New York City--March 9, 2012

I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE!  Black Harlem

2002, Chris Tingstad gave his testimony, he was wearing a red baseball cap because he had early kitchen duty, his hair was going in every direction, so I told him to leave his hat on--standing in the back, Candy (another leader) was telling him to take it off, not realizing what his hair looked like!

2012, we prepared food, served the food, cleaned and did a service.  Songs, drama testimony.

THEN.

The black preacher took the podium.  And man, could that woman preach.  I took a look around the room, and some kids were wide-eyed-slack-jawed, others were totally into it.  I videotaped a portion of her sermon.

Here's my sermon notes: 

Matt 27:59-65, what stone is hindering you?

Tori hadn't been feeling well, so I took her to the van to lay down, I needed the rest too.  As the team and Marcella joined us, there was an adventure waiting for us.

Marcella is a native New Yorker, who has just been recently transplanted back to NY from Florida.  She had directions to this place on a piece of paper.  So I helped her find the place, but now, getting home, they said not to take Madison to 125th, but rather take the FDR back.  (East side of the Island).  As it was we found ourselves on the South Hudson Parkway, the most complete West side of the Island.

At one point Marcella said, let's turn left on 63rd, or maybe 61st, I said, that will mean we have to go around the park, we might as well aim for 59th or lower, then we skirt the park, back up to 2nd and boom, we will be on the Queensborough Bridge.  That's almost how it happened.

Up 54th, to 3rd, over onto 61, then right onto 2nd, then onto the bridge, whew.

This had the potential to be such a gong show.

We got back to NYSUM and napped.  I have never napped on a missions trip ever, (except when in conjunction with a migraine...)  I decided, I must be sick.

We went by van to the (Brooklyn Tabernacle sponsored youth event in Queens) AfterShock youth service, 800 teens in attendance.  They did youth really, really well, which got our own kids talking....how to improve what we do back home.  They actually had kids lining the block to get in.  Can you imagine this at your youth service?

The music was great, very polished, word was bang on, the people, were so, so, welcoming.