The rolling hills of Pennsylvania and the goodness of God.

What an amazing last couple of days...wow. I didn't have access to the internet until yesterday since Saturday...cause I'm in PA, folks! :)

God is working! Really, He is. He always is, but until you personally experience it, you probably won't believe it as much.

So, Saturday, the day before we left for Pennsylvania, we went with Manna Life to feed the hungry. That is always an amazing experience--Pete, who heads it up, has such a heart for God, and so does everyone who serves with us. Something really amazing happened though, when we went to The Living Room. I'm not sure if I have mentioned what the Living Room is, but I'll repeat it: It's run by a city organization called BronxWorks. It offers showers, computer access, and shelter for people from the streets. Most the the people there are in an in between stage--some are "burn outs," having lost their homes to fire, others from foreclosure, struggling to overcome addiction, and just people who can't catch a break. It's really neat.

Anyways, when we go there we get to talk and interact with the people there. Pete usually gives a message, but this week a lady named Luz did. She gave her testimony--she was on the street, a drug addict. It's really neat, how so many of the people who work with Manna of Life have been on the streets, and been just completely rescued from one thing or another, so they really know how these people are feeling. And they're just so generous. After Luz spoke, Pete got up and gave an invitation, something he rarely does, and just asked if anyone wanted Jesus. And one lady raised her hand! So she came up and talked with Pete, and it was just really amazing.

All in all, it was a really great, FREEZING day. We packed for PA, and Emily and I got in bed by 9:40! But unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that I didn't get to sleep until midnight, due to particularly loud city noises and the fact that I was ridiculously excited! I woke up at 4:00am Sunday morning to get a shower before we had to go...and we left at about 5:45 and were on the road to PA!

Sunday morning we went to Manor BIC and spoke to the young adult and youth Sunday school. One of the biggest things I realized when we got to PA, and were at Manor, was that everyone in PA is white. Well, obviously not everyone, but in the group of about 50 people we spoke to, only one was not caucasian. It kind of made me uncomfortable, honestly...I've become used to being the minority! Haha. I miss the diversity in NY. We talked about how and why we are in STEP, what are some things we've had to sacrifice, and something that we've learned or something that has really touched us while we have been in the program so far.

Keith Miller did the message at Manor. He is the youth pastor, but the senior pastor was away at a church plant. Wow, though. That message was amazing. It was about God's goodness, and how God can be good all the time, with all this suffering in the world. It's something I've really been thinking and struggling with, and man, he hit it the nail right on the head. After little Elijah, and now Joseph, and the 3 year anniversary of my friends' death on the 19th of October, it was just something I really needed to hear. I was crying through half of the message. I'm going to put a link to where you can listen to it from Manor's website:
http://www.manorchurch.org/media_player.asp?messageID=73888

You can also download it--a good one to have on your ipod or mp3 player:
http://www.manorchurch.org/file_download_launch.asp?filePath=/uploads/10-17-10_2.mp3


After church we made our way to Emily's family farm! The Stoners own a dairy farm, Apple Valley Creamery. It was so awesome :) Mrs Stoner made a DELICIOUS lunch, complete with their own milk--real and creamy, homemade butter, bread, and ICECREAM! I got to have a calf suck on my fingers, and hold kitties :) I have missed animals a lot. It was so nice and relaxing.
We all headed over to Mike Holland's spanish church...I mean, really, God's spanish church that Mike helps out with ;P Josiah came and I got to see him! Darren, Kimberly's son, was also there. He is a freshman at Messiah, and I found out that he is on the same floor as Seth! Which is pretty awesome. Small world. I understood pretty much everything, and then we went up and shared a little bit--basically the same thing we shared at Manor, except this time the YES team going to Chile joined us. They are cool girls. We had fun with them :)
In the evening any family members who wanted to were invited to the cabin. What is the cabin, you say? I shall explain. The main reason we came to PA was to go on this retreat, in a lovely cabin in the woods of Dillsburg. I miss it already. It was lovely. Way out in the middle of no where. Adelphoi cabin :) We stayed there until Wednesday morning. Having the familys for dinner and just to hang out was so much fun. It was so wonderful getting to see Siah.
During the retreat, Kimberly spoke to us about Inner healing and Prayer. I think we really bonded as a team, and I know that God really moved in my life. He is so awesome.

