FAQs
If you have a question please feel free to ask us. We will do our best to answer it for you.
Q – What are we going to do in the Bronx?
A – Sam & Marty will be sharing the preaching responsibilities. We will be teaching Sunday school classes. We will be starting kids programs such as AWANA, VBS and working with the youth. We are going to have a food outreach program. We will help disciple new believers. Jen will be starting a pregnancy care center.
Q – When are we going to the Bronx for good?
A – Honestly, that all depends on you. Baptist Mid-Missions (our sending Mission Agency) now requires all of their missionaries to have 100% of their support before they are allowed to go to the field. That is what we are doing right now – raising our needed support.
Q – Can you explain some about the pregnancy care center?
A – Jen will be counseling one on one with the moms to be. Jen will be holding training classes that will be open to the community. Some of the classes will include: how to have a healthy pregnancy, how to care for a new born, abstinence and how to budget.
Q – Where will we live?
A – We are going to live in an apartment that has been built in the back of the church.
Q – Where will our kids go to school?
A – We are going to homeschool our children.
Q – Do we speak another language besides English?
A – No
Q – Will there be a language barrier?
A – Not really. One-third of the population speaks Spanish, but 95% of those people also speak English. The disadvantage we will have is when they are talking about us to someone else. We have already encountered this happening to us in the Bronx.
Q – Exactly where in the Bronx will we be located?
A – The church is located at 1276 Commonwealth Ave. just off of Westchester Ave. in the South Bronx.
Q – How does the South Bronx compare with the rest of the Bronx?
A – The South Bronx is the poorest section of America. It has the highest crime rate of any part of New York City. It has the highest rate of unemployment in NYC. It ranks highest in almost every category in NYC.
Q – Are we fearful for our safety?
A – We will take precautions and use common sense. We are pretty safe during the day. We will not be taking long walks at night. We have heard it be said that the safest place a person can be is where God wants them to be. This is not really true! God may want or allow something we think is harmful or unpleasant happen to us. God is in control and He will have happen what He wants.
Q – Will we have a car in the Bronx?
A – Yes
Q – How is the driving in the Bronx?
A – Horrible! Seriously, if you want to see the sin nature at work – watch the drivers. They are so selfish – they stop when they want, go when they want, turn when they want. The stop signs are a mere suggestion. Even the people make it hard to drive because they cross wherever they want. Double parking is always a concern. We are not really sure how many of these people got a license to begin with!
Q – What is our monthly support need?
A – We need $5,483 a month
Q – What is the lowest and highest amount someone supports us for each month?
A – We have people that support us for $10 a month all the way up to $550.
Q – Will the church have bars on the windows?
A – Yes, the ground level will have bars on the windows. There will also be a fence around the edge of the property.
Q – Is vandalism and theft a problem?
A – Yes. The CBM builders in the Bronx that are renovating the church have had tools stolen on a few occasions. Marty, Val and the builders have all had the cars broken into several times. They have all had their tires slashed several times. One of the builders had a digital compass in his car. Someone thought it was a GPS so they smashed a window to take it.
Q – I thought the crime rate went down in the Bronx?
A – It has gone down some, especially the murders. But – it depends on how you record the stats. A few years ago NYC changed their laws. When someone is shot, murdered, etc. it is not counted as a murder unless the case is solved. So you could have 150 murders a year but if only 25 are solved then they only report 25 murders! Very creative.
Q – What do people do for work in the Bronx?
A – Half of the people that do have jobs work outside of the Bronx. They may work on Long Island or New Jersey. There are a lot of places to work in the Bronx. The problem is that most of them do not pay very much. Minimum wage is only about $7 an hour. So even if both parents work they most likely still can’t make ends meet. Then there is a certain part of the population that makes a great deal of money selling drugs.
Q – Are gangs a problem in the Bronx?
A – Gangs have always been a problem. The leaders of a couple larger gangs were taken down and are in jail as of a few years ago. They have been regrouping and making a comeback the past few years. There are a couple of newer gangs in the Bronx that are making their presence known. They are – “DDP” (Dominicans Don’t Play) & “PDP” (Puerto Ricans Don’t Play). Once we are in the Bronx for good we want to quickly learn the territory and turf of these gangs.
