Hey guys! I wanted to write this in the form of more of an “update” today. As you may have seen, we’ve been up here in Brooklyn, NYC since Monday visiting with our friends. I wanted to share some thoughts about what it’s been like to experience this place.

So you may or may not know from the video I posted a couple of days ago, but our friends Josh and Danielle have launched a church here in the Bushwick community called The Noise. They’ve been living here in the community getting the foundations ready for when the people come. It’s been a roller coaster ride for them in all of this preparation time, but God is doing some exciting things here. This place needs revival. It needs to be brought to life.

Speaking of the community — they live in an area called Bushwick, which is in Brooklyn. It’s an interesting place, and I will say that the atmosphere seems very dark in many places here. Coming from our sweet little home in North Carolina, into this has been a shock and it has opened our eyes to just how much of a battle it is here. I think the first word to describe my first thoughts of NYC after getting off the plane when we arrived, was “harsh”. Haha

But… I will tell you. The people here are kind. They are sweet. Not like what I expected in a “New Yorker” at all. Sure, there are times when I’ve felt like I shouldn’t dare make eye contact with certain people as we pass them by on the streets, but there have been other times when there have been unexpected sweet conversations with people. They see my cowgirl boots and say “You’re not from around here are you?” Haha But they’ve been so kind and nice. It’s just sad that many are living in such a harsh spiritual atmosphere here. That’s heavy and it’s hard and I really cannot imagine how hard that would be to live in every day. Well, maybe after a couple of days I do have a little bit of an idea.

As we’ve walked the streets here, it’s overwhelming, and a lot of places are very sketchy or they seem to be. To know what goes on behind the doors of some of the places we walk by…. we just can’t comprehend… but… we’ve not once felt in a “danger zone”, always kept and protected. Always almost like we’re walking around in a bubble of protection, safe from harm.

But I’ll admit, the last couple of days have been extremely hard for me –Mentally, physically, spiritually. I’ve had to be reminded of staying on guard. Checking things within me to make sure they are in alignment with God.

But today I feel renewed.

I’m excited because today we are going to visit the building Josh and Danielle hope will be the physical meeting place of the church.

We’re praying that the Lord will ignite a fire within this community that will carry a light and a sound to all of NYC.

–Heather ?