Today we had to walk the prayer tour..again...but we just walked it and it had to be by ourselves and we had to make sure we knew where we're going and how to get around and navigate the subway...well, today it was rainy and cold and windy and on top of that I have developed a cold in the last couple days so I was grouchy and sniffly...hopefully tomorrow will bring better weather and less congestion...
So I left off at Coney Island the last time, which was lots of fun. We didn't get to play at the amusement park, but we did have Nathan's famous hotdogs and then did some team building stuff on the beach, which earned us some weird looks. Coney Island also attracts lot of interesting people so it was fun to do a little people watching as well ha ha!
Sunday we woke up and attended church at the church we're staying at. In one Sunday our church houses a Chinese church, Norwegian church, Arabic church, Armenian church, and an English speaking church. Then after a couple of the morning services there was a cookout and there were people from the Norwegian, Chinese, and English speaking services there for lunch. We then had a free afternoon in which a couple of us ran some errands and then headed over to the Brooklyn Tabernacle where Darlene Zschech was performing with the Hillsong worship team and the Brooklyn Tabernacle choir...and it was awesome! It was just so cool to have so many people in one place together worshiping like that! It was a good night!
Monday just brought more training and 4 hours in a coffee shop mapping out subway routes and marking down ministry sites and restaurants in our guide books...it was a long day...dinner, though, = Mediterranean
Tuesday...we spent the day finding some of our actual ministry sites around the city. We volunteered at one site in the evening serving meals, playing games, and doing crafts at a ministry called Father's Heart, you'll hear more about the ministry at a later date...dinner = Polish cuisine
Today...was more office and training stuff which was long and a little boring, but then this evening we went on what is called an Immersion. We were split into groups of four and given a specific neighborhood in which to go to, ours was the Chelsea/ Lower Westside neighborhood. Each group was then given $2 per person in their group and assigned to purchase dinner for our groups and one other person. We had to hand over our phones and watches and were only able to take a subway map and our metrocard with us. We also had to stop a person on the street and ask them about the neighborhood and the changes they've seen since living there and if they knew of any food pantry or homeless shelters in the area, so we set off. Well, if you thought New Yorkers were maybe a little grouchy normally then you may be interested to know that they're extra grouchy when its cold and raining. We had a tough time getting anyone to stop and answer or questions, and the man that finally did seemed a little suspicious at first about why we had all these questions for him. It is also incredibly hard to find food to feed 5 for only $8. Many vendors or businesses refused to barter with us. We ended up finding a fruit vendor selling fruit for pretty cheap and that became our dinner. We shared the rest of the fruit with a man staying out of the rain in the subway station. The immersion is meant to give groups a chance to try and experience what it's like to try and find food on a tight budget and you definitely cannot find very much food for only $8.
It was definitely a good learning and growing experience, although I've never known true hunger and true struggle that the almost 33,000 homeless in New York City experience.
I'm sorry these have been not super detailed and few and far between. Things are crazy, but I'm learning a lot and trying not to write small novels as I try to fill you in on the going ons : )
So I only have a few minutes to briefly post what I've been up to the past couple days. I just realized I've been here 5 days now and I keep thinking, "I've only been here five days?"...anyway, it's been a while beacause we've been busy and my internet refuses to connect in my room, but one of my roommates told me when hers has problems she just goes to the church library and has no problem so here I am...
Day 1 (Tuesday): I recounted the beginning, but then after that there was some training and getting to know you stuff and then we explored our neighborhood in Brooklyn, which for all you who may be curious I live in the Bayridge neighborhood...dinner = Indian cuisine
Day 2 (Wednesday): We headed out on our first prayer tour and saw a whole lot of the city and prayed for different parts and people, ending with a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, and at least 10 miles of walking...dinner = El Salvadorian cuisine
Day 3 (Thursday): Subway day...basically consisted of our directors assigning each of us a different borough to start out in (Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, or the Bronx), hopping on a subway to get there, exploring the neighborhood a little, then having to ride any of the different colored subway routes to a new borough, exploring a neighborhood, using the bus system at some point, and riding at least one route to its very last stop...it was scary but it was definitely effective in helping to understand the subways much better...dinner = Vietnamese Cuisine
Day 4 (Friday): another prayer tour day but today we just took the route, but us interns had to do a lot of the directions and getting around and a lot more walking...then after dinner we explored more of the city and saw the main musician from the David Letterman Show in SoHo...dinner = Indian cuisine
Day 5 (Saturday)= that's today and today we get to go play at Coney Island!!!!
that's just a quick recap...I love and miss you all!
Well, I officially survived my first day of traveling and getting settled in and seeing the city...not with a coupld mishaps to start it off, though.
I'm pretty sure God through a test at me right away, first thing this morning just to see if I trusted him and I'll be honest...I'm not sure I did very well.
