Johanna Soukka

Relief Base Coordinator- (EMAIL)

Bio:
Johanna came to NYCR for the first time in October 2001, right after 9/11, when she was twenty years old. She served the poor and homeless with the Relief Bus for 6 months and then went back to her home country of Finland. The experience with NYCR left her changed, she missed all the friends from the ministry and from the streets of NYC, and kept coming back to visit and serve on the Relief Bus. While in Finland she attended a Bible School for the Free Evangelical Church of Finland and graduated with a Missionary degree on 2004. A few years went by and Johanna slipped away from God and her calling, until He called her back to serve the poor and homeless in NYC, now with a realization of herself being one of "them". God gave her grace and that's what she wanted to share with the people she met. Johanna served with the Relief Bus for two years in 2006-2008. After that she returned to Finland to work with the youth in a school and in her church. The missions call didn't leave her alone though and she found herself in NYC again in fall 2010, and she is still on that path- serving the poor and homeless in NYC.

What I Do With The Relief Bus:
I am part of the Relief Bus outreach twice a week, out of which I lead the outreach to Harlem on Saturdays. I also coordinate the teams who come to stay at The Relief Base. It's awesome to see what God does on the streets through those who show up and be the hands and the feet of Jesus in the midst of darkness and hopelessness!

Why I Work With The Relief Bus:
I serve with the Relief Bus because I have experienced the grace of God and salvation in my own life and I want to share it with others. When I was praying about coming to serve with the Relief Bus in 2006, God gave me a verse from the Bible that really confirmed to me that He wanted me to do this. "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1.John 3:16, 18

Favorite Books:
The Bible, a longtime favorite!
Rabbi's Heartbeat by Brennan Manning
Chasing the Dragon by Jackie Pullinger
Narnia series by C.S Lewis

Favorite Artists:
Gungor
U2
Mumford and Sons

Favorite Movies:
American History X
Shawshank Redemption
The Pianist
Sound of Music

Links:
Johanna's Facebook Page (must be logged in to facebook to work)