As Sinatra would say, "Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today"... just kidding, I'm not actually leaving today, but I am bound for the city that never sleeps in just 4 more days! Eeekkk! Being a little excited just doesn't explain how thrilled I am to be returning! It's been a year since I went, and I've had some time to "try" and process the whole thing. It's one thing to take a vacation there, see the Christmas lights, or plan a shopping spree there, (which I'd love to do) but this go around I'm traveling with six others to serve on a mission experience. We fly out, sort of get the whole day on Saturday to do whatever and then early Sunday morning we're headed out to serve the wonderful people of the vast city. If there is one thing I've learned form last year's trip, it's just how beautiful people are. We really don't just take people for who they really are. Brother's, sister's, mother's and father's. We don't really study how intelligent humanity is, and how creative the human race is.

I think its easy for us to simply look on the appearance of someone saying "hello" and smile back and go about our day to only go home and talk about how much you dislike the people you have just encountered. We never look at them with compassion and marvel at how complex each person is. I've learned that people have many beautiful hidden talents, and abilities. We should be willing to listen to how people feel on the matter. I remember going to one homeless shelter in Newark, NJ where I had the privilege to eat a meal with some wonderful ladies. Sure, they were different than myself in many ways; their hair and clothing and life in general, but we had one thing in common: a plea. A plea for women to be kept safe. I left that place broken. The whole train ride back to the city, I thought and I prayed. One of the ladies was telling us that she was looking for a place to stay. She informed us that most shelters around town just wanted to take in men. They had no problem feeding the women and their families, but it they were not allowed a bed at night. Which gradated, you can't mix women and men together in the same bunk, for understandable reasons. But what about the women? Most can't fend for themselves if someone were to try harm them. The shelter is currently working on a women's area, set aside in another building just for them. I'm sure they have made some adjustments since last July.

I guess my objective here is that I just want to challenge us to listen to people. Give it some time. Don't be in a rush. You may just awaken a lion and its roar could be heard. I'm hoping we will return to the same shelter next week! I would love to go back and see what has been going on! I'm so not prepared in my mind to return, because hey, who really is when they go to a city that massive? To everyone reading this, I hope you'll consider praying for us as we travel, that our hearts would reflect Jesus and we can love with no condition. If people would learn to love like the Father does, it would speak louder than any other voice in the world.