Today was day #1 of 4 for our Grace Community Church team serving alongside with NY City Relief on The Relief Bus. For me personally it was day #1 of my second time here with The Relief Bus, and it's amazing to me how little things have changed since I was last here a year ago January - and yet how much things have changed. On the one hand, the wheels on the Relief Bus are still rollin,' transforming lives and being the hands and feet of Jesus in so many incredible (and unpredictable) ways. Bread is still being served, hot vegetable soup is still being made, and hygiene kits and socks are flying out of the back of the bus. All of these things, as usual, are being done with great care and extreme compassion as we consider ourselves fortunate and blessed to serve our less fortunate brothers and sisters in Christ. Yes, there's even a brand-new Relief Bus in the fleet but have no fear - old faithful still has its wheels rolling too...at least for the next couple of months.
On the other hand, much has changed since a year ago. Our group obviously has a different make-up - there are 15 of us with a fairly even balance of men and women. This compared to last year when there were 12 of us, all but 2 being men! Also, some of The Relief Bus staff have moved on, and there are a few new folks as well, so that has been awesome so far to see new faces as well reconnect with old ones, all the while being quietly reminded of each of their selflessness in abandoning the comforts of modern life to serve. And also, it seems that The Relief Bus as an organization is in an intense period of future anticipated growth and as such are struggling with that means and how that looks moving forward. But to hear the stories of life change over the course of the past 20+ years that NYC Relief has been in existence is, to say the least, soul-penetrating. Knowing that despite the MANY challenges and obstacles that exist, The Relief Bus has thrived and is only getting better, touching more lives and leading more out of bondage and towards Christ than ever before, is humbling. Yet paradoxically, this fact is also sobering because it highlights the great and growing need of those who are struggling and how desperately - now more than ever - this world needs Jesus Christ and His saving Grace (including all of us!). We heard today how there are now more than 50,000 homeless people just in NYC alone. Without God and His overwhelming peace that transcends all understanding, this number would be paralyzing. And yet we march on, knowing and believing that this isn't OUR battle to be won but that we are simply doing what we are called to do - be the light in this dark world.
For me personally my soul is in a much different (and better!) place than a year ago. I have experienced incredible spiritual maturity and look at the world around me in a very different way. Being that this is my second year here serving with The Relief Bus, I was able to approach this trip with much more intentionality and purpose than a year ago; partially because I had a better understanding of expectations but also partially because I truly WANTED to get back out here and start serving again. I hope, as the next couple of days progress, that I might reconnect with some of those friends who touched my life here last year: Lilly; and Cedric; and William; and Angel.
So, as we move on to day 2, despite our tiredness and weariness, and our emotional exhaustion, we press on. I pray for those whom are on the streets right now - nobody knowing their name or even of their existence. And I pray for those whom we will be serving tomorrow, as well as Friday & Saturday; that despite OUR circumstances we can touch at least one person's life, giving them value and dignity along with hot food and drink and perhaps some socks. But most of all I pray that we will show everyone that yes, God is in this city!
For a look at some of our photos from this trip, check out: Relief Bus Photos, February 2013
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