There is a convenient store on the corner underneath our train stop. It is open at almost all hours of the day, and we stop in there quite frequently. About a week ago, I discovered a tiny orange kitten that lives in the store. Now, I stop in every time I walk by so I can play with him. I call him Calcetines, which is Spanish for "socks." You guessed it: he has white paws. But it had to be Spanish, because the owners of the store, and many of the customers, speak Spanish.
When I hold him up to my face, he plays with my hair. And when I put him back on the ground, he chases after me and paws at my feet. It makes my heart all warm and fuzzy to hold Calcetines. Maybe because he is all warm and fuzzy.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Exchanging Pleasantries
The past few days have been so pleasant. Not fun, although there have been fun times, and not exciting, even though a few things have excited me, but pleasant. And this was precisely what I needed coming into this week.
When days are fun and exciting, its great, but that quickly becomes exhausting. I've been exhausted for a while. I was ready to try for restored. So on Monday, we had some time for reflection after our weekly meeting with Jared, and I went down to lower Manhattan and caught the ferry out to Staten Island. I love water, and boats, and while a ferry isn't exactly the same thing as a boat, and the East River isn't very pristine, it was still an excellent ride. I could go into all these descriptions of things I felt, saw, and experienced, but it would come out sounding cheesy to you, and I don't want to cheapen it. Let it suffice to say that I felt like a true and whole individual, glad to be where I was, but ready to reach land again.
Yesterday, on our day off, Clarissa and I went to the Bronx Zoo, which is supposed to be the best zoo in New York City. It was beautiful, and there was a new exhibit which opened recently: Madagascar! There were lemurs, fossas, and... Madagascarian hissing roaches! Oh heck no. They were disgusting. I avoided those and spent most of my time with the lemurs. After a few hours there, we left for Manhattan to meet up with a group of our friends in Central Park. The New York Philharmonic was playing their second free concert in the park. This is a truly New York experience, a summer tradition, that attracts thousands of people and packs out the Great Lawn. We had a huge spread of blankets, and all the wine and cheese we could desire. The best part about the night: one woman I had a conversation with asked me how I was enjoying my time in New York. Of course, I said that I loved it, that I could certainly see myself living here for some time. She replied that I already seem like I do.
I'm not sure what God is doing in my life, or where he is leading me. In fact, these past few weeks I've been faced with a great amount of doubt and questions, and I've wondered where God has been and what the heck has been going on. But these past few days have convinced me that he is moving slowly and steadily, which is... pleasant.
When days are fun and exciting, its great, but that quickly becomes exhausting. I've been exhausted for a while. I was ready to try for restored. So on Monday, we had some time for reflection after our weekly meeting with Jared, and I went down to lower Manhattan and caught the ferry out to Staten Island. I love water, and boats, and while a ferry isn't exactly the same thing as a boat, and the East River isn't very pristine, it was still an excellent ride. I could go into all these descriptions of things I felt, saw, and experienced, but it would come out sounding cheesy to you, and I don't want to cheapen it. Let it suffice to say that I felt like a true and whole individual, glad to be where I was, but ready to reach land again.
Yesterday, on our day off, Clarissa and I went to the Bronx Zoo, which is supposed to be the best zoo in New York City. It was beautiful, and there was a new exhibit which opened recently: Madagascar! There were lemurs, fossas, and... Madagascarian hissing roaches! Oh heck no. They were disgusting. I avoided those and spent most of my time with the lemurs. After a few hours there, we left for Manhattan to meet up with a group of our friends in Central Park. The New York Philharmonic was playing their second free concert in the park. This is a truly New York experience, a summer tradition, that attracts thousands of people and packs out the Great Lawn. We had a huge spread of blankets, and all the wine and cheese we could desire. The best part about the night: one woman I had a conversation with asked me how I was enjoying my time in New York. Of course, I said that I loved it, that I could certainly see myself living here for some time. She replied that I already seem like I do.
I'm not sure what God is doing in my life, or where he is leading me. In fact, these past few weeks I've been faced with a great amount of doubt and questions, and I've wondered where God has been and what the heck has been going on. But these past few days have convinced me that he is moving slowly and steadily, which is... pleasant.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
I haven't posted in a week
Wow! It's been a whole week since I've posted. I'm sorry! Things have been really busy, and it's hard for me to find internet these days.
Last Monday, we had a meeting with Hugo, who works with the church here. He is also a counselor, and that is what brought us to our meeting with him. Jared had scheduled for us to have a discussion on brokenness, which is really vague, I know, and Hugo was asked to lead the discussion. He has a great deal of experience dealing with brokenness here in the city, in situations ranging from divorce to deep psychological problems, so he had a lot to teach us. Basically, we barely skimmed the surface of everything we talked about, but it was one of the most engaging discussions, for me, that we've had so far.
