Visit to the Mosque

The most memorable part of the past week was our trip to the Islamic Cultural Center of New York.  This is basically a large mosque, which also has a Muslim school in it, located in Manhattan.

The people there were amazingly hospitable—more hospitable than most churches would be to someone of another religion inquiring of their beliefs.  The imam (the Islamic teacher and leader of the mosque) treated us with great care.  He took almost 2 hours out of his busy schedule to explain to us the intricacies of Islam, doing it all with a piercing smile and a welcoming sense of humor.

Hearing Muslims speak about their beliefs always breaks my heart, but this imam was passionate enough that it was especially heart wrenching.

Toward the end of his talk, he began to talk about the differences between Islam and Christianity.  He spoke of the cross and chuckled at the thought of the one and only God allowing His prophet to be killed.  He explained that the Quran says that it was only the appearance of Jesus on the cross and that Judas, in payment for his treachery, was the one being killed in Jesus’ place.

You see, Islam is the anti-gospel.

Allah transcends us without condescending to us.  He claims to be a god of both justice and love, but he does not give us a scapegoat for our sins.  He is supposedly good and righteous, but he can create mercy as he created the earth, leaving sins unpaid for.

The imam laughed at the prospect of God allowing His prophet to be killed.  What he does not understand is that this IS the very gospel.  But not only that.  It was not simply God’s prophet, but it was His Son.  And further, it was not just His Son, it was God himself, condescending to us on earth and taking the judgment we—all miniature Judases living in our daily treachery and sin—rightly deserve (Romans 2:2).

It was not that God put the imperfect in place of the perfect, saving Him from death on the cross and giving the other justice.  No, it was more upside down than that.  God put the perfect in place of the imperfect, saving him from God’s wrath and crushing the Other beneath it (Isaiah 53:10).

Father, we rejoice in Your love of turning the wisdom of this world on its head: giving Christ our punishment, and us His righteousness.

Father, turn the imam’s laughter at the thought of the cross into tears of repentance and faith, understanding Your truth and love.

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  -1 Corinthians 1:18

Another Update from Mary Kate

Hello Family and Friends,

The unexpected has never been my forte; however, God is providing and sustaining.

I’ve learned that in order to "hallow" the name of God, one thing I must do is trust and believe Him. At this point, I’m very tired emotionally and physically, and it’s been hard to surrender every thought and emotion.

This Monday, my grandmother passed away, so I had to fly to Louisiana on Tuesday, coming back to the Big Apple Thursday morning. It was a blessing to see some of my family, but it’s extremely difficult to hop across two totally different cultures and environments within just a few days. I can’t imagine how real missionaries must handle these kinds of crises.  Yet, God is bigger than what I think or feel and I know that whatever happens in my life is for my good.

This week has certainly been one of trial. It seems as if we’re starting to deal with some spiritual warfare.  All these little twinges have been frustrating. For instance, one day I stepped on a piece of glass and had a lovely cut on my foot, and just last night one of my students told me, "I don't like Jesus." Wow. I’m looking forward to the upcoming week, and I would really appreciate your prayers.

Please pray:

• that the Holy Spirit would soften hearts to hear the gospel.
• that I would be able to start a Bible study with my roommate.
• that many new students would want to start studying Scripture together. 
• that I would willingly die to self, and focus on others. 

Much love,

Mary Kate

Update from Mary Kate

Here is an update from Mary Kate that she send out about a week ago:


Hello Friends and Family, 

Yesterday, I was teaching my students about descriptions, and we talked about how we describe things based on our five senses: seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and touching. I wanted to teach them how to communicate what a person or object is like. On my way home later that day, I thought about how much I have had to adjust my senses since being in New York City. I have seen things that I have never seen before: temples, sky scrapers, people from every nation, train, things pleasant and things utterly disgusting and wicked. I seem to have inhaled the dirtiness of the city from the crammed transportation, yet I have breathed in the aroma of new foods and my favorite, Chai.  

There are so many sounds that I hear every day: people yelling at each other, different languages being spoken, the traffic, the subway, the bus, the sirens, the rain, etc. I don't think people ever have one moment of quiet.

However, last night I heard the most beautiful sound, placing my feet on higher ground. I heard the richness of people from Muslim backgrounds, praying to God the Father in different languages and with different accents. I attended a prayer meeting at a church that partners with the ministry I work with, and I was so encouraged to see them praying and to get to know some of the members in the congregation.

During the week, I work at both Metropolitan Baptist Church and at the South Asian Center of Urban Impact. 

Tuesdays through Thursdays I work all day at the South Asian Center and my focus is Bangladeshi Muslims. I teach English classes and do personal tutoring and eat in restaurants and shop in local neighborhood stores to form relationships. I also work with weekly high school and college teams who come to volunteer with us.

I think I have bored you enough for now with so many details.  Although, I have not begun to scratch the surface of all that has happened here. I want to express my gratitude for your prayers. I am fully aware of them! I have to enter into places of much spiritual warfare: the Sikh temple, mosques, etc. Just yesterday, I took a high school team into a Hindu store full of idols, incense, and books of religion. Sometimes, the darkness just seems overwhelming.  Please pray for strength during these times. All we want is to bring light to the darkness. 

