Gladys showed us what to do and for three and a half hours we packed food bags and distributed them to a crowd that came in to take them. Today was senior citizen day and the hall was filled with people ready to go even before we arrived. It was non-stop work until we c leaned up and got ready to go at 1:30 p.m.
The Pantry also ministers to the poor and the homeless by providing just about every kind of service you can imagine. Gladys described their services and we just stood there amazed. From social workers to showers and dog food, this community ministry went beyond anything most of us have ever seen.
We had lunch in a pizza parlor in Harlem and then stopped by a market place. Then we rode the train out to Brooklyn. We got off on 54th Street and crossed over to the church. As we were approaching the building we came up behind a man who started asking the neighbors if they could help with the prayer station. He began complaining out loud that he was going to be all alone. He didn't know what God was going to do. He got louder and louder and suddenly some of us realized we had been punked.
Robert saw the group of fifteen in their neon green shirts and immediately recognized us as the group of volunteers for the prayer station and decided to have some fun with us. He got us. Robert is a lay leader and has been doing a lot of extra ministry while Pastor Larry Piita recuperates after a near fatal accident last month.
He gave us a history of the church and shared about their long standing ministry to the homeless. Pastor Larry regularly distributes sandwiches to the poor and counsels them in love. Our job today was to simply be a presence in the community. We set up a prayer station, handed out tracks and greeted the neighbors as they walked by the church. We had three or four people stop and ask for prayer. One many asked for healing. Another was asking for help to get a job. A third man asked God to use him to make a difference in the world. We also prayed with Robert and for the church.
Before we left Robert then prayed for us and asked God to bless our ministries. It was a real nice moment and it empowered us as we headed back home. We were pretty beat and we decided to pass on going out to dinner and have it brought in instead. We found a great local restaurant that delivered and we ate out on the deck of the hotel. It was a nice end to a busy day of service.
Here are a few photos of the fun we had in God's name today.
That's all for now. I'll write more tomorrow.
Cal
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