God in the Bronx - Looking Back at 2018

   

     So originally I wanted to do like the top 18 moments of 2018, but I thought that might be too much. Then I decided on the top 8 moments of 2018, but I'm not sure I can capture it all in just 8 things. So who knows how many memories we will end up with here? We'll just see how it goes. The one thing I don't want to leave out is the fact that God is good. He is on the move here in the Bronx, and none of what we are doing would be possible without Him. When I stop and think back on the past year and all that God has done I'm humbled, blessed, and oh so grateful that He would choose to use us to be a small part in carrying out His plans and purposes for the people of the Bronx, and New York City! I still feel so unworthy of this calling and I get so impatient with just how slow it seems to move at times, but man I'm glad God promises that "He is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you, He will not leave or forsake you" - Deut. 31:8. So as we look forward to what God is going to do this year in 2019 I just can't do it without looking at the past year and honoring God for all He has done, for the foundation He is building, for the victories He has already given us. As we go through this new year I want to remember what God has already done and as Paul writes multiple times in 1 Thessalonians 4 trust that in 2019 He will "do this even more." So, here you go.

     1.  Everlasting Church had its first baptism service. It's overwhelming to me A LOT of the time to think about just the amount of people who live in the Bronx, the majority of whom do not know what it is to have their sins forgiven and have a personal and life-changing relationship with the God of the universe who also created them special and unique and with a plan and a purpose. I often find myself drifting toward despair. However, when we had our first baptism service and I was able to see and hear testimonies from 4 individuals of our church family about how God has personally changed their lives I could do nothing but stand in awe of our magnificent God. He is moving and working all around us, and all of it is IN HIS TIME.

     2.  Y'all, we gained team members. I still cannot tell you how invaluable, how encouraging and just how happy this made us. To have another family believe in the vision God had given us and be willing to sell their things, move away from family and friends, and join us in the Bronx was a breath of fresh air and a huge boost to our weary souls. To have 2 single, young adult women be willing to commit a year to help our church and to step out on faith and trust God to provide for them as they live in the most expensive city in the US brought further encouragement, blessing, and new life into our church. For most of 2017, I did not listen to a single Sunday sermon because my main focus was on my kids and honestly just keeping them quiet while Jordan preached in the karate studio. We now have these young women pouring Biblical knowledge into my 5 year old and loving and serving my two year old, and I'm able to listen to my husband preach! To say I'm thankful for these people is a definite understatement but I just don't know how else to put it into words to convey my feelings for these people.

 

     3. Our church moved into the Brady Court Community Center, which we had been waiting on and praying about since Jordan and I interviewed at the Brady Court apartments in 2016. We are so grateful God opened the door for our church to begin meeting at Full Element Martial Arts, but we just had certain limitations there. Now we are in a newly renovated and bigger space that also has room for a baby area, kids Sunday school area, adult worship area, and of course room for snacks and fellowship! I know many of you were praying over this new meeting space and to be able to see God bring that to fruition was a HUGE and direct answer to prayer.

     4.  Everlasting Church was able to jump in on the neighborhood Easter egg hunt hosted every year by Full Element Martial Arts and then we had our first Easter service in the park directly following the egg hunt. We had many new faces join us!

     5.  Our church had our first annual VBS in the park. We really didn't know what to expect as we planned this VBS during one of the hottest weeks of the whole summer. God again showed himself faithful and sent us 40 kids over the 3 day VBS! We were able to connect with new families, share the gospel with precious little lives, and have a lot of fun too!

     6.  God gave us a huge opportunity to minister to our community in the most unusual way - through 600+ lbs of bacon! When you hand out free bacon, people are going to be asking some questions....it was an awesome ministry opportunity!

 

     7.  Our church was able to bless our community through hosting a coat drive as well as partnering in the coats for the city drive through the MNYBA, our local Baptist association. It was so awesome to be able to bless our community through free winter clothing for 250+ neighbors and have an opportunity to tangibly show them the love of Jesus. 

