Refining Crucible

Save me, send down some rain please

2011-07-14T13:28:00.002-04:00

Their words won't break your bones but they'll drive your spirit into the ground
They took their sticks and stones, torch and tearing everything down
No one turned up so you were burned up, stuck in the fire you couldn't put out
Screaming "save me, send down some rain please" hoping heavens could hear you shout

(Reach for the Light, TimbeTold)

Sex Trafficking in Chinatown

2011-07-12T00:25:00.003-04:00

It all started with a prayer walk.

As a Chinatown “native”, I was walking through the neighborhood of my early childhood. The sights, sounds, and smells were all familiar. It was really easy to walk by a block in Chinatown and say to myself “this isn’t anything I haven’t seen before.”

While walking past the Windsor Hotel on Broome and Forsyth Street, something caught my eye. It seemed like someone had sprayed a phone number on the wall of the hotel, from what I could make out. “Sexy Aliso” it said.

My heart turned inside out. What could this mean?

I had long known about the sex trafficking problem in NYC but I did not know what the nature of the problem was like. I felt God gravitate me towards this specific issue as we walked around Chinatown. What I noticed is that the Chinatown of my childhood was changing. Housing developments appeared where tenements once were. Hotels, which were not a prominent feature of the Chinatown skyline in my memory, were popping up everywhere. Empty beer bottles scattered around these areas. As we prayed for Chinatown, my eyes began to be opened to the changing atmosphere of what used to be my childhood.

Today, 27 million people are enslaved by human trafficking around the world. Those numbers are so enormous that it’s hard for someone like me to translate the issue into something that goes on in my own backyard. And yet, it does. The massage parlor industry is booming in Chinatown. Names like “happy ending” are not uncommon for these places that employ struggling women trying to make ends meet.

I can’t really determine what it was that I saw. But the sex industry is real, and it’s alive in NYC. Women, eroticized by men around the world, become exploited objects of pleasure instead of being treated like human beings.

Something needs to be done about this injustice, for sure. At NYCUP this summer, we have four interns with the International Justice Mission and the NOMI network fighting sex trafficking. These students are living the lives of modern day abolitionists. What does that look like? More on that at a later date!

Hope Fair 2011

2011-07-12T00:15:00.006-04:00

The past week at the New York City Urban Project has been packed. God is moving and things are happening. I am expectant that God will do amazing things. As the journalism intern, one of the cool things I get to do is spend time with the other interns and listen in as they encounter God in their work. The first couple of days, I was able to spend some time with the Hope Fair interns. Students spent time grappling with the intersection of faith and health. Where does Jesus come into the picture of public health? How are Christians supposed to respond to the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of their neighbors?

Sometimes, loving your neighbor starts with a listening ear. At NYCUP, we’ve been learning a lot about listening to God. God speaks through his word, prayer, and other people. For the Hope Fair students, that meant listening to the concerns of community members of the Manhattan Bible Church.

What I discovered was a level of brokenness that was beyond a few sick people and dietary imbalances.

I became overwhelmed with the numerous concerns of the community. Drug and alcohol addiction. Teenage pregnancy. Healthcare, or the lack of it. Domestic violence. Air pollution. Nutrition. Unemployment. Immigration. The list goes on.

That’s how I met Ms. Felicia Contreras. An active member of Manhattan Community Board 9, her heart breaks for women who are told that they are no good, and therefore exploited because nobody has told them that they are beautiful. She feels that in order for churches to address some of the brokenness in the communities, they need to start engaging their youth in church. Furthermore, Ms. Contreras shared that she felt like we need to teach people coping skills to deal with whatever crises they might face on a regular basis.

With what seemed like an endless list of needs and concerns, I pressed into prayer with my fellow students. The prevailing question seemed to be “God, what do we do?” With that, the students came up with this vision statement:

The vision of the Hope Fair is that through the light and love of Jesus Christ we are able to bring hope and restoration to communities of NYC. We seek to use a holistic ministry approach to renew minds, bodies, and spirits by providing access to physical and spiritual resources.

Sometimes, the kingdom of God looks like students prayerfully pressing in and listening to the voices that God has. It means seeing beyond what is visible and believing the future into reality. I’m excited for the Hope Fair, because it will quite literally bring hope to the community of Inwood and Washington Heights.

God had spoken. These concerns were not just merely physical or mental concerns. They were spiritual as well. And the interaction of these three elements affected our health. People needed Jesus just as much as they needed healthcare and financial assistance.

Hope Fair students vision casting

Moving into Chinatown

2011-07-06T15:14:00.002-04:00

Hey ya'll.

My New York City Urban Project (NYCUP) adventure has already begun. Check out the website http://nycup.shinobistudio.com/ and look for our blog posts :)

Not good enough

2011-05-03T21:30:00.002-04:00

Today I realized that I often feel like I'm not good enough for anything/anyone. I need to stop believing this lie.

Celebrating Hate

2011-05-02T02:50:00.002-04:00

It is 2:54AM and students at Binghamton are still marching around campus cheering. My spirit is deeply grieved at the irresponsible and naive nature of these celebrations. It's easy to celebrate hate, especially when you're on the winning side.

Back from the dead

2011-05-01T20:37:00.003-04:00

Yes, I just resurrected my dead blog. I needed a written outlet to share with friends. I hope some of them will read this.

Binghamton's IVCF just had our senior banquet this weekend. Besides being really fun, embarrassing and bittersweet, it was also sobering. Four years have gone by in the blink of an eye. It was a really special occasion; really something I will remember for years. I love my family. Thank you for letting me part of it.