Nearing Journey's End

Our last day was very bittersweet withe children at A House on Beekman. The children were out of control wild, we were on the brink of insanity, and the heat wave once again continued. Today we all decided to take cabs to the promised land church because we had our suitcases with us. Ellen, Mary Helen, and I left earlier and got a cab to the nearest Walgreens with a 1 hour photo. It's surprising how hard some of the things we take for granted are to find in neighborhoods like the Bronx. We had 239 individual photos printed, plus some of us with our group at Central Park, as well as some small size photos to put inside buttons for their last craft. Thy absolutely loved it! I wondered how many pictures some of them Even have of themselves at such a happy time!  We got lots of great big grins with teeth showing. I will post some of my favorites soon. 

The service group baked cookies for the local police and fire departments as well as delivered cookies to some of the local store owners. I do believe their favorite part was taste testing the product! The writing group made airplanes and that was a big hit. Games were once again inside due to the ridiculous heat wave that apparently subsided the day after we left. All of the other groups reported successful but very tiring days. At the end of our journey we once again, for the last time, cleaned the buildings we were using. It was very hard work but worth every ounce of energy we had, every tear we were on the verge of shedding and every kick or punch we witnessed. 

We left the Cristo Te Amo for the last time and made the uphill trekk back to Promised Land Church. We stopped by the House on Beekman on our way back and made some pictures. Then we arrived to help finish cleaning. We had some trouble pulling up colorful duct tape off the floor they had used to indicate where the different color groups were to sit. We used windex, soap scum remover, knives, scrapers, etc to finally get the floors clean. After we swept we replaced the chairs for the worship services over the weekend. I love how used God's house their was. We like to keep out churches in pristine condition and only allow certain activities but its wonderful to see so much activity by different groups in this place of worship and sanctuary. We certainly could take some lessons in using God's resources to the fullest. We said our goodbyes to the children and the staff and there were definitely feelings of sadness and tears involved even though our patience and sanity was almost worn thin. God will sustain you in the hardest moments and give you peace and strength to endure and persevere. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with these things this week.

 

Our leaving was hard on the children. They ask questions like, "why do you have to leave? Why does everyone always leave? Will you come back?" Etc etc. you can tell they long for stability in their lives and cling to anything that seems to be a constant. Brad and Sara are providing this for more than a hundred kids and I am honored to have been a part of their ongoing ministry to be Christ even to the least of these. 

After we left, we caught the subway to grand central with our bags. This was tough but we had enough strength because we were in much need of rest and we were so close to rejuvenation. We caught the Metro-North train to Brewster, NY were we were picked up by my aunt Jeannie, my cousin Libby, and her daughter Mackenzie. They drove us out to their beautiful farm and showed us to our rooms. Just the sight of trees, flowers, fresh air and a warm welcome lifted my weary limbs. We all dispersed I our rooms to shower and freshen up before heading to Libby's for a wonderful treat! They had lots of appetizers and finger foods for us to munch on while the master chef, Earl, began working his magic with a wide array if toppings and pizza dough. We had a pizza feast straight from Earl's very own brick oven! My favorite pizza of the night was called the Double H and its had grilled chicken, pineapple, barbecue sauce and jalapeño. It was delicious! There was then an assortment of desserts, gelato, ooey gooey bars, pound cake, cupcakes, etc. After dinner, some of us toured around the farm a while while some of us went straight to our Rooms to rest. After an amazing nights sleep, we woke to a beautiful sunrise in the countryside of Ridgefield. The views were breathtaking. Jeanne and Libby had fruit, yogurt and homemade breads for breakfast. They certainly were the best hosts and hostesses. I do believe god has blessed them with the resources to be hospitable. I believe one of their spiritual gifts is taking care and providing a place of rest for the weary traveler. The bible says, "Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you." 3 John 1:5. Are you being hospitable? Are you helping to care for the needy as well as those who teach and reach the lost? This is being faithful to God. 

Blessings and love, Amen. 

There's gonna be a heat wave!

