the fifth one about nyc: the spirit

greetings from the end of a looooooong evening. tonight was indescribable, but i’m sure some thing will be said in a future post. tonight’s devotion was spirit-filled and illustrated the movement of the spirit that paul describes when he says in romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”

the following two posts were written before the spirit-filled events of the evening devotion, and no one had the chance to blog anything tonight. hopefully tomorrow will include some reflection upon tonight’s devotion.

Erica Chatham (10th grade)

Thursday was fun, but it was also very difficult. The Staten Island team split into different groups; some went to a Moravian church to sort clothes and to put them in boxes and others went to the soup kitchen. I, on the other hand, went somewhere totally different. Stephen, the Stovalls, and I went across from the church that we are staying at and went to the Hospitality House. It had stories of apartments for the clients staying there. We were given a big job. We were told to dust the whole lobby. Sure that sounds easy, but when we got there, everything was covered with dust, dirt and what seemed like mold. So instead of dusting, we ended up washing everything. We grabbed a ladder, buckets of water, and wash rags to get started. I am extremely short so it was difficult to reach high places like the pipes and the exit signs. We were so determined to get the job done that we hardly took any breaks. When we finally finished it was after twelve and the four of us were the first ones back to the church. We had our lunch and took showers early, because we were covered in dust and dirt. It might have been a hard and serious job, but there were plenty of jokes for us to laugh at and that is what was enjoyable. When we left it was cleaner and a little bit brighter. The color of the lobby was a dirt white color and I hope that they paint it a dark blue, because it would match some of the weird lights in the lobby.

Tyler Hinshaw (9th grade)

Today, my group of Sara, Patrick, Ian, Niki, the Tellers, and I went to the Bronx. We worked at the Food Bank of New York. To get there we had to ride the ferry, the subway, and a bus. We had a short orientation to Food Bank using videos. Our job was to sort water, vinegar, bleach, and other similar liquids into boxes and only have a certain weight of the product in each box. Then we taped the boxes shut, labeled them, and put them in stacks. Four people (Patrick, Sara, Niki, and Ian/me) put the products into the boxes, taped them, and sorted them. The other three people got the products out of the original boxes they were in and put them on a long counter for the others. In the end, we sorted 4,183 lbs of liquids, which equaled about 3,217 meals. We finished at 12:30, so we got to leave earlier than we thought. Since we had extra time, we went to Chinatown and Little Italy. All of us teens got I <3 NY shirts for $3! After walking around for a while, we went back to YSOP for our final meeting, where we filled out evaluations and talked about our week. For dinner, we had pasta. A group from Michigan and the leaders from PH joined us. Now we are cleaning up, and soon we will begin our shareholder letters. Tomorrow is our free day. Can’t wait!

the fourth one about nyc: the rainy game

Tonight was baseball night…there was a rain delay, but it was the best part! here are three more reflections from the GOOTH…

Adam Chatham (9^th grade)

Hi, during the baseball game it started raining badly. Lucky for me I was under a roof. Before the rain started we all went and got food and free baseball caps. Some of us went to get them signed but the hat was ruined by the rain. I think after 30 minutes of the rain me and two friends were getting bored. They had to cover the field and wait for the rain to stop. Stephen suggested we take a look in the gift shop. By the time we got there we realized that there was nothing there we could afford and the rain was still pouring heavily. So we played a game where we had to guess the prices of items. We first did the hat. I guessed 30 dollars and Stephen said 20. It was 15. Then we went to the t shirts. I guessed 25 and Stephen guessed 30. Well it was actually 40 dollars. We started to talk about how overpriced things are here. When we got to the jackets we made guesses and we were way off. The hoodys were 80 dollars. Finally we went to the replica Yankee shirts. They were over 200 dollars. We all started laughing. After that we went back outside and the rain had stopped so we took our seats and started watching the game again. The Yankees had a shutout going when we left.

Alyssa Brown (12^th grade)

Today was a busy day; my group went to a clothing bank at an old army terminal in Brooklyn. We sorted through tons of clothes, first men’s then women’s clothes. The clothing brand Chaps (for men) had just donated a boatload of shirts, jackets, sweaters, pants, etc. Most of the clothes that were donated were used as samples and were made in foreign countries such as Korea, China, and Taiwan. In order to get import taxes reduced, the factories cut minor holes in the clothes and we had to throw those clothes away because they sent a message of inferiority to those receiving the clothes. We also bundled a ton of women’s sweaters and on our break, we went down to the pier and saw the Manhattan skyline. When we got back to YSOP headquarters, two social workers talked to us about working with homeless people and how they lobby the NY State Congress to pass laws in favor of homeless/low income people. It was a pretty long seminar but also inspired me to want to help and volunteer more. Then we came home and went to the baseball game which you already read about and now we are about to go to bed to get ready for tomorrow!

