading that with the help of 9 other students! The rest are going out with the "Relief Bus" It is a traveling soup kitchen which reaches out to all who need relief. Tonight we will be doing ministry on the "Staten Island Ferry". Again, we need God's strength and endurance for today!!!

We are so thankful for the ways you support us. If you want to email me any messages, I will be sure to pass them on!
In HIM
P. Devin