So today there was a heat advisory in NYC. Yes, you read that correctly. Where the snow piles itself high on the sidewalks and over cars, where there should be a breeze and a chance to at least breathe, they're experiencing a HEAT WAVE. I'm not sure if I haw mentioned this r not, but three of the teams are working in an un-air-conditioned facility and one is stationed outdoors at the park. With the high temps and the amount of walking we have been doing, our clothes are wet before we make it one block to the subway. 

They moved the outdoor activities indoor an tried to fashion and semi cool situation in the Cristi Te Amo location. At one point I saw the thermostat register 93 degrees, INDOORS. And through all these obstacles, our team has managed to stay motivated with one goal in mind: showing god's love to God's children. 

We began the morning like we have every other. Breakfast at 9, children beginning to arrive at 9:30 and then classes starting at 10:30 after morning prayer and praise & worship. The worship leader, who also happens to be known as Principal Ben has been awesome! 

Today in crafts we made hats and they had an absolute blast! I love seeing them get excited about them and wear them all day. They were a welcome treat to deal with the heat wave.  The service class planted seeds to take home and nurture to grow. They certainly had a big time doing that. All of the other groups reported last of patience testing moments but the bright spots are worth all that is endured. 

After camp we hopped on the subway to grand central to have dinner at the "food court". We all got to have whatever we wanted and we realized this was a very good option for a group. After dinner we even did the magic trick where you get in two opposite corners and have a conversation. It's weird how you're voice will travel. That was fun!  Lawana and I got the tickets for the train ride tomorrow. We are all looking forward to that so much. It will be nice to clear our minds. 

I was reading this scripture earlier: 

"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8

I was thinking about all the tears, heartaches and hardships these children deal with on a daily basis. One precious little girl lives with her family in a shelter. Another little girl has very bad, untreated eczema so she has sores and scars on her arms. Another little boy lives with a single father who loves him very much but seems to have some serious struggles. It's comforting to know that when they live in a world that society doesn't place any importance on, they belong to a God that knows every tear they've cried. That's powerful stuff. 

I was also thinking about the irony of the fact that I've struggled with so much this week including impatience, frustration, and near insanity, but that I've not felt this much pure joy in a long time. The kind you have when you wake up in the morning feeling like you've been hit by a train but you can't wait to get going and get to camp because you look forward to the smiles and hugs of the children. Or when you go to bed at night remembering how gifted a particular student was or how you overheard them helping each other or correcting each other. They are building community that will change the face of this neighborhood. How can I have so much physical pain and mental strains and experience bliss? The juxtaposition of the two is unlikely but really the blood sweet and tears (yes I tripped at Central Park. My family reading this will not be surprised) make the joyful moments that much more grandiose. Serving a powerful God is inspiring and everyday that I spend trying to honor Him and His kingdom is another day of pure joy. 

This little doll has stolen my heart. 

Check out this side smile! What a darling?!

Hear my prayer, O God, that I might continue in your will to love even the least of these, for in this I find true joy. Amen. 

Day 3: July 17

After the morning prayer for the outing and the campers, the scavenger hunt was on! We walked to the Cypress subway entrance and our campers got to choose where we got off. Angel chose 70th street. We walked several blocks to get to Central Park. It was funny to notice the difference in the manhattan and the Bronx neighborhoods. How segregated we are. Money has become the main focus. The haves want more and more, and the have nots have the opportunity to get less and less. 

Our group placed third and we got points for visiting the Alice in wonderland statue, the castle, asking foreigners how to say love in different languages, and lots of other things. They even performed a so g for a family that was so encouraging to them. We had so much positive reaction. The people of New York have been great! We wore them out at the playground, then trekked back to the Subway. The kids were so tired that we literally had to push them down the sidewalks. It was a very very long day. After we were finished with camp for the day, we got on the subway headed to the Sidecar Restaurant, or so we thought... Hop Stop app works great, if you get the right address in it. We walked to where we thought it was located...and nothing. Uh oh. I felt like a big goon. I asked a man on the street quickly for a suggestion before I was eaten by the mob for leading us astray. We ended up having dinner at Pete's Tavern which is very famous. Apparently it's a hop spot for lots of celebs. Dinner was good and we headed back to the Bronx afterward. When we got back to the room LaShunda dropped a bomb on us: she left her cell phone in the bathroom of CVS on Park Ave. 

