There is so much I can say about the LOS ministry and what I have done with the local chapter CityKnights in NYC over the last 10 years, but I have one of many stories of God’s redemption that begs to be shared.
We were doing street outreach that I called the Midnight Outreach. This specific outreach was done on Saturday nights from 9pm until after midnight, 1x a month. The communities we chose were mostly low income, disenfranchised neighborhoods, high crime, homelessness, and drug infested. We wanted to reach the Lost for the Cross at a time that was different from the usual Saturday afternoon church outreach. Our usual spots were Coney Island train station, Harlem 125th Street, and other parts of NYC.
One Summer night we were out on 125th street, doing our thing, we would set up a table or two, have cold water bottles, candy, chips, Bibles, Bible Tracts and Clothes to give away. We would invite the passersby to join us for prayer and conversation.
It was about 11pm at night, A woman stopped by, she looked disheveled and desperate. She asked us for transportation money to get on the bus. She said she needed to get out of the streets and was headed to a program to get help with her drug addiction. Well, we did what we do, we asked about her relationship with Jesus, and prayed an invitation to know the Lord Jesus Christ, gave her the bus fare and gave her some clothes and sent her on her way.
Sometimes, we don’t get to see the seed we plant from the work God has called us to. We just trust and pray that God will water it, and it will bear fruit. Yet then there are those moments in life somewhere down in time when God shows you what wonderful work, He is doing with the people we have reached out to.
Several months later, I was working overnight shifts at a drug treatment nursing home. Just before my shift ended, I came down for breakfast. I do not get to see much of the residents due to working overnight, and I would see some of them in the morning. There is a woman in the cafeteria who looked so much like the woman that we ministered to at 125th street several months back. I looked at her in amazement, she was looking healthy, and had gained weight. I asked her and even showed her a picture that I and taken while doing ministry that night. She said, “yup that’s me”. I was so blown away, praise Jesus! I was so happy to see her. She said she was sober, and saving money to get her own apartment. She was grateful, attending church at the chapel of the nursing home. Wow, Thank you Jesus.
Another 2 years pass by, I had since left that job. I was working at another location in the Bronx NYC. One Friday afternoon, I came down from the job for lunch. Stopped in the check cashing place to take care of personal business and guess who I see? Yup, it was her that same woman. She immediately recognized me, and shouted with joy: I am 2 and a half years sober, and look I have my own keys to my apartment”. I was absolutely gleaming with joy and tears.
I was so grateful to see this, and I praise Jesus for showing me. God is Good all the time!
Bro. Hector aka Chaplain DBLEDGE
National Chaplain Least of Saints MC
Wow! So encouraging! I love when you get the see the fruit of your labor.