I've been thinking about it a lot this week... See, much of the work that we do here is highly evangelical, and I'm beginning to discover that evangelism may not be one of my gifts. It's difficult for me to strike up spiritual conversations with complete strangers. For a while, I've felt like admitting that makes me a "bad Christian," or at least a bad missionary. A few of the other interns are really good at it, and so I've spent a lot of time feeling frustrated that I haven't been able to contribute as many potential contacts and people to follow up with as the others have.
But during our meeting with Hugo, some things started to click for me. I may not be good at most of the evangelism stuff (which doesn't stop me from trying), but I do care deeply for people. My gift may not be evangelism, but I am passionate about cultivating relationships, about truly getting to know people and being there for them. Listening to Hugo talk about the ways that he has worked with people - restoring marriages, helping women to get out of abusive relationships, and so on - it made me so excited.
It reminds me of the way Paul describes us in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, as ministers of reconciliation:
"All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others."
Sometimes we sing this song that asks the Lord to make us his instruments of peace, and I think that may be the best description of what I want to do with my life. It's broad, but I believe it is a good basis.
Last Monday, we had a meeting with Hugo, who works with the church here. He is also a counselor, and that is what brought us to our meeting with him. Jared had scheduled for us to have a discussion on brokenness, which is really vague, I know, and Hugo was asked to lead the discussion. He has a great deal of experience dealing with brokenness here in the city, in situations ranging from divorce to deep psychological problems, so he had a lot to teach us. Basically, we barely skimmed the surface of everything we talked about, but it was one of the most engaging discussions, for me, that we've had so far.
I've been thinking about it a lot this week... See, much of the work that we do here is highly evangelical, and I'm beginning to discover that evangelism may not be one of my gifts. It's difficult for me to strike up spiritual conversations with complete strangers. For a while, I've felt like admitting that makes me a "bad Christian," or at least a bad missionary. A few of the other interns are really good at it, and so I've spent a lot of time feeling frustrated that I haven't been able to contribute as many potential contacts and people to follow up with as the others have.
But during our meeting with Hugo, some things started to click for me. I may not be good at most of the evangelism stuff (which doesn't stop me from trying), but I do care deeply for people. My gift may not be evangelism, but I am passionate about cultivating relationships, about truly getting to know people and being there for them. Listening to Hugo talk about the ways that he has worked with people - restoring marriages, helping women to get out of abusive relationships, and so on - it made me so excited.
It reminds me of the way Paul describes us in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, as ministers of reconciliation:
"All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others."
Sometimes we sing this song that asks the Lord to make us his instruments of peace, and I think that may be the best description of what I want to do with my life. It's broad, but I believe it is a good basis.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
I don't care who you are - fried Oreos are mad tasty!
It's been raining every day... for the last few days at least. I don't care for rain when my main mode of transportation is walking. On the bright side, it keeps the city from getting too hot. That's nice.
I hope you had a fantastic fourth of July! Mine was awesome. We went out to Coney Island for the afternoon. Most New Yorkers I talked to told me not to do it. They all said it was run-down and dirty. It was both of these things, but it was glorious. We went by the original Nathan's and ate the famous hot dog. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at), we missed the hot dog eating contest. The little amusement park felt like a county fair, but Coney Island is home to the world's tallest ferris wheel of it's kind - it has stationary and swinging cars. We rode in a swinging car, obviously, which was super fun! Then we ate lots of sugary foods that are really bad for you, like fried Oreos - holy smokes! - and wandered through the crowded boardwalk.
We made our way over to the Brooklyn Bridge after that, where we managed to find a prime spot on the promenade in front of the Macy's barge, which is where the fireworks are set off. They were the loudest, most beautiful fireworks I've ever seen. But I'm lame, so I didn't take any pictures. Oops.
The fourth was a lot of fun, but I must also share this with you: I miss you. Whoever you are, I miss you!
I hope you had a fantastic fourth of July! Mine was awesome. We went out to Coney Island for the afternoon. Most New Yorkers I talked to told me not to do it. They all said it was run-down and dirty. It was both of these things, but it was glorious. We went by the original Nathan's and ate the famous hot dog. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at), we missed the hot dog eating contest. The little amusement park felt like a county fair, but Coney Island is home to the world's tallest ferris wheel of it's kind - it has stationary and swinging cars. We rode in a swinging car, obviously, which was super fun! Then we ate lots of sugary foods that are really bad for you, like fried Oreos - holy smokes! - and wandered through the crowded boardwalk.
