Donna… look up!
By Derek Prezzano
North Shore Area Director

As the day began, I could tell this would be a new and memorable experience for most of the kids. Most if not all, had never ridden on a train, walked around Penn Station, squished into a subway, strolled the streets of the great City and through Rockefeller Center or gazed in amazement at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. None had ever seen the wonderful Christmas show at Radio City. If not for this day, most of these kids would have never had the chance to build this memory. Throughout the day as they stayed close to their mentor, their eyes were big and their anticipation was growing. Probably the winning, biggest eyes moment of the day goes to Betsy*. As Betsy ascended the stairs, exiting the subway and entered the streets of NYC for the first time in her life, she said to her mentor, ‘Donna...look up!’  That awestruck and amazed moment, accurately sums up the experience and feelings of most of the kids on that day.

Most of those “Donna… look up!” moments came during the Radio City Show.  Certainly, the most powerful, influential and memorable moment came at the finale.  With a complete, live Nativity filling the stage, the Essay “One Solitary Life’ scrolled across the transparent screen, and declared to everyone ‘Why’ we were there in the first place. The life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is who we celebrate and honor during this season. 

Jesus is also the ‘Why’ for this ministry. We are here to assist the church in ministering His love to the Fatherless. It is our experience, that as mentors spend time with these children, they sense the Love of God and are often drawn by the Spirit of God to Look up. …to behold the Savior…to receive Him as Lord and King.