I got to the airport on time, so that was fine...and I checked my bags and that was fine...and when I was checking in they gave me a seat request card, which I thought was a little weird but whatever...so after a little confusion I went through security...and this is where it went a little downhill...First of all the guy behind me was in a huge hurry and practically pushing me through the security check, shoving my bins along before I've had a chance to take off my shoes or unload my laptop or anything so I was annoyed about that. And then in his hurry he whips off his belt, snapping me in the arm with it as he's taking it off and with no apology and it hurt! Then we're through waiting for our bags and such to come through the machine and he butts in front of me, as if him shuffling me out of the way is going to magically put his stuff in front of mine...it didn't for the record but I waited to get my stuff because I was done dealing with his rudeness by that point...so I then go to the gate, a little grouchy, only to find out that they've overbooked the flight by 11 and I'm 8th on the list to get a seat...what?...I call my dad who is standing on the other side of security but all I can do is sit tight and wait and I just may end up on another plane causing me to get into New York 3 hours later than I'm supposed to...and by this time I don't have much hope of getting on the plane after hearing some businessmen discussing how giving up a seat is not worth whatever the compensation is...great...I did try to pray, but it wasn't very heartfelt at all and I just didn't think it was going to happen...
Well, guess what! At least 8 people ended up giving up their seats, much to my astonishment and I was on...and grateful,,,and feeling ashamed for not trusting that it would be taken care of...then, though, I had to have another reality check on the plane because I was not feeling very loving to the human population what with security check guy, and snobby business men, and the guy who was sitting in my window seat on the internet on his phone not even looking out the window, and the 5 chatty ladies behind me...I realized I was sitting there still feeling grouchy on the plane and not being completely grateful that I had even made the flight...and I know there are going to be days where I just don't want to love anyone and nothing seems to be working out, but I can't let that get to me because then I'll fail at what it is God has me here to do this summer and at seeing what awesome things He's doing in this city...
Well, I leave for New York tomorrow...I leave for New York tomorrow. I've spent the last week reminding myself everyday and it's still a little hard to believe.
I'm kind of freaking out a little bit, actually.
When I visited CSM over Spring Break I got a little bit of an idea of what it is they do, but one day is hardly enough to cover it all. So I pretty much feel like I'm going into this thing somewhat blindly...and I don't do blindly. I like to have a plan and know all the details, but I don't really have a whole lot of that this time...and thus the freak out. I keep having to remind myself that God is in control and if He let me know all the details of this summer then I probably wouldn't go.
So I need some prayer...first that I will be open to whatever it is God has planned for me and that His love will show through me to the people I come in contact with and that my faith will grow...secondly for patience and love when it just doesn't seem like I have any left...thridly (is that a word?) for the CSM team that we will just bond and come together to do God's work this summer...lastly that God will prepare the hearts of the people we will meet this summer, whether it's that they come to know Him or we're just a seed planter...and then prayer for all the little things in between
I know it's going to be tough and there's going to be spiritual warfare and days that I just don't want to do it anymore, but I know also that it's going to be an awesome summer and so in the midst of the freak out I'm still excited to see what God has in store...
So here I go...I'll do my best to keep people updated through the blog and return emails if you email me...also my friend Jody is in Nashville with CSM so if you feel so inclined here's her blog http://seekingrecklessabandon.wordpress.com/ ...so until next time, when I'll in fact be in New York, I love you all!
As I was laying in bed last night I got to thinking about where I was around the same time last year, which was probably laying in bed. I was thinking about the different things that were happening in my life at the time and all the events of that summer. There was work and surgeries (both planned and unplanned) and family reunions and people...and then I thought about how far away last summer felt and then I though about how far away first semester felt and even things that happened this last semester seem like they were a long time ago and it's all been only over the course of a year. There were some things from this summer that didn't work out quite how I'd planned them and then I was upset because I thought I finally maybe had something even the tiniest bit worked out...wrong. That didn't last long.
It was frustrating and I didn't get it.
That happened a lot this year actually, now that I think about it. I would have some sort of a plan and everything seemed to be working or that I could at least help it along in the process and then God would say, "Not quite, Jessica," and the plan would change. I like to think I'm flexible most of the time, but I'm seeing that I can be flexible when I'm more in control and willing to change not when it seems that God has other ideas. It's a patience thing and it has been/still is a difficult thing for me to learn.
I've been home from school for 3 1/2 days now...have I unpacked any of my stuff yet?...no...I am just living out of my suitcase, things strewn about, as I search for whatever I need at that moment...I hate living out of a suitcase...I leave for New York in 7 days and have yet to start getting things together and ready to go. It's just seems like such a daunting task and I'd rather be outside where it's sunny or hanging out with my dad (which probably means going to the grocery store) because it's his day off...but I can't find anything so at some point it's all going to have to come unpacked...ugh!
