The Raven Ministry teams have been extremely blessed as youth teams from across the US  join us  to serve and minister in the parks throughout the summer!    The vast majority of the youth visiting teams are recieving first-time hands-on experience with the homeless and hurting of NYC.  Teams as small as 8 per group up to 44 in size have come along side of us as we go in to the city parks.  Initially before we set off for the parks the teams are able to assist in food preparation, then to a time of prayer and worship before they embark into the NYC mission field. For many of them, this is considered a first time missions trip and  their  faces are etched with excitement!!      Many of our visitors have expressed their experiences in the park as they are given the opportunity to minister and pray with the homeless.   They are deeply shocked at the condition and state of the homeless (especially the street youth) who reside in the parks.  The teams have virtually witnessed the devastating  reality of how the enemy has consumed the homeless youth with drug addiction, alcoholism and homelessness.  As the evening unravels,  a weeping cry begins to surface in some of our visitors during and after ministry.  Teams are leaving  NYC with an overwhelming burden for the homeless….  Our prayers and hopes for the visiting teams is that God would move mightily upon the hearts of this Godly generation.  Ultimately that they would return back home forever changed and touched for the hurting in their local town, city or perhaps across the world.  This is just the beginning as we believe that God will produce a cry and a hunger  for the lost in their hearts.  Please take a moment to view the slide show and witness the visiting teams  as they minister to the homeless in Tomkins Square Park.   It is evident that God is raising up a generation that has a heart to be broken and given for fallen humanity.

We are excited as we begin to prepare and head back into the parks over the course of the summer months. Tomkins Square Park is branded as a sub-culture homeless park in which multitudes of youth flock to from throughout the US during the warm summer months. How do they get here? They prepare and travel hundreds of miles on freight trains until they arrive to their final destination…….. Tomkins Square Park. Upon their arrival they settle in and make this park their make-shift home base. This predominately youth crowd is likened to a colony-pack of teen-agers which can be spotted right away. They are riddled with scores of tattoos, body piercings, and for many even their faces are plagued with tattoo markings. Many are accompanied by their canine pets which are usually pit bulls and for some the detested rat. Drugs are administered unashamedly out in the open along with bottles of  camoflauged bags of alcohol for consumption. These youth are notorious for their abrupt and care-free behaviors. Intimidation is quite obvious on the faces of the park locals who take a stroll, walk a dog, or perhaps a jog. The youth are feared and known as the outcasts of this park.
Although, lawlessness and intimidation abides in this place we are boldly going in to share the love of God to these young men and women who are ultimately hurting from past wounds, fear and rejection. Our team distributes specially prepared gourmet sandwiches along with fresh fruit and a delicious dessert.     Although they are hungering for tangible food, they are also craving for a listening ear. As we warm up to them and develope  friendships, they began to share their struggles and frustrations. We believe that as we continue to visit the youth God will bring them hope and show them that there is a loving Savior who loves them and is willing to take them just as they are. We will continue to go to those who are in need of a Helper and we know without a doubt that God has clearly established and grounded us in this particular park. Our hope is that they will receive and be restored by His unfailing love. Please pray that God will move upon this hardened generation and that the love of God will illuminate the darkened corners of Tomkins Square Park.

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Friday night was wonderful. We went to Bellevue men’s shelter to show the
love of Christ. God is great, he answered our prayer and the people came
pouring in to be fed physically. Little did they know that after they left
they were also spiritually fed.

The prayers varied from people wanting to get housing to people praying for
freedom from physical ailments. People were open to hearing the gospel and
some accepted Jesus into their hearts and lives.

We thank the Lord for touching the hearts of the people even before we
showed up. As he said in his word, the harvest is ready but the laborers are
few.

Two of us from the Raven Ministry had the opportunity to travel back to Greece for a month in February. We had just recently returned from Greece with a larger team in October 2008. Upon our return, the Lord gave us an overwhelming burden to travel back to this nation to serve and be willing to be given to the work and the needs in Greece.

Prior to our departure, we were asked by the pastor in Greece if we could launch the Women’s Drug Program at the Center. Have we ever done this? No! But we were willing to say, “Here we are Lord take us and use us for Your purposes.”

This would be the first time ever in the nation of Greece to establish a Christian Drug Program for women. It was an honor for us to serve and be a part of this unique and challenging experience. The pastor is currently housing a men’s program at the Center which was established roughly about a year ago.

