Saturday: Jess and I woke up, very early I may add. We went to Mcdonalds for breakfast and by 8:00am we were on the road in a 15 passenger van headed to New York. We arrived at our hotel for the night in Pennsylvania around 8:00 pm. We went out to eat at this cute little restaurant, and after that we went and sat in the hot tub for a bit at the hotel.
Sunday: We got up pretty early and drove the rest of the way to New York. When we got there we went and ate at mcdonalds, and then went and got checked in at our hotel. Later on that night we got to go and serve at a place called Street Light Mission, they had sunday night church. This sunday night church was absolutely amazing. This church attracts a lot of drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, and homeless people. I saw a lot of lost people. I saw a lot of people with no hope, no happiness, and really no direction in life. After awhile though, when church began, I saw these people be filled with the Lord. I saw them light up and worship God with their whole hearts. I saw walls be broken down. It was truly an amazing experience. I saw people with literally nothing love God more than anyone I have ever seen. Once the night was finally over I was just in complete awe. My heart started to change that night. I never realized it but in a way I was so judgmental of so many people. But once the night was over it came down to the fact that we are all people, we all have struggles, we all have hurts, and we all want someone to love us. Whether you have a drug addiction, or are an alcoholic you are still a person just like everyone else in the world.
Monday: We got to work with the Street Light Mission. It was kinda a slow day. We sorted clothes, and food, and handed out food. We watched some people want to get help for their drug or alcohol addiction. I feel like this was a day where I really got to know the girls on the trip. It was kinda a slower day, so we got to just talked and hung out which was really great. Oh, and we also went to go see the Statue of Liberty, which was pretty awesome.
Tuesday: We got to go to New York City. It was a really cool experience. We rode a train to NYC, which was my first train ride ever! Then we hit up Time Square right away, which was not really everything I expected it to be, but it was still cool. We ate at this cute little sandwich/soup place. Saw Ground Zero, which was so sad. Went to a very large M&M store, saw the largest Forever 21 ever. We also went to China Town, where I managed to get kicked out of a store haha. Overall it was a great day, and something I had always wanted to do.
Wednesday: This was our very first day with the Relief bus. We woke up at the crack of dawn, ate breakfast and were at the Relief Bus by 7:30 am. While everyone was loading up the bus, making soup, and hot chocolate, Jess and I got to go get bread with one of the guys on staff named Yaz. Yaz was a very awesome man, and I really like him a lot. We got there, got the bread loaded it in the van, and started driving back to the Relief Bus. On the way back Jess and I shared our stories with him and then he shared his story with us. Surprisingly we found out that he used to be a heroin addict for 14 years, and then one day he picked up his bible started reading it and he hasn't craved heroin since. He gave everything to God, and now he is helping people just like he used to be. God is so good! Once we got back we packed everything up on the bus and headed to the Bronx's. On the way there we had an awesome time of worship and prayer that really prepared my heart for serving the people in the Bronx's. Once we got there we set everything up, and began handing out soup, bread, and hot chocolate. We served a lot of drug addicts, alcoholics, homeless people, and prostitutes. I saw hurting people, and it was a really sad and scary thing for me. I was scared to reach out to some of them, scared of what they would do, scared of that they would say. That day though I learned that some of the people I would think would be the scariest are the nicest people ever. Their so thankful, so nice and nothing like I would ever expect them to be. I really learned to love people this day. I learned to step out of my comfort zone and do work for God. He kept me safe, he gave me the right words, and he just really gave me a wonderful opportunity to serve these hurting people.
Thursday: We worked with the Relief Bus again today. It was a really great day. We went to the Bronx's again, but it was in a different location. We once again saw a lot of drug addicts, homelessness, and alcoholics. This day I really stepped out of my comfort zone and talked with people. I even prayed with some, helped hook a few people with some job opportunities, and just talked to them. I found that talking to these people they would really open up. I heard some of the most heartbreaking stories ever. I talked with a guy named Holio. He was a very bad alcoholic. He lived in the Bronx's most of his life. Doesn't have a job, lives with his mom, and really has no desire to get clean or sober. My heart really ached for him. It ached because I saw potential in him, I saw hurt and I really wanted nothing more then for him to get his life straightened out.
Friday: We once again worked with the Relief Bus. We went to Chelsea Park in Manhattan. A lot of homeless men hang out around this area so it wasn't really filled with as many drugs or alcohol but just a lot of homelessness. This was the day I prayed with the most, talked the most, and just really enjoyed. I met a man who asked me to marry him. I met a man who was in love with politics and we talked about them for about an hour. And my favorite was a man named Jon. Jon is homeless, with hardly anything. We talked about a ton of stuff. He was such an intelligent man. He didn't have any addictions, he was just unfortunate and was homeless. I met a lot of people like that that day. A lot of men that where just homeless, one man eve had his phD. It was really awesome to hear their hearts, to see how thankful they were by doing something as little as giving them a cup of soup and some bread.
Saturday: Went back to IWU. A very long 13 hour car ride.
Overall this week was completely life changing. Not only did our team help make a difference in so many peoples life's, but those people changed my life. They changed my perspective on so many things. They really showed me how great my life is, and how bad it could be. They showed me that you can have so much joy even when you literally have nothing. They showed me that you can have nothing and still love Jesus with all your heart. I learned so much and New York was definitely where God wanted me over Spring Break.
