Today was the first day of our mission trip, so naturally all of us were pretty excited. We all met at the airport relatively on time, which is to be expected. I personally came close to my goal of seeing a celebrity be standing 10 feet away from the Minnesota Lynx. So close! The only hitch at the airport was Libby going over the weight limit for the suitcases by 4 pounds (Ha ha). Our plane took off right on schedule and we arrived in New York 2 hours and 6 minutes later. We were separated into 3 vans where we all experienced New York driving, which is not just a teeny bit different than home. There are people walking and biking in between the cars and the drivers must go where they want to. But we survived and arrived at the rectory where we met up with Father Mark. We walked about 4 or 5 blocks to eat at various fast food restaurants. We came back and had a NYC 101 meeting with some of Alison’s NY friends and learned different things about New York. We had a little service before we went to bed and ended our day at 9:30. Overall it was really good start to what will hopefully be a great week.

by Rona

It was a pretty good 1st day. We all ate at the airport and bordered our plane. We had a smooth plane ride to La Guardia. We had three vans waiting for us at baggage claim. New York driving is pretty hectic. We got to the rectory, where Farther Mark was waiting for us to split us into rooms. We ate at Popeye’s Wendy’s and McDonalds. We came back for a “New York 101” introduction. Where Alison’s friends from New York told us about New York and answered some of our questions. Then we had program and reviewed plans. Well we have our first day of work tomorrow.

See you later

Sam

Today group 3 and 4 went to Holy Apostles soup kitchen were we served 1205 meals. Sam and I took peoples trays, emptied them in the trash. Then we went to Union Square. My Mom and I went to see my cousin at Whole foods market. Then we all met up in the park. Rich Sam and I then went to Jamja Juice! We then wandered around, until we all met up at Tortilla flats.

by Will

So today group 1 & 2 went to the John H. House. It was actually pretty fun. We cleaned, chatted with clients and made food. Grits was served, Bob had to explain that to many of us. The people there were very nice. Liz & I met two men who work on Staten Island, & they wanted to hear all about Minn. We also met another man who spoke mostly Spanish. We realized French wasn’t going to help us here, so Bob translated for us. Ashley played an awesome piano solo, & duet a man who play guitar. He was amazing! After we finished there, we had hours to kill, so we took the subway (YES! No one got sick!) to a park. I for one fell asleep, that’s right, in the middle of the park. Then we went shopping in the meat packing district, definitely high fashion. $50 for a vest?!. I think not! But we had fun. Spencer, especially him with all the gals. At Tortilla Flats we took over, singing & eating. The food was great. Wonderful choice, Alison. After diner we went to this awesomely fantastic thrift store Spencer heard about. It was to die for. I took pictures, don’t worry. And after we had a slight problem figuring out the subway system, ( Spencer won’t let go of the map.) We are on our way to the rectory, ah, rest

by Lauren

Today my group (3&4) went to the John Huess House. The John Huess House is a drop-in center for the homeless. It is open 24 hours everyday of the week. We served breakfast, cleaned, and visited with the homeless while there. I got a chance to meet some interesting people. We had a couple guest speakers talking about their hardships and how they were able to make it through. It really made me think.
Later on in the day we went and spent the day at Central Park. We walked around and saw the Balto, Alice in Wonderland, and the John Lennon Memorial. Overall, the day was great.

