Perspective, choices and the fruit we sow…

I’m still in a daze having a million thoughts and feelings how God in His awesomeness once again unfolded another page in the life of two people I know. If eternity is what we are living for then whatever we sow today is for tomorrow and the decisions we make today is for the days beyond the horizons. This is another living breathing testimony of exactly that!

4 years since I last seen the spray painted graffiti of Brooklyn, the cold damp stark looking projects of inner city Bronx and the people I have had a chance to live with. I still remember the gun shots and the strident unrestrained cursing on the streets, the blazing car set on fire at the street corner and the recurrent sirens throughout the day. I can still smell the sickening reek of dope in the stairways and the stench of human waste in the alleys. Yet in the thicket of rut and the seemingly ‘ugly’ sight, there is GOD.

There is God and this is just one of the many stories waiting to unfold in years to come…
Jorge a young Puerto Rican who thought me pretty cool street tricks hoping that I could teach him ‘kung fu’ (and later found out that not every yellow skin, chinky eyed Chinese knew martial arts) is now a pastor! These are the words of a good friend who played a major role in his life. Tatiana said “Our Puerto Rican friend! A pastor and caring young man. He just preached his first message in his home church (Pentecostal Spanish church, were he loves to go) It was great to see Jorge on his first camp with Metro! He loved it. When this guy worships God, he WORSHIPS!.”
I believe Jorge was able to give because he first received. And now if you think receiving is easy, it’s not in that part of the world. Boundaries and defenses are all up to alarming with hostility. Tati & Ferdi– I’m glad you both decided to pay that price to see one soul come into His kingdom and then bring in many others with him.

One more! One more… Philippe an absolute ghetto in style and personality. He recruited me into his ‘clan’ after I raced him down the side alley and jumped down 6 flights of stairs. Later he started calling me “Ghetto Chinese” and we exchanged some of our lingo’s while savouring our favourite fried wanton on the neighbor’s lawn. This is what Tati said of him “Philippe!! A future Basketball Professional! Has been in church so long, that he could play the 'church-game' real well. But he doesn't. I believe he’s chosen to live for God a long time ago, but might struggle with the whole church thing. I want to see Phillipe become a real man. He needs a male role model in his life (for his own dad died when he was 6 years old)”
This is a story in the making, but perseverance and stubborn determination of people who know the Cause their living for will reap the fruit of it. Just comes to show that reality is right in our faces but it’s the choices we make. Yup, Christianity is NOT a bed of roses, but it’s the perspective that makes the ever present thorns bearable and even profitable to make the roses bloom more.


Philippe - as ghetto as you can get! Jorge - an absolute gentlemen in all sense...