Note: This story was published
in The Dothan Eagle on Jan. 5, 2002. It is reprinted with permission of The
Dothan Eagle.
By Ben Wingate
Special to the Eagle
ENTERPRISE, Ala. - On Sunday, Dec. 16, three men from Love In Action International
Ministries left the Wiregrass area for New York to provide aid to the victims
of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
They were among the thousands of people who have been in the Big Apple, working in cooperation with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse. After more than 20 hours of driving a mini-van load of hygiene products, later distributed at St. Paul's Homeless Shelter, Pastor Mike Shroades of The Potter's House in Enterprise, Ken Tuck, deputy editor of the Dothan Eagle and Justin Swasey, a student from Troy State University, arrived in the grief-stricken city where they hoped to be of some help to those affected by the recent U.S. tragedy. And for three full days, the LIA team did everything from taking out the trash in lower Manhattan to aiding food and counseling efforts on Ground Zero.
The BGEA had a three-day agenda set up for the guys from the Wiregrass. Harvest Christian Church in New York was the host church LIA worked out of for the remainder of its trip.
A breakdown of the trip is as follows: on day one, after an orientation session, LIA was assigned to the "The Lamb's Store," a ministry of the Lamb's Nazarene Church. In short, this ministry is set up for those people in New York who lost their jobs as a result of the attacks. During the months of November and December, a warehouse full of free toys and gift items was set up for parents to come in and pick out presents for their family members. Volunteers helped them select appropriate gifts. Tuck and Swasey were among those volunteers. After the gifts were selected, the volunteers would then giftwrap them. While the family members waited on their gifts, pastors (including Shroades) and other church leaders were available to counsel, pray and talk with them about their problems. Shroades said that the main thing people wanted to talk about was their financial needs.
One man he spoke with had a mother in the Dominican Republic. He said that his job in New York allowed him to support her financially. The man lost his job as a result of the attacks on the city and would no longer be able to send money to his mother. Shroades said he was also able to pray with a young lady that day to make a decision for Christ. On day two, they were assigned to Ground Zero to help minister to the New York Police and Fire Department.
"We went to these firefighters and police officers to let them know we were there praying for them and that counseling and prayer was further available to them," Shroades said. "We also told them of where to find eating establishments that were free to them."
On his way to New York, Shroades said he really didn't know what to expect when he arrived. All he knew was what he had seen on television - the hustle and bustle big-city way of life and "mean people with the New York attitude." Once he arrived in New York and began interacting with people, however, his preconceived ideas flew right out the window. "I was very surprised at how friendly and appreciative they were - very gracious," Shroades said.
On that second day, the three did have the opportunity to approach the former site of the World Trade Center, and something happened there they didn't expect. "I didn't know how I would respond when I saw the World Trade Center," Shroades said. And when he first saw it, the only words that came to mind were "war devastation." "When you get there, you can't help but cry. Three grown men. We all cried. And you could always tell the first-time viewers," he said, because of the looks on their faces and the tears that usually fell. "Now, the area just looks like a construction site. Ten stories of crushed metal building that was once there. "You could still smell the smoke, and the sound down there - you could hear a pin drop."
Swasey said the entire area was so quiet "it just felt dead." Shroades said that during their stay in New York, the firefighters had discovered another dead body and pulled it from the rubble. On another occasion, a woman personally affected by the recent tragedy committed suicide. It was all over the news. "You could tell it took a blow to the morale of the people who were there," Shroades said.
On their third day, LIA's assignment was strictly literature distribution in the Central Park area. The packets they would hand out included gospel tracts and flyers inviting victims to talk with or call available counselors at the Billy Graham Prayer Center. The phone number was included in the flyers. During their entire stay, Shroades said his team never received any hostile attacks. The only thing remotely close to an attack was that a drunken man jumped on Shroades' back on the third day. Shroades was wearing a NYPD ball cap and the man asked him if he was working for the NYPD. After making a few belligerent remarks, the man finally left, much to the team's relief.
The last night the team was in New York, it lost track of time, missed the bus and got trapped in the New York's Port Authority area. This area is considered to be the most dangerous section of the city after dark. In fact, this section of the city is closed and locked by the NYPD to contain violence. As the hour grew later, Shroades said Tuck led the team in prayer for safety. He said that within 15 minutes of that prayer, a man in a dark trench coat walked up to them and said, "I'm here to get you out." The man led the group to a bus where the woman driving was willing to take them 15 miles out of her way to bring them to safety. After the bus, they were escorted to their headquarters in the back of a police car. "So the last night of our stay in New York was spent in the back of a police car," Shroades said, laughing.
He added that the entire trip wasn't all work. The three were able to see the Statue of Liberty, although it was closed, the Empire State Building and catch a Duke vs. Kentucky game and a New York Nets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game. They sampled a wide assortment of New York food including Sicilian pizza, one of Shroades favorites.
More than anything else, Shroades said, "I was just excited to have the opportunity to serve our country in any way I could." He also said that it was neat that a ministry funded in the Wiregrass was able to reach so many people. The trip lasted from Dec. 16-22. What's next for the LIA mission team?
A group of volunteers will travel to Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 12, to minister to the homeless. They will work with local churches and ministry groups. The team will also prepare and deliver food to the homeless at a central location. Warm clothes, coats, blankets and a meal will be given to them as needed. Shroades said the team would hold an informal worship service with those gathered; the gospel message will be delivered. He added that area churches will follow up on those who make decisions during this trip.
LIA International Ministries, organized in May 2001, is supported by private donations and is committed to discipleship. The organization's Web site is www.loveinactionministries.com. Pastor Shroades can be reached at 334-393-1937. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association information can be found at www.billygraham.org and Samaritan's Purse can be found at www.samaritanpurse.org
Ben Wingate is a freelance writer in Dothan.