I was dead dog tired and at the end, but nothing a coke zero and the chance to do some wandering couldn't perk up!

Mary Helen, laShunda, Lawana and I headed back to 23rd and park. Thankfully we got the phone. We then took a short can ride to Little Italy to pick up some Italian Pastries at my favorite place, Ferrrara's. we got a strawberry tarlette, a couple of canolis, a cheesecake truffle, and a Napoleon, . We ate them all in no time so they wouldn't melt. We then finally made it back to the hotel around 11:30. We certainly saw that this neighborhood was no where for anyone to be walking around after dark. We all made it to our rooms and it seemed only minutes had passed until we were up again and ready to go for Day four of camp!

God we pray for strength and endurance mentally, physically as we'll as emotionally, Amen.

Headed to Central Park!

This morning we are taking 100 kids to Central Park on the subway. Thankfully they will be wearing highlighter yellow tshirts! We spent lots of time this morning with all counselors praying over these children individually by name. Please join us in doing so. 

Carlos

Dylan

Eric

Isatou

Jailene

Jeremy

Mia

Samantha

Serafin

Christopher

Corra

Damon

Elijah

Jayden

Jaylin

Krystyna

Quandaisha

Sanaa

Shakiness

Shalliyah

Michael

Serafina

Sevastian

Vivian

Tida

Tooson

Alia

Alisha

Alteena

Antonio

Athena

Cristiana

Kysiem

Mayrelis

Mekhi

Perjha

Steven

Anthony

Chumarra

Donnie

Famata

Jayden

Jeremiah

Justin

Keianna

Kialee

LaDainian

Tatiana

Zion

Alexa

Brandon

Cloddie

Elijah

Izzy

Jaimeik

Jamielyn

Jamiya

Jermaine

Milka

Rolando

Tristan

Faith

Franscisco

Hanson

Humberto

Hy-leph

Jada

Jeremiah

Kaliyah

Makaya

Orianna

Quashawn

Steffan

Valarie 

Azarra

Grace

Jade

Jay'quan

Kadafie

Kenyan

Leasia

Madeline

Moenae

Shahida

Angel

Demerick

Emmanuel

Heaven

Jaea

Jahmier

Ka'shon

Kayla

Kissiah

Makia

Myasia

Pray for them by name, that they may feel gods love and warmth through us. Amen.

 

Day 4: July 16

After a very restful night of sleep, we headed out to the subway around 8:30 to arrive for day 2 of camp at about 9. We were bright eyed and bushy tailed....well at least Lawana was! All in all it was a very successful day. The children were much better behaved and we are forming precious little bonds with them just after two days with them. We all have our favorites who just melt our hearts. But we hug them and love on them all the same. 

Today we made tie dyed tee shirts and the kids were so creative and they all loved it. I was very impressed with their abilities, behavior, and joy. One sweet little kindergartner, Madeline, was exceptionally gifted. She has a very gentle spirit. Lawana and Dallas helped the children host a lemonade stand right in the middle of the South Bronx! They had a wonderful time. They raised lots of money for Kenya. One little boy Kenyan was a star seller but had a little trouble with product delivery. As soon as a customer would pay he would give his leader the money, then get the lemonade and drink it it himself! He's certainly a very exciting little boy. 

During the day while they were selling lemonade, a fight escalated between two women on the street about 10 yards away. One woman even pulled out a knife. They quickly relocated the stand but it was noted by Dallas that none of the children even really noticed what was going on. It's sad to think that they are so used to hearing people scream and fight that they have the ability to block it out to an extent. 

Mary Helen and bill played water games to try and alleviate some of the heat wave. The kids had a blast. One little girl asked bill when we were leaving, said she was sad and would miss us, and that the last group left and we are leaving just like them. This is another bleak reminder of the unstable lives these children are living. They are so used to things changing and people leaving that they are clinging to anything that they can have ongoing relationship with. 