by Marcella

Today I went to the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. It was a lot of fun. I worked in the prep room, so unfortunately I didn’t get to work that much with all the people until the very end of the day, but that’s ok because Ellen and I had a lot of fun opening cans and chopping veggies.
After that we walked to Central Park for lunch. It was a very nice park, definitely the biggest I’ve ever seen. It kind of sucked though, because I expected a lot of dogs, but we were in the part that didn’t allow dogs. I chilled in the park for a little while when other kids did various other fun activities, because I wasn’t feeling good.
Now, we are back at the church. I’m really excited because tonight we are ordering pizza and playing games. Right now all the kids are chasing down an ice cream truck so I’m sure their dinners are ruined, but that’s ok. Ha ha!
I love coming on mission trips because you get so many experiences you can’t get anywhere else, some good and some bad. Yesterday, one of the girls that is here with me turned to me and said, “I have a feeling that we are learning so much more from these people than we could ever give to them.” Her saying that is one of my most vivid memories from yesterday.
Then, when we were riding the subway back to the church there was a woman on it with her daughter. She addressed the entire car and simply stated (in two languages), “ ______ is my name and this is my daughter. We are homeless, hungry, and thirsty. Food, a drink, and/or shelter would be more than appreciated, but mostly food.” One man, instead of remaining silent, decided to suggest that she needed to give her daughter up for adoption if she made too many mistakes and was not able to be a good mother anymore. I felt so bad for her. I don’t know her story so I can’t say that he was wrong in accusing her, but he doesn’t know her either. All I could think when he was talking was – what gives you the right to judge her since you have never even talked to her before? It obviously must have been hard for her to swallow her pride and ask for help from a bunch of people she didn’t know and then to be embarrassed in front of them, and her daughter.
It’s so easy for us to just say they all must have drug problems or that they probably made too many bad decisions and it’s their own fault for doing what they did. But, after actually sitting down and talking to some of these people, I feel bad for jumping to conclusions before and a little embarrassed because I know that most of my friends still do and will never get these types of experiences or get them to stop.
The reason I come on mission trips is because I know that this is the only place where I can actually experience this stuff. None of my friends from school will have the same memories I have from this trip and most of them will have to wait a long time, if they ever learn the same things I learned from these people.

by Ann

Today we slept in and it was good. Except for those certain people who mow their lawns at 8:30 A.M.! Anyway we got up and had a ton of time to get ready, it was just lovely. Then we went to Au Bon Pan and ate brunch, that was pretty scrumptious. After brunch we went to St. Pauls chapel which is a branch of Trinity Wall Street. It was turned into basically a home base for volunteers and recovery workers after 9/11. It was one of the only buildings not burned down in 1776 and was then left untouched during 911. Pretty much it miracle church. Next we went to Trinity Wall Street for a tour and stopped for some ice cream on the way since it was insanely hot over today. The tour of Trinity was really cool, the guy who talked to us had this really sweet accent (possible Philippine or Cuban?) so it made him a little bit hard to understand but it was fun to listen to ;). After Trinity we walked a mile to “The Excellent Dumpling house” in China Town. And had some excellent Chinese food. Then we went on a purse shopping adventure. Ha ha. We found coaches :)! Now we’re going back to have a nice relaxing evening at “The Rectory”.

by Libby

Today we were able to sleep in. Then we went to Au Bon Pain for brunch. They had bagels donuts, and other baked goods. It was delicious! Next destination, which was right across the street was St. Paul's chapel. St Paul's chapel served as a place to sleep for the firefighters during Sept. 11. In the back was a memorial for the people affected by the tragedy. After going to the prayers for peace ceremony at the church we went across the street to the WTC site. Then we walked a few blocks to Trinity church on Wall Street. It was on of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. We took a tour of the church and then walked about a mile to Chinatown. There we had lunch then we shopping. The shopping was different, because we had to haggle for the prices. Then we took the subway to the rectory.

by Amy

Today we were up at 7:00 to be ready at 8:15am. We arrived at St. Bart’s Episcopal Church in Manhattan. There was some miscommunication about us coming so four of the group worked down in the “the cage” (basement) and did cleaning. They swept, mopped, and organized for the food shelf located in the church. More people worked down in the food shelf giving out food to the people who arrived with appointments. Everyone else worked folding the church’s programs for all the different services they had. I personally worked with the folding and waited in the main room showing people the way to the food shelf waiting room. We experienced some different people who were also volunteering. All I can say is it is so much more enjoyable for everyone if you have a good attitude!
Afterwards we went to Rockefeller Center to chill and have lunch at Quizno’s or PAX. Then we split and explored the area or just sat in a cool area and discovered how much more food costs in New York over Minnesota. Alison then herded us over to see the David Lettermen theatre.
Dinner was at the fantastic small restaurant, Lou’s Café. A lot of us got desserts, Anne was very happy about being able to stay in the restaurant to have dessert. Now we are hanging out at the church.
p.s. It rained today – not too hard. I enjoyed it.

