Happy New Year!
We want to begin 2019 by looking back at where God took us in the last year:
- 2018 saw us taking two trip to Africa. Back in January we traveled to Zambia, partnering with Seeds of Hope, an orphanage for AIDS victims. We were privileged to help them for three weeks and love on over 180 children. Paul built cabinets and Naomi did a little bit of everything from sewing to tutoring.
- In October, we spent several weeks in Kenya partnering with an organization called Kiwimbi. This is a project with a library, carpentry and tailoring programs. Paul taught several men woodworking while Naomi showed them how to make a quilt.
- The majority of the year we were in New York City. We partnered with the New York School of Urban Ministry (NYSUM). Helping at their campus which is an old hospital and always in need of repairs. We also helped as team leaders by training people in urban ministry. This included homeless outreach, back to school backpack programs, prayer stations, and helping to feed thousands of people thanksgiving dinners.
- Another US based project took place in the spring of 2018. We partnered with Evangelistic Faith Mission (EFM) in Detroit helping them prepare their space for “Awake” coffee shop.
- We also stayed connected with Nomi Network. Nomi works with women survivors and women at risk of human trafficking in India and Cambodia. Their work is based in NYC and once again we helped with setting up their holiday markets.
Back to 2019, we once again don’t have a five or even one year plan. But this we do know, we have made ourselves available t/o God. For the past few years people have tried to define this season in our lives. We have been called many things and one of them is “God’s Special Forces.” If you read this and know me, you may disagree, but the point is that God has been so faithful to position us when and where we need to be. And He has done it all without a map.
Through the years we have been investing in people struggling with homelessness and addictions. Time spent on the streets has allowed us to build relationships with them. Quite often we will run into people we know. Recently we were running errands and ran into three different people we know, this is quite amazing in a city of over 8 million people but was a reminder of the relationships we have built. One women I had not seen for a long time is no longer homeless, has a place in Brooklyn, and was so excited to share with us that she has saved enough money to send her daughter a Christmas card.
We get to experience a lot and cannot share it all, but I did want to tell you about one young man. Recently I took him to Starbucks, where I found out that he is a Crip (gang member). As we sat there with our coffee, not only do I get to see a 6” knife scar on his back, but I also saw tears running down his face as I told him how much God loves him and the best place to be is close to HIM.
Sometimes I meet someone and speak hope into their life and never see them again. Then there are some I get to invest in their life for extended time. I met Jeremiah at Union Square approximately four years ago. He was homeless and struggling. Through the years I have seen God work in his life. He is now connected to a church, has an apartment, and shares the gospel on the streets and subway corridors. In October, he told me that he believed God was asking him to go to Mexico to share the love of Jesus with the immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. He got his passport and made plans to go by himself to Mexico City. In early November, I met with him to pray, give him some Spanish versions of “The Story,” and some dollars. Then he was on his way. He arrived back on December 8th. He left again for Mexico on January 4th and plans to be there through February 6th. Please pray for Jeremiah. Although my part in this story is very small it has been a great encouragement to me.
Lord willing on January 29th we are going back to Kenya where we will be till March 15th. I plan to teach woodworking for 6 weeks while Naomi helps in a variety of areas. Then we will return to India for a couple weeks then back to the US April 1st. We don’t have a game plan after that, but just as He did in 2018 we are expecting Him to “always show us where to go” (Is. 58:11 MSC) in 2019 as well.
Thank you for your prayers and support,
Paul and Naomi
Read more newsletters about our work caring for the homeless in NYC here.
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