Week #2

I would like to introduce you to Johnny. Johnny is one of many homeless in New York City. During our conversation John told me many things that I have not been able to forget.
He readily admitted that he is an alcoholic, and said he would be drunk 24/7 if he could. He collects about 240 can each night in his shopping cart, which translates to $12 at the recycling center. This is the money he uses to buy alcohol. He says that most days he is able to get everything he needs from the street. This includes clothes, food, companionship, and no responsibility. He went on to say that this is where he feels comfortable, and that is because he understands the streets. He is infected with HIV, and has cirrhosis of the liver. He can fit everything he owns in a midsize suite case, which he wraps in plastic when it rains. He looked me straight in the eye with so much conviction and said “there is no hope.”

Those words have echoed in my head over and over again. As it says in 1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." How lucky are we as Christians to know that no matter how bleak or glim things here on earth appear we will always have hope.

Week #1

To be honest I am not even sure where to begin. I can tell you I appreciate all emails, prayers, and phone calls I have received from everyone at home! This week has been the most exhausting, trying, and rewarding weeks of my life. The first week of my journey has shown me a world I was not familiar with. It is a challenge to try and convey the things I have seen, heard, and learned over the last week. The sheer size of the Newark/New York City area is unbelievable! I heard this week that 1/10th of the U.S population lives within 100 miles of my home here in Elizabeth, NJ. The traffic is crazy, and I don’t think that anyone knows what a turn signal, stop sign, or speed limit is. There are 170 languages spoken daily in New York City. For the first time in my life I wish I would have paid more attention in Spanish class! There is an estimated 70,000 homeless in the NYC area. Our goal at New York City Relief is to provide a pathway to help and hope to the poor and oppressed. We use food and clothes as an in to get to the more serious needs of those who we serve. There are two relief buses that go to Newark, Bronx, Harlem, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. We are able to give out 450 to 1050 servings of soup, bread, and hot chocolate per day. It does make a difference, but the need goes way beyond what you can even comprehend. The use of drugs is noticeable at every stop. The difference between each stop is noticeable as well. Most of the people we serve are open and receptive to help, but it has amazed me how picky, unappreciative, and greedy some can be. Greed doesn’t appear to have a tax bracket attached. It is more exhausting than I ever imagined. I have had jobs that were physically and even emotionally exhausting, but the added spiritual element, that has been amazing, take so much more out of me. There is so much that I do not understand, and can’t comprehend. There have been 3 events that have stuck out in my mind this week. We were in the Bronx at Love Gospel, and a lady came in who was a severe drug addict and suicidal. We got her to come inside the bus, and talked to her about getting help that she so desperately needed. We called the ambulance and prayed that she would stay until it got there, which she did! The second was in Harlem, which was by far the roughest of all the areas I went. The crack house, prostitutes, and people were incredible. To the left of where we parked was a hotel that rents rooms by the hour and too our right was a well known crack house. The area is also well known for the number of homeless. The homeless are very resourceful… the things that we would just toss aside in a trash can they would find a way to use. The third event that sticks out was today when we were in Brooklyn. The site is where a lot of children come hang out and get something to eat. I was able to stand outside and make balloon animals for the kids there. The smile on those kids faces is something that I will never forget! I have so many stories and observation I could go on for pages! I have posted a slideshow that I hope is working correctly, and I hope you take the time to look through. It is just a few of the pictures I have taken. I will be sure to post more as they come in! Again thank you so much for your support, prayers, and encouragement.

God Bless

Andy

Just a few pics for you!

Opps!!

Hello Everyone!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am still doing well, and will probably be updating this once a week. However, I was just informed that I made a mistake on some of my fundraising letters! There is a typo on Wabash Friends Return address. The correct address should be 3563 South State Road 13 Wabash, IN 46992. For those of you sending in support it is greatly appreciated, and I am not sure I can thank you enough! I am only 6 days into this expernience, and it is amazing!

It is finally here!

I just wanted to let everyone know that I am safely in New Jersey. My flight down here was a royal pain again, but I won't have to deal with that for a while! I have all my things here, and everything is put away. I got to go to the city yesterday, and it was absolutely incredible. There are so many people, buildings, and things going on! The Giants won the Superbowl last night, and that has all that has been on tv since. I start working on the Relief Bus tomorrow, and if you want to have a better idea of what I will be doing you can look at my video bar on this blog. You can also follow the link on this blog to the NYCR web page. I feel so blessed and privledged to go on this mission trip over the next 10 months! I appreciate everyone's prayers and support!