New York City Urban Project Blog

Sex Trafficking Exists Because There is Demand!

2010-04-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Who are the Johns?

Often the focus of sex trafficking and prostitution issues is on the women who are victimized. Except for the occasional scandal in the political world, the men who buy are largely kept out of discussion. However, at a recent UN Commission on the Status of Women panel on the issue of “Mass Marketing Prostitution: Sexual Exploitation as Entertainment” it was clear that most attendants believed the only way to combat trafficking is to, not only be educated on the issue, but to look at the demand side as a major source of the problem.

The title question brought me to the book by Victor Malarek, frankly titled The Johns. Malarek provides insight into the Brotherhood of Johns and assembles narratives from different men (from the "Lonely Guy" to the "Predator.") It soon becomes clear that if we were to meet a John, he would be all too familiar.

Excerpt "Confessions of a John"

Norman was a teenager when he first paid for sex. "I'm the classic story. I lost my virginity to a prostitute. I was eighteen, horny, and not getting beyond third base with any girls. So I paid twenty-five-dollars and hit a homerun!

"It wasn't like fireworks lighting up the nighttime sky or anything even approximating that," he admits. "It was quick. Over in probably fifteen seconds." he laughs.

I don't remember a thing about the woman, but I'll always remember the rush in my brain about going to see a prostitute. I knew inside I was doing something dirty. If my mother ever found out, she would have hit me over the head with a ladle. I'm sure my old man would have laughed. But never in my mind did I think it would lead to a lifestyle and a serious problem."

Norman, a retired engineer who is married and has two sons and five grandchildren, continued patronizing prostituted women for almost half a century. For the first two decades, he stayed home, but at thirty-eight he started vacationing abroad. He has been to the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Brazil, Romania, Russia, Columbia, and the Dominican Republic, to name a few, and he figures that over the years he has spent $250,000 on women alone.

I am sitting with Norman in a coffee shop. When he heard I was writing a book about johns, he approached me, wanting to tell his story.

For the past two years, he tells me, he has been clean, with the help of Sex Addicts Anonymous. I ask him what made him stop. Norman stares at the wall for a moment and then looks down at his coffee mug. "I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. My sex life is over, and who knows if I'll be around in a year."

He takes a deep breath and continues. "About a year ago, I decided to tell my wife everything... everything I had been doing all these years behind her back. She was devastated. I thought she would ask for a divorce, but she didn't. She stays with me for the sake of the children and the grandchildren. She cried a lot at first. She's over the initial shock, but I don't think she will ever get over it totally.

"I needed to clean the slate. I wanted to get all this... out of my head. I needed her to forgive me," he says. "She says she's forgiven me, and maybe in some small way she has. At least my mind is a little calmer."

But there is a nagging regret that jabs at Norman's conscience. He admits that he had never thought much about whether the women he paid were forced. "For a lot of years, I never thought about it," he says. "I figured they were all in it for the money. When I went to foreign destinations, I didn't speak the language, so there was little if any conversation. "

"But I realized something about myself a few years back. I had never really looked into the eyes of any of my dates. I'd look at their face but I never looked into their eyes."

One night in Prague, he finally noticed. " I hired this beautiful escort. She was in her midtwenties. I think she was Russian or Ukrainian.... She was brought to my hotel room by a guy with no neck. I noticed right away that she looked embarrassed and scared. I had no way of knowing what she was thinking. We couldn't communicate.

"Then I looked into her eyes. There was this haunting sadness and a fear in them." But Norman went ahead. "I had already paid so I had sex with her. When it was over, I went to the washroom to clean up and when I came back into the room she was crying. It was the first time I had ever felt ashamed inside for doing this."

Norman admits that it ruined his vacation. "I didn't really feel up for much after that. So I headed home. Not much later, I read a few articles on this phenomenon of trafficked women -- girls being kidnapped or tricked into prostitution, being taken to another country and forced into prostitution by gangs of pimps. I got the feeling then that she was definitely trafficked. There was no way she wanted to be there. I knew that even before I had asked her.

I ask whether this changed his view of prostitution. "Not right away," he replies. "What did change is I started looking at the women I'd hire. I mean looking beyond their looks and their body. What I began to notice is that while most smiled and said how happy they were to see me, there was a certain look in their eyes, and slowly I began to feel more and more uncomfortable with myself and what I was doing. It wasn't like some sort of epiphany or anything like that. It was this gnawing feeling in my gut."

"Guilt?" I asked.

"I never felt guilt. I just did it because I wanted sex and I'd bought into all the cliches -- all this about the oldest profession, that men need sex, and prostitutes were doing it for the money. Guilt never entered my thought process," he recalls, "that is, until that night in Prague."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I kept seeing her face. I kept seeing the fear in her eyes, and I'd see her crying. She made me think how many of the prostitutes I had sex with -- and they number in the hundreds -- were really doing it because they wanted to. To me, I was buying a product. They didn't exist as people. They were just whores. And all of a sudden, I start asking myself, 'What have I done?'

"I know what I've done is despicable and dishonorable. I used a lot of women because I had the cash and they were selling. I didn't think much about their situation. I only thought about my situation. It's taken me a long time to get to this point in my life and to come to terms with it. All I want to do is somehow make amends."

Asked if he had any words of advice for other men following in his footsteps, Norman was initially reluctant.

"There isn't much I can say that will make most of them ever change their ways. They don't care about the women they sleep with. Sex is the thing. And who am I to give advice? I'm a life-long monger.

But if I had one bit of advice, I'd ask them to look into the woman's eyes. That will tell them if she wants to be there or whether she's been forced into it. All drug addicted hookers are forced to do it. All poor women are forced into it. When I look back at the hundreds of women I've paid for sex, I know that most didn't want to be prostitutes. If anything, they should be called destitutes and I used every single one of them because I didn't care. I would say the majority of women don't want to be whores and men should think hard about what they are doing and quit deluding themselves with excuses and lies."

(taken from p. 111-114)

- Elle Park, NYCUP Advocate

Ashley Kim: Reflections from Feed 500, April 24

2010-04-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I was able to experience Feed 500 for the first time. Although I have participated in other homeless outreaches before, the past experience was unlike any other. To me, that’s the beauty of serving through outreach—being able to serve and share God’s love, yet have a completely different experience each time. Every person who is encountered has a different story and background from which they come from…

“Listening to their stories and sharing your own is how the barriers between us are broken and our humanity restored. We are not there just to give money and the homeless and needy are not just there to take it. They are people with names and stories and so are we and we are there to share and serve.”

Bernice was sitting near Grand Central Terminal with her plastic cup and her heavy heart. As I was talking with her, she opened up my eyes to the struggles she faced on a daily basis. Along with no home to live in and no food to nourish her body, Bernice suffered from asthma, high cholesterol and diabetes. She also shared about the abuse she endured from her family and even from strangers within the homeless shelters. Throughout our conversation, she kept wishing and hoping that “God would call her home soon” so that she wouldn’t have to continue the life she was living. Although I can never fathom the amount of hardship and pain the homeless face, for that one day and that one hour of conversation with Bernice, I was able to empathize and step into the world of those who are suffering on a day-to-day basis because of their homelessness.

Upon ending the conversation with Bernice, I asked her if I could pray for her. After our prayer, we opened our eyes to see a man standing in front of us. He shared that he was going through a difficult period in his life and asked if we could all pray together for him and his sister who was dying and suffering from her alcoholism. To my surprise, after this prayer, we opened our eyes to see another lady standing in front of us. Although she wasn’t homeless anymore, she shared that she struggled from homeless for ten years and was recently cured from an incurable disease that she was suffering during that time. She told me that she was encouraged after seeing us pray and wanted to pray with us as well.

My heart was deeply moved by each of these stories, the backgrounds that each person carried and the relationships that were built through Him. I know that God brought us all together. I know that He had a purpose for the conversations and the encounters last Saturday. Through Feed 500, I was reminded of His sovereignty, His grace and His unfailing love.

“We can do no great things, only little things with great love.” We may not be able to feed each and every single person within our area struggling from homelessness, but we can show God’s love and grace to those we encounter. I hope and pray that whether it is through Feed 500 or through our own daily experiences, we can be more like Jesus and have the courage to show compassion to those who need it.

Where is YOUR MONEY Going in Haiti?

2010-02-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

ABC News is reporting on the overall NGO Haiti relief response, particularly focusing on how donations raised to-date have been spent. The online version is already up, and you can read it here:

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/things-stand-us-charity-donations-haiti/story?id=9786221

ABC reached out to 23 US-based NGOs for detailed information on funds raised, funds spent to date, and impact of those funds. Although a critical piece, World Vision is mentioned as the NGO which provided the most information about our work. Since you may have and/or receive questions about how we're working in Haiti, below are some answers that we hope are helpful - and thanks so much for all you do!

1. How much has World Vision already raised?
As of February 5, World Vision has raised about $24.7 million in cash, plus gifts-in-kind, in the U.S. World Vision’s global partnership has raised about $77 million in private donations and public grants, as well as additional in-kind donations.

2. How much have you already spent on what?:
Even before this earthquake struck, World Vision was prepared with relief supplies in-country, allowing us to respond quickly when the earthquake hit. Below are some estimated cumulative numbers reflecting what has already been spent. It is important to note that our response on the ground is dynamic and these numbers will continue to change. World Vision expects to spend $30 million within the first 90 days of the response (roughly mid-April).

a. Shelter and non-food relief supplies:
$6 million

b. Water relief and sanitation:
$1 million

c. Child protection efforts:
$300,000

d. Health:
$200,000

e. Food relief:
$500,000 + 1,766 MT of donated food commodities

d. Operations (i.e. transport, security, admin, etc)
$700,000

3. How much has not yet been committed to a specific relief project (kept on hand for future needs)?

All funds raised will be used for Haiti relief and rebuilding efforts, which will take years, not months. Some of the funding will be used to replenish relief supplies that had already been pre-positioned in Haiti for immediate disaster response. While some of the remaining funding will be used to continue to distribute emergency food and supplies, much of it will be used for longer-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.

This is common for large-scale disaster response efforts by reputable NGOs. For example, for the Asia tsunami response, World Vision spent approximately 40 percent of its response budget in the first year of its multi-year relief and recovery response. This approach had largely favorable responses and allowed World Vision to build back better in the communities where it worked.

Once communities are stabilized, our staff will work alongside the United Nations as well as government and private agencies to assess what the long-term needs are for housing, education, infrastructure, health-care and other response sectors.