Recently discovered in my devotion time has been John chapter 17. It's when Jesus prays for his disciples and for US. I don't know why, but it blew my mind. I mean, we apply what is in the bible to all of us, because it is God's word to us...but here is something Jesus said PARTICULARLY to us! A special message! Needless to say, John 17 is rather highlighted in my bible :)

John 17:23
"I in them, and You in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me."

That is Jesus' prayer for us. Blows my mind :)

Tuesday we went to spanish class at the spanish church, taught my my brother, Josiah, and Mike Holland. That was pretty cool. I learned more about reflexive verbs, and also a little more about direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns--although not much with those cause Sie had to help the less advanced class. I still have many questions on that subject.
Siah got to come back to the cabin and hang out with us, which was again SUPER awesome. Wednesday morning early Kimberly and Bonnie left to get back to New york in time for Kimberly's flight to San Francisco to visit her parents and sisters.
Wednesday I also SURPRISED my sisters, plus pretty much everyone except my parents by coming home :) It was pretty much awesome. Mercy cried, Hope was shocked, Michelle cried and screamed, Corey was confused, and Mat was exuberant. Those were just some of the reactions. I'd say that I did well.

Now we've been working at Antrim BIC church helping with a volleyball tournement fundraiser for Priority 1 Ministries. That's where I am now, and it's been cool. I'm a bit tired.

Basically, Jesis is really amazing. I've been learning so much in my readings, and from our speakers. I miss Kimberly and Bonnie a bit. I'm so glad we got to meet Kimberly. It will be so comforting when we go to Honduras to have a familiar face, especially a familiar face that is hers :)
One thing I've especially been thinking and hearing and recognizing is my need to let Jesus lead me, and not lead. To not stress about being responsible for things, even for myself really. This song, by Amanda Falk, has been my cry for the past couple of days, and still is. The main part goes :

I wanna be small,
I wanna be just like a child,
I wanna be quiet in your arms.

That's what I've been trying to practice.
Listen to the song here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iO_PDA6kvg


Thank you for all your prayers and support. I talked to Angela Coy, my MOST team member in charge of the financial end of my trip(I thank God so much for her!), and I have just about $2,000 left to raise. So especially keep that in your prayers, and be praying for my knee. It's really been hurting. I've been wishing for a strong knee and missing playing sports :(

But all in all, God really IS good, all the time. All the time.

I'm staying, and you're gonna love me :)

It's been a week! I need to be better at updating this thinger. It's interesting, now it's mostly the same things...I'm used to it, I guess. But I need to keep you updated, still!

Saturday we went to Central Park. I read Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows, out loud to the girls for a while :) It was really fun. And relaxing. We went to the South East corner, which was new for us. We usually only chill at the South West corner.
Sunday was a sleepy day. I think I took a 3 hour nap? Yes. It was lovely.

This week we had a speaker other than Bonnie: Tim Bomgardner from World Vision. It was really awesome. He is really smart--he went to school for early church history, majoring in the early church fathers. So he knows TONS. I really enjoyed listening and learning from him.

Bowery was on Wednesday. I always have fun there :) And Trevor was there this week! I met two new people, Brian and Michael--aka The Italians. They were absolutely hilarious. Crack me up...I ate lunch with them and Elliot. It was tons of fun. And I cut potatos. TONS of potatos.
Then Operation Exodus :) <3 those kids.
Of course Love kitchen on Thursday, and Operation Exodus. Seriously though, I love those kids. I'm going to miss them while I'm on the retreat.

Kimberely came last night, and we went to World Vision this morning. We always get so much done there.

This evening friends of Kimberely's came over for dinner. Luz, Juan Pablo and their son Daniel. They are really amazing people. Daniel has a real heart for missions, they all do.... Luz gave us some words of encouragement and shared her testimony a bit. We got to talk to Daniel for a while then. It was a really nice to meet them.

Tomorrow we go to Manna of Life, and pack for the retreat.
I've been on here too long. Ugh...I always take too long on here, and then I feel really lae and stupid. Ugh, I take too long writing these updates.

My knee hurts, so please be praying for me. Blah.

Jullian, Isabella, and Random acts of kindness

:) It's always good to start out with a smile.

It's been several days since we last spoke, so I'm glad to communicate with you right now! So, what has been up? Let me "sum up."

