Hello all!
Summer has officially ended and I have now hurdled full force into my junior year at USC--thus my blog silence these past 20 days. But I'd like to put the final seal on my series of blogs on my Summer Project in New York City (which now seems SO long ago!)before I move on, by sharing with you my follow-up letter that I sent to the family and friends who supported me prayerfully and financially.
I cannot thank you enough for all your prayers and support for my Summer Project to New York City. It was evident that the Lord heard all the prayers as He blessed our trip in ways beyond our expectations. As one of our project directors reminded us at the beginning of the trip, NYC is not a place isolated from God; rather, God is very active in NYC, and we indeed saw Him come alongside us throughout the five weeks we were there. I would love to share with you some of the ways I witnessed the Lord work through me and the rest of our team, as well as how He worked in me.
As I wrote in my first letter to you, our main focus was ministry on college campuses. We were divided up into ministry teams to reach a total of twelve college campuses throughout the New York City metro area for the summer. Each ministry team was assigned a “home base” campus on which to focus most of our time and effort. After a week of training in evangelism, we were sent out on campus to conduct “decoding” surveys, gathering information relating to the student life and demographics of the campus to give to the NYC Campus Crusade staff in order to help them determine where and how to launch future campus ministries. Because there are so few staff in the NYC metro area, and so many colleges around the city, our team was able to cover ground in five weeks that would have taken the staff more than a year to accomplish. The remaining three weeks of the project were more evangelistic-focused, as we spent our time on campus approaching students, talking to them about life and spirituality, and taking opportunities to share our faith with them. It was fascinating to me to talk to students from such a wide range of ethnic and religious backgrounds—in fact, most of the students with whom I conversed were not originally from the United States. I was able to see that the world really is represented in New York City. We talked to students from China, the Dominican Republic, Pakistan, and India, among others. Yet, despite the variety of cultures I encountered, it was amazing to see each person with whom I conversed express a common thirst for meaning and purpose in life. Our team as a whole saw seven people accept Christ as their Savior for the first time, and I was blessed to be a part of two conversations leading students to Christ. Yamila and Max are the names of my new sister and brother in Christ, and I look forward to seeing them in heaven one day. The NYC Crusade staff will be able to follow up with the new believers, to encourage their growth and help them get involved with a fellowship of other believers. In addition, many of us developed friendships with NYC students who have invited us into their lives, with whom we hope to keep in touch and continue to point to the Gospel.
Just as I saw the Lord use me and the rest of the Summer Project team to work in the lives and hearts of NYC college students, I am humbled and thankful for the way I saw Him accomplish His purpose for my own growth while in the city. Where to start? Let’s try the beauty of the Gospel. Every time I shared the Gospel with a student for the first time, the more real and awesome its truth became to me, as someone who has struggled with feeling indifferent rather than awed by the Gospel since I have grown up so used to hearing it again and again in home and at church. Through the process of inviting others to give their lives over to Christ, as well as receiving His truth and love through Bible study, discipleship meetings, and teaching sessions, the Lord placed on my heart a deeper realization of His loving character and what it truly means to live a life surrendered to His grace. The Lord used this summer to prepare me for the ministry He intends for me on my own campus, the University of South Carolina, as I use the teaching and training I have received to lead a freshman girls Bible study this upcoming year, as well as share His love with other students I encounter on campus.
Please continue to partner with me in prayer for New York City. There is such a need there for believers to sow seeds for the Kingdom. The Campus Crusade staff in the NYC metro area are pouring into the lives of future shapers of the world who come to the city for college: future engineers, diplomats, fashion designers, scientists, and journalists. Pray that the Lord would continue to put it on Christians’ hearts to go to New York City. Praise God for the work He is already doing there and for the encouraging community of strong believers I saw in the city at the various churches I was able to visit! Please pray for the students who invited Jesus into their hearts and lives for the first time this summer. Pray that they would seek to learn more about God’s character and purpose for their lives through His Word and fellowship with other Christians. Pray for those with whom we had spiritual conversations but have not yet given their lives over to Christ, that the Lord would place other believers in their lives to point them to Jesus.
Again, thank you for the way you have contributed to the Lord’s work in New York City! May He bless the rest of your and your family’s summer.
