Kindness Goes a Long Way in NYC
Scott Matheny | International Students, Inc.
When you live, work and minister in the New York City area you meet all types of people. Many are struggling just to get by. Some are having fun. Some seem really busy. They all need Jesus. In our work with International Students Incorporated NYC/Long Island, we meet them all. New York can be a lost and scary place, but there are those who make it kind, gentle, and compassionate. Kenny and Cindy Chau are two of those folks.
Kenny and his wife, Cindy, serve international students in Manhattan at New York University (NYU). They live in a snug apartment in Harlem. Harlem is full of interesting people day and night. It can be a challenge. Kenny and Cindy meet that challenge every day. They have two children; the one with Down’s Syndrome suffers from regular seizures and had a terrible burn a few years back.
It would be easy to sit back and make excuses. After all it is New York City, it is during a pandemic, and there are significant family challenges. The Chau family doesn’t shy from doing God’s work with students. Multiple bouts of Covid, the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, and the general lostness of the City have not dissuaded them from doing the work of the gospel. No one loves these students more than Kenny and Cindy, and it shows.
It shows in the meals they provide, in the discipleship meetings they lead, and in the selfless acts of kindness they exhibit. The students love them. Their apartment is open for ministry. They make time for students and students make time for them. In an intimidating world, they are a respite and a place to just enjoy each other and God.
As part of Kenny’s responsibilities in ministry at NYU, he facilitates a weekly Bible study and meal with students from South America, Asia, Africa, and all points in between. We all meet at a tiny shoebox-sized church in Greenwich Village. Kenny’s vision is to have our meetings be a time of worship and prayer for the nations. International students often feel alone. Kenny and Cindy never want them to feel that way.
We share laughter, tears, and praise together. It’s a safe place where God is honored. This could not happen without the kindness, humility, and compassion that Kenny and Cindy show. Life is hard in New York City, but with the Chau family it becomes much more manageable. They are a breath of fresh air among the masses. They make it easy to see God’s hand at work, evident to those whose lives are being changed by His kindness in a dark place.
