F.A.T.
That stands for Flexible--Attitude--Teachable.
(After breakfast, we heard from one of the leaders of NYSUM, who spoke to all the groups staying here. It ended up being a 30-40 message, which made us late for the prep class for the next ministry site.)
We're learned the first aspect of FAT very quickly this morning. We went to a soup kitchen, where we would lead chapel and serve soup. Unfortuantely, it was closed. The person who ran it was sent to hospital the night before and it seems that her presence was necessary for the soup kitchen to run. It's sad to think a ministry depends so much on one person being there (church isn't like that is it?) While we waited for Robert to figure out an alternative, we sang a song outside the van.
An alternative was found and we went to another soup kitchen. Another group was there, but eventually there was plenty to do for us. While we did not lead a chapel service (it was not part of this ministry), we could see a soup kitchen at work. We served 100 people today. This soup kitchen is famous for its menu. They cook everything fresh--no canned stuff here. (It has a professional chef). They serve soup, salad, then main course and then desert. In order to add even more dignity to the clients, all food is served to them, with real plates and cutlery. They also offer other services to the people. (After the clients were served, we could eat the same meal and it was the best meal we've had so far on this trip.) Hopefully, we all became aware of the need for this type of ministry.
We returned to NYSUM by mid-afternoon and had a short rest before dinner at 5 (I wasn't too hungry). For our evening activity we went to Jamicia House, a residence for single moms, families and others that need temporary housing. There was a double booking as a lady was also there to do some musical lessons. We joined her from 6:30 to 7:00. After that we had an hour for our crafts and fun games for about the 15-20 kids who were there. There was play-dough for the younger kids, face painting, card tricks, crafts, and balloon popping. It was a fun night. Even I got my face painted--a tiger--pictures were taken! The parents enjoyed the crafts so much all the material were left with them to continue to work with. (The playdough was also given to the kids). At 8:30 we headed back to NYSUM. It was a fun evening.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sunday: Worship
Thankfully we did not have breakfast duty and since breakfast was served till 9am, many took opportunity to sleep in. At 9:45 we began the journey to church in Harlem (around 120 St by Lexington Ave). I had asked for a good large African American church to attend and this was recommended to us. Of course, we had to find it on our own, and with a little detour at the beginning and a little more at the end (my map sent us a few blocks in the wrong direction) but we made to the church just in time for the service.
When we entered we were asked we had a confirmation letter to attend as a group. We didn't, so we were sent to the balcony. (The church gets lots of tourist visitors like us and surprisingly many left just before the sermon. We stayed till the end.) The service lasted 2.5 hours and the message which was at the end was 1.25 hours long. The beginning was songs, then a child dedication, prayer, a choreograph dance, a choir song and announcements (recorded on video) and the message.
By the time we left the church building it was 2:30. We had a bite to eat and then walked from 120th Street to 81 st to the Museum of Natural History. This lead us through some parts of Harlem, and then 5th Ave and Central Park. Because the Museum was closing in an hour, we could enter for free. We saw a few of the galleries of this massive Museum. It closed at 5:45. We then took the subway back to NYSUM, getting there by 7:00pm. We had pizza for supper.
A full day experiencing God's revelation in Word and Creation.
When we entered we were asked we had a confirmation letter to attend as a group. We didn't, so we were sent to the balcony. (The church gets lots of tourist visitors like us and surprisingly many left just before the sermon. We stayed till the end.) The service lasted 2.5 hours and the message which was at the end was 1.25 hours long. The beginning was songs, then a child dedication, prayer, a choreograph dance, a choir song and announcements (recorded on video) and the message.
By the time we left the church building it was 2:30. We had a bite to eat and then walked from 120th Street to 81 st to the Museum of Natural History. This lead us through some parts of Harlem, and then 5th Ave and Central Park. Because the Museum was closing in an hour, we could enter for free. We saw a few of the galleries of this massive Museum. It closed at 5:45. We then took the subway back to NYSUM, getting there by 7:00pm. We had pizza for supper.
A full day experiencing God's revelation in Word and Creation.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Saturday: An Introduction to NYC
All credit to Betty-Ann, who read her schedule that said something about "Kitchen ministry" at 6am. So she had the girls up and ready for 6am kitchen duty. When Dan checked on the kitchen at 6:30, he discovered them at work. The guys eventually joined the girls and we helped serve breakfast, as well as do dishes (via a dishwasher).