Shari and John had another good successful day with brained builders. LaShunda, who has arrived early every time since the late incidents, had the kids acting out their business tactics for making a sale at the lemonade stand and then writing about it. The kids really got into it. Kim and Rhoda had another successful day with bible. The kids seem to really like hearing e stories and its sweet to hear them talk about God from their point of view. Reagan and Ruth Abigail had an awesome day with music. the kids made their own guitars with paper plates, paint sticks (donated by Germantown hardware so shop there!) and rubber bands. They were pretty awesome. They also made drums out of coffee cans, tape and used pencils for drumsticks. The kids are learning about rhythm and their seem to be some musical standouts among the kids. Speaking of Ruth Abigail, she is feeling under the weather and so everyone please say an extra prayer for her tonight. She needs healing and strength to feel better and power through this tough week especially when she is feeling ill. 

Our lunch today was quite a strange concoction. It started out its a spiral pasta base that was topped with a cheese sauce containing sweet potato pieces and then pieces of beef hot dog. Hmmmm.  Most of us took a few bites and quickly retreated to the snack bags or our backpacks for any remnants of popcorn, apples, etc. after a very long but awesome day 2, we hopped on the subway and road up to the north Bronx where we had a great Chinese meal. The restaurant had a tablecloth. Seems like its been forever since we've been in civilization, but its only been two days. The neighborhood here is crowded and very dirty, and I mean VERY dirty. However, even with all the dirt and sadness I have seen lots of joy among many people of the neighborhood. We are so quick to feel afraid but sometimes a brief moment of eye contact and the simple exchange of a smile say everything without anyone speaking a word. I'm like you. You're like me. The only thing that is really different between us are the circumstances we were born into. If not for the Grace of God I might have been born here, but I might not be as strong as some of these people and been able to live and deal as they do. These people have a strength and determination about them. In our bible study led by Bill and Mary Helen, John spoke of a single dad who picked up his wild child, Qadaffi. He appeared to be struggling but he stayed for the last activity if the day before he left with his son. He disciplined his son and smiled with him, but you can tell that they struggle to have any semblance of normalcy at all. This is what we are encountering here. We can't even comprehend what life is like here.

 A house on Beekman is truly a light in this neighborhood. They are not just hosting bible camp here but influencing these children in hopes of changing their lives for the best. They are a constant good. I was thinking, we are not here to "make them better" but to be examples of what it is like to love God with everything you have by loving even those that are so often neglected. Titus 2:7 says "and you yourself must be an example to me by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching." And while we are having a blast here laughing and playing, learning and creating, I hope they see the seriousness of our love. That we love them because we love god. And God is the sustainer of all, even in their darkest moments as well as the bright ones.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. We ask for stamina, peace, and perseverance over these next few days. Tomorrow we have a scavenger hunt in Central Park so we will be taking 100 kids on the subway! And while this gives me horrible anxiety, I can't wait to see them in action! 

Blessings!

A few pics until I can upload more

 

 
 

Well, the said it would be hard. They certainly didn't lie to us or sugar coat anything. In fact, I thought they were over estimating how difficult these children were to work with at times, but everything they said was spot on. But somehow, as Dallas noted, the love and patience that could only be god given came over us all and we witnessed small miracle after small victory of overcoming in these children's lives. We saw physical fights. We saw children lash out in anger. We saw angst ridden children. We saw pain in these kids eyes that we have never experienced. But beside all the sadness we saw love, joy, excitement, energy and vivacious beautiful children looking for acceptance, encouragement, and community. The atmosphere was exciting and invigorating and the spirit of God was certainly moving in us and in the children. We started our morning out leaving the Hotel around 8:15. We have to walk about a half mile to get to the station to catch the subway. Then we have to ride through about 5 stops. 