We have continued to work fast and effectively to reach hundreds of thousands of people with life-saving food and emergency supplies. However in order to make sure that every dollar spent works for long-term change, we must couple immediate relief with training, networking and community-based assessments.

For example, in order to reach 400,000 people with rice over two weeks in some of the poorest areas of Port-au-Prince, we got to know community leaders in those areas, registering the most vulnerable and ensuring transparency and accountability in our distribution. We worked with radio stations to broadcast child protection messages and trained distribution staff in child protection and humanitarian principles.

By taking that time, we were able to ensure that we were reaching the most vulnerable people in the community, and that we were carrying out the distribution in a way that preserved people’s – especially children’s – safety.

Over the past week alone, assessment staff have spoken to 600 families (representing about 3,000 people) in Port-au-Prince and four areas of the country to identify the urgent needs on the ground. We are working to understand the challenges and opportunities in worst-affected areas so we can design our program in response to the reality on the ground.

Reflection from FEED 500 - Suleky Roman

2010-02-04T11:16:00.000-08:00

I stared into her eyes, as she cried, as she spilled her life story into my hands- every word forcefully left her lips. I saw her story inside of me. Her name is Melissa; we shared a turkey sandwhich, I shared my extra packet of mayo with her. " I have survived gang fights, getting stabbed, shot at, so many near death experinces. My mother is dead and my father killed himself. I am 32 years old. I am 7 years sober- I quit crack, cocaine, heroine, and pills. I asked God to give me a way out, and God has answered my prayers so far...."

No I did not experience any of these things- what I experienced was the weight of hurt, the pain of a wound, the tears of not knowing what tomorrow would bring, and the heavy heart that suffered through something I was never prepared for. I woke up that saturday morning not knowing who I would meet during Feed 500. I was sure of myself that I would not get emotionally connected to anyone- I was simply feeding people who are hungry; thats not difficult- so I thought. I was wrong, as Melissa poured her heart to me- God gave me a window to toss my inner personal experiences out to; so she could witness my heart too. See I went through stuff that I thought I'd never speak of, things I kept from friends. I hugged and prayed for Melissa so many times. She was no longer a stranger but a person God allowed me to witness how He is a souvriegn God. I shared my favorite psalm with her, Psalm 91.

Melissa was a person I would have never spoke to prior to the Feed 500- my judgemental walls were broken and torn down- Melissa was a lesbian and homeless. These were two things I was struggling with, everything in the Word of God made sense to me- however my mind was so narrow that I took it upon myself to weigh sin, I know it wasnt pleasing God but I was "stuck". He is amazing for allowing me to go through this. I love Melissa so much! I keep her in prayer- I havent seen her ever again... I know God is keeping her safe. I was so blessed to meet her. Thank you NYCUP for the ooportunity. I am hopeful I will see her again, because I gave her all the bowery mission cards and extra info on local churches. Please everyone keep Melissa in prayer, everytime I go through a difficult morning, I think of her and how she is still making it through- she encourages me without even knowing it. No addiction is too big for God to break, no pain is too deep for God to heal, and nothing is impossible for God.

I wake up to daydreams.

Healed hearts that kiss souls as Mothers hug their daughters,

I see fatherless boys holding hands praying to their father in Heaven,

Broken chains collected by recycling companies who do it for no profit.

I see broken crack pipes, spilled hennesy bottles, expired dime bags, and unlit cigarettes

swept up by friendly neighbors,

No need for these so called escapes, stress relievers, or social drugs that break up families- destroy souls; fulled by lies that happiness is a high or drunkness away.

Why purchase joy, love, or a new life-

In my dreams I see

Free Happiness thrown around, shared and given away all year round.

Nothing goes on sale.

I wake up to daydreams.

I met them, the daydream catchers

who saw my daydreams from a thought bubble in another world -

where daydreams are reality,

they caught my thoughts in a butterfly net,

I use to wonder where my daydreams went- I wake up to live out my dreams.

I see this daydream unraveling into actuality-

with every hand reaching out to help those in spiritual and physical need.

***dedicated to my NYCUP Feed 500 experience.

Myths of disaster reliefAid groups address public stereotypes about overseas disasters

2010-01-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

SEATTLE – As they rush to save lives in the wake of the Haiti earthquake,aid workers also must address myths about disaster relief among theAmerican public. Edward Brown, relief director for Christian humanitarianorganization, World Vision, debunks five myths around disaster relief.

1. Collecting blankets, shoes and clothing is a cost-effective way to help

The cost of shipping these items from around the country – let alone thetime it takes to sort, pack and ship them – is prohibitive and entails muchhigher cost than the value of the goods themselves. World Vision has reliefsupplies already stocked in disaster-prone countries as well as instrategically located warehouses around the world. World Vision hadsupplies pre-positioned in Haiti in preparation for hurricane season, whichallowed the agency to respond immediately to last week’s earthquake.These supplies are designed to meet international standards forhumanitarian relief and are packaged up and ready to deploy as soon as acrisis strikes. Cash donations are the best, most cost-efficent way to helpaid groups deliver these life-saving supplies quickly, purchase suppliesclose to the disaster zone when possible and replenish their stocks inpreparation for future disasters.

2. If I send cash, my help won’t get there

Reputable agencies send 80 percent or more of cash donations to thedisaster site; the rest is invested in monitoring, reporting and otheractivities that facilitate transparency and efficiency in their operations,as well as in sharing information with those who can help. Donors have aright and a responsibility to ask aid groups how they will be using thosedonations, and what will be done with donations raised in excess of theneed. Transparent and effective organizations will readily provide thatinformation.

3. Volunteers are desperately needed in emergency situations.

While hands-on service may feel like a better way to help in a crisis,disaster response is a highly technical and sensitive effort.Professionals with specialized skills and overseas disaster experienceshould deployed to disaster sites. Volunteers without those skills can domore harm than good, and siphon off critical logistics and translationsservices. Qualified disaster professionals ensure that help is deliveredeffectively, safely and efficiently.

4. Unaccompanied children should be adopted as quickly as possible to getthem out of dangerous conditions.

Hearing about the specific needs of children often sparks a desire to adoptchildren who seem to have lost their families. However, early in a crisis,children need to be protected, but should remain in their home countriesuntil authorities can confirm the locations of their family members andexplore adoption possibilities within their own communities and cultures.International adoption may be the best solution for some children, but itis too early to know for sure in the first weeks of a crisis.

5. People are helpless in the face of natural disasters

Even in the poorest countries like Haiti, people often reveal a great dealof inner strength and often show a resourcefulness that can save lives...While support and aid are necessary, the Haitian people are by no means helpless.

For more information on World Vision’s response, or on ways the public canhelp, please visit http://www.worldvision.org/, or phone 888-56-CHILD.

Why I Support NYCUP - Savina KimJohnson

2010-01-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

After graduating from college, I volunteered as a NYCUP co-director Spring Break ’06 with my friend Marcella. We had both taken a week off work in our corporate jobs to lead college students through this catalytic experience (our co-workers raised eyebrows when we told them we were going to the South Bronx for our “vacation”).

I was once told that the poor is not a problem to be solved, but a portal to the heart of God. Because I serve a God who cares deeply about justice, to follow Him means to love Him, love others…do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with him (Micah 6:8) – and invite others to do the same.

I support NYCUP because I believe it is one of the best service/immersion/internship opportunities out there. Through it, I’ve seen students grow in so many ways, including:

· Justice - by being placed to work in quality, faith-based, non-profit organizations that serves the under resourced in NYC

· Spiritual formation - through meaty Bible studies on poverty and service & deep theological reflections

· Leadership – because once you experience all this, you’ll be bolstered in faith to be a part of God’s transformative work in bringing change and renewal to the places of deepest brokenness

...that’s only a part of it.

NYCUP provides a robust context to live out these values and delve deeply into God’s heart by investing one’s time, energy, talents, and resources into His city. In the process, students are empowered to be agents of restoration and justice in areas of desperate need, and serve as the prophetic voice and life-giving hope in the midst of poverty and despair. I pray that God will continue to use NYCUP to raise up leaders who will advance his kingdom in his city.

Why Do I Support NYCUP - Brooke Adams

2009-12-17T11:08:00.000-08:00

I support NYCUP financially and prayerfully because, quite simply, it changed my life.

I attended the Spring Break Plunge in 2005, during my sophomore year of college. I had planned to come for the week, learn a few things, serve a few people, and go on my way. I was planning to go to Scotland for the summer to visit some friends. Then God changed my plans.

He called me to return to the Bronx for eight weeks that summer. I resisted. I shouted and stamped my foot. And then I went.

At NYCUP I learned hard lessons: how the color of my skin impacts my relationships with those around me. How my sins affect my community and hurt my brothers and sisters in Christ. At my internship, as I became frustrated with what I perceived to be a lack of organization and objective for the summer camp we were trying to run, I learned that in the Latino community in which I was working on the Lower East Side, my supervisors placed more value on the relationships I was developing with our teenagers than on how smoothly my creative writing class went. I learned the hard lesson that I would sometimes mentally "check out" of my internship during the day, until I could leave the projects and return to the NYCUP house, where I felt safer. And I realized that the kids I was beginning to love couldn't leave at the end of the day. And that broke my heart, and made me pay more attention.

When I went back to campus I began taking urban studies and education classes in addition to the literature courses required for my English major. I wrote a photographic essay for an urban studies class on structural racism: how the literal fabric of the city reflects the value the city places on its residents. The route I chose to document? The walk I had taken every day that summer, from the Astor Place subway stop to Avenue D. As you walk, the landscape changes: from a corner with three Starbucks on it, down a street with mostly white young professionals. Then the houses become more decrepit. Halfway to the East River stands a police station that occupies a fully city block. More faces on the street are Hispanic or African-American. And then you run into a dead-end: the projects. The sense of appalled injustice I felt every day I took that walk stays with me, and it motivates me to act. I support NYCUP because I encountered God's call to justice there, and it changed my life.

Brooke Adams is a graduate of Vassar College, Class of 2007. She and her fiance, Simeon, met at NYCUP in the summer of 2005.

