A woman stands in a busy outdoor area holding a purple sign that reads, "YOUR EX DOESN'T LOVE YOU, JESUS DOES!" People walk and talk in the background.
Handmade signs at the 16th Street BART plaza. Photo on April 20, 2025 by Abigail Van Neely.

For some, Easter Sunday means wooden pews and stained glass. For 18-year-old Shaineiry and her congregation, it meant canvassing the northeast 16th Street BART plaza. 

At 2 p.m., Shaineiry and a dozen other teenagers stood with handmade posters, each bearing a variation of the message that Jesus saves. “Your ex doesn’t love you, Jesus does,” read one. 

Their goal, she said as she handed out fliers for Iglesia Cristo Es La Roca, was to bring people into the community. 

“I understand that there are a lot of drug addicts in this area,” Shaineiry said. “We come here to get them help.”

Three young people stand outdoors; one holds a white sign shaped like a cross with "John 3:16" and "JESUS" written on it. The group is smiling and it appears sunny.
Shaineiry, right, with other teens in the congregation. Photo on April 20, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A man pushes a cart in a city plaza while three women stand nearby, one holding a pink protest sign; bags and other items are on the ground.
The Iglesia Cristo Es La Roca congregation canvasses the 16th Street BART plaza. Photo on April 20, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A man in sunglasses holds a large tray of food while standing among a crowd on a city street during the day.
Free sandwiches at the 16th Street BART plaza. Photo on April 20, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.

Packs of small water bottles and an aluminum platter of sandwiches stood by a man preaching in Spanish into a microphone: “Drugs cannot make you happy. Jesus can make you happy, for he has your heart.” 

Some passersby were receptive, Shaineiry said. Others, hostile. But their “insults are nothing compared to what Jesus went through.” 

A few feet away on Mission Street, a man was folded over beside a vendor’s blanket of miscellaneous electronics. There were two fruit stands, and no police officers in sight.

People stand on a busy city sidewalk holding religious signs, with street vendors and colorful murals visible in the background.
The Iglesia Cristo Es La Roca congregation hands out fliers at the 16th Street BART plaza. Photo on April 20, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A street vendor wearing a cap and gloves prepares food at a cart stocked with fruits, canned drinks, and a large pot, with signs reading "ELOTES" and "ESQUITES.
Food vendors stay busy at the 16th Street BART plaza. Photo on April 20, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A group of people stand outdoors holding Christian signs with messages such as "He is Risen," "Jesus Saves," and "He is the Way." Urban setting with graffiti in the background.
Teens hold up their homemade posters. Photo on April 20, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A group of people stand on a city sidewalk holding signs, including one that reads “Jesus te ama, Jesus loves you, John 3:16.” Some are smiling and dressed in various styles.
The Iglesia Cristo Es La Roca congregation canvasses the 16th Street BART plaza. Photo on April 20, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A busy city intersection with pedestrians, a city bus, traffic signals, and various buildings in the background during daytime.
4/20/25 Southwest 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.
A large dumpster overflowing with trash sits on a city sidewalk next to parked cars, with litter scattered on the ground and storefronts visible in the background.
4/20/25 A bin across from Wiese Street overflows. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.
A narrow urban alley between two buildings, with one storefront partially shuttered and debris scattered along the sidewalk. A person stands near the entrance of the alley.
4/20/25 Wiese Street. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.
Two people walk along a city sidewalk beside parked cars and colorful graffiti, passing a parking sign and a trash bin on a sunny day.
4/20/25 Capp Street. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.
A city street with parked cars, a pedestrian crossing sign, and a hotel sign on a building under a clear blue sky.
4/20/25 Julian Avenue. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.
Several people gather on a sidewalk beside a building; graffiti, street signs, and bikes are also visible in the urban alley scene.
4/20/25 Caledonia Street. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.

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Abigail is a staff reporter at Mission Local covering criminal justice and public health. She's been awarded for investigative reporting and public service journalism.

She got her bachelor's and master's from Stanford University. Her first stories were published from nearly opposite places: coastal Half Moon Bay, CA and the United Nations Headquarters.

Abigail's family is from small-town Iowa and Vietnam, but she's a born and raised New Yorker. She now lives in San Francisco with her cat, Sally Carrera. (Yes, the shelter named the cat after the Porsche from the animated movie Cars.)

Message her securely via Signal at abi.725

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3 Comments

  1. Religion is a also a drug, the opium for the people. It is not all about peace and love, in the name of religion many people die every day, many atrocities are committed.

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  2. I very much appreciate this series. It covers daytime activity well.

    The evening scene is a different story and worth covering as well.

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