Notes From New York, Pt. 4 (May 31/June1)

Have I bored you, yet?  Have I made your feet sore just talking about all the walking we did?  Are you ready for more?  May 31, coming at ya!

• My tennis shoes are fired!  Seriously!  They aren't new.  They weren't cheap.  Not sure what the deal is, but when this trip is over, they are f-i-r-e-d!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Had to go to the Rite Aid that's down the street from NYSUM to buy some foot care products...blister strips, regular band aids, special inserts.  Oh, and a couple of packs of fruity gum that a friend of mine finds to be offensive to her nose (Kelcei, talk to your mother about my "diesel fuel" smelling gum.).  Just 'cause she's not here to smell it...and because I'm just that sassy!
• Somehow, the three female chaperons are heading to Harlem today.  Thankfully, Mr. R.N. is going with us.  He and his daughter have to fly back home in the morning.   All the other guys are heading back to Chelsea.  We're told it's a short day.  Am wondering about this word "short"...these NY people keep using that word in reference to the walks that we're taking and I'm not sure it means what they think it means.  Anyway, the work we're doing is the same as what we did Thursday and Friday, so that's of some comfort.
• REAL COFFEE!  God bless the folks at NYSUM for all their hard work and for providing us with lodging and meals, but I'm not sure I can take one more cup of instant coffee out of that machine.  We walked up to Steinway St. and invaded the St*rbuck's.  Well, most of the kids did...Youth Pastor's Wife and I walked across the street to McD*nald's.  Their iced coffee is just as good and decidedly less expensive...and there was no line.
• Am convinced that the money I spent on foot care was money wasted.  The inserts aren't doing anything different than the ones that were in my shoes to start.
• Not many residents showed up today and one of the "ladies" who did, well, lets just say that her tank top should get a medal for courage and bravery.  She was dancing to the music that the interns were playing and it was just a matter of time before we all saw what God gave her!
• No dancin' for me...even though the Motown is blasting and I love me some Motown.
• MY FEET HURT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am SO not kidding!  Trying so hard not to be a wimp, but in the name of all that is good and kind, just shoot me.  Had a come apart as we were walking to the subway.  Oh, and my left knee is getting stiffer and stiffer.  What's with that?!  Where I made contact with the escalator isn't bothering me at all.  Is this what middle age is???  Falling apart, piece by piece?  Whose idea was that?  Oh, right....thanks, Eve!!!!
• They weren't kidding about a short day...we made our way out of the park area by 12:30pm!  And we aren't staying in the area for lunch.
• Very proud of the boys in our group.  They are flanking the girls and the moms...putting themselves closer to the street and acting as a barrier between us and the madness.
• Lunch at Oxford Cafe in Manhattan.  A very rude and unkind doorman informed us that if we didn't vacate the sidewalk in front of his building that he would call NYPD and have us cited for loitering.  We had no idea it was a private residential building...probably for people who have more money than sense.  We were glad to move down the block...I hope it made him feel better to be so ugly.  He's the reason why people in NYC get such a bad rap.
• The cafe was WONDERFUL!!!  I had a Monte Cristo panini and a cold Sn*pple drink...and then another cold Sn*pple drink.  Mr. R.N. bought a few slices of different cheesecake and had them cut into bite sized pieces so we could all have a taste.  It was so nice to be indoors, in the air and off my feet.  The kids are being very sweet and loving on this fat, oldish lady and I am thankful.
• The cafe is within eye shot of one of the H&M stores and if I weren't so wasted, I'd be tearing it up in there! 
• When we got on the "R" train back to Queens, Mr. R.N. sat down and exhaled for the first time since we parted company with the rest of our group.  He was very nervous about being in charge.  He did a fine job.
• I was more than thankful that it was broad daylight because I'm not sure that this one particular couple would have been able to restrain themselves after dark.  The fact that they were right out in the general subway public didn't seem to offer any restraining conditions for them.  Ok...they DID keep their clothes on and I will be forever grateful for that fact!  Like I said, after nightfall, it's any one's guess.
• We got back to NYSUM in time for a SERIOUS afternoon nap.  I mean the kind where you wash your face, put your jammies on, turn the fan on high and cease to care about the world around you! 
• The Atlanta area church has arrived...all 150 of them and it's been interesting to listen to them talk...to hear the comments they've made and to watch the way they behave and how strange they seem when compared to our kids.  We've nicknamed them "the Hebrew children."
• We met JM's brother, also JM.  He's undercover with NYPD, as a detective.  He got ambushed like a rock star when he came to NYSUM to pick up his big brother.  The kids had all sorts of questions for him.
• The kids voted to attend worship at the church where JM grew up.  It's a Spanish speaking Pentecostal church on the northwest side of Manhattan.  This is going to be an experience. 
• It's got me thinking....wonder if they'll have a healing service...maybe they could pray over my feet!