Ntandose Hlabangana: Why Do I Support NYCUP

2009-12-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

I went to a small university in West Virginia called Salem International University for my undergrad and coming from Zimbabwe I was exposed to schools and campuses that had Christian Student bodies or groups like Scripture Union (like what Intervarsity represents) that participated in missions around the country, enjoying fellowship while reading the bible, worshiping and helping each person in the groups together with those not in these groups grow in their walk with Christ or minister to those that didn't know Christ. I arrived at the University only to realize they did not have one of these. I was bothered for the longest time then I became complacent to the point where I chose to accept the lie that I couldnt do anything. Yes, I found a small church with loving people that took me in and I now consider as family, but I still did not do anything about our campus. I would minister to those that I associated with but I still had the urge to want to reach out to more people but still didnt, because I allowed fear to hold me back. I wish I could say that I left Salem having started a christian student group, but unfortunately that wouldn't be true. I graduated from Salem and moved to Pittsburgh where i re-discovered my childhood passion to reach out to the less fortunate (hence my starting an organization back home to build orphanages and provide funding for tuition to those dependents of HIV/AIDS victims as well as the underprivileged.

NYCUP has reached out to students providing them the opportunity to serve in the ministry, while growing in their walk with God and being brought to awareness of the injustices of this world, as well being involved in missions that show God's love to communities. I will be studying International Law in particular because I have a passion for preservation of humanity and human rights and NYCUP does so through their fight against human trafficking and modern day slavery amongst other things. To sum it all up, NYCUP has become a source that enables and or teaches students to grow and live their lives not just by hearing the word but doing it and practising it in their everyday lives on and off campus by being involved in different missions that not only affect their campuses but communities, nations and the world as a whole. It stands for what I believe in, which is that anyone can make a difference and it starts with one person, which ive come to understand from the first time I arrived in the US when I was in Salem. And it would be humbling to be a part of this ministry.

Feed 500 Reflection: Transformed to Love

2009-12-10T18:01:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, November 21, I met two men—Anthony and James. The first thing you need to know about these men is that they are made in the image in God, which, if you boiled it down to its essence, means that traces of divine glory and beauty can be found in every single person. The other characteristic thing about these men is that neither of them have a home.

I was participating in an event called Feed the 500, a day of ministry to the City’s homeless, coordinated by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s New York City Urban Project (NYCUP). This day was key in making me realize two things—first, that every human being truly is beautiful and deserves to be cared for, and second, that ultimately, the one reason I can love is because I was loved first.

We trickled into the NYCUP headquarters in Washington Heights, and the hundred student volunteers from around the City broke into teams making sandwiches, writing notes of encouragement, and stuffing brown paper bags with our freshly-made meals. Meanwhile, I was pleased with how gratifying this all was. We were being so nice, taking time out of our Saturdays and feeding people who didn’t have a dining hall into which they could swipe their meal cards. I surveyed the tables lined with rolled-up paper bags, and I said a quick prayer that these meals would change someone’s day for the better.

All that was wonderful until Jonathan Walton, the director of NYCUP, asked each student to take two lunch bags and begin our mission for the afternoon. One lunch, he said, was for the person without a meal and the other was for us. Apparently it was so that we would sit with the person receiving the meal and eat with him. Deep down this is not what I wanted to hear. I longed to not have to get my hands dirty, to be able to hand the poor and needy a lunch while remaining warm, safe and cozy in my fifty dollar Columbia sweatshirt. But that was not what I got.

Before we left, Jonathan reminded us all why we were doing this in the first place. As a group of Christians trying to live out our faith, “we love because he (God) first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Because God loved the people of His creation so much, He died for all the selfishness, hatred and pride in our hearts and rose again so that we could be with Him. These words moved me. If there is a God who loves me without limits so much so that He would die for me, surely with his help I can love the people around me without limits as to how comfortable I am, how safe I feel, or how much time they carve out of my afternoon.

With those words in the back of my mind and with bags of sandwiches filling my arms, my group left Washington Heights for our assigned strip of the city. It was not long before we encountered two men on a park bench. One was bent over, asleep, and the other was organizing his few belongings into some trash bags. A little hesitant at first, my friends and I approached the man who was awake and said, “We’re from the New York City Urban Project… would you like something to eat?” He agreed, and we spent the next hour and forty-five minutes talking to Anthony, hearing of all sorts of things from how he had run three marathons to how he had messed up his marriage and lost his wife, his money and the custody of his child. James, the man who had been sleeping, woke up and began eating several sandwiches, saying a few grateful words here and there and explaining to us why it was hard for him to stand up straight and even hold on to his food. I was filled with so much happiness when both of them laughed from time to time, for I saw a little glimpse of the beauty infused into them, and I imagined God laughing with joy along with us.

It’s easy enough to ladle soup into a bowl and hand it to someone, or even to write a check to a homeless shelter. I’m not trying to diminish the importance of either of those things, but, as Jonathan would say, what would it look like if we actually cared about the people around us and spent time actually loving them? New York would be a very different place if it wasn’t so uncommon to see students, professors, doctors, and lawyers using the resources we have and not just caring for people in the workplace but in all the different places we find ourselves daily. If you feel that’s impossible for you, like I often do, turn to Jesus. I guarantee you He will transform your life and fill you with his power to love.

- Rebekah Mays, Barnard IVCF

River of Grass

2009-11-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

I hear the whispers from the river of grass telling the sleeping manatee it's time to breathe, the flamingo it's time to switch feet and the crocodiles and alligators that though one's skin is lighter than the other there's no need for low self-esteem, prejudgment, or feelings of inadequacy and even if the latter's snout is round instead of thin they are invited into the harmony that exists between the red mangroves and the residents in its roots, the blades of saw grass that cut no creatures passing through and the frenzy of feathers and fauna that call this clash of habitats --- home.

This is the Everglades --land of the seminole and then the soldier, the colonies and the colonized , the live-ins and the passers-by all trying to do what the Everglades do so well -- live in a balance like an egg on end and if untouched would stay that way with not so much as a problem or conflict because the mud and leaves, mosquitoes and trees are a living picture of mucky perfection that we keep trying to suburbanize or gentrify into something that will generate profits when anything man-made will definitely be of lesser value.

The Everglades are out there but what if we could get a little of the everglades in here because the parrots and the blue jays certainly speak different languages, and frogs and toads come from different backgrounds, and the cattle egret and snowy egret are the same species but different ethnicities and all of them seem not just to survive but to thrive in a place where we don't look hard enough to see the life inside.

I hear the whisper of the river of grass telling Miami-dade to take a break and turn down Beyonce and little Wayne, take a trip to everglades and listen to the crickets and owls sing because we might find that our songs aren't music at all.

The Exalted Shall be Humbled

2009-10-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

The folks from Westboro Baptist Church, headquarters of the infamous “God hates fags” movement, have been in the New York City area for the past several days. It was a big weekend for them, protesting wicked Catholics, rebellious Jews, Obama the anti-Christ, and of course, the heathen gays. On Thursday, they decided to stop by the Jewish Theological Seminary to explain that God was fed up with Jews who refuse to repent of their apostasy and that he will soon wipe them from existence. Obama, too, wishes for the destruction of the Jews, as would be expected from the anti-Christ.

So, why did I and some of my Christian friends show up at their protest with signs trying to counter their demonstration? They’re trying to provoke a reaction, right? And wouldn’t any counter-protest serve to legitimize their views to some degree? Who takes them seriously, anyway? They believe that Christ and the anti-Christ have somehow set aside their differences to annihilate the Jews.

These are all fair points that I had to consider, but as a Christian, I had a much larger stake in this protest. They were representing Jesus in a way that his followers simply can’t allow to go unchallenged. The God of Westboro is primarily one of judgment. He applauds only those who have achieved a high moral status by following the right rules, holding the right doctrines, and condemning the right groups of sinners.

Contrast this with one of the stories from Luke in Chapter 18. The passage begins, “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable…” (Luke 18:9). The story is about two prayers from two very different people, a priest and a tax collector. First, the priest thanks God that he is not like all the sinners he sees around him, like the tax collector beside him, and then lists a couple of ways in which he is particularly holy.

The tax collector, however, could make no such prayer. People in his profession were known for extracting far more than the government actually required of its citizens so that they could reap the benefits. They went unchecked by the empire, and were thus common symbols of greed, corruption, and Roman imperial oppression. His prayer was simple. “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). When he finishes his parable, Jesus says, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

One of the main criticisms raised against Jesus by the religious establishment of his day was that he spent time hanging out with prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners, and this is why I had to try to correct Thursday’s misrepresentation of him. Westboro isn’t just a group of off-the-wall religious fanatics—they represent something larger, the idea that God is interested in the morally upright. He is not. People who followed what they believed to be God’s law couldn’t stand Jesus because he accepted many people that they always rejected. God is instead interested in people with humility and the willingness to listen.

Don’t get me wrong. Just a brief glance at several passages in the Bible would reveal that God is clearly a judge who will punish wrongdoing, but the manner of that punishment makes known His true character. The Torah sets up a system of laws showing the Hebrew people right from wrong and punishing them when they choose the latter. Sacrifices were always required to make up for infringements, which makes sense. A holy God, perfect in every way, could not be in the presence of imperfect beings by definition. Some change on the part of the imperfect had to transpire, and sacrifice was the usual method. But God wanted to commune with his creation more than anything, which is why he sacrificed himself in order to be with his creation. He had nothing else to gain from such behavior. And so Christians celebrate. We are undeserving, but blessed.

When we see ourselves or others living in ways that violate God’s law, we can’t condemn anyone because God did not condemn anyone. Instead, we attempt to show people the God who can be trusted to provide us the right way to live because of His sacrifice.

So, to all whom the church has ever excluded—Jews, homosexuals, or anyone else—we welcome you. We hope you will spend time with the Christians at Columbia as we try to follow the Rabbi who is teaching us to live with true humility and love. As for the Westboro crowd, if they wanted to join us, we would welcome them, too. For now, I can only pray that God grants them the mercy they so want him to withhold from everyone else.

The author is a Columbia College senior majoring in history. He is the president of the Veritas Forum and a member of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Nomi Network's Launch, A HUGE SUCCESS!

2009-10-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends of NOMI Network!

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out last night to Nomi Network's first Product Launch Party! We started the night off in YingYing's fabulous SOHO boutique, White Saffron, promoting her gorgeous products coupled with our slave-free slogan-tote bags. What a sight to see: people overflowing into the streets, sipping on Chardonnay, and slinging their new tote bags in an array of cheerful colors to welcome the fall.

Next we sauntered a couple blocks over to NYU's Puck building where we mixed and mingled while viewing the profound photography of Tara Israel, Nomi's lead photographer, and hearing our keynote actress/director Esosa Edosomwan speak powerfully about the change we need to empower women to surmount stereotypes and combat sexual abuse in every form.

