I can report that the group going out on mission this year is full of wonderful, faithful, and energetic people. Over the ten days I formed a bond with these twenty-three people that I know will help lift each of us up as we venture out into our individual missions. We spent many hours (often until 9:00pm) meeting with representatives of different mission organizations and of the National Church, ECUSA. There are many people to guide us and support us while we are overseas. We also did team building exercises – my favorite was a scavenger hunt visiting many different churches throughout Manhattan. My team of four was the first to take Manhattan, eating bagels at a deli that flung them over the counter when your order was up. We took our time through ground zero and St. Paul’s, had lunch in Spanish Harlem, and ended up being the last team to finish at Church of Our Savior in Chinatown. (I think that means we won!) Each day began with prayer and Bible study and ended with compline. The late evenings were spent singing by the fire, visiting a pub, playing cards and laughing, laughing, laughing. I tried to make the most of being in NYC. I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw two Broadway shows (Wicked and Chicago.) I stayed up late most nights and got up early. I’m not one to sleep though an adventure! Now that I’m home, it is time to put the information and ideas I gathered together and prepare for Tanzania…after I catch up on my sleep…
