High School Youth Mission/Adventure Trip to NYC

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UPDATE WED. 7/23/08 - All is well with us today. Yesterday, Tuesday, after VBS we relaxed (except those who did laundry for us) then ate a quick homemade spagetti dinner and headed to Times Square for our Broadway plays. The list is below. They were all fantastic! Incredible acting, singing, dancing, sets... great time. Will, Jillian and Heidi stayed after Hairspray and got autographs from the actors as they came out afterward. Did you know Norm from Cheers plays the lead in Hairspray on Broadway!?!?  Afterward a little Coldstone ice cream and watching the crowds (10s of 1000s) around the square and the lights and a subway ride home.

VBS went well enough today. 4 hours (9-1) is a little long. 3 hours would work better. And next time we'll come with Youth  Programming for the Middle School and High School aged kids. They come and have fun being with us and each other, but the material doesn't fit their age. We thought initially we'd try to get them involved in leading, and have done that in some ways, but they really aren't interested in that either. They want to be in the program. Oh well. It is a positive experience for them. After clean up we have lunch and prep the next day and then head back up the R train to our 45th St stop where our church we are sleeping at is. Interesting coincidence... that church is at 46th St and 4th Ave, exactly like our usual worshipping location of Jacob's Well. Today we were all pretty beat, so we are laying low today, resting, whatever. We have some big plans ahead for future days. 

Here are some highlights from the kids:Kids are fun (most of them have parent who have emigrated from Palestine, Syria, Jordan, etc. The kids understand Arabic, but don't speak it.) Will is the song choreography king of VBS and in the balcony at Hairspray. Nobody is buying souvenirs... I can't believe it. Times Square is amazing. Brooklyn is amazing too, but totally different... no Starbucks or anything like that. Just a million little groceries, laundromats, Rite Aid pharamacies, and tire changing shops. And no available parking spots. Garbage only goes in garbage cans by accident. Break dancers in subway stations. Junk drummer outside a theatre.  

Our kids have been GREAT! working hard. Performing when they were tired. Enjoying and appreciating everything they see. We adults are so proud of them, and enjoying them soooo much. Thank you for sending them with us! 

More later... 

 

UPDATE 7/22/08 - Over 30 kids & youth from the neighborhood have been enjoying science experiements, fun and learning about God at Salaam Arabic Lutheran Church through the program that our group is making happen. Tonight they are going to 4 different Broadway shows - Young Frankenstein, Rent, Spamelot and Hairspray. Last night they explored Wall Street, Battery Park and the Staten Island Ferry - that means they went by the Statue of Liberty right at Sunset! Residential Brooklyn doesn't have a lot of internet access so they haven't been able to upload any of the THOUSANDS of picture that are going to be taken...yet! Stay tuned!


UPDATE 7/20/08 - We got a call this morning from the gorup in NYC! They were getting ready to head into the service at Salaam Arabic Lutheran church in Brooklyn where they will be providing the children's programming starting tomorrow. It's still really hot but they were pleasantly surprised to learn there is Air Conditioning in the church! The service was mostly in Arabic and the group was asked to share some songs during the service that they will do with the kids. This afternoon will be set up and prep for the kids who will come tomorrow. And then some exploring of the city tonight! They are keeping us in their prayers and too busy to miss us too much...:)

UPDATE 7/19/08 - They are there - safe and sound and everything is going great! The drive across Staten Island and the Verrazano Narrows bridge were quite iimpressive with views of the Statue of Liberty, Manhatten, Brooklyn and Queens. They made their way through narrow streets - "blown away" by how different this city is from any part of Minneapolis. The density, the ethnic diversity, the buzz... A picnic lunch in Brooklyn's Sunset Park, then settling down for a while this afternoon in their sleeping spot. They've been warmly welcomed - great hospitality. Mid 90s and humid. Due to cool off by Monday they heard. Keep up the good thoughts and prayers!

UPDATE 7/18/08 - They arrived in Middlebury,IN last night and had wonderful sleeping conditions on nicely padded pews in an air conditioned sanctuary at St Paul's Lutheran church. A horse and buggy was parked next to their vans this morning as they headed for brekafst featuring HUGE 85 cent caramel rolls. They are headed for Pennsylvania tonight - thorugh some aromatic farm lands! Traveling conditions have been great and everyone is happy.

