Tuesday was a great day—my best ministering day in NYC. We were at City Hall in Manhattan. I really liked this location because the traffic, noise, and pollution weren’t too bad. We were also in front of a park, so there were trees and some shade. The location was at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, so we had a lot of tourists walking by. Tourists don’t usually stop at the prayer stations, but some do. There was a lot of foot traffic, so it was a good location.
I prayed with three people on Tuesday, and I shared the gospel with five people. These numbers are really low, but what made the day so great was that two people that I talked to accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior!
At one point before lunch, Kevin started talking to a young man probably in his twenties. For some reason, Kevin asked me to join him in talking to Corey. After Corey told us a little bit about his struggles, Kevin shared the gospel with him, and Corey said he wanted to accept Christ. He was clearly at a place in his life where he was at the end of his rope. He told us, “I’ve tried everything else in life. Nothing else has worked, so I might as well try this.” I was glad that Kevin asked me to join him in talking to Corey because it encouraged me to keep sharing the gospel.
Right after we prayed with Corey, I talked to a young woman named Justine probably also in her twenties. I asked her what I could pray for, and she said peace for family relationships. After I prayed with her, I asked Justine if she knew for sure she was going to heaven. She said she wasn’t sure. I started to share the gospel with Justine, and she told me that she had heard of these things before. She said she believed in what I was saying. I said to her, “You said you weren’t sure you are going to heaven. Would you like me to tell you how you can know for sure?” She said yes, and I began to share more truth with her. I could tell as I was talking to her that it was as if a light bulb went off in her head. It was finally making sense to her! When I asked her if she wanted to pray to receive God’s gift of eternal life, she said, “Yes!” Even though she was so receptive to the gospel, I had been rejected so many times that I couldn’t believe she actually said yes, so I said, “You do!?!” She smiled and said, “Yes!” I led her in a sinner’s prayer, and she was so happy. It was a very special moment.
Shortly after I talked to Justine, an older woman named Judy approached the prayer station. She had a similar story. She had grown up in a church, but she wasn’t sure if she was going to heaven. After I shared the gospel with her, she said she would like to accept Christ as her Savior. I was honored to pray with Judy and help her secure a home in heaven.
I was so thankful to God for allowing me to lead two people to Christ. Before the mission trip, I kept telling myself that the purpose of the trip is to share the gospel. I didn’t want to focus on how many people would be saved because I didn’t want to be discouraged if I didn’t lead anyone to Christ. I asked God to help me focus on sowing seeds and not to focus on harvesting seed. So I feel like God blessed me abundantly more than I could have imagined because He not only allowed me to pray with people and sow seeds, but He allowed me to join in the harvest.
Fun stuff on Tuesday night:
After ministering, Kevin and I went to Ground Zero. When Kevin had been there a few years ago, it was still just a hole in the ground. Now it is a huge construction site. I’m not sure of all that will be on the site, but I do know that there will be a 9/11 museum at Ground Zero. I didn’t have any particular feelings about Ground Zero as I was looking at the construction site, but as we were walking to Ground Zero, I experienced something that I will never forget. About a block before we got to Ground Zero, we approached a Catholic church. As we turned the corner, and walked a few feet, there stood the huge cross that once stood at Ground Zero. You probably remember seeing pictures of it the day after 9/11. Some of the media showed a huge cross formed from two steel beams that were left standing in the rubble of the Twin Towers. I remember seeing the picture of the cross on TV seven years ago, and at that time, I felt that it was a symbol of God’s presence and care. In the midst of that tragedy, He was still there, comforting us.
Now seven years later, I couldn’t believe the cross was right there in front of me, close enough to touch. It had been moved from Ground Zero, and it is residing at this Catholic church until it can be moved into the 9/11 museum. As I looked at the cross, I sensed God’s presence. I felt the same things I felt when I saw it on TV years ago: God sees us, and He will not abandon His children. I cannot express how blessed I felt to be able to see that cross in person. I didn’t even think that it had been preserved. I am truly thankful to God for allowing me to witness a piece of history that is so profound.
This is the plaque that is attached at the base of the cross.
After Ground Zero, Kevin and I went to a Yankees game! I have always been a fan of the Yankees, but I had never been to a game. When Kevin told me that this was going to be the last season the Yankees would play in the original Yankee Stadium, I said I have to go to a game! They are building a brand new Yankee Stadium right next to the original stadium, but I wanted to experience a game in “The House That Ruth Built” before they tear it down. The game was a lot of fun, and the Yankees beat the Twins!
One blessing at the game was when everyone sang, “God Bless America.” This is something that was started at Yankee Stadium right after 9/11, and they are still doing it seven years later.
I’m determined to finish my posts on NYC before moving on to other subjects.