We ended the night listening to the stories of some of Nomi's core-team members, including Supei Liu, our resident product-developer-guru just back from Cambodia and brimming with the sincere accounts of the true hero's of the evening: the women - the survivors - who Nomi Network is now supporting and giving a voice to through the sale of our socially conscious BUY HER BAG NOT HER BODY tote-bags.

To those of you who couldn't make it out, we know you were there in spirit and we appreciate you so much! Hope to see you next time and stay tuned for our holiday fundraising efforts...

for freedom and fashion fighting together,
Alissa, Diana and Team Nomi

Reflections from Feed 500, September 26

2009-10-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

"Today I got to have an experience I never had before. I got to speak with a man that was homeless and now is a Christian. He helped me to understand that the dirty, ugly, smelly people that I would see in the trains, benches, and floors are real people. They have real feelings. They have real stories. As he told me his story I began to change my view of homeless people with each passing sentence. After my conversation with him, I encountered my first homeless person with my new found perception of homeless people. I got to hear his story and I saw that the first story I heard is not a rare story. Many people on the street experience the same atrocities. Today's experience helped change me to become a better person"

- Baruch Student

"Volunteering at the Love Kitchen helped me to see how God's grace can work through all circumstances. I almost didn't make it to the Love Kitchen becuase I got a bit lost on the train station. A part of me wanted to turn back and go home, but I trusted God that he would some how help me reach my destination. I eventually did make it in time to serve the homeless people some food and talk to some of them. I met and talked with a homeless person named Henry who told me quite a life story. He explained to me how he got a virus stuck in his throat when he was younger and how he could hardly breathe ever since than. It was amazing to see how he has such a deep faith in Christ even though he had suffered so much in his life. He told me how it was his faith in Christ that gave him strength to keep on living each day. I also met two other homeless people, but unfortunately I couldn't get the chance to have a long term conversation with them like I did with Henry. I'll take the blame for that since this was really my first time talking to homeless people. I've learned from my mistakes and my experiences at the Love Kitchen and I hope by God's grace I will be able to return there someday to serve again."

- John Woo, Baruch

I had a really nice experience. Today I learned that homeless people are more than that. They are humans with the same needs as rich people. For some reason, or a bad experience, they decided to live their life like that, and although we forget about them, God is always thinking about them. A superior being, and what about us? We should definitely take some time to talk to these people, because they have so much to say.

-- Baruch Student

Why Do We Turn Victims Into Criminals

2009-08-17T07:44:00.001-07:00

Before interning at Restore NYC, prostitution was a world I wasn’t familiar with outside of pop culture and academia. Songs like Ludacris’s “Area Code” glorify the life of a pimp, while Julia Roberts portrays in “Pretty Woman” how a prostitute can find herself in a sweet love story. In middle school, when we sang along with 50 Cents’s “P.I.M.P.” our ears only caught the chorus, and we missed the underlying violent truth embedded in, “Now Niki my bottom b*tch, she always come up with my bread/ The last n*gga she was with put stitches in her head.”

At my university, I learned in my Gender and Sexuality class about the idea of heteronormative, Puritanical statures being set on American society. In class we were taught how sex work can be an empowering decision for women. But I failed to realize the women we studied often served an elite, wealthy clientele (politicians, corporate tycoons) and the women themselves came from different socio-economic backgrounds than the women and cases I encountered while interning at Restore (college-educated Americans versus women from post-war countries enticed by jobs in America). When our class framed our discussions about the legalization of prostitution, I pictured how a well-off group of women would benefit from being able to work in an open and monitored work place, all the while ignorant to the reality of human sex-trafficking.

But to every empowered woman there is a girl emotionally-manipulated and abused by her pimp. Instead of sexual progression there is human regression as women and girls are brought into America as slaves.

During my internship I was forced to confront an ugly truth about myself: somewhere along the line I had internalized the idea that prostitutes deserved to take complete responsibility for their decisions. I had traded my intelligence for simple answers fed to me by academia, and exchanged my compassion for the ubiquitous attitude towards “hoes.”

At Restore I learned more about the reality that pimps and human traffickers seek to keep secret in order to profit from human exploitation. A pimp is not a smooth-talking womanizer who should be admired, but rather he is a master of manipulating girls, as young as 13-years-old, who often come from abusive homes, into a life of sexual exploitation and emotional abuse that a lifetime may not heal.

In the eyes of her pimp or her trafficker, a prostitute is a monetary number. A human life can be bought for a few hundred dollars, and later capitalized to thousands of dollars each week as prostitutes are forced to service multiple Johns. Prostitution suddenly becomes a business less about sex and more about dehumanization.

One of the most revealing experiences was going to court with Kara. There we were able to see the women who were brought in for prostitution. Rather than seeing them as victims of a broken system, these women were tried as criminals.

Dumplings in Flushing Will Never Be the Same...

2009-08-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

My experience interning at Restore this summer has equipped me to recognize human trafficking when I see it, to understand the depth of the issue, and to contribute to the fight against it.

I learned quickly to identify the signs of human trafficking and realized that this underground world that had seemed so foreign to me was actually closer than I thought. While on a prayer walk in the Flushing neighborhood where I had stayed last summer before moving into my dorm, I came to the realization that I would never see that neighborhood the same way again. All the places I remembered so fondly— the Chinese restaurant where I used to get dumplings with my family, the grocery store where I had purchased snacks to stock my dorm room for the first time— were thoroughly intermingled with places that had remained invisible to me before. During the prayer walk, I began to notice the neighborhood's high concentration of suspicious massage parlors. On the map of the area provided by Restore, all the familiar streets were highlighted in yellow to call attention to places where trafficking had been discovered. I now knew the implications of the signs that read "New Asian girls every week" or of the newspaper advertisements that emphasized "outcalls only." I learned that massage parlors that offer sexual services, that frequently change names, addresses, or both, that are located in ethnic-specific communities, and that are staffed by recent and possibly undocumented immigrants are often places where desperate women are forced, deceived, or coerced into sex work. It grieved me that our we live in a society that allows such establishments to advertise in mainstream publications like Time Out New York and Village Voice, which are praised, promoted, and occasionally given away for free by my university.

When Karen and I accompanied Kara to the Queens District Court, my eyes were opened to one more of the countless injustices that plague victims of sex trafficking: the criminalization of the victims. When we were on our way to court, I had imagined that the defendants would not be the women but their perpetrators: the people who sold them into slavery or held them captive or paid for their services. I was shocked and appalled to see the women themselves standing before the judge, accused of criminal acts when, instead, they should have been viewed as exploited victims desperately in need of rescue.

My time spent at Restore taught me that, despite the magnitude of the need, the fight against human trafficking is far from hopeless. I was encouraged to see that organizations like Restore and GEMS are able to make the best of the unfortunate fact that the victims are tried as criminals, because they actually work through the court system to come into contact with the women and counsel them. Becoming better acquainted with the issue, learning to identify the warning signs has prepared me to take action against human trafficking, as well.

Can I simply ignore the things that I see?

2009-08-13T21:09:00.001-07:00

As NYCUP is starting to wind down, I have been doing a lot of thinking: What more can I do in the life that I am living in? Throughout these past weeks, many issues have been raised, issues that I was not even aware of. Some of these issues are of the homeless, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking.

Definitely, something needs to be done. I’m glad God is at work. The many different organizations that we are all interning are prime examples that something is being done. But that does not mean that we do not need to care about the issues in our community. If anything we should become more active, especially when we know that something is not right.

These last few days, I have been feeling exactly just that. With all of my knowledge and experience that have gained through NYCUP, I do not believe that I can revert back to my same, exact comfortable life style. That is not to say that I will completely change my whole lifestyle. Instead some part of my lifestyle will have to change.

Although, initially, I felt overwhelmed and burdened from being made aware of all these different issues, I am reminded that all of these issues are not meant for me to bear. Only Jesus Christ can bear all of these problems and make it right.

Of course, knowing this truth doesn’t mean that I can just turn a blind eye. Although I do not need to bear these burdens, I still feel compassionate of what I see right in front of me. Can I simply ignore the things that I see?

To Burp or Not to Burp...

2009-08-05T07:42:00.001-07:00

To be honest, I think living in a female-dominated house has been quite an annoying, yet rewarding experience. Of course there’s the obvious list of things not to do – such as walking around the house in my boxers, using my shirt to fan myself, changing clothes with the door open, leaving the bathroom door unlocked, burping and farting out in the open or making it a competition and I think the list goes on forever. And then... There’s the not-so-obvious list of things that you should do...

I grew up in orange county, California my whole life. with the beach only 15-20 mins away, I think its fair to say that both women wearing just bikinis or shirtless guys walking around the community is a norm. the standard for the amount of skin you can show is most likely different compared to many other suburban areas (I would argue). after all, if you've ever looked at the facebook group for california ("B*tch please..... I'm from california), you might've noticed #5 - which is basically about how adult videos are made here because sex is better here. you can disagree or agree with that if you want, but I'm merely just using it as an example of the uniqueness of the setting I grew up in; and likewise, I think everyone else in this house grew up in their own way and in their own environment.

Its been interesting to see how everyone reacts to certain situations or events in their own ways. Also, being able to witness what everyone brings to the table has been great. I think its been a humbling experience for me to acknowledge the differences that exist in different generations, cultures, backgrounds, or even in gender. Although at times things here and there continue to annoy and gnaw at me, being able to learn from these experiences has been good. At the very least, now I know the type of people I don't want to live with again hahah :).

What may be fine with me may not be fine with others. What may be great and awesome with me may not be great and awesome with others. What may sound pleasing to my ears may not be pleasing to others. What may be insensitive to me may be sensitive to others. What may be normal for me to do or say may not be normal to others who witness. What I do may not be interpreted by others as what I'd hope or think. Ultimately everyone ticks a bit differently from each other and I think we should all suck-it-up and acknowledge that. And with that in mind, community can be born no?

Doing some not-so-obvious things in this house such as encouraging others with words of affirmation daily are things I think should do in order for community-building right? Well, maybe.

-- Jason

Check Your Foundation Before Fueling the Fire

2009-08-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be a day, or night rather, of rest. Jonathan Walton (director of NYCUP) talked about stoking the flames of the fire to ensure that the foundation is still intact, rather than always adding more fuel to the fire and then burning out too quickly as a consequence. The parallel to our current state of mind is that we should reflect in peaceful silence on what God has been revealing to us lately rather than merely accumulating more and more knowledge and passion and then burning out easily. But tonight didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to for me.

