Making Friends Across Cultures in New York City

The last time I went to New York City was well over 10 years ago when the Twin Towers were still standing. Having lived in North Carolina and the South my whole life I wasn’t sure what to expect from this fast moving city full of hundreds of different people groups. Before going to New York I would have said that I never wanted to live in a big city, after a week there I can honestly say that while I will always probably enjoy the country more, I came to care for the people of the city and to appreciate the diversity that it offered.

My team and I flew into LaGuardia on Sunday and spent the day getting moved in to the area of Queens which we were staying in. We then walked around Time Square and Central Park. The City was overwhelming in ways as billboards and signs bombard the people there with things they should do and buy and ways in which you should look. My prayer for the people of New York from the first day is that they would look higher than even the buildings there and begin to see God who is above it all.

On Monday we spent our first day on the streets of New York meeting people and sharing the gospel. This task was daunting from the start, but seemed even more impossible after a few hours on the streets of Jamaica in Queens. Not knowing the area or the native languages of most of the people there, it felt like a foreign country. However, upon wondering into a shop to get a Henna tattoo God quickly changed my outlook. Here, I was able to meet a man named Rehmani and several other members of his family. We talked for the next almost 3 hours as he shared his beliefs with me and I shared the gospel with him. I ask that all who are reading this please pray that Rehmani and his family come to realize what Jesus did for us all on the cross. And if you or your family are reading this Rehmani, I am glad to call you all my friends.

On Tuesday we continued to explore and meet people in the Jamaica area. Rehmani drove us to a restaurant that he likes and helped us order Pakistani food. The next day we took a break during the afternoon and did night evangelism. During this time we met a girl named Julia and her muslim mother, they too were from Pakistan. Julia walked us around the Jamaica area and took us to a park where I was able to join in with some local kids to hit in a game of cricket. 

On Thursday morning I went with Rehmani and his family to what was voted to be the best street vendor for Halal food in all of New York. During this time I was able to meet Rehmani’s nephew Ali who had just moved to the country 2 weeks ago as well.

On Friday our team went to Time Square to eat lunch, then road the Staten Island ferry by the Statue of Liberty. Afterwards we went to see ground zero. That night we walked the Brooklyn bridge. One of the highlights of the day for me however was running into a group of street performers. Check out the video below to see why:

Some of our team members took to the streets themselves and danced for the locals as well:

This week my team and I will begin our seminary class, our internships, and will be helping out with Kids Week at the Summit. Pray that we will have the strength and rest we need throughout this week.