by Emy

Today began with the whole group jumping on the subway towards St. Bart’s Episcopal Church. We semi-awkwardly sat in a room for an hour waiting for Deacon Clark (the volunteer dude) to arrive with directions. We went to Starbucks at 10:30 and bought fancy drinks then returned to the church. We then split up in groups, packing pamphlets, cleaning the food storage room, and working at the food shelf. I was able to put food from the shelf into bags for those that needed it. I thought the food was for a week or two, but I was told it was meant for a month, sadly.
Then we got a tour of the church (it was huge and gorgeous. Star Jones was married there. They have a full size pool). After this we ate at the café Pax or Quiznos. Following this we went to Rockefeller center, took pictures and went to the NBC building’s store. (I bought Scrubs). Then Rona and I walked to the giant H&M. On the walk back it began to downpour. The group got back together and we gradually made our way to Lou’s Café. The servers were kind and we enjoyed our nice dinner and fine desserts.
When paying the bill, Spencer and Libby found difficulties in paying their bills. Spencer handed Libby a ten dollar bill and Libby gave Spencer a few dollars. Rona told them they could just write the tip on their bills because they were charging it. I told her they were paying cash since they were digging around in their wallets and exchanging bills. After a few minutes of bill shuffling and confusion they were handed their bills and cards with the blank space for tip. Libby says something like, “Ohhhh.” And they realize their mistake. Spencer, Libby, Rona and I laughed and Spencer fell over on the bench.
Tipping seems to cause problems in our group, along with money management. (Libby wants me to thank her dad for the added money to her account). We took two subways back to the Flatbush exit and we’ll have program soon.
The city has been both eye opening and exciting. The work today, though slightly disorganized (not Alison’s fault) was pretty cool and interesting. See you all next week!
p.s. Hey Steve and Dad, I hope you are eating okay and please get Ellen approving cell phones.

by Ellen

Wow. This trip has been amazing! And amazingly exhausting. We have worked so hard. The first day, I spent my time in a trailer outside a soup kitchen. Homeless people were let in one by one. This girl from England Sarah, and I asked them what we could do for them. The usual person needed a voucher for a haircut or shoes, or some a referral for a shelter. However, due to the fact that it’s summer many people chose outside rather than shelters because shelters in NYC can be dangerous. I was able to hear a lot of people’s stories and it felt good to be able to help. For once, I wasn’t helpless.
We have been doing various service projects at Episcopal churches throughout NYC. Today, we prepared bag lunches to hand out to people on the street. Unfortunately, the basket of lunches I was carrying leaked purple juice all down my front. I was covered in purple juice. What was weird is that usually I would have rushed home to change but I didn’t even think about it as I walked down the streets.
This evening we went to a “People with Aids” dinner at St. Luke’s in Greenwich Village. I’m a huge fan of the village and I’m willing to live there if anyone is willing to pay my rent. I sat with a lady who was really interesting and inspiring. She was one of those people who has done everything under the sun. She was born in Ireland but moved to the village in the sixties. I guess I’m supposed to hurry up so point is she was great and I wanted to be her. She’s like in her 60s. Point is what a good trip Alison organized for us. Not many people got this experience, and I am very grateful for how blessed my life is.

P.S. – I’m glad I’m moving to Chi town and not NYC. I don’t think I’m ready for it.

by Anne

O boy was it a fantastic day today. We woke up at 7, well I should say the girls and I did. Sam and Will came around at about 7:30. Finally at about 8:10, 5 minutes after we were supposed to leave, we left on our walk to the infamous subway station to catch the again infamous “2” train. And so on dah da dah da dah.
At some point later we arrived at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. When we first got there we split into our small groups and helped as much as we could making the bag lunches. Some put the sandwiches in baggies, some filled fruit cups and put them in bags, some made the sandwiches, and some loaded up the entire lunch into its final bag. (If I forgot anything or later on forget anything, then “my bad.”)
After that we all organized into special groups to go and distribute the lunches and then of course we went out and distributed them. We walked all around the city searching for homeless and hungry people, so that we could hopefully make their day better with a lunch. After we returned to the church and retrieved the stragglers from “Jahmba Juice.” We had lunch and unfortunately once again we spent way more than we needed/wanted to. (The food gets really expensive really fast here in NYC).
After lunch we went to the Rockefeller Center “again” and spent more money “again.” Oh and some people went to Central Park and some more went to Times Square. And probably more dah da dah da dah where stuff happened probably. (I’m on the subway writing this and I am really tired.)
Anywho, we went to St. Luke’s in the Fields sometime there after and had meditation time, met the people eating there (It was a dinner for people with HIV/AIDS), then we got to serve their dessert and finally we cleaned up the dining room and kitchen. After we finished at St. Luke’s we went and had dinner at “Cowgirls” where there was this crazy cool waiter that gave us all “doggies” (they were actually little plastic cows). That dinner was way too much fun.
We just rode the infamous Flatbush Avenue and as I’m presently writing this we are on the again infamous walk back to the church/rectory. Then soon we’re gonna have to have our “Program Time” which will totally be past our bed time. Ya that’s gonna have to be the end of the day because this still has to be typed into the blog.
Spencer’s Personal Notes: Just want to make a huge shout-out to the parents, especially mine, the food is really really expensive here and that’s why we are spending so much money, so don’t get mad, we gotta eat. OK, so maybe there are a few other “little” expenses that of course don’t add up to a large amount of the total that we’ve/I’ve spent.