I finished reading “Not for Sale.” I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to be disturbed, moved, and inspired. I recommend this book to anyone who is willing to be disturbed by the injustice in this world, moved by those who took the initiative to fight this injustice, and inspired enough to make a difference themselves.

After the couple of hours of reflection and restoration, the whole house came together to share about what God had been placing on our hearts. I shared that through reading this book, God was showing me how ignorant, indifferent and fearful I had been before reading it. What did I know about the slave trade, sexual slavery, human trafficking? Even if I did know, what did it matter to me in this present moment- it didn’t affect me personally or break my heart to do anything about it? And even if it did matter to me, how could I, the most ignorant and least influential person of all, do anything about it?

Reading “Not for Sale” allowed God to break my heart to see the pain and suffering that others have been and are currently going through. I saw how distant I was from truly loving others. How could I not have known? How could I have stood idly by instead of researching to find out more or spreading awareness about this global issue? How could I be comfortable enough in my life to not be desperate about this injustice and pray to God that He would show me a way in which I could use my gifts or skills or connections to fight this crime and liberate people from slavery and thus ultimately glorify God’s own name? In the ending chapters of the book, Batstone wrote that “social movements take root and blossom when enough individuals take personal action. When you tell yourself that there is nothing that you can do to arrest the global slave trade, you underestimate your own potential and abandon hope for those trapped in captivity” (269). I add that God can use all of us for change, and that we must trust that He will provide us with whatever we lack. God wants us to search for a vocation, a calling rather than a career (architecture, law, psychology, linguistics). Whatever cause it may be, whatever gifts I may have, doing everything for God. I tend to overcommit to so many things, but I am praying that in whatever I do, I may be able to serve God in helping to heal the brokenness of others as He has healed me."

- Narai

"Love Your Friends...and Your Enemies"

2009-08-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, when we attended church in the Bronx, I engaged in perhaps
the most meaningful worship of my entire life. The friendliness of the
congregation reminded me of what church is supposed to look like.
During the greeting time (which was longer than any I have ever
seen!), I could not walk more than two steps without being hugged by a
warm, smiling brother or sister in Christ. The worship helped me to
connect to God in a way that I hadn't for a very long time. The
message was also quite significant. It was just what I needed. The
pastor talked about loving your enemies-- an issue I had been
struggling with for quite some time. It seemed so counter intuitive. I
understood the idea of confessing sins, repenting, and mutual
forgiveness. I even had a category for becoming friends with former
enemies, putting the past behind me, and moving forward in love. What
I had always struggled with is loving my enemies while they're still
my enemies. I know that we're called to do this, because "while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Jesus, who had
everything already and needed nothing, was willing to sacrifice
himself for people who didn't appreciate him, who falsely accused him
every time they had the opportunity, and who eventually tortured and
killed him. I have always admired Christ's overwhelming,
unconditional, sacrificial love, but I have never been able to
understand quite what it would look like for me to emulate it. There
are certain people I just can't imagine loving, especially if they
have no intentions of repenting. I want to love them, but I can't
figure out a way to make myself do it. During the message, I realized
that, at the point when I can come to grips with the fact that I can't
do it on my own, I am able to invite God in to help me love my enemies
like He loved us while we were his enemies. At that point, I depend
completely on him and allow him to work in me and through me, making
me more like him. As I said at the beginning of the project, it is my
desire to reflect God's character through my actions, loving people
with his love (even those whom I would normally deem unlovely). The
pastor's message reminded me that actions speak louder than words, and
that my character as expressed through my actions will have a bigger
impact on the people around me than will anything I say. Saying "I
forgive you" is not enough. I need to invite God into my situation,
ask him to help me to love my enemies, and then truly love them the
way that He would.

God is the Potter, We Are the Clay

2009-07-21T12:45:00.001-07:00

These last few days have been intense. I met a lot of different people
and everyone has finally arrived at The House. Work at the Love
Kitchen is getting more exciting. I am learning more about the history
of the Love Kitchen. It's been around for 22 years. It was even more
exciting when it was first established and by exciting I mean it was
dangerous. Fights would erupt, drug deals were attempted, etc.
Fortunately, God is good. God kept The Love Kitchen strong and helped
it grow. God also brought many of the people who came to the Love
Kitchen back to Him.
After learning about the history of the Love Kitchen I was reminded of
the story of King Manasseh in 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 that was shared
with us by All Angels' Church last weekend. In the passage, Manasseh
was a king who turned away from God and did many evil deeds, such as
worshiping idols and offering human sacrifices to them. God tried to
bring Manasseh back to his sense but Manasseh was stubborn. As a
result, God sent an army from Assyria to Manasseh's kingdom. He was
captured and made a prisoner. During his time as a prisoner, Manasseh
turned back to God and repented for his sins. God reestablished
Manasseh as king of Judah and made even greater than before. Manasseh
did many great deeds and sensed God for the rest of His life.
To me, this passage showed just how much God loves us and to what
great lengths He would take in order to save us from our sins. The
period of time of trouble may be at times dreadful and very painful
for us, both physically and spiritually. But the end result of what
God creates out of our mess-ups is even better than what we could ever
imagine.
As Eddie, the chef of the Love Kitchen told me, "God is the potter and
we are the clay". Before being molded, the clay (us) needs to be
splattered, hard, onto the clay molding wheel. That big splat can be
painful but the form that is molded out of the clay is priceless. Many
of the people who have come to the Love Kitchen over these 22 years
have been "splatted" in many different ways, but they have become
beautiful treasures.

- Winston Tse

"Not Just a Rub-n-Tug" - Letter to Time Out New York

2009-07-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

"Not Just a Rub-n-Tug" - Letter to Time Out NY

Time Out New York recently published an article in their Sex & Dating column titled, "Best Happy Ending Parlors in New York City". Upon clicking the link, the reader is met with "your spa visit will end with a smile when you visit the best rub-n-tug joints"; and goes on to list the top 5 places in Manhattan to receive sex for money. Essentially, advertising the top five brothels in Manhattan with recommended "tips" for how to act as well as how much to pay.

Based on the latest UN Trafficking in Persons report it is a high probability that the women in these "establishments" are victims of sex trafficking and/or debt bondage - two forms of modern-day slavery. Human Trafficking is now the leading illegal enterprise in the world today -surpassing drugs and weapons as a woman can be bought and sold several times over sometimes servicing more than 20 men a day. It is estimated that more than 15000 trafficked persons pass through NYC alone each year.

That being said, here is the Editor's Note:
Paying for sex is illegal in New York City, so use the information below at your own risk; Time Out New York is not responsible for your safety. At each location, your mileage may vary, depending on your masseuse, your look and your behavior. The services described below are not explicitly offered at the spas, which describe themselves as legitimate massage parlors. A decent tip is usually $40. The following five have been in operation for at least two years running.

No, Time Out New York is not responsible for your safety, nor are they responsible for the well-being of men and women that were born into poverty, manipulated, and brought to another country under the guise of finding a better life.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adults is wrong and one of the most popular publications in New York City only took the time to research what's written below:

West Garden Spa
243 W 30th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (212-244-7711, westgardenspa.com)
Cost: $100 plus tip

"...you get a table wash (often by a petite Latina woman) and are directed (by an Asian woman of the spa’s choice) into a labyrinth of private white rooms, with Lite FM music piped in. After a decent massage (“Hard or soft?”), she’ll jerk you off."

My Heavenly Hands
Locations vary (646-460-0566, myheavenlyhands.com)
Cost: $130 for 30 minutes; $200 for an hour, plus tip

"...this service, run by self-proclaimed college girls (but who knows), employs Hispanic and black women, a nice alternative to the usual Asian fare."

22 West Spa
22 W 38th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, first floor (212-997-2228)
Cost: $60 for 30 minutes; $80 for an hour, plus tip

"We’ve heard of people going in for a quick happy ending and getting a blow job (without a condom), a make-out session (while being tugged) or full-on sex. Our reporter never went that far, but he did enjoy what his health teacher once called “mutual masturbation” while a breast was in his mouth"

New York Health Spa
5 W 37th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-575-5600)
Cost: $80 plus tip

Miga Spa
238 W 78th St between Amsterdam Ave and Broadway (212-501-7750)
Cost: $70 plus tip

They did not however take the time to ponder the possibility that they may be willing participants in sex-trafficking and investing in the rape and molestation of women and boys taken and held against their will.

I cringe when I think that business is booming for the pimps and traffickers as they reap the benefits of Time Out's readership. It bothers me that the eyes that usually comb the back pages of the New York Post or adult services on Craigslist can now click to a well-known publication and find exactly what they're looking for.

I can only hope that modern-day abolitionists are reading too, so that we know where to go as well.

Operation Exodus vs. Merrill Lynch

2009-07-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m writing this because apparently Jonathan and others want to hear about it, but I’m thinking to myself “What should I say?” It’s not that words or images aren’t coming to my mind and I have writer’s block or whatever, but really it’s quite the opposite. There’s simply too much to talk about and writing the experience in attending these two internships in one week (which I've only done once so far btw) in less than the length of a book is difficult, but I’ll try :). This is a compilation of a week's worth of thinking and typing, so hopefully this will be enjoyable for you to read, hah.

Comparing Exodus to ML is like comparing black to white, but not really. On one side, I’m dealing with young professionals and interns who are all relatively well-educated and who all come from middle-class+ families. On another side, I’m dealing with under served children who perform 2-3 grade levels below national standards and who come from below poverty level families. However, whichever side I’m on, I find myself surrounded by people who do not know God – people who, regardless of their wealth, education, family backgrounds, societal status, etc. through the eyes of Jesus deserve the grace and mercy of God just as much as any of us believers do.

At Operation Exodus, God’s work is in the process all the time. The kids (though they themselves may not realize it) experience injustice in many forms. They’re growing up in an environment both at home and at school that I think many of us aren’t familiar with. I mean, just as an example, youth teams from churches come to this specific program to "help" these kids. Imagine if that had happened to you when you were in elementary or middle school. What would you feel like or what would be running through your mind when you see volunteers come and go every week of the summer? Also, what kind of "help" do these children need? Many of these children don’t even speak English at home, so this is one of many disadvantages for them to overcome at school. Many of these children live in poor families, so they don’t have the resources to expand their knowledge and most likely don't have a chance to move above the poverty level. Many of these children aren’t pushed or challenged by their teachers or mentors to step outside of the box, so they will most likely stay in the Heights for the rest of their lives and have kids that will probably go through the same cycle. Ultimately, I believe these kids need an enormous amount of help in terms of worldly standards, but I also believe Christ is the biggest help these children can receive. Hopefully what we, the staff members and the volunteers, are doing is helping these children see the door to a Savior, a Healer. Hopefully when I'm there, God is using me to be a light even though I'm a chinese guy awkwardly placed in a latino-dominated classroom. I can only pray that God does His thing.