Sarah Hoyle (9^th grade)

So, I guess none of you blog readers have heard from my group yet. But Jill, David, Hannah, Katie and our leaders Sam and Jennifer and I are all in a YSOP group on Manhattan. On Monday, we worked in a place called Food Change where we made food to ship out to different agencies that would distribute it to hungry people. Hannah, David and I chopped 250 POUNDS OF POTATOES! It was actually really fun. We also chopped some carrots and onions and celery and other vegetables to put in a delicious pot of beef stew. We had lots of fun. On Tuesday we worked in the Love Gospel Church…yea. It was defiantly a new experience, but there were WAY too many volunteers. 52 in a room half the size of the church fellowship hall. When we prayed as a group right before we served the food, there were lots of AMENS shouted. It was intense. We had the job of resetting the tables after they had been cleaned as the guests were leaving the soup kitchen. Then today our group worked in a place called Furnish a Future. Apparently it was on the Today Show, and for good reason. This two story warehouse building was filled with furniture and other necessary household items that had been donated and would be given to individuals who were starting in a new home from being homeless. I thought it was really great that there was SO much new/slightly worn furniture to give out. We had the job of putting the finishing coat of varnish on about 20 nightstands. During lunch break we walked around the neighborhood and it was very interesting to see the differences between each block we walked. We saw a VERY fresh poultry house that had chickens and rabbits sitting in cages to be slaughtered for meat. You definately don’t see places like that on your average street in Clemmons! This has been such an awesome experience for me and I’m really looking forward to these last few days!

the third one about nyc: a long day

Today was a busy day for both groups, but a later night for the Manhattan group. With quick showers, long devotions, and late arrivals, the opportunity to blog tonight was slim. So, Stephen has some thoughts to share, and I’ve taken the opportunity to tell about my day

Stephen McCoy (8^th grader)

Today we worked with Project Hospitality’s food pantry. There were two different times for the food pantry, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I helped out with carrying the baskets of food that people had collected. Just one thing, IT WAS H-A-R-D! Some people had so many things in their baskets that the heaviest ones were probably at least twenty pounds. And, I had to carry them downstairs. I’m sure I got my month’s workout in just that period of time.

After the food pantry closed for the morning, we all had/served lunch. I had another job where I had to carry things. I had to carry the dirty trays to the kitchen, where they were washed and dried. Then, I had to carry the clean trays back to the dining room where they were stacked up for the next time.

At about one, the food pantry opened back up, only I wasn’t a basket carrier this time. I was the official “Card Carrier”. I carried the cards that people brought down with their food that told us what all they could take home. Then, after they finished checking out, it was my job to take those cards back upstairs.

After dinner, the Staten Island group went into Manhattan, to do some sight-seeing along the river. On our way back, some of the girls headed into a J. Crew to do some shopping, so everyone else was waiting outside.

New York has been so fun, but I can’t wait to get home.

My story

Joey, Jacob, Chelsey, and me helped a man move from one apartment to another. The man had been a client with Project Hospitality, and when his apartment was declared unlivable because of mold in the basement, PH found him a new place and offered to help him move. It was hot! And, like everyone else who is moving on short notice, he didn’t have everything in neat boxes, ready to be moved. We had a sit around for about 20-30 minutes, waiting for him to put things in bags, clean up, etc. So, we moved it all, then it was time to do the furniture. It wasn’t much furniture, but they were heavy and awkwardly shaped. The man lived in an old house that had been divided into apartments. Although he lived on the first floor, everything had to go through 3 doorways, that were in a tight zig-zag formation, before zigging down a flight of stairs, only to zag back on the sidewalk and go down 3 more stairs to the street sidewalk. We got it all in the truck, finally, after much “Is this going,” and “I don’t know,” and “This goes…no wait, bring it back in here.”

We then went to unload it. Luckily, his new place was on the first floor. And one of the windows was accessible from the street. And by accessible, I mean that I could lift something over my head and Jacob could pull it in the window. So, we moved half his stuff in through the window…including a 32-inch TV and a mattress. We took a break for lunch, and the two guys from the agency that we were working with took us to Papa John’s for lunch. Ram and Tyrone were a blast to get to know. One was a 40-something immigrant from Trinidad, and the other a 20-something black man. As different as the two were, they worked well together, and we could tell they enjoyed working together. They are the handymen for PH and basically take care of the 50 apartments PH manages. We had fun over lunch sharing stories, getting to know them, hearing about their work with PH, and gulping down nearly 6 liters of soda and tea.

The man who we helped today was very nice…strange, but nice. He is a Muslim, although we aren’t sure he is practicing…he seemed very selective about what parts of the lifestyle he wanted to follow or not. But I guess that’s not a lot different from many Christians…including ourselves. He thanked us very much, while offering us God’s blessings, and respecting our difference in religion. I think he truly believes that we pray to the same God, as do I. He was very proud of his daughter, and told us about his life and how he got to the point he is at now.