Sunday, June 1

• Not wearing my feet eating shoes this morning.  Toughing it out in my sandals. 
• OMW!!!  Church is going to be good. Come to find out, JM's aunt...Tia Estella...is preaching this morning.  The church's name is Iglesia El Encuentro Con Dios
• The air is electric with joy and expectation!  We arrived right at 11 and we're having to be seated in small groups.
• JM pointed out a young boy who knelt to pray before taking his seat.  JM said his grandmother taught him to do the same thing.
• Mr. Snark said the leader of the church's praise team is my Hispanic twin.  HA!
• The church was very proud to have JM home and worshipping with them.  They called him and Youth Pastor forward.  Youth Pastor looks Hispanic and has a Spanish first and last names.  When people here his name and see him, they assume he speaks Spanish.  He doesn't...he's Cajun-Philippine.  I think some of the church folks were really surprised that he couldn't speak Spanish.
• JM said a few words and even sang a song from his childhood.
• OK...the bass and keyboard players are MAD skilled. 
• We are shoulder to shoulder.  They are singing "Agnus Dei" in Spanish and we are singing it in English.  This must be what God hears when His children praise Him...each in their own native language.
• Somewhere along the way, the kids realized that there were tambourines under certain chairs all over the building.  Y2 found one and proceeded to play one during worship.  He enjoyed that.  The pastor even pulled out the cowbell!!!  Yeah, no cowbell at our church...unless it's being rung by a Mississippi State fan!
• Tia Estella preached a MIGHTY word!  Such fire and passion!  It was very interesting to hear it in Spanish and then the English translation.  The translator reminded me of one of the ladies from The Electric Company or Villa Allegra (Remember that one?).  She had curls just exploding out of her head and she was no bigger than a minute.  I got so tickled with her...she'd get so caught up in the translation that she'd lose her place, lose the wording and all she could say was "Praise God!" or "Hallelujah!"  Maybe we should all say that when we lose our trains of thought!
• Church lasted THREE hours.  You read that correctly.  We got there at 11am and were walking out of the building about 2pm.  THREE HOURS!  The kids were all very gracious.  Amazingly, only two got up to use the restroom the whole time we were there.  That, in itself, is nothing short of a miracle.  There are a few of them who can't make it through our services, which RARELY stretch beyond an hour. 
• We were so welcomed and treated with such honor and love.  They even treated us to lunch at a local restaurant that served Dominican food.  We had the Sunday special...chicken, pork or beef.  Being the good Baptist that I am, I chose chicken.  Mr. Snark had pork.  So it was the meat, red and black beans and rice.  That was the best roast chicken...EVER!  And the red beans, I needed a tortilla to sop what was left in the bowl!
• A few subway rides later, we got to Grand Central Station.  It was beautiful and very busy!  I was in a foul mood...I will admit it.  Found out that some of the older boys were being mean to Y2 and that hurt my heart.  My feet were KILLING me and my knee was getting progressively stiffer.  Onward, Christian soldier!  Nothing else to do but just keep walking.
• Evening service in Harlem, with The Dream Center.  Good service.  A/C and a pew did some good to improve my mood, but then church was over and that meant we had to walk, again.
• A bad recommendation for subway exits left us walking a long way to find supper, which meant another long walk to a subway stop that would get us back to NYSUM.  We did manage to find $.99 pizza, though, and you can't get much cheaper for supper.  Youth Pastor's wife fed me sushi as we walked.  Hah...fast food!
• Seriously wondering if my knee and feet are going to last for the free day walking we have planned for Monday.  Lord give me strength...and Tylenol PM...and a hot shower...and a quiet night of rest...and my mommy....I really want my mommy!