At ML, I work with full-timers and other interns who all come from middle class families or above. For those of you who have/are working in a professional corporate setting, surely you can agree with me that most of these people are relatively smart and knowledgeable and have ambitions that are relatively limited to only the privileged. For the most part, they've all been well-educated growing up and have attended decent to well-known universities. Each of them has a chance to make six digits easily and can achieve worldly success in the eyes of their peers. However, can money and worldly success give enough meaning to life and grant happiness to all of those who have it? I honestly believe sooner or later, these individuals will start to wonder if there's more to life than just success. The only reason I say this is because I've seen it, I've experienced that sense of feeling coming from them. I'd like to believe they're smart individuals who can think for themselves about issues such as gay rights, politics or religion. For example, most of my team asks me "how was your weekend" or "how is your week so far" and I tell them the truth - I've been working with under served children or with homeless people and living the Heights. Most of their responses were: "You mean Washington Heights? Isn't that a not-so-great neighborhood??" and I'm like "yep..." and I explain what I'm doing and every single one of them responded positively or even commended me. The question I ask when I'm at ML is what can I do to serve and witness to them when I'm only a summer intern? Just as with the Exodus children, I hope that I can help these individuals see the door to the God of this universe and I can only pray that God does His thing here too.

To me, comparing Exodus to ML is like comparing black and white in terms of worldly standards, but in terms of God's standards they're both places filled with people who do not know Christ. Despite what some of you may think, the young professionals I encounter actually have morals. I think there’s a common misconception that all the people working in banks or financial services industries are working for their personal wealth and ambition and worldly success. No. I think that statement can be true in various degrees for many of the individuals, but to generalize and say that all of them, for example, don’t even care about social welfare or the poor is ridiculous. Many of them have families. Would it be unfair to say they’re working for the money in order to allow their families to live comfortably? Is that bad morals? My boss hosts a golf tournament every year where all proceeds and donations go to cancer research. Does that surprise you? I think they’re just like the children at Exodus in the sense that they need direction - a direction that points towards God.

Whether if I look to my left and see under served children or look to my right and see financially strong intellectuals, I'm only trying to look towards the third way, the middle way - the way Christ would view both of these societal groups (which is not children who need tons of help or superior intellectuals who have it all). Because the fact of the matter is, both of these groups of people can still feel satisfied and content with their lifestyle even if we (believers) don't think they would simply because they don't know Christ or because we see them drop out of school. This is one characteristic that they both share. And another shared characteristic is that whether you're a businessman in a suit or some no-name at the very bottom of society, Christ views you as a sheep that needs to be shepherd towards His right hand side. My opportunity in being able to intern at both of these places has given me the experience and the sight of what one of the realities of this city is really like, and what God's kingdom on earth can look like.

Empowering Women

2009-07-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Briana and I went to a volunteer training session with an organization that works with RestoreNYC, a non-profit that helps rehabilitate former sex trafficked victims. The partnering organization assists women who are domestic abuse victims, providing services such as finding housing to connecting women with legal counsel.

Briana and I were surprised to learn that as volunteers, much of our training taught us not what to do but also what not to do. A lot of what we learned was how to establish healthy boundaries.

Domestic violence can take many forms but it stems from control and power. An abuser exerts power over their partner through controlling their finances, emotional manipulation, or physical assault.

Although I walked out of the training session feeling restricted in how I can interact with clients from the shelter, I realized later the center allows the women to reclaim empowerment by making their own decisions according to their own timeline within a safe environment. It was humbling to learn how best to love these women and children by respecting their decisions and looking after their safety.

Utilizing Globalization for Humanity

2009-07-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

During the first week of NYCUP, my fellow Nomi Nomad, Lucy, and I focused much of our energies on writing a 24-page paper for our internship at Nomi Network. Because Nomi Network is a start-up non-profit that is still in search of a permanent location (hence the coining of our Nomi Nomad identities), much of the writing for the paper took place in Columbia’s Business School and Butler Libraries, various Cosi locations, a Marriott hotel, and wherever else we could snag some free wi-fi in Manhattan. The topic of the paper, which we co-wrote along with Nomi volunteer, Stephen Bauer, and Nomi Executive Director, Alissa Moore, was about technology and its intersections with the trafficking industry as well as the ways in which it has greatly enhanced anti-trafficking efforts. We submitted the final version to the editor of American Behaviorial Scientist, an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journal, for their special issue on Media and World Events.

Even though I was writing this paper in the very same environments that I write my other papers for school, the harsh realities of the topic and its implications distinguished the imminence of the subject from all my other graded papers. As I learned and wrote about the extent to which the internet can enable human trafficking, I thought about how much our generation is wired to these rapid technological advances. What may be convenient forms of communication for us could also serve as easy methods to perpetuate the crimes of traffickers. One example we used was that of Craigslist, and how the anonymity and widespread access it offers to its users are often exploited by traffickers who both recruit their victims and advertise their services through the online classifieds website.

While this paper exposed me to these atrocities, it also gave me the opportunity to learn more about the ways in which Nomi is truly riding on the waves of globalization to counter trafficking. Not only does Nomi’s unique business model create economic opportunities for trafficking victims by adding social value to the supply chain of today’s globalized production process, but it is also utilizing technological advances and the internet as a platform on which it can more deeply engage a wide audience. One of Nomi’s primary projects is to connect anti-trafficking NGOs with designers and private factories so that former trafficking victims who have received vocational skills can produce highly-marketable items for consumers in the US. Essentially, Nomi is trying to reshape the supply-side of production while promoting a more conscientious product demand.

As a Political Economy major at Barnard, it was really amazing to be able to apply what I’ve learned from my studies to really understand the sex trafficking industry as a form of organized crime largely driven by economics. My background in economics has also made me really appreciate the opportunity that I have this summer to learn from an organization that is on the cusp of all the changes in today’s global economy. After so many years of theoretical learning, it is so great to finally put both my knowledge and passion into practice.

--Hei-Yue

"From Darkness to Light" - www.slaverymap.org

2009-07-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

"Slavery thrives in the shadows. An estimated 27 million live in bondage today – yet we know about the plight of so few of them. The battle to end slavery begins by revealing it.

Slave labor is alive and well but it's hard for us to believe it's in our own backyards, next door, or a couple floors up. This tool will help us to shed light on cases that are happening in our neighborhoods so that we can begin to grasp the scope of this rising issue and serve as fuel for change in legislation, social consciousness and grow our effectiveness to combat this growing problem.

Slavery Map was born out of University of San Francisco Professor David Batstone's Not For Sale Campaign, which began when the death of Seetha Vemireddy, a 17 year-old bonded slave at the Pasand restaurant in Berkeley, CA, came to Batstone's attention. By learning to recognize forced labor and report it, you can help people like Seetha gain their freedom. Slavery Map was created for this purpose."

- David Batstone, "Not For Sale"

Modern slavery is one of the many social justice issues studied by the interns involved with the New York City Urban Project. In order for people to join in the fight against injustice, people have to know what they are up against. Slavery Map allows modern day abolitionists to alert the ears of mainstream society to the cries of the oppressed. It provides a way for the public to gauge the sheer magnitude of this evil that plagues the city and the world. The Map is covered with yellow flags, each one signifying an instance of human trafficking that has been reported to law enforcement. The already overwhelming image of New York City peppered with yellow flags intensifies when the number of incidents that remain unreported or undiscovered are taken into consideration. Slavery Map renders impossible the excuse of ignorance, transforming the way people see their neighborhood. This crucial tool powerfully educates the viewers about both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of human trafficking around the world.

"A Costco in the South Bronx"

2009-07-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

Walking through the World Vision Storehouse was like shopping at Costco. The warehouse is an amazing collection of gifts-in-kind, mostly essentials (and hundreds of WWE belt buckles and other paraphernalia) for community groups, schools, and churches. I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat when Sal (who's in charge of the warehouse, I believe) told us we could help assemble furniture. I LOVE assembling furniture, so needless to say, I was uber excited. At home, I used to assemble all the desks, bookshelves, cabinets, and other storage units my family bought. At school, I only had the luxury of putting together a shoe rack, because my dorm room was already furnished. Even though I had to leave early and did not get to see the final product, I had a lot of fun with Hei-Yue and Winston putting together a cabinet. It also made me really happy to see volunteers from another church there as well, also assembling furniture. I think that the furniture and everything else in the Storehouse's inventory (OK, maybe not the belt buckles) can dramatically impact people's lives. Even though I only stayed there an hour, it was definitely worth it.

If Anyone Has Ears to Hear...

2009-07-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

Joy finally arrived! Sara, too! Praise God that they made it safe and sound. Joy and I went to Love Kitchen today. Sara didn't make it since she arrived much later in the day. Both of us finally got to meet Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones is in charge of the Love Kitchen and is also a board member of the Food Bank for New York.
Today Joy and I distributed bags of food to the people. I felt kind of bad, seeing how many people were turned away due to registration and issues. This system may not be perfect but it is the best that we have. I also got a chance to talk to one of the people that was eating. His name was Ray. Most of the time, I was listening to what he was saying about how life was OK to him. I ended up just listening to Ray the whole time. And it made me realize, once again, just how important it is to listen to others. Just like how I like to have others listen to me, others like to be listened to as well. Just being able to listen to someone, and not necessarily need to do anything, is so powerful. Because, sometimes, that is just what we need to do: listen.
"The Lord says: Don't boast about your wisdom or strength or wealth. If you feel you must boast, them have enough sense to boast about worshiping me, the Lord. what I like the best is showing kindness, justice, and mercy to everyone on earth." Jeremiah 9:23-24

"Yo Chino, Wanna Buy Some..."

2009-07-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

I was asked twice by the same drug dealer on two different days if I wanted to buy some drugs. Sneakers on light stands representing drug spots. Teddy bears on light stands representing who knows what? Loud latino music played at night. Restaurant names only in Spanish. Hair salons, deli's and Latina Comida everywhere east of Broadway. BMW's and Benz's everywhere west of Broadway. Gangs hanging out on the streets speaking Spanish. This is the Heights.

Living in the Heights has been such an experience already. I can only wonder what will happen in the next 4 weeks. We all need to pray now and for the remainder of our time here that we can be used by God in this community. Let's be prayer warriors.