During our stay, we learned what it truly meant to lay our lives down — to serve and sacrifice without our own conditions, agendas or resources. We had to rely on Christ and Christ alone.

The Lord brought two women who came fresh off the streets that were bound to the vicious addiction of heroin and to a lifestyle of prostitution. In Greece, thousands have fallen prey to heroin addiction. Prostitution and heroin addiction is massive and consumes multitudes of women in the epicenter of Greece and abroad. Male prostitution is also prevalent and widespread in Greece.

It is evident that Satan has a hold on these heavily oppressed areas near the Center. No matter how thick this cloud of darkness looms, we know that the Lord is moving on many aching hearts that long to be set free from this tormenting and gripping way of life. We have witnessed that the ones who remain on the streets, Jesus is beginning to captivate their hearts and is drawing them to Himself.

It was exciting to see many familiar faces from the neighboring streets flow into the Center looking and longing to be released from the grip of the enemy. The scripture comes to mind, A broken spirit and a contrite heart He will not despise!! On ministry nights, we would drive in the ministry van down the street to a nearby plaza and invite street workers and addicts to come and hear a message at the Center. They would anxiously pile into the van and ride back with us yearning for spiritual food and prayer!!!20 One night a prostitute brought her client and he responded to the alter call and accepted Christ into his heart. He returned back to the Center again on a regular service night!

In addition to the Women’s Program and evangelizing, we counseled and held Bible studies with the Center as a whole. We also assisted with the weekly outreaches including the explosive Afghani Ministry community that was birthed last October. The Lord’s power is being unleashed in a mighty way through the Afghani ministry. This ministry was birthed when the October team applied face paints on a few children in the neighborhood. This drew the Afghani’s into the Center and within a week this ministry was born!! What began as an unexpected outreach to the neighborhood with mere face paintings, God had other plans and brought many. Another scripture comes to mind…..God will use the foolish things of the world to confound the wise!!!!

One evening I was across the street from the Center and the Lord showed me that He has this Center and the residents who reside there now in the palm of His Almighty Hand. As I looked up to the dimly lit windows of the Center, I knew and had a hope that there were precious lives inside this building that the Lord was restoring and that He indeed was mending the broken pieces of their lives back together. The Center is that city on top of the hill where many in Athens that are bound, hopeless and rejected can come, just as they are, and come to this place of refuge to find love, prayer, a Word or perhaps a blanket to keep them warm.

The Women’s Program was an unforgettable experience for the both of us. Together with these women we experienced tears, pain, withdrawals, joy and laughter and so much more. Through the passing days, we saw the character of Christ supernaturally develop in the two women addicts and in us as well. The two of us learned about characteristics that our carnal nature so easily wants to escape such as mercy, patience and longsuffering.

Our continued prayers for the Center is, for those who reside there now, their hearts will never grow cold or discouraged and that the Lord will continuously increase a hunger for righteousness and more than anything, that they will have a face to face encounter with the One and Only True and Living God.

Please pray for the nation of Greece and the Center that the Lord will continue to do a work and that lives will be forever changed and transformed by the power of Almighty God.

We (two members of the greece team) have continued to uphold, encourage and pray for Stella who is presently residing at the Mercy Center. We have learned from our short time here (1 wk so far) that patience is a key that unlocks mercy and grace to the addicted, helpless, wounded and desperately vulnerable. Stella has all these characteristics and has never been exposed to a normal life. As each day passes she is learning how to see the world with new eyes. A new birth has taken residence in the heart of Stella. Heavy loads are SLOWLY being removed from her previous lifestyle of drugs/heroin addiction and prostitution. Life is springing up little by little as she recovers from a past life of detriment. Can these dead bones live? Absolutely!! Please keep her in your prayers along with Raven.

The Afhgani community was here on Tues night, and it was an astounding experience. The growth of this newly birthed ministry has multiplied tremendously. At 7pm they desperately flocked together in a huge mass outside the iron doors waiting for the door to be unlocked. Women, men, children and youth (young men) push one another to make their way through. We have to let them in slowly to avoid any violent eruptions amongst themselves. Once everyone is safely inside the Center, the message is preached in Arabic to its entirety. The regulars listen intently with hungry hearts, and newcomers gather with a curious countenance on thier faces. The children (30 or more) squeeze into the small adjacent room. American Bible students from a neighboring college volunteer and are helping hands to the children’s ministry. That in itself is another ministry!

