Sunday, October 24, 2010

Day Two; Or, Bright Lights

Today we saw the city. It was my first time walking the streets of New York and I was really looking forward to it. The purpose of the walk was to pray for the city. We teamed up and started walking the Brooklyn Bridge two by two. When we got to the midpoint of the bridge, the group came together and we prayed that God would brake the chains of the people in New York; we prayed especially for those women that are victims of the sex trade in the city.

To me, this prayer walk was significant because of the fact that, for the past several months, I had been thinking a lot about international sex trafficking and what I should do to fight it. I had been debating going to law school for the purpose of helping bring justice to those who buy and sell human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation. This experience was a kind of confirmation for me.

Another reason this prayer walk was significant was the fact that Dr. Lyons had been teaching from Psalms 107 that very morning and the following words struck me: "He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces" (Psalms 107:14 New King James Version). Those words became my prayer for the city, and this prayer was echoed by other members of the team as well.

In addition to the prayer walk and the visit to ground zero, we did what every person should do when they go to New York City: New York Pizza, baby! And boy was that stuff good! Oh, and I forgot to mention in the last post that the night before, after we reached out to the homeless, we went to a street vendor for kabobs. They were the best kabobs I have ever tasted, and that is no exaggeration!

That day we also went to the launch of Hillsong NYC! It was off the chain! First we waited in line for a while--the line was really long. But we got into the second service (the second of three, that is). The music was very loud, but after a while I got used to it. Even though I did not know the words to most of the songs, they were really easy to pick up. All in all, it was a great experience and I would not mind going back to that church if I were ever back in NYC. Did I mention that the lights were REALLY bright.

Those were not the only bright lights that we would see that night. After we left Hillsong NYC, we went out to Times Square. A lot of what we did is a blur to me right now, but I do remember going to a four (or was it five?) floor Forever 21. That was kinda interesting. Can I just say that I am so glad I did not bring my debit card for this one. I don't exactly remember, but I think we went back to NYSUM after that. That was a great day!

Day One; Or, The Journey Begins

I don’t know what my expectations were going into this mission trip; all I know is that I was in a place in my spiritual life that I did not like. I felt isolated and secluded, not to mention the fact that I was in a time of spiritual starvation. I needed a way out right now. As I was praying one night, I went on the Regent campus ministries web page to look for devotionals and for some way to connect with other Christians at Regent; I knew that there had to be something there.

Then I saw it: Fall Break Mission Trip. I knew immediately that I was supposed to go, so as soon as I found out that there were some spots left, I signed up. But as the time approached, I realized that I had finals and finishing touches for three classes that I would have to complete in four days. To make a long story short, I was very close to dropping out. But I will thank God every day that he gave me the strength to press through and go on the trip.

Let me just say that I had never been on campus before last week, so I did not know where everything was. My mother and I drove past the parking lot because we were expecting to see a lot of vans where I was supposed to be; but as it turned out, only two vans were going. So we drove back to the parking lot and I jumped out and asked the small group something like, “Are y’all leaving for the mission trip?”. Little did I know that this small group was going to be full of some of the best people I have ever met—but more on that later.

We started out around 9:00 AM; I was in the very back of Dr. Kidd’s van sitting next to a woman named Crystal. After some time driving, we had a conversation about things that I haven’t talk to anybody about in a long time. It felt amazing—and foreign—to be able to open up to a person that I had only known for the past thirty minutes. And that was only a taste of the friendships that would develop over those five short—or rather long—days.

When we reached our destination, we went straight in to unpack and get ready for orientation. First item on the agenda: reaching out to the homeless. I cannot fully describe in words what happened on Saturday night. (Did I mention that I have never been on a mission trip before?). Our team was charged with the task of passing out items such as blankets, toiletries, sandwiches, and prayer. I wish I could write about everyone we talked to that night, but alas, this post is already too long.

One man that three of us talked to was a Vietnam vet with PTSD. It was definitely a learning experience to listen to him speak. At first he did not want prayer, but after the three of us listen to him for about twenty minutes, he said that since we listened to him, he would listen to us. That night, I learned that missions are not all about giving people material things and preaching at them; it is about forming relationships and listening to people the way we want people to listen to us.

And…

“The Father Is Glori-fied!”

Friday, October 22, 2010

I'm Back!

Wow! That is the best word I can find to describe the past five days. I met so many amazing people and do so many amazing things that there is no way that I can write it all in one blog post. So here's the deal: I will recount one day of the trip every day (or every other day) for the next week. So be watching!

Oh. Yes I did survive finals! Not through my own power, but through God's.

Monday, October 11, 2010

The Next Ten Days...

This week, I have so much to do that for the first time in my life I actually think I may not get it all done in time. I have my final for Global Problems which consists of five essays, a separate twelve page paper for the same class, a final exam for my Christian Mind class, and several other smaller assignments. Even though all of these assignments are not due until Sunday, I have to have them done by Friday at 5:00pm because my mom and I have to start to VA Beach so I can catch the bus for the NYC mission trip! I am not normally one to complain about stuff that happens as a result of my own decisions, but this is just crazy.

Please pray for me, and don't expect any more blog posts for the next ten days. When I get back from NYC, I will write a very long and detailed post about finals and the mission trip--if I'm still alive, that is.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

FIRE!!!

We had to burn a pile of brush and wood the size of a mobile home yesterday!! It was sooo much fun! My brother Eli started the fire like a pro. Here are some before and after pics:

Eli standing on the pile





FIRE!!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

A Lovely Afternoon

It may seem strange, but I love quiet, peaceful, chilly afternoons in which I can read poetry and classics with a cup of hot coffee. Today was one such day. I did have a short essay to write, but I got it done by 2:00 PM. After I submitted the assignment, I went straight to the coffee maker to brew a fresh pot of liquid bliss. As the coffee was brewing, I worked on my Russian (I did lesson three for the THIRD time!). Then I poured my coffee and sat down for a two hour read in Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia. OK, so it's not exactly a classic, but it was very interesting. I love learning about the paradoxical nature of Russian culture in the 17Th and 18Th centuries. To many, this may seem like an extremely boring day, but I enjoyed it thoroughly!