On Thursday, the team had a missions training session at the NYSUM facility where they were staying. After the training they were able to spend some “fun” time touring the city and Times Square. This was a great start to the trip, since the team was able to start bonding with each other in a more casual and relaxed environment. The next few days were going to prove a bit more testing with all the activities that NYSUM had planned for them!

On Friday, NYSUM split the team into two groups. Each group was assigned to a different soup kitchen in the area. Although the team was separated and each group had different stories to tell about their experience, the general consensus was that no one had ever served in this way before. Each group spent the day preparing and cooking breakfast and lunch, serving the meals to the hungry, and then helping the soup kitchen to clean up after each meal. There was much to be done, but many hands make the work light. God is pleased when we work together for His good.

Friday afternoon the team headed to a Vacation Bible School (VBS) hosted by a local church. Although the team wasn’t directly responsible for the VBS, they assisted the volunteers from the church by playing basketball with the kids, teaching them worship songs, and generally interacting with them and loving them as Jesus does. The team was amazed at how quickly these urban children welcomed a group of young adults from the suburbs of Northeast Ohio. This community of children was transparent and was not hindered by our differences in age, gender, or race – the way we should all think and act.

On Saturday, the team joined up with several other churches at Bethel Gospel Assembly where they received a brief training session on street evangelism. Bethel’s sanctuary was filled with believers who were eager to share the Word of God. The motivational speaker at Bethel was very … motivational! The Holy Spirit filled this church!

The churches were split up into small groups of three to four people; one person being an evangelist or pastor who was experienced in street evangelism. Each group spent several hours on the streets, near parks, on sidewalks, and anywhere there were people, handing out tracts and praying for those who would give them the time to do so. Many people on the street were blessed, but the biggest blessing received was that at the end of the evangelism time, all the church united back at Bethel for a praise and worship service. God’s presence was evident on that day. He had done a good work in many of the groups. Although not everyone had the opportunity to witness or lead anyone to salvation, each person spent time praying for the city in the most relevant place they could – right there in the middle of Queens.

Saturday evening the team was back at the NYSUM facility to receive a brief training session about witnessing and ministering to the homeless in New York. It was clear that this would be unlike anything the team had experienced before. One of the leaders from NYSUM guided the team through some of the most heavily populated areas where homeless men and women sit, sleep, and hope to receive food or money from compassionate people. NYSUM provided the team with bagged sandwiches, water bottles, and toiletries to pass out. One of the team members from Maranatha even bought socks. Others later purchased sandwiches from McDonald’s when they ran out of the provided sandwiches. Several of the homeless people were willing to speak with members of the team and even allowed the team to pray for them. The experience was humbling, and it helped the team to understand the depth and width of God’s love and mercy. How does God love the homeless? Through ministries like NYSUM, and the team from Maranatha, who reach out to them with the hands of Jesus.

Sunday morning, before heading home, the team was excited to experience a service at the Brooklyn Tabernacle Church in New York! The pews were packed with men and women who love the Lord and come there every Sunday to give Him glory. There was a vibe in that place that could only be credited to the Holy Spirit working in the lives of these believers. The team felt extremely welcomed by the regular attendees of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. One of the team members was going through a personal struggle and God had been testing his faith, and a women in the pew behind him reached out with her hand to touch his shoulder and let him know it was going to be okay. He knew at that moment that God sent him on this trip for many reasons, and this women feeling lead by the Spirit to reach out to him was just one of them.

Michael is married to Megan and has two children.

Jamie graduated from Lake Center Christian School and lives in Green, Ohio. Currently Jamie is studying nursing at Malone University, but she is open to whatever direction the Lord leads her and she is eagerly pursuing His path. She likes listening to music, playing games, hosting parties, baking, playing sports, being outside, reading, and simply being around people.

If you asked Jamie to sum up her faith, she would recite a lyric from one of her favorite songs: “In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song.”

Come join us Sunday, September 11 at 6 pm for a Night of Worship. We will worship  our Lord in the Auditorium from 6-7:15pm.

An ice cream social will follow in the Family Life Center from 7:15-8:30pm.

Inspired by unconditional love, T.R.Y. encourages these men to continue surrendering to God while learning self-motivation, pursuing meaningful goals, building healthy relationships as well as reconnecting with their families and the community.

Perry Clark serves with Truly Reaching You Ministries.

http://www.trulyreachingyou.com/

Purpose: To participate with the El Tambor church in the building of the vocational training center, conduct a children’s VBS, and learn about our ministry partner (Hope of Life/World Help).

Who: Those who have construction skills, or are able to do physical labor, and those willing to minister through a VBS.  * note-priority will be given to MBC members*

Cost: $2,200 (Financial support is available to MBC members for 1st or 2nd mission experiences)

What is required:

1. Committed to attending MBC worship services on a regular basis
2. Serving in some capacity (either in the church or in the community or both)
3. Regular giving to the ministry
4. Willing to commit to the training (trainings will be Sunday evenings at MBC from 6:-7:30 pm on 7/8, 8/5, 8/19; send off on 9/9)

Interested in going?

You can submit your information online by clicking here. 

Contact information:

Vernon Brewer
World Help
PO Box 501
Forest, VA 24551

Italian Ministries USA is particularly committed to facilitating fellowship, communication and collaboration between those involved in missions and to creating the opportunity for Italian missionaries to have their own identity within a mission structure based and operated within Italy.

Contact information:
Joshua & Sara Whitman
josh@joshandsara.net

www.italianministriesUSA.org

Igor wanted to learn more about God, so he became a student at the Doneck Christian College where he met his wife Kristina. Kristina became a believer through one of her friends who invited her to church. When they graduated, they went back to Moldova and did ministry in a church in Transnistria for five years. Kristina and Igor had a passion to share the Gospel with young people because God had changed their lives when they were young. It was their desire to see other people’s hearts changed as well.

In 2005 they joined staff with Campus Crusade for Christ and spent four years doing ministry in the Economic Academy of Moldova. They recently moved back to Transnistria and are very encouraged by how hungry for God people there are. They are involved in church planting there.