by Spencer

Today we went to St. John the Divine for Church. (Cathedral) It is the largest cathedral in the world and we saw why once we arrived. The service was to the book including incense, chanting and a prossession of many clergy led by 3 crosses. Following the service we split into groups for lunch and then headed to the theater to see Hairspray. It was an enjoyable show with lots of humor and deep underlying pleas for racial acceptance and acceptance of people of all different shapes and sizes. Following the show we went to Ellen’s Stardust Café for dinner, home of the singing waiters! There a group of us that noticed one of the waiters, Nick, was having a hard night offered to sing to him. Although we didn’t sing to him in the end we did write him a not on a napkin wishing him the best and some joy. After leaving we split into groups and explored for awhile. We then reconvened to take the subway back to Brooklyn. Tonight we have to pack and sadly, tomorrow is our last day. I know we have been changed in someway because of our interactions on this trip. We look forward to the experiences that await us tomorrow and hope that our experiences blogged here have meant to you as much as they have to us.
God bless.

by Ashley

Today was much more of a chill day. After breakfast ( a slightly later breakfast, meaning slightly more sleep for most of us), we headed to Saint John the Divine, the largest Episcopal cathedral in the world. In the church announcement portion of the service, our group was mentioned and applauded. After church, we went to Times Square and split up for lunch. I personally, enjoyed a feast of McDonalds with my sister and Alison. Once our hunger was fulfilled with greasy, fattening foods, we went to the Neil Simon theater and waited in line for a bit before entering our amazing Broadway experience of Hairspray. Unfortunately, the fatigue of the week added up to such a large sum, I accidentally fell asleep for a small portion of the program. The parts I did stay awake to see were exciting and hilarious, though. After the musical, we dined at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, “home of the singing waiters’ staff. Apparently some of the wait staff weren’t so into the entire singing gimmick because on of them threatened to quit while singing mid-song and bolted out the door, just barely finishing “Any Dream Will Do”. We wandered around Time Square a bit more after leaving the diner and are now headed home in the subway. What a grand day

by Liz

“Lots of people.”

Lots of people
With stores to tell
Many people seem tough
On their outer shell

Lots of people
aren’t willing to hear
stories of life
that may bring some tears

Lots of people
Sleep under trees
We tend to ignore
Their helpless pleas

Lots of people
Need us to pray
Even a smile
Might make someone’s day

Lots of people
Have some changes to make
We give so little
But we take and take

Lots of people
Are doing good things
They’re taking this city
And giving it wings

We as people
Can make a change too
There are many simple things
That are easy to do

You can work at a shelter
And hand out food
Just smiling and waving
With a good attitude

You may not realize
How much people change you
Just lend them an ear
That’s all you have to do.

