Yes I’ve been quite terrible about updating this blog. Kim is probably going to kill me. The last post was on Septermber 24, 20 days ago. I am currently in my fourth week of DTS on our outreach to Michigan.
Since my last post I’ve been to Manhattan and seen various New York landmarks, such as Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and Gucci, Prada, Versace, Armani, Louis Vuitton, etc… (oh and I dunno if you’ve over seen pics of the Apple store in New York daddy, but it’s pretty stinkin’ awesome!! GOOGLE!) I can’t wait to go back with someone who wants to go to the same stores I do.
Subways make me motion sick.
We have this rather large and RATHER dry textbook-ish thing we have to read. It presents Islam in the most boring light possible; it’s as if they’re trying not to hurt anyone’s feelings so they keep the information as dull as possible. I’m getting nothing out of it.
Sam (our most-amazing cook from France) had his birthday on the 29th and everyone was a screaming fan-girl trying to get his autograph.
On Thursday nights we split up to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) in Brooklyn and Queens. I go to Queens and have had unfortunately frustrating experiences. The teachers do not teach very well, do not explain the meanings of words very well, teach bible-story lessons that are way over the heads of the students and teachers alike. It saddens me to think that the students could have such better English if only the teachers were better.
We went to the Turkish festival on October 2nd. Almost half our team got kicked out: Amos was forcefully removed and had his papers torn up, Johno was kicked out for talking to Amos, Andrew and Olivia were kicked out after they had their pictures taken by the security guard and told charges would be pressed. I got to talk to a Turkish man for about 45 minutes and didn’t get blacklisted.
That weekend Amos, Quinleigh and I were in charge of making brunch and two dinners. I made some rather excellent pancakes: chocolate chip, blueberry and regular. Everyone kept trying to tell me how to make them but I KNOW HOW TO MAKE PANCAKES THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Then we made spaghetti and I think my daddy (who is like the pasta-sauce-mastah) would have been proud. The next night we were supposed to make lasagna. It was the frozen kind, really easy to make. But someone decided to put the CHINESE kid in charge of making the ITALIAN/AMERICAN food… He burnt it. Though, he followed the directions exactly and it still burnt but it’s funnier to say “the Chinese kid burnt the lasagna”.
I had to do a book report on Loren Cunningham’s book “Is That Really You, God?”. I started it the day before it was due. I had decided to get a map of the world and have little windows cut into it, behind which would be the words of my book report BUT WALGREENS DOESN’T HAVE WORLD MAPS! So that night I stayed up til 1:30 am drawing my own world map, woke up at 5:30 am to finish it then somehow got it done that afternoon. Africa was misshapen and the Middle East was all but nonexistent.
October 9th was our Day of Celebration with the reading of YWAM Metro NY’s history and our first Love Feast, which is not a weird hippie love-party, but really a meal with entirely too much food.
The next morning we all slept through our alarms and yet somehow were still on time to leave at 6 am for the 12 hour drive to Dearborn Michigan, where I am now.
We’ve been doing “Prayer Stations” on college campuses and around Detroit. A prayer station is basically where we stand around a table wearing ugly aprons and ask everyone who walks by if they want us to pray for them.
I hate prayer stations.
Monday night we went to the Arab American Friendship Center to teach ESL. It was so much less frustrating than in New York and I had the incredible experience of talking with an Egyptian woman for and hour and a half (and those of you who know my passion for Egypt understand my excitement).
Today the whole team went into Detroit to do prayer stations and sightseeing, leaving me home alone because I have conjunctivitis.
I’m accidentally picking up Matt’s Irish accent.
So since I haven’t updated in an eternity (well really just a few days) my mum emailed me a bunch of questions to answer. I suppose I’ll do that here:
How big is your school? Girls? Guys? Couples?
-The school I’m in has a total of 5 students: me, Quinleigh, Amos, Olivia and Andrew. Olivia and Andrew are married.
Do you have any room mates that aren’t from Korea?
-Quinleigh is from Canada.
Have you taken any pictures with your phone that you could send?
-No but I will soon.
What is your work duty?
-They haven’t told us yet. Either kitchen or housekeeping.
Did you get a letter from Grandma?
-Yes and I wondered if it was a conspiracy to send me a stick of gum in every letter or if the members of my family just all think alike and so send me sticks of gum coincidentally.
Have you sent thank-you post cards?
-No I haven’t so thank you everyone, i’ll try to find time to send thank yous later.
How are the shooz coming? Do you have time to work on them?
-I finished one of the baby shoes and am working on the pair of blue ones. I like one of them but not the other so i’ll have to see how they come out in the end.
Where do you think outreach will be?
-My outreach is to Guyana, South Africa and London, England.
Do you need me to send a first-aid kit with Ibuprophin and bandaids and…?
-No I’m not really planning on injuring myself and they have that stuff here.
And now an important word from me:
Don’t drink a venti mocha frappuccino then play ultimate frisbee.
Today I arrived in New York.
After a hectic morning packing last minute necessities and saying goodbye to loved ones I boarded my plane to Denver, where I literally ran from one end of the airport to the other to make my flight to New York on time. By the grace of God I didn’t get airsick and arrived safely after a few short naps and a cycle through my ipod. Then even more hecticocity as I had to find my bags, find my ride (Hello Ashley!) and find myself.
A double whopper and a long car ride later I found myself walking through the doors of my new home for the next three months: YWAM Metro New York. I was given the tour of the campus, met the other students, and tried to stay awake the whole time. Even though my body still thinks it’s 9:50, I’m tired enough for the two hour time difference.
I wonder how late they’ll let me sleep in…
A week from today i’ll be in New York.
“Captain, if my calculations are correct, I only need $700 more to pay for my complete DTS.”
“Yeah! Yeeeeeah! Weapons at maximum! Start up that hyperdrive generator, baby! We’re gone!”
There is something so finalizing about buying a plane ticket. It is the link between one stage of life and the next; all you have to do is exchange that little piece of paper for a seat in the sky. A short layover and a bag of peanuts and you’re there.
September 19th, 2009: I leave Colorado Springs behind and my family, friends, safety, comfort and home with it.
This is the first of what will be many posts detailing my grand adventures in New York and beyond.
As of right now, I have been accepted to the Muslim-focus DTS (Discipleship Training School) at YWAM in Smithtown, New York. After quite a bit of praying and looking at all my options, this was what I decided to be my next path in life. From that point I have been working gradually to get nearer and nearer to this goal. I have gone through the application process, been accepted, gotten a job to take a small chunk out of the $6+ thousand I need for the school…
As of this morning I had about $1,200 in my savings account, $700 sent to YWAM, and a discount of $1,000 from the school itself for being a second-generation YWAM-er, meaning I was about $1,100 short of what i need by mid-September. By this evening I had received the wonderful news that I had been gifted another $2,000 dollars, enough to pay for half of my schooling and then some. God is truly a great provider for His people.
More to come as more develops 
…