We got off the top subway and made our way to Promised Land Church. We arrived in time to have a light breakfast and pep talk by the House on Beekman staff. Then we were off on our first day of camp!  Everything went relatively well in all of the groups. The children loved making their crafts. Today we made our own styrofoam stamps and decorated pillowcases. Ellen and I were pleasantly surprised with the children' interest in painting. My cousin Libby and her daughter Mackenzie came into the city from Ridgefield, CT to serve alongside us and they were very much needed extra hands for crafts. Mackenzie will be working with us through Wednesday! The bible group went very well. Apparently Rhoda is the most excellent story teller who has been gifted with wonderful abilities to relay messages to children of all different levels. Kim and Rhoda were even blessed by a child leading their group in a sweet song. The children were very receptive to the educational activities, brain builders by John and Shari and the writing lessons lead by LaShunda. They were so proud to get their very own journals! The service project group led by Lawana and Dallas prepped and made advertisements and learned about business in preparation for their own Lemonade Stand which they are running to raise money for children in Kenya. Uncle Bill and Mary Helen spent a very hot day in the park playing games with the kids and took a while to cool off! Ruth Abigail and Reagan had an awesome time with the kids during the music hour and even made kazoos out of straws for the kids. A super cool activity much to the dismay of the groups who had to deal with the kids post music class....thanks guys. They were served a nice healthy lunch and given multiple snacks throughout the day as well as provided with a water bottle to keep the, hydrated throughout the very hot day. I do believe that I have sweated off twenty pounds already. Okay wishful thinking. 

After this first very exhausting but overwhelmingly exciting day, we took the subway back towards the hotel. We decided to meet in one room, have our devotion, and order in pizza. Pizza never tasted so good and diet coke never quenched my thirst better. The devotion time was really great. It's so inspiring and encouraging to see the struggles the rest of the group leaders face and have them share their moments of joy and how they loved, saw others love, and felt loved. We've all been showered and relaxed and are trying to hit the sack early. As you can see I am still up writing because I am so excited about what God is doing not only for these children but within the group. I think we are as bonded as the groups who planned for months and months. 

A scripture has been sticking in my mind all day and I felt like I needed to share it. I Peter 5:2 says "care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly-not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God." We often feel like we are pushing ourselves to serve and care for others out of an obligation or duty, especially when it seems difficult to make any difference. This can make it difficult for our heart to be fully engaged. When we feel weak hearted and weary, reconnect with God and your desire to serve him. This will encourage your journey of serving others. 

Day 2: July 14

After an amazingly wonderful, ridiculously spirit-filled worship service at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, we traveled to Manhattan and Times Square to sight see and grab some lunch. We had Italian at Bella Vita. Several in the group shared and extra large pepperoni pizza, some tried the calzone, and I had a fresh tomato and mozzarella panini. Yum. We did however discover that you only get one drink for the low low price of $2.95. So yeah, in a span of about 30 minutes and a group of 9 we spent about $40.00 on drinks! 

Yeah...lesson learned. After lunch we split off into groups to conquer the city in what little time we had left. Mary Helen and Dallas were off to broadway to see Cinderella! Hard it was awesome! LaShunda and Reagan hit up the shopping districts and while LaShunda was able to snag some really good deals for the duo, Reagan may or may not have lost her sanity. Rhoda, Ruth Abigail, Ellen and I headed NSC to the Brooklyn Tabernacle for a free concert they were offering. How could we pass up the chance to see this Grammy Award winning group! The sound of the two hundred souls singing for the Glory of our God was enough to make a white girl from small town America really get the spirit. That is a must do for all Christians. People actually wait in line to get into to worship our sweet God. I mean, ain't that they way it should be? They're certainly doing something right up here in NYC. 

Lawana and Kim traveled to the 9/11 memorial and only got lost a few times. Bless their hearts! Shari and John spent the afternoon with their son at his art show and we certainly enjoyed living vicariously through the pictures. Stay tuned and I will post a picture of her sons acrylic boat actually floating in the water. 

We all finally reconvened At the Promise Land church where we were given a history of the ministry, it's goals for summer camp, and a run down of what the weeks schedule will look like. We are working with a youth group from South Carolina who will be assisting the counselors as we man our stations. After the orientation we were all starving so we ate at a Bolivian restaurant down the street recommended by Sara called Pio Pio's. I loved it. Pictures and descriptions of the family style meal to come. Once we boarded the subway to head back to our hotel we were literally all running on fumes. Tomorrow it all begins. Tomorrow we have one of the hardest weeks physically and mentally but at e same time rewarding as we truly fulfill our call as Christians. they have asked us to love, discipline, teach and encourage these sweet children (even though their actions at times may be trying) Tomorrow we love unashamed and with all The Lord has commanded us to. Father, hear our prayer as we serve you by loving and serving your children, big and small. Amen. 