At 8:00am, we had a brief orientation meeting for 3/4 of an hour about NYSUM and our week here. Afterwards we had a little bit of free time before our 9:30 meeting about our first ministry activity. We met Dan, who would lead us through a walk of Lower Manhattan. We had a brief time of worship (where our singing suffered due to lack of sleep). We shared why we were here and had a prayer.
Dan (not our Dan) then led us to the Subway. This was the first time for many on our trip to take the subway. It took three different trains and about an hour to get to the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked this famous bridge, with its incredible views of the Manhattan. At the middle and highest point, we stopped for a time of prayer. On the other side, we had our boxed lunch. We then walked to St. Paul's Chapel, where there are many momentoes of 9/11. This historic church was where George Washington also worshipped. We then walked by the 9/11 site which is under major reconstruction.
We made our way to the Staten Island Ferry. It is a short journey across to Staten Island, but it provided a great view of the Statute of Liberty as well as the New York Sky Line. We did the sight seeing on the way out.
On the way back, we conducted surveys. These surveys asked religious questions and were intended to get a religious conversation going. The youth were divided into teams of 2 (and one into 3). The leaders held back, allowing the youth to do this on their own. While many people didn't want to answer a survey, everyone managed to complete at least one survey. This activity was clearly out of their comfort zone, as it would be to most of us, but it was a good experience. It got them to talk about Christianity with complete strangers.
We returned back to NYSUM around 4:30, with dinner being at 5pm. At 6pm we had a ministry prep class. We were expecting and prepared to do a Women's Shelter Ministry, but there was a last minute change. Instead, we were asked to go to the Teen Challenge center in Brooklyn. Teen Challenge, here, offers a residence program for those dealing with alcohol and drug addictions. At the center, the girls and guys were divided (so I can't speak about how it went with the women--but I think they ended up with more interaction than we did).
As this was a last minute change, they were not really prepared for us. They were just finishing support, so while they were cleaning up, we heard about the start of Teen Challenge (and the story written in the book The Cross and the Switchblade.) One person explained his journey to the program. We also were led in a tour of the facility, which houses 28 men.
Our goal was merely to interact with the men. This was slow in starting. A card game was started, but it mostly our group. Snack time helped start the interaction better, but soon we had to board the van back for the return trip. (On the way back we drove through an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, as they were finishing worship.)
We were back at NYSUM around 9:30/10pm. By 11pm it was lights out, as we needed sleep and we were going to miss a night's sleep.
At 8:00am, we had a brief orientation meeting for 3/4 of an hour about NYSUM and our week here. Afterwards we had a little bit of free time before our 9:30 meeting about our first ministry activity. We met Dan, who would lead us through a walk of Lower Manhattan. We had a brief time of worship (where our singing suffered due to lack of sleep). We shared why we were here and had a prayer.
Dan (not our Dan) then led us to the Subway. This was the first time for many on our trip to take the subway. It took three different trains and about an hour to get to the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked this famous bridge, with its incredible views of the Manhattan. At the middle and highest point, we stopped for a time of prayer. On the other side, we had our boxed lunch. We then walked to St. Paul's Chapel, where there are many momentoes of 9/11. This historic church was where George Washington also worshipped. We then walked by the 9/11 site which is under major reconstruction.
We made our way to the Staten Island Ferry. It is a short journey across to Staten Island, but it provided a great view of the Statute of Liberty as well as the New York Sky Line. We did the sight seeing on the way out.
On the way back, we conducted surveys. These surveys asked religious questions and were intended to get a religious conversation going. The youth were divided into teams of 2 (and one into 3). The leaders held back, allowing the youth to do this on their own. While many people didn't want to answer a survey, everyone managed to complete at least one survey. This activity was clearly out of their comfort zone, as it would be to most of us, but it was a good experience. It got them to talk about Christianity with complete strangers.
We returned back to NYSUM around 4:30, with dinner being at 5pm. At 6pm we had a ministry prep class. We were expecting and prepared to do a Women's Shelter Ministry, but there was a last minute change. Instead, we were asked to go to the Teen Challenge center in Brooklyn. Teen Challenge, here, offers a residence program for those dealing with alcohol and drug addictions. At the center, the girls and guys were divided (so I can't speak about how it went with the women--but I think they ended up with more interaction than we did).
As this was a last minute change, they were not really prepared for us. They were just finishing support, so while they were cleaning up, we heard about the start of Teen Challenge (and the story written in the book The Cross and the Switchblade.) One person explained his journey to the program. We also were led in a tour of the facility, which houses 28 men.