The Lord has provided an Arabic pastor to come on a weekly basis to preach. The following day the Afghani’s return to sift through clothing donations and diapers for the babies. They are predominantely rejected refugees and are very needy people. At one point we were surrounded by almost 20 women begging and pleading to us for clothing for their little ones. So many have given their lives to Christ. Words cannot express the joy in our hearts to see how the God of Israel has touched these Muslims who are learning who the true Savior is.

Please continue to pray that God will be glorified in the nation of Greece.

This past fall Oct. 2008, members of the Raven team participated in a missions trip to Athens, Greece. We worked alongside a Pastor at the Mercy Center a place of refuge for the lost and drug addicted that come off of the streets of Athens. Presently, those who are residing there now have been set free from heroin addiction and their lives are being transformed and restored by the power of Almighty God.

In the heart of Athens, the team ministered primarily to people that are enslaved to drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, homosexuality and homelessness. Our main target location was at a neighboring park called Omonia Square Park. This place is saturated with dark spiritual strongholds and is also a large demonic temptation for the youth of this area. Heroin is the choice drug and is used openly and without shame. Many confessed that they are tired, weary, and drained from their addictions. We prayed, embraced, and shared the love of Jesus with these young men and women whose hearts are crying and aching to be set free. We also performed a powerful drama that was supernaturally animated by the Holy Spirit. The drama demonstrated that they too can be freed from their bondage to sin and addiction.

To our amazement Athens is exploding with an ocean of immigrants from the surrounding countries that border Greece. We ministered in a heavily oppressed area with hundreds of refugees from across the world within a 3 block perimeter. The vast majority of these immigrants are Muslim and many are frantically seeking work. Because there are no job opportunities they resort to drugs, alcoholism, prostitution, drug sales and homelessness. Stealing and violence run rampant. We have never witnessed a mass of hopelessness in one location of this magnitude before. Many wander aimlessly looking for a way out but it is evident that they are bound and desperately seeking to fill that empty void in their hearts. As we ministered, we discovered that many were spiritually hungry and were open to knowing “Who is this Jesus?” Streams of poor and needy people anxiously stood in line to receive a sandwich and curious souls crowded together to hear the Gospel and testimonies.

A testimony birthed in Greece! One night we hosted a children’s outreach at the Mercy Center with face paintings and a children’s drama. To our surprise for the very first time, Afghani women and children began to pour into the Mercy Center. Initially the women were unapproachable and were hesitant to receive our warm welcomes. By the end of the night they were smiling and felt accepted and loved and in return they loved us back. We recently received a report that these women have returned with their husbands and an entire Afghani community is making the Mercy Center their place of worship! Multitudes have received Christ as their personal Savior and they are being nurtured and fed the Word of God! In addition, just recently, Athens erupted into massive violence and political protests fueled by anarchists. In the midst of what was one of the worst riots, 30 Afghani men and women raised their hands at the Mercy Center and accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts!

One night in Omonia Square Park, a team member shared about Jesus to three young Afghani men. They were very skeptical and claimed that they were Muslim. The team member invited them to come to the Mercy Center to the service and to hear us talk more about Jesus. The young men attended the service that following Tuesday! A seed was planted in their hearts that night as they listened to the message with open hearts. They received Bibles in the Farsi language and were ministered to after the service. The next time we saw them at the park they volunteered to pass out tracts with us and introduced us to the rest of their Afghani friends. They were beaming and open to receive prayers and it was a night of rejoicing for all of us.

This year like every year, the Raven Ministry went to Findley Avenue. This event was birthed in the heart of Victoria and Derrick Griffin many years ago and many years later the Lord is still touching their hearts to share his son Jesus in their neighborhood. The event took the form of a block party filled with activities for kids and teenagers alike. We had big speakers that played gospel music and we also had live performances by the YPC choir.We served popcorn, juice and hot dogs. We also shared the work of the lord and the heart of Christ to people at the event.For the teenagers, we had a basketball tournament and for the kids we had face painting, a water dunk tank and for the general audience we had a prayer station for whomever needed prayer and ministering to.

It was a wonderful way for us to show Christ’s love and to be his “hands and feet” to the people of Findley Avenue.