Did you know?

This month Muslims around the world are celebrating Ramadan. To read more about Ramadan and how to pray check out this site:

http://www.30-days.net/

Welcome to Jackson Heights AKA "Little India"

This is my "home away from home" so to speak. When I'm missing my Bangalore days, I visit this area of the city. This is also where I'll be working :)

I Made It!

I'm finally here in NYC! It's great to be back. Would you believe me if I told you I live a few blocks from this glorious sight?

This is not what I expected to see when I thought about moving back to NYC, but what a blessing! I'm living in a beach house turned missionary housing. Summer volunteer teams and Urban Impact folks have spent a lot of time fixing this place up and it's looking great! Two things that I was really praying for when getting ready to transition back to city life were a park of some sort nearby and a place where I could run. This is better than a park and one of the longest boardwalks in the country runs right along this beach which is perfect for running. The neighborhood is an interesting mix of locals, people visiting the beach and surfers. Apparently, this is a surfing hot spot especially in the winter. I couldn't have asked for a cooler neighborhood to live in. I make sure to venture out to the shore each day for awhile. Today I enjoyed my new favorite drink while sitting on the boardwalk:

Yesterday I decided to venture out a bit. I was a little scared that I would not remember how to navigate the city life, but it turned out to be quite the opposite experience. Unlike life in India, people spoke English, I could read all the street signs and public transportation was reliable. It was fun to navigate the subways again and visit some places I used to frequent several years ago.

As far as work stuff goes, this is actually a low time for UI because of Ramadan, but there will be a few events later this month.

Right now you can pray for:

-chances to meet and connect with my neighbors and people in the community

-for Muslims in Queens to have dreams and visions of Isa (Jesus) especially as they search for more spiritual things this month

-upcoming outreach events this month and in September

-smooth transition for me and my roommate as we settle into city life and ministry

-financial support - I have a little less than $4000 left to raise to meet my goal of $12000 for the year! I'm really close!