Getting the wor m out

Students meet n£eds in the Big Apple

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Sweltering ™;J , -

^% weltering streams of mid-summer airblasted through thepartially opened window as thetrain screamed through the ominous black tunnel The glare of the flourescent lights made thewalls covered with graffittiand advertisements seem strangely foreboding.

Esperanza satalone,enveloped in the clamor of thetrain,birraged by her thoughts.

Things had not been rightfor some time now Her family and friends didn't seem toofferthe happiness they once did and all her efforts seemed togo nowhere That morning shehad even contemplated suicide

The train suddenly gave a heavy jolt,a signal tothose familiar with the New York subway system that another stop was coming up Esperanza paid no attention; she was just riding today; there was no place in particular toget off

The train made a regular stop and passengers quickly moved in and out between theopen doors. Just as everyone had been seated andthe confusion subsided a young man who had entered thecar between stops quickly jumped tothe middle of the car

"Ladies and gentleman, he said, "I have an announcement to make."

That was about all that Esperanza could grasp fully,forshe only understood Spanish Yet somehow she knew he was talking about God.

It seemed that before hewas finished, thenoise of thealready moving train covered hisspeech, and others with him began to quickly hand out small yellow leaflets Reactions were varied as some took theinformation with no response while others were an n ° and refused or argued One Orthodox Jew took onevery calmly and just ascalmly ripped itintwo for everyone to see

Esperanza reached out and took hers and watched theyoung men move on to thenext car

Alone once again, wrapped in the noise of thetrain,Esperanza looked at thetract "Let's Get the Worm Out of theBig Apple," was printed on thecover She could read itto a degree,but itdidn't totally make sense toher On theback the words Manhattan Bible Church were printed

A sense ofenergy passed through her Itseemed so strange toreceive this now How often she had thought of visiting this very church that was only one block from her home

She felt it was a sign

"Surely," she thought, "they will have an answer for me."

Esperanza went directly tothis church. On entering the renovated factory building, shewas confronted by a young black-haired girl reading a Bible The girl looked up from her reading and gave an assuring smile.

"May Ihelp you with something?" she said. "My name is Maria."

"No speak a Ingles," she answered "En Espanol."

"Oh, excellent," Maria said in her native Spanish.

"I speak fluent Spanish What is itthat Ican do for you?"

Esperanza felt great easein sharing herproblems with the girl. Maria listened freely and shared with Esperanza thetruth of the gospel ofJesus Christ.The troubled woman realized that this was what she needed and immediately trusted Christ as herSavior

Esperanza was one of thousands that were touched by the ministry of 55 LBC students who sacrificed their summer vacation and instead spent thesummer in thevast mission field of New York City

Working with the Manhattan Bible Church and Pastor Tom Mahairas, the team of LBC students led by Jim O'Neill was ableto experience the results of a full-time ministry in an area that isstarving for the gospel

Tom Mahairas came to LBC the fall semester of 1980and presented the need and theplan of action in a chapel service More than 300 students responded that day andout of that 300,55 men and women were chosen

At theend of thesummer none could say that their lives hadn't been changed.

The whole team was strategically split into five groups of sixto ten men These groups were then each assigned toa different area of North Manhattan and the Bronx. Each area seemed toafford each team with a different ethnic flavor oflifestyle.

The area that team leader Mark Totten was assigned towas an area of predominantly affluent Orthodox Jews

"In thebegining we were frustrated," Totten said. "The TV survey Jim had developed didn't work because none of them watched television,and theminuite we would mention anything about Christ, they would shut thedoor in our face."

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