We made our way over to the Brooklyn Bridge after that, where we managed to find a prime spot on the promenade in front of the Macy's barge, which is where the fireworks are set off. They were the loudest, most beautiful fireworks I've ever seen. But I'm lame, so I didn't take any pictures. Oops.
The fourth was a lot of fun, but I must also share this with you: I miss you. Whoever you are, I miss you!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
"The peace sign makes a comeback in the Bronx, where residents ..."
Lately it seems like everyone's got world peace on their minds. This past Friday at the prayer station, we had several people come by and write requests for world peace. There were a few variations of it, such as "Pray for world peace. We are all one family," but my personal favorite was written by a young girl, maybe 9 or 10 years old. She stopped by with her mom, and as her mom wrote her prayers on the board, she tugged at her sleeve and looked at her quizzically. "Write what you want to pray for," she told her. She stood with the marker in her hand and stared at the board for a few seconds, then wrote "All I want is peace."
There is a lot of strife in the Bronx. It seems like every person is dealing with at least one broken relationship that needs restoring. Many people are dealing with addictions, and others are suffering from serious illnesses. People are facing eviction, barely able to pay the rent that keeps them off the streets. There is not a lot of peace in the Bronx.
And there is not a lot of peace in our world. I'm not sure why so many people were so conscience of this last week. But I know that the only way to true peace is through God. Maybe we can start by seeing each other as the holy creations God made us, and honoring one another for being such a creation.
Last week, the lesson we taught the kids at Power Hour was "Love your neighbor as yourself." It's funny. We taught it, but I really don't think we get it. That message holds such great power to bring peace - it could transform our lives, and our world.
There is a lot of strife in the Bronx. It seems like every person is dealing with at least one broken relationship that needs restoring. Many people are dealing with addictions, and others are suffering from serious illnesses. People are facing eviction, barely able to pay the rent that keeps them off the streets. There is not a lot of peace in the Bronx.
And there is not a lot of peace in our world. I'm not sure why so many people were so conscience of this last week. But I know that the only way to true peace is through God. Maybe we can start by seeing each other as the holy creations God made us, and honoring one another for being such a creation.
Last week, the lesson we taught the kids at Power Hour was "Love your neighbor as yourself." It's funny. We taught it, but I really don't think we get it. That message holds such great power to bring peace - it could transform our lives, and our world.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Another Brick in the Wall
I didn't realize it until Monday night, but it turns out I am a real klutz. I jumped up (maybe 6 inches off the ground) to snatch a leaf off a tree branch, landed wrong, and now my foot is all swollen and bruised. Walking hurts, but I can walk. I'm going to assume for now that it is merely a sprain and will heal in time, because I refuse to deal with a broken foot in New York City. And that's that.
Mary is out of the hospital. We went over to her house for Bible study last night, where she cooked us a delicious meal, and we got to meet her daughter. Her daughter, along with her boyfriend, have just moved into Mary's house. I'm sure this is a real stress on Mary, but I think it is probably a good thing, because now her daughter is there living with Isaiah, who is her son. Isaiah needs his mother around.
Tuesday was our day off, which I spent relaxing in Manhattan. I got to go for a walk in Central Park, where it promptly began pouring down rain, but at least it waited until after I finished my ice cream! Anyways, by the time we reached our destination, the Poet's Walk, the rain was coming down hard and my clothes were soaked all the way through, but it was still absolutely beautiful in the rain. Maybe even more beautiful.
I was supposed to have a conversational English lesson with a young woman yesterday morning, but I found out at the last minute that it was canceled. That was a bummer. I didn't make it out to the prayer station yesterday, on account of my foot. I was so depressed laying in bed at home. I don't care what condition it is in tomorrow, though, because I can't stand to miss out on it again! Tomorrow is Friday, and Friday's are always good days. Prayer station, Power Hour, maybe some poetry late at night ... yes, tomorrow will be good.
Anyways, I am asking you for your prayers. I feel like I'm kind of hitting a wall here, and need some encouragement to push through to the other side. Lots of plans just aren't working out as well I as I hoped they would, and now I have a purple foot.
Mary is out of the hospital. We went over to her house for Bible study last night, where she cooked us a delicious meal, and we got to meet her daughter. Her daughter, along with her boyfriend, have just moved into Mary's house. I'm sure this is a real stress on Mary, but I think it is probably a good thing, because now her daughter is there living with Isaiah, who is her son. Isaiah needs his mother around.
Tuesday was our day off, which I spent relaxing in Manhattan. I got to go for a walk in Central Park, where it promptly began pouring down rain, but at least it waited until after I finished my ice cream! Anyways, by the time we reached our destination, the Poet's Walk, the rain was coming down hard and my clothes were soaked all the way through, but it was still absolutely beautiful in the rain. Maybe even more beautiful.