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If you are in 8th-12th grade this spring you are eligible for our mission trip to NYC this summer. You don't want to miss this.

We will be providing children's programming for Salam Arabic Lutheran Church in Brooklyn and learn from living among and working with their community. We will leave Minneapolis July 17 and return July 29 with a stop at Cedar Point Amusement Park, Sandusky, OH on the return trip. We will have plenty of time to see the sites. Adults are also invited as leaders and participants!

The total cost to you will be about $550 (or less depending on fund raising). The actual cost of the trip will be $750 but we will give you the resources to raise $200 of it. (We encourage you to raise even more.) Scholarships are available when needed.

If you are interested or if you need more information, please contact Erin Ley (erineley@gmail.com or 612-710-1925) as soon as possible. A $100 deposit is required to hold your spot. The deadline for signing up for the trip is Sunday, June 15th so please act quickly!!

If you are able to help with the trip planning please let us know!

TRIP DETAILS - Posted as we know them!

Thursday, July 17 - Leave Mpls early a.m. aboard 12 & 15 passenger vans. Drive to Middlebury, IN. Stay at St Paul's Lutheran Church (not confirmed).

Friday, July 18 - Drive to point within 2 hours of NYC, probably East Stroudsburg, PA

Saturday, July 19 - Drive to our location in Brooklyn, NY. We will be staying at Trinity and working several blocks away at Salam Arabic Lutheran Church. Get our bearings in the neighborhood, meet local people.

Sunday, July 20 - Worship with the Salam and prepare for program to start the next day! Walk the Brooklyn Bridge to the Wall Street area of Manhattan, see Ground Zero, Battery Park, end up at Times Square and take subway home. Sleep!

Monday, July 21-Thursday, July 24 - Lead Vacation Bible School (VBS) each morning. We are using the PowerLab program that H2O is using at Jacob's well in April/May. Done by 12:30. Prep for next day and head off for a daily excurion afterward (unless we need a 'down' day - very likely about Wed!) to do various things: Such as Broadway play, Yankee's game, Coney Island, China Town/Little Italy, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art, St Patrick's Cathedral, etc... there is more than we will ever to see...

Friday, July 25 - Final day of VBS, no planning. Clean up and excursion.

Saturday, July 26 - Possible farewell with Salaam people (may have been on Friday), excursion? Get ready to leave early Sunday a.m.

Sunday, July 27 - Drive to Sandusky, OH. Stay at Zion Lutheran Church (not confirmed) Worship service upon arrival there at night.

Monday, July 28 - Spend the day at Cedar Point Amusement Park. Sleep at Zion again.

Tuesday, July 29 - Drive home to Mpls! Get back pretty late.

This is an ambitious schedule, but achievable, especially with a group of 20-30 travelling in vans. It will be a trip we will all remember for a lifetime.

Other things we know. Breakfasts and lunches will be from groceries. Dinner will usually be at the end of the day and from a restaurant or something a little more special (but economical) both when travelling and in New York. We will avoid fast food for healthier alternatives.

All expenses (not yet calculated) will be covered in the trip cost. Participants can bring money along for snacks and souvenirs, but that is at their discretion and we caution against bringing large amounts of money.

Packing list:

good humor, courtesy, understanding, patience, endurance, willingness to be part of the group and our shared purpose! Trust in God! We'll need it.

Bible (if you don't have one, we'll get you one!), book, flashlight, cards, etc.

Casual, comfortable and reasonably modest clothing (remember, we are working with an Arabic community!)

Good, comfortable walking shoes. You don't want to walk NY pavement for 8 hours in flipflops (more than once...)

Some nicer (but certainly still casual and comfortable) clothes for Broadway and Sunday.

Sleeping bag and pillow. Sleeping pad if desired.

Personal items.

Cameras, iPods etc are brought at participants risk! Because of the nature of the travel and situations we are in we always say that if it is lost, stolen or broken it is the fault of the person who brought it. If you can't live with that possibility, leave the item at home. It is only 13 days!