by Maggie

Wow. It is truly amazing how time flies. It feels like we just arrived in New York yesterday and now we’re about to leave. Today we took a ferry to see the Statute of Liberty. It was definitely a magnificent structure! Magnificent. What an appropriate way to sum up this trip. I have been truly blessed to have had this experience. I have met many people I’ll never forget. Each of them has their own story to tell. This trip has taught me many important lessons about life, faith, and love. It is like what Mother Theresa said, “When you judge someone you have no time to love them.” I believe that is true.Getting to know people from our church was cool as well. I got the chance to learn about their lives on a somewhat deeper level. We bonded on long subway trips or walks around the streets and during our chill time at St. Vincent’s. St. Vincent Ferrar's Catholic Church in Flatbush, Brooklyn definitely deserves a huge thank you for their amazing hospitality. In fact so many people deserve thank you I could take up a page just writing them. Mainly, thank you to God for this chance to serve people and spend time in this crazy amazing city. I’ll never forget seeing Hairspray on Broadway, or riding the subway or watching Bob pretended to be a horse or seeing Times Square or serving 1,205 meals or talking to Tony at the AIDS dinner or so many other things. Now as I sign off and say goodbye to New York I know that I am infinitely glad I came. It was certainly a journey to remember.

by Caryn

Of all the things in this world, nothing is greater to me than the feeling I’ve gotten from helping all of these people.– Spencer

Showing a little love and compassion goes a long way. Helping others is a great way to help yourself. – Ellen A.

Its amazing what people can do when they have no choice. – Ann W

We are all in the same boat. – Amy W.

The people that will change this world are those that can, and will rise above circumstance. – Ashley

Don’t judge people, get to know them instead. – Caryn

All someone might need is a person to listen to them. Give that to them. – Lauren

I learned how important love and compassion is in everyone’s life. – Emy

A person’s a person on matter how small. (homeless, different) – Sam

Naked Cowboys
Ellen’s Stardust Diner
Wall Street
Youth Mission Trip
Onion Newspaper
Rockefeller Center
Knock offs
Chinatown
Interesting People
Tall Buildings
Yelling Pedestrians.
-Maggie

Helping others gave me a feeling I don’t think I could ever feel stronger. Someday I hope to feel that again. – Marcella

Ess a… how say.. “Not Pants” – Will

Anne’s Final thought
New experiences
Everyone worked hard!
Will loves Jamba
You & me are equal.
Our Group = love
REALLY HOT DAYS
KRAZY DRIVERS

One little thing can change into a whole long thing that can change someone forever. – Rona

It just takes a little smile to brighten someone’s day. :) – Libby.

What an amazing first mission trip experience. Alison is awesome. Our group is awesome. - Liz

I'm not worried about the future of the church. I see the youth who make up the church today and they truly do understand what it means to live out their faith in an unpretending, compassionate, loving and authentic way. It has been an honor to learn from them this week. - Alison

Once again I feel grateful and lucky to be given the opportunity to work with the youth group. I feel that I learn more from them, then they do from me. – Rich

I’ve just spent a week with 16 hard working, open minded, and caring teenagers who have so much potential to do good in this world. They are great! (My adult compatriots Jeannie, Rich, Bob, and Alison were great too!) – Molly

Star date 63106

The starship Enterprise is on it’s way to .. I do feel like I’ve been to another planet! In close encounters with 16 wonderful, compassionate, thoughtful, giving teenagers. We have encountered. The homeless, poor, lonely, hungry, sick, Time Square, Broadway, subway, and all the masses that these places bring together. The youth group from St. John’s took leaps of faith, courage, and caring that I would not think possible from this age of kids. I am proud to be part of this group and not hesitate a second to support them in their future endeavors. I know that we are all different from our experiences this week, then when we left. I am also so impressed with all the hard work Alison did for this trip. The organization required to keep 21 people moving in the right direction both physically, mentally, and emotionally is overwhelming for me. All I can say is “Bravo”!
Bravo to all – Jeanie

This past week in NYC has helped all of us who took part in this mission of good will to experience first-hand the love of which Paul has so often spoken. It “believes all things,” and “hopes all things.” Our mission team believed it could go to NYC and make a difference. It hoped to work personally with those in need, and to get to understand them better. That meant working with the homeless and talking to our new HIV positive friends and preparing their meals and serving them food and more. By sharing their love with all, the students and chaperones have come home with hearts, mind and humor intact, and a greater appreciation of the need for us to share God’s love with all around us.
I’d like to thank Alison for her patient guidance on this mission trip, and the students and chaperones for their fellowship, kindness and hard work. I love them all. Thank you St. John’s for all you have given to make this mission possible.
Peace and love, Bob