Today was an incredible way to end our time in NYC! Each serving group spent their morning either serving at a ministry site or engaging with a local neighborhood. Today it was group one's turn to participate in the Harlem Plunge. The guys in the group decided to buy a bunch of iced teas and walked around, handing the drinks out to men on the street, and asking if they could pray for those individuals. The ladies in the group had the same game plan, although their beverage of choice to distribute was coffee. Everyone really enjoyed the experience and felt that it capped off their serving time very well. Group two headed to the Yorkville Common Pantry in Harlem to start their day. The group served straight through for hours, handing out hundreds of bags of packaged food and vegetables to the clients. They were extremely impressed with the organizational skills of the Pantry's manager, who made the whole process run like clockwork. Group 3 went to Green Team this morning, a site previously visited by group 5. The group met a woman named Lisa at this site, and the students really enjoyed getting to know this lady and her story. Lisa had been incarcerated but was attempting to gain job skills to help turn her life around. While building their relationship with Lisa and encouraging her, the group also landscaped an area near Columbia University. CAMBA was the site for group 4 to serve this morning. This was the same organization that group 2 visited on Monday, a site that provides food and shelter to 11 homeless men. Today group 4 helped straighten up the housing site by folding sheets and towels for the guys to use. After speaking with one of the upperclassmen in the group, she said that volunteering there and seeing the kinds of linens and towels these guys used really made her appreciate all the luxuries that we so often take for granted back home. Group 5 spent their morning at the Russian Community Life Center, passing out bibles down on Coney Island. This team finished strong and really enjoyed interacting with the people in the area. The students also said that they just appreciated being able to enjoy God's creation on such a beautiful day while simultaneously serving God's Kingdom.
After finishing at all the morning sites, the team re-grouped at Central Park to hear a short devotional thought from Lex and have a final small group time with their leaders. Since our pre-trip training focused on Abraham and our final porch time centered on Abraham putting his trust in God through his near-sacrifice of Isaac, Lex decided to focus on James 2:21-22: "Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did." We were reminded that our faith can look complete not just on mission trips, but back at home too when we actually live the way God is calling us to live. After hearing that very brief message, we headed to individual small groups for an hour. Leaders said that they really enjoyed having this one final time to formally connect as a group before heading back to Williamsburg.
When all the groups had wrapped up, our entire team headed to a subway station to ride out to Citi Field for the Mets vs. Phillies baseball game. Despite a big loss for the Mets, our group had an incredible time! The atmosphere was wonderful, and it was just a lot of fun for us to all connect as one large team before heading home. One of the awesome highlights from the game was the wave that several of our students began from our seats in right field. Not only did their wave make it all the way around the stadium several times, but it was such an effective cheer that the players in BOTH dugouts joined in! The wave was just one more reminder of the fact that a few individuals working together really can make big things happen. After the game we stayed in our seats and enjoyed a highly entertaining fireworks display. God blessed us with a quicker-than-expected subway ride back to our housing site, and the kids are finally settles into bed after a great week of hard and fulfilling service.
Our plan for Saturday is to leave the housing site around 9am, stop for an hour for lunch, and return to the Chapel (God and traffic willing) around 6pm. (Please note: although we departed from Jamestown High School, we will return to the Northeast side of the Chapel, outside of the Student Ministries Worship Room.) We will keep you updated during our travel via the 41411 texting program. If you are not on the text list, simply text the word NYCPARENT to the number 41411. You should receive a confirmation text if it works.
Once again we want to thank you for covering this trip in prayer. We have truly felt the effects in the way that God has blessed our efforts this week. Please pray for safe travels and that the lessons we have all learner this week would be sealed into our hearts so that our faith and our actions can continue to work together when we get home. Can't wait to see everyone Saturday evening.
