Loving Boldly: Following the spirit, serving a stranger

By Rev. Nancy Adams, Endwell United Methodist Church | Email

For the past two Mondays, members of Endwell United Methodist Church have been stepping outside our church walls and into our neighborhood for prayer walks. While our congregation has long been active in mission and outreach ministries, we recognized that we have not always connected directly with the people who live and work around us. These walks are a simple but meaningful way to pray for our community and listen for where God may be leading us. 

On our second prayer walk, the same two faithful parishioners who participated the previous week returned. One of them suggested that we walk in the opposite direction from the route we had taken before. As we walked, we prayed for the residents of each home we passed and for the owners and employees of local businesses. 

As we made our way up a hill, we noticed a woman walking down the road. Suddenly, she stumbled and fell hard onto the pavement. Thankfully, no cars were approaching at the time. 

We rushed to help her and discovered that her elbow and hand had been scraped and were bleeding. We brought her back to the church, cleaned her wounds, and began talking with her. We learned that her name was Susanna and that she was from Guatemala. She had been walking to a nearby store to purchase a phone. 

As we continued our conversation, we learned that her husband was in Binghamton. When we offered to drive her to him, she quietly replied, “Not safe.” Through a translation app on one parishioner's phone, we were able to understand more of her story. Susanna was trying to get away from an unsafe situation and hoped to travel to Minneapolis, where she knew a pastor and possibly had family connections. 

We also learned that she had not eaten. We packed a takeout container with the Monday evening community meal, included utensils and bottles of water, and made sure she had something to sustain her for the journey ahead. 

One of our parishioners then drove Susanna to Binghamton, helped her find a suitable phone, and purchased a bus ticket to Minneapolis. The cost of the ticket will be covered through my discretionary fund. 

Over the next day, we stayed in touch as best we could. Susanna successfully made her connections from Binghamton to Syracuse, Syracuse to Cleveland, Cleveland to Chicago, and finally to Minneapolis. She later sent a message letting us know she had arrived safely. 

In that message, she thanked us, asked God's blessing upon us, and shared a simple but powerful reminder: “God is good all the time.” 

As I reflect on this experience, I cannot help but think about the story of Philip and the Ethiopian man. Philip listened to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and encountered someone he never expected to meet. That encounter changed lives. 

We set out on a prayer walk hoping to bless our neighborhood. Instead, God placed someone directly in our path who needed care, compassion, and practical help. It was an unexpected encounter, but one that reminded us that ministry often happens when we are willing to listen, pay attention, and follow where the Holy Spirit leads.