Big Apple Bound

New York City?  That's right...NEW YORK CITY!!!!  The four occupants of YOHOS are vacating the premises and heading to NYC and various points of fabulousness in that neck of the woods.  To say that I'm excited would be an understatement of GROSS proportions.  I've never been and have ALWAYS wanted to go.  No joke!  For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to take a teeny-tiny bite out of The Big Apple.  I always hoped I'd have the chance and often daydreamed about the possibility.  Not sure, though, that I every thought that my way to NYC would be in the role of youth group chaperon.  But who cares????  It's NYC....and that's awesome.  Add to the fact that we're going to be the hands and feet of Jesus...well, that's just a beautiful cherry on top...of a beautiful piece of New York cheesecake.  Or maybe, the shmeer on a great bagel!  It just makes the whole thing even more incredible.

We're staying here....NYSUM and all of our ministry efforts will be directed by the good folks at The Dream Center.  We're going to be all over the place...Astoria, Chelsea, Queens, Harlem.  We're going into Manhattan, to Central Park.  Let me just park here for a minute and tell you that all of these places have forever been in my mind as part of some crazy, pop culture induced, mythological kingdom!  I grew up with all sorts of TV programs that were sent in and around NYC:  Barney Miller, Diff'rent Strokes, Archie Bunker, I Love Lucy, Welcome Back Kotter (OOOH!  OOOH!), Family Affair, Seinfeld, Friends, Mad About You, The Cosby Show, FAME...The Jeffersons!  Seriously, do you have any doubt that THIS will be running through my head while we're in Harlem?????

That's not a complete list...I have watched A LOT of TV in my forty-two years.  And movies....LOTS of movies have contributed to this fairy tale image that I have of The Empire State.  Breakfast at Tiffany's, West Side Story, Funny Girl (Nicky Onsteen...what a wonderful name!), Saturday Night Fever, Grease (is the word, is the word that you heard...), Arthur, Annie (Tomorrow, tomorrow!  We're leaving tomorrow!), The Muppets Take Manhattan, Moonstruck (SNAP OUT OF IT!), Big (Every time I see baby corn on a salad bar, I laugh!), When Harry Met Sally (I promise to behave at the deli...this is a church trip, after all!)...and the list goes ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course, I'm fully aware that it is not a fairy tale kingdom and that there is a dangerous, unpredictable nature to New York that is very different from anywhere that I've ever lived.  I refuse, however, to let the unpredictability dampen my joy and excitement.  The God of angel armies has had this trip planned for a very long time and there's NOTHING formed against us that can stand when we go out to share the precious news of Christ's love and sacrifice.  So many folks have spoken of their own fears about traveling to New York.  Here's the deal...there's evil EVERYWHERE!  It seems like the BIG cities have the market cornered, but they don't.  They get more attention because of sheer size and volume of population.  Bad stuff happens everywhere.  No, I don't intend on tempting fate and riding the subway into the hardest parts of the city after dark:thirty, but I'm also not going to spend my daylight hours being suspicious of every person who crosses my path.  We're going to spread the love of Jesus...the PERFECT love of Jesus...and that perfect love drives out all fear.

Cannot wait to start the adventure so I can get home to share it with all of y'all.  I'm sure by the time we get home, we'll all be parched for a gallons of sweet tea and desperate for the sounds of sweet, Southern accents.  I'm sure I'll also come home with my taste buds ruined by New York hot dog vendors, REAL pizza parlors and countless incredible deli sandwiches.  Hey...there's risk involved in any mission trip.

Yous guys be good, a'ight?