Our goal was merely to interact with the men. This was slow in starting. A card game was started, but it mostly our group. Snack time helped start the interaction better, but soon we had to board the van back for the return trip. (On the way back we drove through an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, as they were finishing worship.)
We were back at NYSUM around 9:30/10pm. By 11pm it was lights out, as we needed sleep and we were going to miss a night's sleep.
The Travelling Day
March 11, 2011
Thirteen youth and four leaders left at 6:15 am from the Church for our mission trip to New York City. It was good to have had such a good start since, we encountered some heavy traffic in Montreal. But we made it to the parking lot by 8:30. But it was still a maze to find the train station. (Whether I can find my car back will be an interesting question.) Thankfully we were able to preboard and have the last section of the last car of the train.
We left at 9:30, on time. Unfortunately, we did not arrive in NYC on time. Instead of arriving at 8:40pm, we came instead past 10:40pm. The reason for the delay was due to extra time at the border, but especially a broken down (train) snowplough. The food on the train was not great, but the space was fanatastic. It was a relaxing way to travel.
We arrived at Penn Station, waiting to be picked up. But no one showed up for a long time. There was some miscommunication about our delay and cell phone numbers. While we waited we were able to eat some food from the plenty of fast food places that were by the train station. Eventually, the people of NYSUM found us and we were loaded into three vans. By this time it was 12:30pm.
It took an hour to get to NYSUM--traffic was still bad at this time of night. So it was 1:30 am when we arrived. We quicked found our rooms--we have one womens' room and two guys' rooms. (We don't have to share these rooms with others.) By 2am, we were in bed, looking for much needed sleep, though it would be short as we were called to breakfast duty at 6:30 am. (More about that in the next post).
It was a long day of traveling. But the train was still an excellent choice. Having seen the traffic in NYC, Montreal is a breeze. I would not want to drive here, especially not a van. As well, the train allowed a lot of interaction within the members of the group. If only they could do something about the food...
Thirteen youth and four leaders left at 6:15 am from the Church for our mission trip to New York City. It was good to have had such a good start since, we encountered some heavy traffic in Montreal. But we made it to the parking lot by 8:30. But it was still a maze to find the train station. (Whether I can find my car back will be an interesting question.) Thankfully we were able to preboard and have the last section of the last car of the train.
We left at 9:30, on time. Unfortunately, we did not arrive in NYC on time. Instead of arriving at 8:40pm, we came instead past 10:40pm. The reason for the delay was due to extra time at the border, but especially a broken down (train) snowplough. The food on the train was not great, but the space was fanatastic. It was a relaxing way to travel.
We arrived at Penn Station, waiting to be picked up. But no one showed up for a long time. There was some miscommunication about our delay and cell phone numbers. While we waited we were able to eat some food from the plenty of fast food places that were by the train station. Eventually, the people of NYSUM found us and we were loaded into three vans. By this time it was 12:30pm.
It took an hour to get to NYSUM--traffic was still bad at this time of night. So it was 1:30 am when we arrived. We quicked found our rooms--we have one womens' room and two guys' rooms. (We don't have to share these rooms with others.) By 2am, we were in bed, looking for much needed sleep, though it would be short as we were called to breakfast duty at 6:30 am. (More about that in the next post).
It was a long day of traveling. But the train was still an excellent choice. Having seen the traffic in NYC, Montreal is a breeze. I would not want to drive here, especially not a van. As well, the train allowed a lot of interaction within the members of the group. If only they could do something about the food...
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Journey Home
It´s an overflight night from Buenos Aires (via Santiago, Chile) to Toronto and then to Ottawa. I´ll have the Labour Day weekend off into to get everything sorted at home--laundry, grocery shopping, sorting through three months of mail and email, etc. I officially begin work on Tuesday, the day after Labour Day. It´ll be like a new beginning.
I am looking forward to coming back home. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed, where it is quiet, dark and without sharing accomodations. No more travelling out of a suitcase, with its limited selection of clothes. It´ll be good to get back into a regular rountine, though hopefully not get so bogged down with meetings and work that I forget the pace of the last three months.
Unlike my previous trips, I have not purchased many souvenirs. (Even my large house is getting too full of them). But I do have lots of pictures to sort through--nearly 2500 of them. Selecting, printing and posting the best ones will keep me busy for months.
Six more sleeps until the 8th.
