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.
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