Good morning from NYC, we are having a cool sunny day here with temps in the high forties this morning, expecting to rise to high sixties. This is my kind of weather, trying to decide if I need a long sleeve shirt or a light jacket. The trees in the city are beginning to change, the ones outside the city have nearly reached their peak. It lends a beauty to the city that we haven’t experienced yet. This will be full circle of seasons of our time in the city. Hard to believe we been here nearly one year already! It has been a rewarding time here.

We said farewell to our senior boy Preston on the 21st of October. It was an enjoyable six months having him at the unit. That evening, we welcomed our next boy, Tristan Koehn from Paxton NE. He is another fine young man to come to the unit. He survived his welcome from the boys, which begins at 2am sharp and after an intense whirlwind of activity, we could all rest a while before our busy Sunday began.

Sunday was our Bowery Sunday, when we have a visiting congregation join us for Sunday morning service and then singing in subway station and then a church service at the main Bowery Mission at 4pm. Belleville PA joined us this month, completing the first round of the six congregations in rotation. We also had two couples visiting that the men had been here in the unit from years back. Something about the city that draws you back. We have had many former unit boys bring their wife and families to visit the city and mission.

We continue to have a good amount of company, with four boys coming every six weeks, their parents and siblings and also friends, the calendar tends to fill up. We will still have a slot for those still wanting to visit, let us know when to fit you in!

Our new couple Roger and Elsie Penner from Maine will arrive next Tuesday the 7th of November. We are looking forward to getting acquainted more, we met them when we went to Levi Jantzen wedding. Also enjoyed our time so much with Todd and Donna, we will sure miss them here. They have done a super job of filling in. It is difficult to have those we work with leave!

We continue to explore the city; you would think that eventually you would cover everything. Each boy that comes has different likes and so we check out that place and others that come who have been here, wonder if we have been there, so we want to go there… then there are places that draw us back time and again. We also see the less desirable parts of each borough on our tract routes.

Today, two of the boys serve breakfast at bowery mission, leave at 6:30 in morning. The other two go to Lincoln Hospital and work till 1 and then mama and the four boys sing to patients that want it for a while, then everyone comes home and does various things till supper time. Then there will be singing practice and one of the boys will get his Bible Study lesson ready for tomorrow night. We often sit around and discuss interesting topics that are on the boy’s heart, often going late! So enjoyable when that happens.

We have been called in to help a lot more at the pantry of late. There are many migrants coming in the US that have been sent here and are trying to settle in and find a job and housing. Who knows where they will end up and how they can survive with winter coming.

So, that is what’s been happening her of late, would like to know how you all are doing and what you are enjoying as you travel life’s maze. If you can’t come see us, then remember us here as we do our little part!