Tuesday Carey and I went to Breakfast Ministry. There were 3 tables, which is a good amount for it being the beginning of the month, which means the first week of checks for everyone. It's good that they come for breakfast though, and then they can save their money for other meals that won't be provided for, or basic necessities, or maybe a little treat--because everyone needs that once in a while. Despite it being so early in the morning, I really enjoy going to Breakfast Ministry. Giving really makes you feel happy, and just a smile and a plate of hot food can completely brighten someones day.
I've been thinking about that a lot lately. It's that little acts of kindness that stick in your mind. I remember the first week we were here, a boy about my age on the bus gave up his seat for me. That may seem small, but for someone to do that is really kind, especially because it wasn't like I am old or a little child that really needs a seat, and I don't even think I had my brace on that day. And to be honest, people don't usually give up their seats unless it's an extremely frail old person, someone holding a baby that can't work, or an obvious disabled person(like on crutches, a cast etc.). If people notice they will give up their seats for a pregnant lady...so, it just really stood out to me. And it has made me think, and has me doing more of those kinds of things. My team is really great with my knee, they always offer me a seat first, and that kind of thing makes me more inclined to offer people my seat too. Just yesterday a guy on the metro saw my knee brace and jumped up and gave me his seat. I wasn't especially limping or anything, but that was the first time a stranger had done that because of my knee brace. It made my day.
If it seems like I'm going on too much about the seat thing, then you haven't stood on a thirty minute train or bus ride smashed into a bunch of other people, some who don't appreciate you smashing them, all while trying not to put your butt in the face of whoever is sitting in the seat you're standing by.
Don't get me wrong, I really like public transportation! I like bus and train rides, unless I'm especially tired, because of all the different kinds of people you see. It's especially enjoyable if you are seated near a baby or little kids, because ALL the children in New York are extremely adorable. :)

Tuesday was a pretty eventful day, cause after Breakfast Ministry and devotions us girls went on a Barnes and Nobles trip while Ben went to Manhattan to visit a friend of his from college. I had already read my chapters, so I was able to find a present for Mercy for her birthday, and after purchasing a Pumpkin Latte and a cinnamon scone from the Starbucks, settle down and start reading Deathly Hallows. It was a nice break from all the other reading that we're doing. I really like the books we have done, and I'm learning lots from them, but sometimes it's nice to slip into a fantasy world for just an hour. Especially a fantasy world that I have friends in :D It's nice and familiar there, while being exciting too! Wow...I'm really nerdy. Haha.
We had Spanish class then, though we were half an hour late...oopsy. But it was a fantastic class! We practiced witnessing in Spanish! We paired up, having one person listening while the other person told them about Jesus in Spanish! I did it a couple of times, cause Dorine had the others pair up with either Carey or I because we are more fluent in Spanish. It was a really great exercise, and I felt that I did pretty well. :)

In the evening we did our Victory Over the Darkness chapters we had read over the weekend, and I looked at Abby's Scotland pictures...if you haven't, you should, cause they are gorgeous. Makes me want to go!

Wednesday! Wednesday is Bowery day! Always quite enjoyable. This Wednesday however, Trevor, the cook, wasn't there. Being so, things were a little chaotic. They had two people doing what he usually did, directing everyone, along with extra workers in the kitchen. Plus us. Mel, Ben, and I bagged candy for the community all morning :D It was fun though, cause Daniel, one of the guys there helped us. He is from Puerto Rico and has wonderfully broken English :) We served the guys and then ate with them. Carey, Mel and I sat with Daniel for a while. Mel taught him to be Canadian :) She had him saying "eh?" after everything he said. It was hilarious. I learned a lot more names, which I'm glad. I met Warren, who is 47(but looks probably 10 years younger), and going to school to be a drug counselor, which I think is pretty cool. We met Bryan, who is extremely tall with GREAT hair. I got the name of Elliot. Elliot is my friend--the first day we went to the Bowery I always gave him a huge grin. He came to know me as "that girl who is always smiling!" I think that's a good thing to be known by :D Our friend Edwin came after lunch with the guys, so it was nice to see a familiar face. He is very fun to work with. His birthday is next week, he turns 26, so we're going to make him a card! Maybe we'll bring something delicious to eat.
In between serving the guys and serving the community, Mel and I went back to bagging candy. Ben was having a good conversation with one of the guys, I think. Anyways, we were a little tired, so we got crates to sit on and just chilled back there bagging Necco Wafers(they are gross candy) and having an all around good time back there by ourselves. You can't hear anything that goes on in the pantry when the door is closed, and so we sang our lungs out. Mostly Oh Canada! Which is a favorite song on our team, and just had good talks and LOTS of laughs. Mel and I are good laughers and good sleepers. Those are skills we possess and use quite frequently. :D

