Prayer Requests

1) Our search for an apartment continues... This morning we have sent in more paperwork. The manager said we should hear from them by the end of the week. Hopefully we'd be able to sign a lease starting November 1st.



2) Still waiting for my green card. The sooner I get my work authorization permit the sooner I'd be able to drive again. It's hard to be part of a bus ministry and not be able to drive.



3) We've had a lot of persecution rising up in my Sidewalk Sunday School area. For weeks, we've had ladies come and disturb peace telling kids not to listen to us, that we hate them and that we're not Christians at all. They're so loud that it makes it almost impossible to continue teaching the lesson. We've tried to reason with them but they walked away promising to do anything so we can't come back.



4) Next Friday is Halloween. Please pray for peace on sites and protection for Sidewalk Sunday School staff & interns as well as those who're going on visitation that Friday.

Robots & People

What an amazing lesson we got to teach this week: YOU NEED TO DECIDE TO LIVE FOR GOD. We talked to the kids about the importance of standing up for God and making your choice whether to live for Him or without Him.

The theme for the week was Robots. It was very challenging for me as I had to practice my robot voices and do the robot dance... Here's a picture of my vain attempt of doing the robot dance... oi oi

I scream... You scream... We all scream...

------- FOR ICE-CREAM!!! -------

This week our team has thrown an ice-cream party for our Sidewalk Sunday School kids.

One of our games was "Create Your Own Sunday" - kids really got a kick out of that :) - and then they got to eat their own creations.

Pastor Bill's Surprise Birthday Party

Our senior pastor and founder of Metro Ministries Pastor Bill Wilson has turned 60 on October 4th. As staff we wanted to express our gratitude for the ministry opportunities he's offered to us. So this Sunday, October 12th, we threw him a surprise birthday party.

(it was a black and white event)

(Pastor Bill was really surprised. In his own words, "I can't believe all of y'all could keep your mouths shut for this long")

(birthday cake: "Which bus is the best bus?")

(as any Metro event the party would not be complete without a play by Gloria)

(looking through the Memory Book we've created for Pastor Bill)

My New Helpers

I had been frustrated for a long time by the absence of workers (kids who are willing to help and get involved in Sunday School) on my site. I have often wondered if I was doing anything wrong. After many attempts of investing into kids who in one way or the other decided not to get involved, I decided... to ask God to show me who are the kids that HE wants me to invest in...

Meet Taheem & Starr - my amazing and wonderful helpers. I've met them one day on visitation in the front of their building. They asked if they could come with me... we asked their parents and they've been helping every week ever since.

I NEED A BUS !!!

That's right... This past two Sundays have offered me a problem to solve... My church attendance has grown significantly and now all the people do not fit into a church van any more... I NEED A BUS

The ministry I'm part of does not have extra resources at this moment to purchase a bus...

A school bus is only $3,000. If I can raise this money I could pick up my people for church on Sundays without having to turn anybody away.

If you'd like to give please contact me and I will give you all the necessary info to make a donation.

New Semester

The new Fall 2008 Semester is in full swing. This weekend is marking the end of the first week of Sidewalk Sunday School.

Our team had to say good-bye to Christfried who is now the leader of his own Sidewalk Sunday School team in the Bronx. I am very grateful for the 2 years that I got to work with him.

So our new team was Tania & me ... Praise the Lord for the interns who come from all over the world for 4 months to learn to do inner-city ministry and the principles of bus ministry and Sidewalk Sunday School. Below is the picture of our new Fall 2008 ministry team (minus me since I'm taking the picture):

(left to right): Tania from France (staff), Damon from USA, Ken from Germany, Janelle from Canada (new staff), Judith from Germany, Sara from Switzerland

We had our challenges going into this semester. There've been a lot of shoot-outs in Far Rockaway and almost every area where we do Sidewalk Sunday School is covered by police neighborhood watch stations.Though necessary to prevent further crime they're also preventing children fromn coming outside. However we had a great week with 611 people in attendance.

Tania & Ken after playing a game on site.