Two Pennies

2009-07-10T13:05:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day of internships. I left The House at 8:18 and headed for the subway. I ended up arriving at the Love Kitchen around 8:45am. When I got there I met Denise Hykes from World Vision-US Programs and the other interns. Mr. Jones was around though and as a result I ended working on the computer to help find grants to support Manhattan Bible School. At 3:30pm I went do went down to the Love Kitchen and helped set up. I met Jerry and many others. Jerry is a High School student and a volunteer at Manhattan Bible Church. He's a really great guy and is so willing to help. We both served at the Love Kitchen, serving food to the people who came. At times, we were clumsy but the people were forgiving.
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what we do. We may do something with all our might, yet we would fail to accomplish anything if we do not put God's will into consideration. However, if if we were to have God as our focus and maintain His Will in whatever we do then we will be successful, even if we do a great/horrible job.

"Jesus looked up and saw soem people tossing their gifts into the offering box. He also saw a poor widow putting in two pennies. And He said, I tell you the truth, that the poor widow has put in more than the others. Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had " (Luke 21:1-4).

"In the Heights"

2009-07-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the House on Sunday at 2:55 pm. It was more like a 'settle-in' day, where we all began to adjust to the environment, and got to know each other. Almost everyone arrived on that day, except for Brianna, Joy and Sara. Brianna arrived the next day at 6:45 am. Sara and Joy are supposed to arrive on Wed, 7/8. Pray that they get here safe and sound.
The second day here at the House, or the first "official" day of NYCUP, was full of introductions, deeper introductions, and even "deeper" introductions. Through these deep introductions, I've come to realize just how amazing it is that God has brought each and everyone from different backgrounds, to come and serve the community. Truly, God had great plans for us and this community. Can't wait to see what happens.
Besides the introductions, we were also given chores. We were split into two small groups and we mainly in charge of dinner and bathroom cleanup, or lunch and dinner clean up. My small group is in charge of dinner. As a result, we went out to the community and explored the different grocery stores.
While we were on our exploration, we witnessed a drug bust. It was like watching some scene on NYPD Blue except it was real and very serious. An SUV charged right at the corner of the block. Two plain-clothes officers charged right out of the SUV, and pummeled the drug dealers to the floor. Seeing such action before my eyes made me realize just how lively this community can be. Despite having such dangerous events, the community is pretty lively in a positive way. Families would get together, and neighbors would just hang out. Or party like during the 4th of July.
We eventually got our groceries and cooked a great meal. We cooked enchiladas and chicken. At one point, the enchiladas caught on fire. Apparently, we were supposed to put aluminum foil over it to the cheese wouldn't catch on fire so easily. Fortunately, Jonathan swooped in, pulled out the enchiladas, and put out the fire in the backyard. Overall, we had a great meal. And it was the first time I cooked chicken, with the rest of the group of course. Couldn't have done it without them and my Mom. Mom gave me crash course before I left.
Today was the second official day. we had two guests, Greg Jao and Carolyn Carney, come over and help us out as we got ready for out internships. Greg did a mini Bible study with us on Exodus chapter 2. From there, we talked about our different strengths and how some of them could be applied during the next few weeks. Carolyn shared with us her thoughts on prayer and how we could pray to God to help us.
After, we had Dominican food for lunch. After lunch, we went on a walking tour or Washington Heights. I really noticed the changed that occurred as we were walking. For example, one section of the community would be full of Latinos, while on the other side of the community there would be a series of Columbia University buildings, Starbucks, etc. If is kind of like how Soho would suddenly transition into Chinatown, or vice-versa, within a few feet of each other. More on that next time.
Later in the evening we saw the Broadway show, 'In the Heights', as a way to learn more about the Heights, and to just have fun before we all get busy the next day.
Overall, it was a good show. It portrayed quite well the way of life in the Heights. The ending was a big anti-climatic but it was a good day.

-Winston

Learning to Live for Him

2009-07-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

Over the past year or so, I have been deeply convicted by God to do something about the injustice that surrounds me. I have realized that my goal in life is to see God's love displayed on earth and to see justice rules over injustice. Over these next 5 weeks, I hope that God shows me what this means for me in my life. What are my unique talents that He wants me to use? How do I, personally, best show God's love to others? I hope to learn what it means to live a life that reflects God and His love.
I also hope that I can learn from the 12 other people also living in The House. They all have things to teach us, and each was placed here for a reason. I hope to gain a sense of what it means to be a part of a community that is living for God. On a different level, I hope to make a valuable contribution to the anti-trafficking movement, something I have wanted to become involved with ever since I saw the film 'Call & Response'. While working for Nomi Network, I hope that I learn what are my strengths and weaknesses in a work environment. I hope that God reveals more about what He has planned for me career-wise and what steps I should take to get there.
Lastly, I want to have fun! I want to enjoy Washington Heights and all that is has to offer, and continue to enjoy the amazing place that is New York City. I can't wait to encounter the people, places and events that will make for an awesome NYCUP experience!!!

- Lucy Herz

Here I Am Lord

2009-07-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

I want to have a better understanding of the people in NYC and the lifestyles as well as learn more about what the situation of the world is like. I want to get to know people and my team. Also, have a better or clearer direction of what God wants me to do in terms of career.

- Jason

For Freedom

2009-07-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

During my time at NYCUP, I hope to discover what it looks like to live a life that reveals the love of Jesus to everyone I encounter. It is my desire to reflect His character through my actions, so that when people see me, they will know a little bit more about Him. I long to be filled with the joy and peace of the Lord, so that I can share it with the people in my life. I see NYCUP as an opportunity to answer Jesus' call to love God and to love my neighbor as myself - right alongside a dozen new partners who are on the same journey. I want to learn how to use everything I have to effectively contribute to the modern abolitionist movement, give a voice to the voiceless and fighting for the rights of the oppressed.

- Briana Wong

Live It Out

2009-07-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

Through these next few weeks in NYCUP, I hope that I will be able to learn to live out the love that Jesus called us to. What I mean by living the love is that we should love one another based on who we are, and not by our social standings. Even though I may know this, it is easier said that done. In these next few weeks, I hope to grow more with understanding and experience of this love that Jesus spoke and acted out for us.

- Winston Tse

Jesus Loves

2009-07-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

My initial motivation for joining NYCUP was just that Basileia week was awesome and I wanted to keep that awesomeness coming and also to apply what I learned there to real life. So that's one thing I hope to get out of NYCUP - to turn theories into practices. I want to know what it feels like to serve people with the love of God and make them know that Jesus loves them, too...no matter what situations they might be in. I also just want to gain the experience of working with people I have a passion for as well as living in a community of people who share the same passion.

- Craig

"Holy Discontent"

2009-07-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

I was first impassioned by social justice issues in high school, when I developed a refusal to accept the world and its injustices as is. Now as a rising senior in college, tinges of jadedness and doubts about the potential of real change in our world are creeping in my mind. I question what my role in it all really is and can be.
My prayer for this summer with NYCUP is that God will fuel in me a 'holy discontent' - one which will continue to challenge the injustices of the world, but also see the beauty in the cracks of the broken.
Most of the injustice I have faced has been abroad in other countries, so I am looking forward to being face to face with issues that surround, but never seem to penetrate, Columbia's 116th street. I pray that God will speak to me through the people I meet, the scripture I read, and meet me within the heart and mind that I bring to this project.

Hei-Yue Pang

"Looking Forward"

2009-07-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited about NYCUP - the work, the people, the house. In the next 5 weeks, I hope to learn as much as possible about the other NYCUPers, the work they're doing, and the kinds of social injustice that is present in New York City. I've done a bit of work in line with social justice in various countries, but very little within the US. I feel that God has called me to serve the community in the Heights, and I'm just hoping that I fulfill His plans for me. I know I have a lot to learn - from the other NYCUPers, the NYCUP directors, from the local community and from the greater NYC area. I can't wait to see how the program unfolds; it's going to be a good time for sure.

"More Like Mary..."

2009-07-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

I hope to have the ears to listen and the heart to respond with that hope, I believe that God is speaking to me even now. I just hope to become more sensitive to His voice and how He's really calling me to live my life. That encompasses getting outside of my comfort zone and genuinely being unabandoned in my pursuit of Christ. But also, allowing God to fill me with such passion and joy that's uncontainable and actually live out the things I believe.
And what do I believe? I believe in the love of God shown through Christ for His people and the hope He gives through His promises of restoration for this world.
But I don't want my faith to be dead. Instead, I hope that through NYCUP I can learn how to respond in compassion and love to anyone and everyone I encounter. Not just here during these next 5 weeks, but for the rest of my life. Mostly though, I hope to have sweet times with Jesus, be more like Mary rather than Martha, and really know (in my heart, not just my head) what it means to die to myself, take up the cross and follow Him.

Sharon Kim

"Clumsy Love"

2009-07-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

When I read scripture about how Jesus, God himself, ministered to other men & women, I am inspired. Jesus broke multiple taboos and societal barriers, reaching the outcasts of society who needed to know Him most. I am inspired but seriously lack faith in modeling such compassion and love. When I pass by a homeless person, even though my compassion is stirred, I'm still held back by feelings of awkwardness and a belief that I am inadequate to help them. I am a clumsy lover, one inhibited by insecurity, apathy and sometimes cynicism. That is why I read scripture documenting Jesus' ministry and am inspired. In traditional, patriarchal Jewish society, Jesus never hesitated in ministering to children, tax collectors, women, the infirm, or the lepers because it would be awkward and uncomfortable.

This summer at NYCUP I want to learn how to love better; to take the boldness God has gifted me with to do hard things and to apply it in everyday acts of love and compassion. I want to become more like the person who best modeled love, and I believe that is Jesus.

Karen Chien

Keep Up With NYCUP

2009-06-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Bunk beds are on the way, plane and train tickets are booked, and students are excited to move into the NYCUP House to reflect the Kingdom of God in Washington Heights and beyond.

Students attending this summer are:

Jennifer Wang, CU'10

Sara Narai Bai, CU 2012

Karen Chien, NYU 2011

Sharon Kim, NYU 2011

Winston Tse, St. John's 2011

Jason Hsieh, NYU 2011

Lucy Herz, CU 2011

Hei-Yue Pang, CU 2010

Joy Lee, CU 2012

Briana Wong, CU 2012

Craig Tian, NYU 2010

I am also thrilled that Kathryn Siegmund, Adelphi Graduate and NYCUP '07, will be joining me as Assistant Director this summer.

