We had another full, but very rewarding day. I count it an extreme privilege to be on this trip. It is an awesome experience to watch our students sing and interact with kids and adults that they encounter. Julie Jenkins and Phillip Watts have done an outstanding job planning even the smallest of details, but can adjust when needed to keep things running smoothly.
I wouldn’t say our group would qualify as veteran subway riders, but parents you should be proud of the great job the students are doing getting around NYC. Kumar is a big help with this, but the students are stepping up and taking responsibility for themselves and others in the group.
Our first stop was the USS Intrepid, a huge aircraft carrier that housed approximately 3,400 individuals at the height of its service. Our students sang several songs on the deck of the carrier as visitors entered the vessel and walked around. Afterward we all went down to the mess deck and enjoyed a box lunch. Pretty cool!
We then caught the subway back to Harlem for day two of vacation bible school and our prayer station. The number of kids were down today since the children’s camp director took several youngsters swimming. Our students are doing a great job interacting with the kids and playing games with them.
The students manning the prayer stations around the housing development again had great experiences over the two-hour period. It is amazing to see the reactions of people when you ask them if you can pray for them. Some just keeping walking, but others are humbled that someone would care enough about their lives to pray for them.
I met a retired nurse named Gloria today who each afternoon typically sits in her wheelchair outside watching people pass by the complex. She accepted Christ as her Savior at a young age and is concerned about the youth in her area today. She appreciated seeing and hearing about the work of our students in her neighborhood this week and is hopeful God will use the seeds sown this week to change hearts and lives.
We ended the day with a surprise sunset boat ride around the New York harbor. The students got to see the skyline from the water and take pictures of local landmarks. From there we walked around Times Square for a couple of hours before making our way back to the hotel.
Emily Deaver led the evening devotional and reminded everyone that this trip is not about us or for our enjoyment, but the real purpose is to be on mission for God and to make the most of our time here investing in eternal things. Wise and timely counsel. Thank you Emily!
David Avery
Filed under: Uncategorized