We went to Operation Exodus to see our kids, of course. I really love them. There are a couple that already have special places in my heart. Of course, I love them all, but there are two especially--Jullian and Isabella. Jullian is such a cry baby. He really is...he cries for his "mami and papi" for the first half an hour we are there. But really, when those kids cry and miss their parents, I can't blame them. I feel so bad. They are preschoolers, and they are in school all day, and then in an after school program! That's a long time to be away from mommy and daddy, day after day. So I always just comfort them, and tell them how much fun we're going to have. But Jullian is just my little guy, he always tells me when he leaves, "But I'll be back!" He isn't bad, just a little immature...he always tells me great stories, and is easily distracted. He loves Spiderman, and apparently the two of them are friends. Yesterday he was mad at me because I told him he had to sit down, cause it was sitting time...he told me Spiderman would beat me up cause he had talked to him :P I told him that I had talked with Spiderman too, and he said that I should tell Jullian that he needs to sit and listen :) I also got to play football with him for a while yesterday as well! We actually got to go outside(which is a treat for the pre-k). By play football, I mean I tried to teach him how to throw :) Yes, ME teach a boy how to throw a football! Wooo!
Now Isabella! She is a dear. Funny thing is, the first couple of time we went, she was really bad, I mean, she just didn't listen at all. But she has really gotten better. Her main problem is just that she is in her own little world. She LOVES to dance. We play music and just dance a lot of the time, and that is her favorite thing in the world. One day she was especially fidgety and not sitting and finally I said "Isabella, why are you having such a hard time listening and sitting?" And she says "I just wanna dance!" I think I started to understand her a lot more after that. She reminds me a lot of my cousin Grace, for those of you who know that little dear, which is probably part of the reason I'm so fond of her. She has a song for washing her hands, sung to the tune of Frere Jacque:

Top and bottom, top and bottom,
In between, in between,
Rub them all together, rub them all together,
Now they're clean, now they're clean.

As you can imagine, sung by a 4-year-old, this is ridiculously adorable.

Yesterday we also helped Mr. Jones at the Love Kitchen handing out grocery bags before Operation Exodus...there were tons of people, it being the beginning of the month. We actually got a little swamped and ended up having to close the doors. There were like 45 people line up outside. It's hard when you have to turn some people away, the facility is really small and they are only given it for so much time.
I also got a letter from Michelle yesterday!!! :) I love getting mail! *hint hint*

Today we went to World Vision, and put away lots of yarn and paint, and I stacked TONS AND TONS of stamps. They were awesome...really pretty ones that you could make awesome cards and stationary with. I was really hungry at lunch, and so it was especially delicious.
We found these "China markers," which are basically bible highlighters! Matt, who oversees us volunteers, let us take a pack! Sweet? yes!

We came back, and were going to go to the Spanish church tonight, but not everyone is caught up on reading, and Mel was feeling a little icky, so we have just chilled here. This has been a crazy long post, but it's to make up for the crappy little on last time.

I've finished Jeremiah, and I'm reading John now! Man, there is such good stuff in John. I love how there is proof of the Trinity within the first 10 verses of the first chapter :)

Kay, I love you all so much! And I need to give you a talking to...SEND ME MAIL! Emily, my team-mate, gets packages and letters every day. You guys need to step it up, cause you are getting shown up :) For reals though...I love hearing from you! If you send me a letter, or a package(:D) I WILL write you back, for certain! I'm going to put my address on here again. Any packages should be sent through the post office though, NOT UPS. Thanks!

Evi Long
c/o Priority 1 Ministries/UDC
490 E. 181st St., Apt. 4A
Bronx, NY 10457


Love always in Christ!

Birthdays, soccer, and sleeping!

Friends and country-men!


So, the past couple of days have been pretty slow going. Friday night Erin Wolf and her fiance came up, and Saturday Erin did a session on Children's Ministry with us. After that we went to central park to meet Emily's sister, brother, and youth pastor, and also an older lady from her church, a retired missionary. So we hung out in the park, me mostly sitting and observing people. I got to watch a pick up game of soccer which was awesome. After that we went to eat at this street vendor that we had to stand in line for! And they weren't even the real guys! Apparently the real guy comes at 7pm, and there is a 45 min line! For a street vendor! Crazy, I know.
Saturday night we watched To Save A Life, which was really good. I've been wanting to see it--it makes you want to be nice to everyone you see. So that's good!