While our group worked very hard today, we had a great time and are thankful for the opportunity to do it. Chelsey commented in the vehicle on the way back, “It was really cool to get to talk to the guy we were helping and work with him, cause you don’t always get to see the people you may be helping.” The other three of us agreed with her.

Our evening was a lot of fun…we did more than go into a J. Crew store! After going to a restaurant that seated 18 with 15 people, we decided to take our food “to go” and eat it on the ferry. That was one of the highest moments of the excursion…we had a blast, eating our Italian dishes on the promenade of the ferry, in booth-type seating that allowed us to sit in a group and enjoy our food, without being strung out in rows. Then, we walked along the south shore of Manhattan before walking past the old piers, to the South Point Shore (or something like that) where parts of NYC that dates back to New Amsterdam (well, maybe not the buildings, but this is the spot!), have been remodeled into a shopping and restaurant district. Very cool. It was neat to walk down the stone roads and see the buildings brought to life. They even have some decommissioned ships floating in harbor in a museum fashion, with a small artifact mariner museum. We had a great view of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge. Last night, we all saw the sun set from the SI Ferry. Tonight, our group saw darkness overtake the city after the sun went down, and the lights “come on” on the NYC skyline. The group of 12 lined the back of the ferry and remained there the whole time as it pulled away from Manhattan, passed the Statue of Liberty, and drove towards SI. It was a very peaceful end to our busy day.

the second one about nyc: first exposure

i don’t have much time to make any opening comments, because curfew is coming up…so, here is what a few of the youth had to say today…

Reva Manikas (12th grade)

Today was day two of our trip. The Staten Island group was assigned to Project Hospitality (PH). When we arrived; we were then split into three sub groups. My group and I stayed at the food pantry. Mondays at the food pantry/soup kitchen aren’t as busy as the rest of the week. Today we helped get the area ready for the chaotic day to come tomorrow. I enjoyed the volunteers at PH; they had a sense of humor and you could clearly tell they were truly New Yorkers. The only thing that was really frustrating was the big walk up the hill back to the church. After the PH group were reunited with the rest of the Staten Island group and were able to get some rest in before meeting the YSOP group in Manhattan. We took the ferry to Manhattan then walked around the LONG way to see Battery Park and on through NYC to go to the Stage Door Deli. The Sandwiches were extremely big, so I had to share. They were fabulous. After dinner, we visited the Financial Center and took pictures looking down at Ground Zero. That was the best part for me. 8 years after, there is still construction going on. It looked as if it had happened just a week or so before. After visiting the World Trade Center, we toured down Wall Street and downtown Manhattan. Lastly, we got onto the Ferry and headed to the Church. Although everyone was exhausted and tired from walking around, catching subways, and working hard, I know that we all are extremely excited to be in the Big Apple, NYC!

Kelly Norris (9th grade)

Today, after going learning about Project Hospitality, the agency The Staten Island group divided into three groups. My group went to help out at their summer reading program. When we got there we met some awesome kids who were there to learn more about reading. I helped some younger kids with their reading packets that they had to complete. It was really cool because they were all so nice and great to work with. I don’t think I’ll ever forget trying to explain fact and opinion using a piece of blue yarn I found on the table. It worked pretty well though. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the smiling and laughing kids there. Afterwards we had our free time in the city. We walked through Battery Park, ate dinner and saw Ground Zero. On the Ferry ride back to the island we stood out on the back deck. The view of the skyline was amazing! The work is hard and we walk, a lot, but all in all, it’s a great experience.

Ian McElwee (11th grade)

After waking up at 6 in the morning, boarding a ferry and the subway with the morning work rush, we finally arrived at YSOP and started our service adventure into New York City. We started with a breakfast orientation and talked about what it meant to be homeless and to serve. After the orientation and discussion, our three groups split up and went to different agencies all around the city. My group (Ian, Patrick, Tyler, Sara Morris, Niki, and Bill & Cathy Teller) went to St. Johns Bread and Life in Brooklyn, after getting lost in the subway. St. Johns is a soup kitchen along with other services (group help, library and homework help, Medical Aid, and Legal Aid just to name a few). We arrived just in time to serve lunch, and from 10:30 to 12:30 we served about 300 people. I helped cleaning the dishes while others in the group helped serve food, distribute drinks, clean tables, and clean up outside. The whole experience gave us an opportunity to really see that when the YSOP people said that 1 in 6 people in New York City go hungry every day, they weren’t exaggerating. Every day the agency serves 600-1000 people for breakfast and lunch. After talking about our day at YSOP, the whole group met at Ground Zero and walked around. We walked down Broadway and marveled at the buildings and how tall they are. The ferry ride back gave us a perfect view of the Manhattan skyline. The first day of service was a new experience even for those who have been on a mission trip before.

the one about nyc, day 1: getting there

the GOOTH mission trip started today! as promised, here is the first entry in the blog. three of our middlers wrote entries, so i’ll keep the intro short. it is 10:15. the lights just went out. we have an early morning tomorrow.

