This quote has become my reality here in NYC. Really living a life that is going to be revolutionary, passionate and loving towards the kingdom of God and his people. I realized I have not written in a long time, but I have been inundated with my job the last couple of weeks. The Times Square Arts Center has been taking much of my time. Typically my day would start around 9am and end around midnight. For about two weeks straight this was my reality. So naturally the time I had to myself all I indulged in was slumber! Let me explain a little of what I do at the Times Square Arts Center. Allow me to paint a picture. During the day I sit in a tiny office overlooking Times Square. I swear the window is bigger than the office space itself. During the afternoon I network with Universities, Artist, Record Labels, and any other client who is interested in performing at our theater. During the evening I work whatever show is happening. I make sure things run smoothly and provide support to servers and such. It has been remarkable. I have networked so much and met so many different people. I love the diversity I come across everyday in NY. I love to see the way God is working in this vivacious city.
Most recently I organized a fundraiser for a non-profit organization that is near and dear to me. 1well.
You can check out the organization at www.1well.org. It is an organization that stands for basic human rights which include: water, food, education, sanitation and housing for all Gods creation. They also have small projects people can take ownership of and fundraise for. I think it is phenomenal when you put the power into the hands of the people. Often times people can not fathom the type of influence and power they have to change the world. Normally people think that making a small difference will not affect the big picture, but it does in God's eyes. If we take a step back and look and the revolutionary people in history that have changed the world it's amazing. What if those individuals thought "Oh I can't make a difference" then the world would not be what it is today. God is specific is reaching out and letting us know that all we do, big or small, should be for the glory of this kingdom. "And because the end of age does not result in the destruction of the earth, but rather in it's renewal, we can be confident that our labor is not empty of significance" (Mike Erre, Death by Church).
Anyhow I hosted this fundraiser by selling tickets for a comedy show at the Times Square Arts Center for $20 bucks a ticket. Here is the flyer I created and marketed.
$15 of the $20 went to the project I was taking on in Nokna Village, India. I raised $1,005 dollars that is going to build a water well in the village that will benefit 60 families who now do not have to walk 2-4 hours a day for clean water. It was successful and God provided in tremendous ways. Because I did not know too many people in NYC and the event was that successful, it was all God not me.
In other fantastic news I found an amazing church here in NYC. Its called New York Church International. www.nyci.org. It is fantastic. We meet at a popular venue on Sundays, The Director's Guild Theater.
It is crazy because they usually have screenings and such on Sundays but they cancelled all of them to let our church meet. God is so awesome!! Also, I found a lifegroup within NYCI here that I absolutely adore. To me church means community everyday, not just a building and not just on Sundays. It is everyday life. This church exemplifies that notion and I am excited to join in the work God is already doing here. We meet every other Friday in Columbus Circle area (which I love out here, its soooo awesome). I have bonded with them right away. We went to a Broadway play together last week which was a ball. We saw the play South Pacific! It was a fantastic Broadway show.
The first Broadway show since I have been living in NY. I have seen many Broadway shows, me and my sister always watch them together. Aside from the awesome broadway show, my lifegroup is amazing and the pastor of the church Deryck Barson is passionate, revolutionary and on fire for Jesus. I am relieved that I found a community I can grow with here in NYC. I knew God would provide but I was getting impatient. So now I am relived and more at peace.
A lot of decisions need to be made soon. I have peace in my heart about it, but i am anxious to see where my life will go. "I am not too concerned with what I am going to do. I am more interested in who I am becoming. I want to be a lover of God and people" (Shane Claiborne, Irresistible Revolution). So here is what is going on. I was working at the Times Square Arts Center about 11 hours a day, like I mentioned before, day and night. Now they said they dont have it in the budget to pay me during the day. So some background, when I started this job I knew it was only a stepping stone, this is not what god has intended for me, I know this. So I feel like it is going to be ending soon. Then the non profit I am working and fundraising for, 1well, they want me to move to DC and work for them this summer. It would be an internship, since the organization started in May 2008, and the details and if there is a budget for it is still up in the air.
That's one, the next thing is I got offered a couple of awesome jobs in the summer. Because I am translating in Arabic out here they offered me two seperate jobs that are 20 days long. One is may 28-june 16 and the next one is juy 20-august 4 something like that. Each of those would pay a nice sum of money with all expenses paid: food, hotel, flight and a daily wage that is substantial. I would be going to a military base and helping soliders communicate and engage with middle eastern people. And on top of that Quantum Learning offered me a 12 day job in Maryland on July 6-16 (I have been working wit Quantum since 2007). So I can make good money doing what I love in those three projects. But I am torn because I wanna do non profit work but also go to Grad School. In addition,I am waiting to hear back from Hunter College to see if I got into Grad School for the program MS in Urban Development with a concentration in Non-Profit Management. I really want to get grad school done this year. I am not committed to anything and I want to grow as much as I can. So many decisions to be made soon and I really only want to be on the path God intends for me.
Any thoughts?
I could use prayer for discernment on the decisions coming up. I miss you all and cant wait to see you soon!
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