I was supposed to have a conversational English lesson with a young woman yesterday morning, but I found out at the last minute that it was canceled. That was a bummer. I didn't make it out to the prayer station yesterday, on account of my foot. I was so depressed laying in bed at home. I don't care what condition it is in tomorrow, though, because I can't stand to miss out on it again! Tomorrow is Friday, and Friday's are always good days. Prayer station, Power Hour, maybe some poetry late at night ... yes, tomorrow will be good.
Anyways, I am asking you for your prayers. I feel like I'm kind of hitting a wall here, and need some encouragement to push through to the other side. Lots of plans just aren't working out as well I as I hoped they would, and now I have a purple foot.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Where is the love? (Yes, I am quoting the Black Eyed Peas. I'm that cool)
Well, I finally feel as if life here in New York is becoming routine. The subway system is starting to feel a lot more familiar, I'm not getting lost very much anymore, and each day is beginning to have a rhythm. This is good. I want to feel as at home here as I can, and it feels like that is starting to happen.
Our various projects are going really well. There are lots of things I could tell you about the prayer station, Power Hour (kind of like a sidewalk Sunday school for kids), or our house church meetings, but that's not what is really on my mind.
Our friend Mary is in the hospital. We met her a little over a week ago when we went to have a Bible study with her in her home. She's been a member of BFC, but hasn't been around much lately. So last Wednesday, a few of us went over to meet her and study with her. I ended up playing with her 3 year old grandson, Isaiah, during the meeting. We played hide-and-seek (always in his little bedroom, where he hid under his blanket every time!), colored, and talked about Spider-Man.
Mary took her grandson in when her daughter could no longer take proper care of him. Yesterday, during our visit with Mary at the hospital, she was very upset about the state of her family. She believes her children have turned out poorly, and she believes it is all her fault. Please pray for her. Pray for her health, that she will heal quickly and get out of the hospital soon so that she can go back to work and continue to provide for Isaiah. Also, pray for her spirits, that they will be lifted by the Lord, the provider of divine healing and comfort. And pray for her children.
There is one story from the prayer station this past week that I feel compelled to share now, in light of Mary's situation. A few new teachers approached our station yesterday afternoon. They were three young women who were doing their training with the New York City Teaching Fellows (really cool program - Google it), and they were so passionate and excited about teaching here in the Bronx. They've been trying to get to know the area, to know the population of students they will be working with, and they asked a police officer what the biggest problem was in the Bronx. They expected to hear him say something like robbery, or gang murders, but he didn't. He said the biggest problem is that there are not enough fathers. Absent fathers who are not around to provide their children with the most basic need - to know they are loved by their father - is the biggest problem that plagues the Bronx, according to one police officer.
This is a spiritual battle. Children are growing up without knowing the love of their fathers, and ultimately, without knowing the love of their spiritual Father. I think that police officer is on to something.
Our various projects are going really well. There are lots of things I could tell you about the prayer station, Power Hour (kind of like a sidewalk Sunday school for kids), or our house church meetings, but that's not what is really on my mind.
Our friend Mary is in the hospital. We met her a little over a week ago when we went to have a Bible study with her in her home. She's been a member of BFC, but hasn't been around much lately. So last Wednesday, a few of us went over to meet her and study with her. I ended up playing with her 3 year old grandson, Isaiah, during the meeting. We played hide-and-seek (always in his little bedroom, where he hid under his blanket every time!), colored, and talked about Spider-Man.
Mary took her grandson in when her daughter could no longer take proper care of him. Yesterday, during our visit with Mary at the hospital, she was very upset about the state of her family. She believes her children have turned out poorly, and she believes it is all her fault. Please pray for her. Pray for her health, that she will heal quickly and get out of the hospital soon so that she can go back to work and continue to provide for Isaiah. Also, pray for her spirits, that they will be lifted by the Lord, the provider of divine healing and comfort. And pray for her children.
There is one story from the prayer station this past week that I feel compelled to share now, in light of Mary's situation. A few new teachers approached our station yesterday afternoon. They were three young women who were doing their training with the New York City Teaching Fellows (really cool program - Google it), and they were so passionate and excited about teaching here in the Bronx. They've been trying to get to know the area, to know the population of students they will be working with, and they asked a police officer what the biggest problem was in the Bronx. They expected to hear him say something like robbery, or gang murders, but he didn't. He said the biggest problem is that there are not enough fathers. Absent fathers who are not around to provide their children with the most basic need - to know they are loved by their father - is the biggest problem that plagues the Bronx, according to one police officer.
This is a spiritual battle. Children are growing up without knowing the love of their fathers, and ultimately, without knowing the love of their spiritual Father. I think that police officer is on to something.
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