Yesterday was Sunday, our day of rest. Molly kept me updated on the soccer games going on. Chelsea, Barcelona, and Real Madrid won their games :) And I slept. A lot.
And we played Rook too. I stink at that game.
AND I got to skype mi familia! Which was awesome possums!!! I miss them.

Today, I slept past my alarm. I think I'm fighting off Melanie's germs, cause my body always goes into sleep overdrive when it thinks it's going to get sick.
And I took a nap, before lunch. Yeah, I think I was getting sick. I'm feeling much better now. Basically, we just chilled, Bonnie talked to us about God's blessings, and it was awesome.

Now I'm skyping Miles! He is super awesome! And a huge encouragement to my walk in the Lord.

Love to you all! Keep me in your prayers!

Skyping, Homesickness, and my aching knee.

Hey all!

So, how are all of you? I hope well. I am pretty well myself :)

Uhm, so what have I done? I should get my journal out. Hold on now.

Mmkay! So, last time I talked to you all was on Tuesday. Mostly what has happened this week started Wednesday, so this should be good :)

Wedensday (Miercoles): We went to Bowery Mission! One of my favorite places :) I worked in the kitchen, helping Trevor(the cook), and Eddie(Edmund). I chopped celary and peppers, and wrapped sandwiches in saran-wrap. I wore my Goya bottle-cap earrings there, and they received quite an applause :) They are pretty awesome, I must admit. I'll wear my Jarrito ones next week! Also, next week is Eddie's birthday, so we're going to bring a card and maybe balloons and awesomeness!
Carey, Mel, and I got to do something very special at Bowery in the kitchen--dismember shrimp! That's right, rip the heads and tails off. Then I sliced open the top, and pulled out the long, slimey intestines. When you rip the heads off, it's squishy and crunchy at the same time, and their brains squirt out on your hands--yellow and red, like ketchup and mustard. Melanie got it on her face, that was quite a hilarious episode(mostly because it didn't happen to me! haha). We felt very accomplished after having done that. It was pretty gross, but we swallowed our guts(not literally, and I just made that figure-of-speech) and manned-on.
At lunch Mel and I talked with some guys about sky-diving. The name of one of they guys was Larry. We didn't catch the other man's. Non-Larry used to be a marine, and he had to do it twice, and said it was one of the scariest things he has ever done.

I had a bit of a headache and sinus pressure halfway through Bowery Mission, and then on the train as well. But I took some Sudafed and Ibuprofen and slept on the train, which is like an hour ride from Bowery to Manhatten Bible, which is where we went next. So, needless to say I wasn't feeling my fantastic self to deal with pre-schoolers the rest of the day. So I felt they were more bad than usually, but Carey didn't feel so as much, so I think it was my sickness affecting me.

I got to talk to my parents and siblings AND my grandma last night, cause they are AT my grandma's, and are going to the Bloomsburg Fair this weekend! I am super jealous...that brings back childhood memories.(Just got a text from Sie saying they had a good day but they missed me :) I MISS YOU ALL TOO!!!)
I also got to Skype Jordan Spear last night, and earlier this week I Skyped Paulie :) So I've gotten some home exposure, so I've been slightly homesick.

Today we would have usually gone to World Vision, but they were closed this week for a rejuvenation conference for their workers or something. So, instead we went to the after-school program, Operation Exodus, and did a song! We sang the "Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah--praise ye the Lord!" with the kids, which did not do good to my knee. It hurt a lot today..so much that I was actually limping :\

Highlight of today: I got to Skype Molly Geiger! I miss that woman, so here is a shout out to her! Hahahaha...<3

Carey and Emily just made Shoofly pie, and I find it especially delicious, especially with Vanilla Bean helado(icecream) :)


A couple of things to pray for real quick:

1. My knee. It has been hurting a lot, especially today. So pray that it would just heal, because it is just bothersome.
2. Melanie is sick. She wakes up feeling pretty miserable. Once she takes a nap and some medicine she is usually feeling alright, but just pray that she would get better in a jiffy. :)



That's it! Love you all!