You can follow what's happening with the Summer Project on www.nycurbanproject.com and keep up with the students on the BLOG.

The NYCUP House is located in the heart of Washington Heights and with a 3-stories, 6-bedrooms and a full backyard aims to be a fixture of gospel driven community for years to come. Please keep the students and I in your prayers that the won't just be people doing programs, but disciples following Jesus with hearts open and broken for His people.

Where Your Heart Is; There Your Treasure Shall Be Also

2009-05-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

Where your heart is there your treasure will also be says the Gospel of Matthew 6:21, and looking at the volatility of the markets, it's no wonder our levels of confidence, faith and hope are dropping along with with our 401ks, the GDP and the blue chips. We've invested not just our money but also the worth of ourselves into a system built on risk and expectation that masqueraded as a sure foundation taking the labels of consumers, which by definition makes us people who "spend wastefully, eat and drink especially in great quantity, and do away with things completely" says Merriam Webster. And then we wonder why things aren't as we thought they were.

On April 4, nearly 200 students from 30 different groups from NYU, Rutgers, Baruch and Columbia poured again into the streets and subways to testify that our hearts should invest the love that we've received from God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ because the supply is limitless and the return gives eternal dividends.

As I gave a bagged lunch to John Peter at 42nd Street and helped him off the train and onto the bench. He thanked me and said "love visited me today" and began to cry. We talked until I could get him to laugh. I found out that he was part Shoshone and liked songs from the '70s. They were happier times he said. I asked why he didn't open the bag to eat right away and he replied that he was getting back on the train to take half the sandwich to his wife who was sleeping at another stop.

We are all people pebbles tossed into a pool, every ripple I create in turn will ripple you, so in unison we are rippling a type of ripple rhythm but we need to ripple in a way that benefits our living. God only knows how far those 1200 lunches went or who they made it to, I'm just thankful we got to take them.

Tapped Out: Words About the Water Crisis

2009-05-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

Many times I've thought to myself, what if? What if we spoke like every word mattered, wrote like the world was reading, and lived like each moment just might create life for someone who is here or is to come.

For the last seven years, poet, writer and activist Tara Bracco has been bringing together a diverse dynamic group to highlight issues of injustice through the power of spoken word and I've had the pleasure of being a part of that group. Packed crowds at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Ars Nova Theater and now the Bowery Poetry Club have heard passionate and powerful performances about equal wages, preserving the environment, healthcare and more; and this year promises to be no different as the best poets in the city raise their voices to focus on the world water crisis.

On Saturday, April 25th, Poetic People Power will present its 7th annual show titled "Tapped Out: Words About The Water Crisis." Poets will premiere new works about the privatization of water, the dangers facing freshwater, and its growing scarcity. Join us as NYC's politically engaged artists advocate for the right to water for all people.

The show will feature poets Tara Bracco, Erica R. DeLaRosa, Andy Emeritz, Frantz Jerome, Angela Kariotis, Dot Portella and me, Jonathan Walton. This one-night only event will take place at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City at 7pm. Admission is $10. For more information, please visit poeticpeoplepower.com .

Many Members, But Not One Body

2009-05-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

Small groups of individuals working together can accomplish great things. Likewise, the government can enact legislation that can bring foundational changes in a society based on rule of law. Similarly, communities of faith can call congregations back to ideals on which we stand and beckon us to our roots so that the fruit we bear matches the seeds that were planted so long ago; but contrary to the popular but rapidly changing opinion, none of these gatherings can win the battles before us alone. It is only when we work in concert with one another instead of conducting our own symphonies of supposed busyness that we can bring all we have to the table that all might have an equal share of the world's misdistributed pie.

Contrary to what Paul writes in Romans 12, "we are many members but one body," our society has developed into a complex web of seldom crossing entities knowing less and less about the ones of which we are not a part - save the sound bites from Youtube, a forwarded email, and/or Fox News which suddenly make us resident experts on immigration, AIDS, climate change and the fundamentals of Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

Somewhere on the way to truly respecting different beliefs we stopped at tolerance and that by definition suggests one or the other is still "less than OK" and the inkling of genuine interest that one had to truly learn to appreciate another culture or world view paused permanently. Hence, here we stand in a world with common enemies like extreme poverty, lack of education and no health care constantly advancing while we war against each other in opposite boxes via satellite on the "Hardball 360 Factor Report."

To see 2 million people gather to celebrate a milestone in world history without an incident of violence or discord is just a snapshot of what's possible when we commit to pray, listen and learn from one another. What if we decided to put down our guns and pick up books, have discussions instead of arguments, and appreciate our differences instead of smiling while secretly trying to subvert each other's arguments or economies. What if we lived like many members of the same body? Maybe things would be different...   

"Jesus For President"  

It's like painting a picture in the dark of something I've never seen  before -- peace.
 Not bound by law, location, lack of insurance or low salary

Not held back by insecurities and low-self esteem
not handcuffed by mistakes and expectations
 A world where purpose is public
 and the remaking of our dreams
into commodities is strictly prohibited.
You see, here - compassion captures consumption
 in a dance against scarcity of resources
 and caught up in our commitment to God and one another --
we are secure.
 Inflation, stagflation, and economic packages of stimulation
 are figments of our imagination that we can barely remember.
 our only competition is against the instinct to be competitive.
Because this is shalom -- peace between all relationships

Oh if only Christ were our head of state,
 then our united states of being would be called Eden...
 if Jesus could be our president
then every resident would have equal and ultimate representation
 in the court of the most High
 Oh if the lion of Judah were the king of our lives,
 if His Way was our way, His truth, our truth - his Life, our Life...
 what would our lives look like
 Maybe 34,000 children wouldn't die every day
 from hunger, malaria, TB and AIDS
 and hate crimes wouldn't happen between races
 and against lesbians and gays
and maybe 40 hours per week would actually equal a living wage
and freedom was a reality not a catch phrase
 used by Barack Obama and John Mccain
 Maybe every child would have an education
 old people could afford medication
 and could stop sex trafficking and child slavery

maybe soldiers from every tribe and every tongue
 could sit down at a table with unloaded guns
and trade stories about their kids and things on their Christmas lists
 instead of artillery fire from opposite ditches
 what if this was the way that we lived...

I'm painting a picture in the dark of something I've never seen before...
 trying to get back to the point where God spoke into the void and
 light broke through,
 so my light can break too, so I can help make new what the fall has
taken from me and from you...I'm trying...
 to paint a path from Genesis 1 clear through to Revelation 22
 but I'm in a black room with black pen with a black ink and black paper too...
but I hear John the Baptist proclaiming the coming good news

I'm painting a picture in the dark of something I've never seen before...
 something I'm working towards
a picture I've never seen...a picture--
won't you paint with me.

Not By Bread Alone

2009-05-31T21:52:00.001-07:00

I watched them put Mr. Monroe in an ambulance and James climbed in beside him. This is significant because Mr. Monroe and James are homeless and there is nobody else watching. Mr. Monroe walked the streets at the feet of buildings where studios are no less than $2,000/month and condominiums are no less than a million to buy. He died looking up at the scaffolding that was helping to build a better quality of life. I watched the red and blue lights flashing, holding my Subway sandwich, wishing that I had given him another one and maybe Mr. Monroe would have made it; but I knew it wasn't poverty that drove him here but instead the death of his wife -- he had lost his best friend. He couldn't go home because he hated to see her clothes. He lost his job in Long Island while trying to cope, and slowly he was losing his hope until one Monday night at 12:30am his cane gave way and he closed his eyes so that he could see her all the time. I ran to Duane Reade to get a card for James. I quickly scribbled peace-filled scripture and sprinted back out into the street. The ambulance was gone and so were James and Mr. Monroe. This card is in my pocket and will be there until I can deliver it.  

 On November 22, 2008, 150 students from Columbia, NYU, Baruch, Stuyvescent and more, all involved in the New York City Urban Project, gathered to bring kindness to the darkest corners of Manhattan -- the nooks at Port Authority, the benches at Grand Central, passages at 168th, chairs at Union square and all avenues and cross-streets in between. Not only to bring more than 500 meals but also food for the spirit. Jesus said in Luke 4, "Man shall not live by bread alone," and it is true that we are in need of so much more than a good appetizer and an entree. Humanity longs to be noticed and known to be significant and it's a reality that we are known by our Creator but true joy exists in relationship -- friends, family, romantic.  

 We may not drop a dollar in James' cup on 93rd or give a quarter to Thelma looking up at the board at the Long Island Railroad with no train to catch; but the least that we can do is notice them so that they don't die alone. A "hello" or a bagel can go a long way with the Lazarus that is sitting at all of our gates. The question is not our a lack of opportunity but our willingness to take it and reinforce the humanity of those who need to have their dreams freed again.

Driven By Love

2009-05-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

Born into a broken home in Brodnax, Virginia, I witnessed disparities in wealth and opportunity and my initial reaction was anger, and I believe strong emotion is the initial reaction of most of us when we encounter systemic injustices that fracture our society and build racial, ethnic, gender and socioeconomic walls between us. Driven by this anger and a sense of entitlement I strove to do well but only grew tired and frustrated at the slow and lonely progress. Similarly, as pumping fists grow tired and loud voices grow weary, it's everthemore difficult to continue whatever the movement may be. It was only after a near-death experience as I flew through the air on a Harley-Davidson that I realized that life was a gift to be treasured, protected and promoted regardless of the sacrifice involved -- and not just my singular life but the lives of all people as none of us exist separate from one another. Likewise, it is with movements. There must be a stronger motivating factor than selfish ambition, anger or personal entitlement. Love is what lives among the nuns who live in the leper colonies in India, sat in the cell with Martin Luther King, and more importantly held Christ to the Cross at Calvary. In the Apostle Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he says this:  

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

It is with love that we feed the hungry, serve the poor and advocate for those not quite loud enough for the microphones to hear. It is with love that we look past exteriors and transform problems into people, issues into individuals, and bring the lonely into relationships.

 The New York City Urban Project began as a way to bring InterVarsity students to urban areas to live out their faith in real and practical ways. Now, it serves as a bright and shining beacon of service, modeling not just the "how" to serve but the ultimate "why" -- building a movement motivated by love that desires shalom, a peace between all relationships. Students, in partnerships with churches and businesses from all five boroughs, distribute food to the homeless, tutor and mentor students, coach youth sports, advocate for child soldiers/trafficked children, raise money to fight injustice and much more, all the while learning why to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly. 

 To give online go to: intervarsity.org/donate. When prompted for name of staff or project write New York City Urban Project.