Day 2: July 14

Good morning! We were off to a very early start today. I don't really think anyone slept more than three or four hours. Too excited (or maybe exhausted) to sleep and too anxious to stay asleep. Our room was a fiery inferno upon our arrival but after I called Raj at the front desk and he explained to me we had to leave our curtains open for the air to circulate best, we decided we'd rather be cool than have any privacy. So windows open but we'll settle for the nice breeze. 

This morning we were up by 5:15 rustling and beginning to get ready for the day. Due to the fact that our room is about 12 x 12, I tried to lay out anything I might possibly need this morning so I would not have to hoist my 50 lb bag back onto the bed and go foraging. We made it down to breakfast around 6:15 as we were planning to leave the hotel at 6:30, but where was LaShunda? Late. Again. There seems to be a trend going here...

We finally headed to the Elder Ave station to ride from the Bronx towards Brooklyn and downtown. We switched from the 6 train to the F train at Bleecker. Once on the F train, we were only a few stops from the Jay Street stop. (Side note: Kim is freaking about she and Lawana making it to their 11:00 reservation at the 9/11 Memorial. Lawana doesnt seem to show a bit of worry about navigating their way back through the subway together. They will certainly have an adventure) Once we exited the subway we headed down Smith. A lady wearing a name badge spotted us. She knew we were headed to the Brooklyn Tabernacle and said follow her! How lucky we're we to run into an usher a block up from the church and have our own personal escort? We arrived outside the church which seems to be a former theater. The inside of the sanctuary is beautifully ornate with gold tones and old world architecture. The choir loft is currently empty as we arrived about an hour early for service in anticipation of having to wait in line. Luckily we beat the large crowd. I think everyone is enjoying just being able to sit down and take everything in for a few minutes. 

After worship we will find something fun for lunch I am sure. Stay tuned!

Blessings,

Caroline

 

 

Day 1: July 13

So day 1 of the journey and what an adventure it has already been!? 13 of us ready and willing for The Lord to work through us left the sweet southern town of Memphis, Tennessee today and made a whirlwind trip to the Big Apple. We arrived at Memphis International at 12:30 for the prayer and send off from Johnny ---- the director of Global Outreach at Hope Church. Of course, Lashunda was late,  but she finally arrived and we checked our bags, got our boarding passes and headed through security. 

The first leg of our trip was a flight from MEM to Charlotte, NC. We had a great flight until the pilot slammed on the breaks. I thought I was going to end up in the cockpit. 

We arrived in NC and had just enough time to grab some dinner and head to the gate. Once we arrived at the gate, we began discussing our plans for the following day. Dallas was behind us and we realized she was becoming frantic. She had lost her wallet! She decided to trace back her steps to Quiznos and I volunteered to go with her. We started out walking at a generous pace and she steadily increased her speed. Soon we were jogging and then running through the airport. I couldn't get over myself, I was running! Then I became winded, and Dallas ran far ahead of me. I just said, "meet you up there," as she ran forward. When I finally brought up the rear to Quiznos Dallas was digging in the trash with someone on the airport staff. It was not a pretty sight. Suddenly, her wallet appeared! In the most unlikely place, her purse! Thank The Lord she found it and all was calm. We will try and let it slide this once....

Then we boarded the plane for NYC and it was starting to rain pretty hard. The pilots slingshot us into the air for a fairly smooth flight and in no time we were making our descent into the Big Apple. After we got off the plane, we caught a shuttle bus to the Sheridan Hotel of the Bronx. Not to be confused with the Sheraton by ANY means... I don't think anyone would argue that this place is special. We even had some unique artwork on one of our lampshades that yet remains to be identified. 

Tomorrow we are spending the day doing what we please in the city. A group of us are going to the Brooklyn Tabernacle for worship. We have to arrive at least an hour early according to Pastor Rufus And wait in line! Ain't that the way it should be! Some have chosen to attend worship at Tim Keller's church. I hear some are touring ground zero and the monuments there, the botanical gardens, and one team member is even traveling to Brooklyn to see her son's art show! Isn't God good? 

Please pray for us as we do our best to do the Lord's work this week (and bare with me as I type this on my ipad) 

Blessings,

Caroline