(from Sara Morris, 8th grader)

Hello! Today is the first day of our mission trip in NYC. We will soon be eating dinner and now we’re all just kinda lounging around, but we have had a really long-but fun day! This morning, we woke up really early, (or stayed up really late for some) and all arrived at the church really early around 2:00am. We left the church and started our journey, first going to the Greensboro train station. We were basically the only people in the train station so everywhere you looked you would see a GOOTH green t-shirt. Then we boarded the train. The train was a lot of fun. There was a lot of room and it was neat going through some of the big cities like D.C, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. It was a pretty long ride but we made the best of it. Then we went up and waited for Jay and our luggage at the amazing Penn Station. Jay quickly found us because us being in our bright green t-shirts, we were pretty easy to spot! We got our luggage, went up a few stairs and escalators and then were met with the hundreds of honking taxis and tall buildings of New York City! It was sooo exciting! We walked a few blocks and crossed a few busy streets then went to the subway station. We quickly got aboard and were much happier in the cool air conditioned cars. On my train a couple of New Yorkers asked about us and were really interested in what we doing. It was cool. After that, we walked a little bit more than went to board the Staten Island ferry. Today we have ridden all sorts of different things-cars, trains, subways, and now the ferry was just adding to the list but the ferry ride was really neat. We saw the Statue of Liberty up close which was cool. After we exited the ferry, and got through what seemed like a mob of people, we started towards the church. Through some of the Staten Island buildings you could see the church steeple. So the end was in sight! We didn’t know exactly how to get there, but we had a pretty good idea. My group decided that if we ended up in Manhattan, we knew we went the wrong way Then after a little walk we finally made it to the church. It is really nice here and I think we are all having fun after our first day.

(from Samantha Cooper, 8th grader)

Hey All!! Today was the first day of our mission trip we arrived got unpacked and we are settled in! The one thing I was worried about today was the subway. Everyone was making fun of me because they knew that the subway was no big deal and that I would be fine. But I did not know that; I thought that I was going to be left behind and no one would notice!! (Yeah right) turns out the subway are actually kind of fun. Because you are getting tossed around and you have to hold on or you are going on the ground! The other fun thing we had to do in order to get to Staten Island is we had to ride the ferry which went right past the Statue of Liberty; We were all excited about it!! I was afraid that Reva was going to drop her camera in the water but she did not!! Thank goodness!!All in all the first day was really fun and I am sure the rest of the week will rock our socks!!!

(from Tyler Hinshaw)

Hey everyone! Today has been great. We had such an early start this morning- we had to be at the church at 2 a.m. Once we got to the train station, we all sat around on the big wooden benches. One thing we could do during that time was work on a prayer shawl. Ms. Jean brought all the materials to make one that we could all work on together. The yarn is a very pretty mint-green. It was the closest to GOOTH green she could get. The train ride was a lot of fun, too. Most of us slept at first, but when we woke up, we moved around to talk to our friends. One thing I learned today was walking across a train is not the most pleasant thing in the world. It was very rickety, especially between cars. About halfway through the trip, our car became empty of everyone except for GOOTH. It was very nice because we could spread out and I got the two seats I had been sharing with Sarah to myself. When we got to New York City, we had to wait in the train station for the longest time, but after we got our luggage, we got to see the city! The city was AMAZING! There were people everywhere, but it was so exciting. We got to see the Empire State Building on the way to the subway. We had a bit of difficulty in the subway station because we had to get our luggage through the spinning things that you enter through. However, Jay came to the rescue and handed our stuff to us after we passed through. The subway was an experience that I enjoyed. Once we found where we were supposed to be, we had to hurry through the doors. There weren’t that many people on the subway- not many of us had to stand in our car. We also got to ride the ferry, from which we could see the Statue of Liberty. It was so cool to see her from the water. We could see the line to go into her, and it was so long! When we arrived at Staten Island, we hiked up this long hill to get to the church. After unloading the car with the sleeping stuff, we had some free time (I took a nap). For dinner, we had New York-style pizza. We also got to decorate new GOOTH cups- red for middlers and blue for high schoolers. We had a safety talk where we discussed what to do it certain situations. Soon after we had devotions. We talked about the burning bush story and how we are being called to “Take off our shoes” this week. We also shared our highs and lows of the day. Bye- I’m off to bed. <3

more to come another day…

peace, love, and chocolate,
jay