"If Your House Got Torn Down... I Would Build It Back For You."

Samaritan's Purse
Thursday, 27 September 2001

Volunteers at the Billy Graham New York Prayer Center Bring Messages of Encouragement from North Carolina Children to New York City

The New York City police officer sternly said "no thanks." He was tired and angry and simply wasn't interested in Tina Brookes' attempts to make him feel better. Then Tina, a volunteer for the Billy Graham New York Prayer Center, gave the officer on street patrol a hand-written note from a child in North Carolina.

"I am very sorry about what happened to your city. I would give you a place to work. I would give money to you. I would help you get anywhere if you had any broken bones. If your airport or house got torn down by the Trading Center, I would build it back for you." -— Cole Sperling, George Hildebrand Elementary, Connelly Springs, N.C.

The compassionate words of a third grader touched a nerve that had been numbed by the horror of the September 11 atrocities. "It was incredible," says Tina Brookes. "He physically softened and relaxed and then he gently folded the note and placed it in his hat—where he keeps photos of his family. Then, with tears in his eyes, he began to talk."

"This is how the healing is beginning," said Ken Isaacs, Director of the Billy Graham New York Prayer Center. "Talking is a natural and effective way for people to process their feelings. People just need to ‘talk,' and we are here to listen."

A collaboration of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse (an international relief organization), The Billy Graham New York Prayer Center is a confidential place of support where those directly affected by the terrorist attacks can receive one-on-one encouragement, prayer, or simply a listening, compassionate ear.

"People can call us or they can drop by and see us," said Isaacs. "We also have volunteers out on the streets of New York offering encouragement and a compassionate ear to people. If they want us to pray with them, we do that too."

Tina Brookes, a school counselor in North Carolina, also delivers notes of encouragement from her students. "The people here need to start healing," she says. "We can help with kind words and compassionate hearts and ears."

People in need can contact the Billy Graham Prayer Center by calling (212) 206-1001 or toll-free (866) 206-6044. The center is located at 133 W. 25th St., Suite 4 East, New York, NY 10001.

For more information, or to contact Samaritan's Purse, see their website at: www.samaritanspurse.org