     8.  We had a very busy few weeks in March over Spring Break with different mission teams and our summer was full of groups from various churches coming to serve with us. Our church was also so blessed to have an incredible group of college students invest their summer here in Pelham Parkway through the GenSend program through NAMB. It is such an encouragement to have groups come and work alongside us. Building a church is often lonely, hard and just plain exhausting work. Please know that each group who comes serves as such a great reminder that we are not alone, there are others who believe that God is still changing hearts and lives, people are praying for us and not forgetting about us, and it is a boost to our spirit to keep pressing on. 

 

     9.  Our family was so blessed to be able to be invited to FBC Owasso's VBS during the summer to share what God is doing in the Bronx. It just did this momma's heart a lot of good to be able to see my daughter engaged and involved in learning Biblical truths alongside 700+ other kids. One of the hardest things I have struggled with on our church planting journey has been being at church Sunday after Sunday with my kids being the only kids. I long for them to grow up knowing that they are not alone as they follow Christ. So being at VBS at First Baptist Owasso really was more of a blessing from Jesus for me than anyone else.

     10.  Myself and 2 other ladies started the first MOPS group in the Bronx. We are currently meeting at the neighborhood library and it has been a great joy to be able to meet other moms of young children and to talk, encourage, and help one another on this parenting journey. We are praying to see fruit come from this MOPS group and are excited to see what God does in the lives of the moms here in Pelham Parkway. 

      11.  Maria finished up a great first year of school in all day pre-k and started at a big girl NYC public elementary school. I'm convinced Maria was made for NYC (except maybe the apartment life style with not a lot of room to run and play and burn off energy!). I was so nervous to send her off to all day pre-k but she just loved it. She loves people, loves socializing, and I'm sure God has some pretty special plans for her here in the Bronx.

     12.  Maria turned 5 and Moses turned 2 and I'm just so thankful for another year of life and health and craziness and fun with these 2 little people God has entrusted to our care. I never want to take the health of my kids for granted so I must give all the honor and praise to God that they are healthy, happy, and EXTREMELY energetic. It is such a blessing to be able to stay at home with them, even on the hard days. 

     13.  Although it may seem like a small thing I do not want to forget the first weekend we were invited over to a school friend's house for a birthday party. That day seriously brought me much happiness and contentment knowing that Maria has friends, our family is making family friends, and I just remember thinking that we were going to be alright. God used that weekend to show me that He is going to take care of my kid at school as well as us as a family. It was all through a weekend birthday party. It's funny how God can use the regular and ordinary events of life to really remind me of His goodness and grace.

     14.  In addition to all these we were so encouraged to be able to make face to face visits with many of our partner churches and individual families who are partnering with us. Some in the very beginning of 2018, some in the middle of 2018, and some just this past Christmas as 2018 came to a close. So thankful God has given us the provisions to be able to make visits back to Oklahoma and Texas on a regular basis. We are go grateful for our time with family and friends.

      I know we say this in each of our monthly newsletters but I just don't think I can say enough about how thankful and blessed we are by our church partners as well as the individual families who give regularly to us. There have also been many who have given such generous one time gifts that have come at just the right time. Others have given flight vouchers, sent gift cards, mailed us winter clothing, provided doctor appointments for us while we were away from NYC...just blessing after blessing. God obviously knows what He is doing but it still never ceases to amaze me how He is working through church families all around the United States to help us spread the gospel here in the Bronx. God has greatly provided for our family through you and your generous gifts. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Because of your faithfulness He is establishing His church here in the Bronx, the gospel is being shared, and lives are being changed. It is challenging, hard, slow work but my hope and prayer is that you would be encouraged and blessed as you read what all God has done this past year and would continue to joyfully pray and give so that we can continue this task to which He has called us. Thanks for reading and please, feel free to come see us in person!