Please pray:

• That people would be open to the gospel and that I would have the boldness to share (2 Tim. 4:5).
• For intimate time with God and for increased wisdom in love (Philip. 1:9-11, Col. 1:10).
• For new relationships and friendships and for more understanding of the Bangladeshi people. 
• For the women whom live with: that they would know Christ and the power of the cross.
• For encouragement and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to endure suffering and to preach the gospel.
• For unity with my teammates: that we would glorify God.

Much love,

Mary Kate

Prayer Walking

One of our main jobs with Urban Impact is to lead mission teams that come in for a week at a time during the summer to teach ESL, do maintenance work, and work with children at the different immigrant centers.

Often, we take the teams on prayer walks through the neighborhoods in which our centers are located.  In the photos, we're taking a team through Queens, praying for the ministry of our South Asian Center.

Please, pray:

• that God would use our prayer in the streets to humble us, showing us our constant dependence on Him.
• that God would save the souls of the students and their families from the center.
• that God would bless the mission teams' time in NYC and use it for His kingdom even after they go home.

In Christ,

Ben

Understanding the Sikhs

One of the biggest parts of our ministry at Urban Impact is helping facilitate and lead mission teams that come from churches around the country to work with immigrants.  In doing so, they teach ESL, work with children, and learn about the cultures and religions of the people.

On Wednesday, we led a team to a Sikh temple in Queens.  People often confuse Sikhs as Muslims, but they are actually of a totally different religion.  Their men wear turbans to cover their long, uncut hair, and they are part of the newest major world religion.  

While we were there, the priest pulled back the linen shroud used to cover and protect the scriptures and sang to us some of the passages.  Gabe recounted later how amazing it was--that they would have such hospitality toward us.  We wondered what the typical Christians would have done if Sikhs had walked into their church in a similar manner and inquired about their religion.

There are aspects of their religion that God can certainly use to shine forth the Gospel.  They have an incredible heart for the poor and oppressed in addition to their overwhelming reverence for their scriptures.

Please be praying:

• that God would open the eyes of this Sikh priest, his wife, and his son to the truth of the Gospel.
• that God would use the good aspects of Sikhism (concern for the poor and needy, respect for scriptures, and belief in the equality of human beings) to prepare them for the One who has truly fed the hungry, is the very Word of God, and brings all men low at the foot of the cross.
• that God would continue to use us in leading mission teams from churches all around the country to understand other religions better in order that the lost may come to true repentance and faith in Christ.

In Christ,

Ben

Introducing Team P52 Urban Impact NYC

This summer, four P52 students will be living in New York City, New York, working as interns with Urban Impact New York.

Urban Impact works with international immigrants and has three centers throughout the city: The African Friendship Center in Brooklyn, The South Asian Center in Queens, and The All Nations Center, also in Queens.  In addition, Urban Impact also supports a beach ministry in Rockaway Beach.  Three of us will be serving at the immigrant centers, and one of us will be helping the beach ministry.  We will be joining hands with Urban Impact's regular staff and twelve other summer interns to teach ESL, work with children, and share the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected, to people from all over the globe.

This is our team:

Will (Team Leader)

Will is from Rainsville, Alabama and is a graduate-level law student at the University of Alabama.  Though he's not exactly sure what he wants to do after he graduates, he would strongly consider accepting the office of Attorney General of the United States of America.  This summer, he hopes to get his selfish self out of the way and make his time in NYC all about God and the people there.

Ben (Media Specialist)

I'm from Bowling Green, Kentucky and am a student at Western Kentucky University, where I'm studying Religious Studies and Creative Writing. I'm also a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where I'm pursuing a Masters of Divinity.  God has called me, after I graduate, to preach His Gospel in pastoring a local body of believers, Lord willing, until the day I die.  I pray that, this summer, God would give me the grace to delight in Him daily (Psalm 37:4) and, in so doing, bring others to delight in Him through the Gospel of His Son.

Gabe

Gabe is from Memphis, Tennessee and is a student at Blue Mountain College, where he's studying the Bible and Psychology.  God has called Gabe to full-time, career mission work, hopefully working eventually with Muslims around the world.  This summer, Gabe hopes to grow in Christ as He is growing in him.

Mary Kate

Mary Kate is from Decatur, Alabama and is a student at Mississippi College, where she's studying English Literature and ESL.  Other than being a part-time aerobics instructor and glorifying God and enjoying Him forever, as she so adamantly reminds us is written in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, she has no idea what she wants to do after graduation.  She hopes that, this summer, she will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, develop endurance, and share His love with others.

We are all very excited about the opportunity God has given us this summer, and we hope that you are, too.  We ask that you would, as Paul writes in Ephesians 6:18-19 (ESV), "keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for [us], that words may be given to [us] in opening [our] mouths boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel."  

Some specifics to be praying for:

• that we might be unified under our common mission in Christ.
• that God might pour out His graces on us anew daily.
• that we might be bound to local churches in NYC, with whom we can "grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from the whole body, being joined together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so it builds itself up in love" (Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV).
• that God might, even now, be preparing the hearts of the lost to hear the Good News of His Son.
• that hard hearts of stone might be replaced with beating hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) , being brought by the Holy Spirit to repentance and belief in Jesus Christ through the Gospel.

In Christ,

Ben