I am looking forward to coming back home. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed, where it is quiet, dark and without sharing accomodations. No more travelling out of a suitcase, with its limited selection of clothes. It´ll be good to get back into a regular rountine, though hopefully not get so bogged down with meetings and work that I forget the pace of the last three months.
Unlike my previous trips, I have not purchased many souvenirs. (Even my large house is getting too full of them). But I do have lots of pictures to sort through--nearly 2500 of them. Selecting, printing and posting the best ones will keep me busy for months.
Six more sleeps until the 8th.
Buenos Aires
I had two full days to explore Buenos Aires, the capital and most important city of Argentina. While we arrived in hot weather, it changed over night. On my first full day of exploring, I got drenched as it poured all morning. While my hat and rain jacket kept the top half dry, my pants and shoes were totally soaked. When it rains here, it pours buckets. For the afternoon and the next day, it was dry but cloudy and cool, about 15 degrees. This is typical for this time of year. After all, it is the end of winter.
Despite the weather, I explored the city in these two days. The hotel was centrally located so that I could walk wherever I wanted to go. And so I just wandered the streets, admiring the beautiful architecture--not just the churches but many buildings. There are many remaining buildings from the late 19th to early 20th century (1880s-1920s), and the style of that era has character, unlike many modern buildings.
One unique site to visit was the cemetary. That´s right, a cemetary. The "tombstones" are small buildings, containing the coffin or religious icons. They are works of art. You´ll see what I mean when I post my pictures.
I am now preparing for my journey home.
Despite the weather, I explored the city in these two days. The hotel was centrally located so that I could walk wherever I wanted to go. And so I just wandered the streets, admiring the beautiful architecture--not just the churches but many buildings. There are many remaining buildings from the late 19th to early 20th century (1880s-1920s), and the style of that era has character, unlike many modern buildings.
One unique site to visit was the cemetary. That´s right, a cemetary. The "tombstones" are small buildings, containing the coffin or religious icons. They are works of art. You´ll see what I mean when I post my pictures.
I am now preparing for my journey home.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Iguazu Falls
Save the best for last.
After a long day drive, we went from Bonito to Iguazu Falls. We left the rain behind and arrived in brilliant sunshine, which we enjoyed the three full days we were here. This is the last major stop before Buenos Aires and the end of my trip. The best was saved for last.
On the first day, though, we saw the large dam on the river between Brazil and Paraguay. It is one of the largest in the world and we were able to get a good tour of it, both inside and outside of the dam. In the afternoon, I went to a bird park. While I perfer to see the birds in the wild, this park allowed a close up view of some I saw only from a distance and others I was not able to see.
But the main attraction here is Iguazu Falls. On the second day, we viewed it from the Brazilian side, the third day from the Argentinian side. Words and even pictures can not describe the beauty, majesty, and immense scale to these falls. It put Niagara Falls to shame. It is three times larger. It is even more impressive than Victoria Falls (in Africa) or Angel Falls (in Venezula). It was simply awe inspiring and we were able to get up close and personal, through boardwalks and even a boat ride that got us drenched. This was the highlight of my three month journey.
After the Falls, we drove three days to get Buenos Aires, where we just arrived. We had two nice campgrounds along the way and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I now have a few days in BA, before my journey home.
After a long day drive, we went from Bonito to Iguazu Falls. We left the rain behind and arrived in brilliant sunshine, which we enjoyed the three full days we were here. This is the last major stop before Buenos Aires and the end of my trip. The best was saved for last.
On the first day, though, we saw the large dam on the river between Brazil and Paraguay. It is one of the largest in the world and we were able to get a good tour of it, both inside and outside of the dam. In the afternoon, I went to a bird park. While I perfer to see the birds in the wild, this park allowed a close up view of some I saw only from a distance and others I was not able to see.
But the main attraction here is Iguazu Falls. On the second day, we viewed it from the Brazilian side, the third day from the Argentinian side. Words and even pictures can not describe the beauty, majesty, and immense scale to these falls. It put Niagara Falls to shame. It is three times larger. It is even more impressive than Victoria Falls (in Africa) or Angel Falls (in Venezula). It was simply awe inspiring and we were able to get up close and personal, through boardwalks and even a boat ride that got us drenched. This was the highlight of my three month journey.
After the Falls, we drove three days to get Buenos Aires, where we just arrived. We had two nice campgrounds along the way and enjoyed the beautiful weather. I now have a few days in BA, before my journey home.
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