Mission21

Link: http://www.metroministries.org

The Big Apple. The City that Never Sleeps. Every typical nickname for New York City popped into my head as soon as I arrived for the annual EVUSA/Metro Ministries tour in October.

I went to work, sightsee, and shop. I ended up seeing things that I never knew existed in America and hearing stories that broke my heart. After seeing everything from graffiti memorials for the murdered to utter disdain for parental responsibility, my shock eventually turned into numbness.

People from all over the world give up their own plans to live in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods of Brooklyn, NY (good luck finding a taxi that will drive you to the entrance of Metro Christian Center). Most of them are young adults. They spend their days ministering through Sidewalk Sunday School and doing home visits. Each week, they visit every one of the 23,000 children who attend Sidewalk Sunday School. Why? Because every child matters. Because that visit can mean the difference between life and death for that child.

After Sidewalk, they rewarded the children with candy. When one of the children saw his father approach, he ran to him squealing, “Daddy! Look what I got!” His father harshly replied, “Give it here, you ain’t gettin’ no candy. It’s mine!” I couldn’t believe it.

Our bus driver, Irene, was from Belarus. We asked her how she was able to continue living there when she saw so much poverty, abuse and violence on a daily basis.

"The deciding factor for most people in staying or going is when they go to their first kid’s funeral,” she said.“I decided that for every funeral I went to, perhaps 10 other kids would be spared that fate if I stuck around”.

This month, we all focus on gratitude. The EVUSA staff and the families in Brooklyn are grateful for Bill Wilson, the interns, and volunteers at Metro Ministries. And you should be too. To find out more, please visit the Metro Ministries website.

- by Jessica Parker, EVUSA