Restoration
Week 1 Day 1
December 28, 2013
I woke up this morning and finished some last minute packing and spent time with God. Then I had coffee and biscuits for breakfast with Granny. I got a little teary eyed at the thought of leaving her alone again. Then my older sister Jessica came in the kitchen and hugged me and the tears really fell then. Then my brother-in-law Tyler packed my stuff in Granny's car and they took me to the airport. Granny dropped Jess and I off so I could check-in and Granny could park. One of my bags was too heavy so I had to take a lot of stuff out. Ronnie said he would mail it to me! So I hugged Granny, Jessica, Mackenzie, Stephanie, Blake, Ronnie, and mom goodbye and got on the plane. My first flight was good. I read most of the time and tried to sleep but couldn't. Then I made it to Charlotte, NC to catch my next flight which was on the other side of the airport. The medicine and sinus infection that I was diagnosed with on Friday was making me very weak but I did not have time to get a big lunch so I got a banana and Cheerwine (a NC must have). My plane to NYC was boarding so I had to wait to eat until I was on the plane. I tried to sleep again but I couldn't. I got my bags and then met up with Lauren (an intern from this summer who is spending two weeks here). We got our Metrocards and then the crazy adventure started. We went to the wrong bus stop and waited there for almost an hour. I was so weak and could barely carry my luggage but we made it to the right bus stop which was a few terminals down. Then we got on the wrong bus but we found a route through a subway on the next stop. But.. it was an above ground subway so we had to get the luggage up a lot of stairs. Now there aren't really that many stairs but when you are carrying 150 pounds it feels like the stairs never end and I was very weak from being sick, on medication, and not eating much that day. And then something amazing happened that made Lauren and I fall in love with NYC all over again. People at every stop picked up our luggage and helped us at every stop. Every stop. God gave us strength. God gave us helpers. The people that we came to minister to were ministering to us. It was so humbling. Three hours later we made it to the beachhouse and the team took our luggage inside. We were so hungry so thankfully, cheap chinese was just across the street. We ate and watched a movie with the team from Texas. Then we talked and went to sleep.
Week 1 Day 2
December 29, 2013
We woke up and got ready for church. We got some bagels and coffee at a place close to the beachhouse called Surfside. Then we headed to the Brooklyn Tabernacle. The service was so good. There was a Spanish worship song. And a former Muslim prayed in Arabic. It was so beautiful. The sermon was on restoration. It was great. God's Kingdom was reigning in that place. All the different cultures worshipping together was good for my heart. We also talked about the word hallelujah which means the same thing in every language. Praise God is what it means. It's beautiful. Then Lauren and I went to the Brooklyn Bridge Park but it started raining so we went to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Then we headed to Hillsong Church but we stopped by Starbucks first because we had an hour to spare. Then at Hillsong God brought us the same sermon message from earlier today. It was a different passage in the Bible but it was mainly talking about restoration and praise. It was great! Then I was really tired so I came back to the beachhouse to dry off from the rain, eat some leftover chinese, spend time with God, and rest. My friend Taylor (who was another intern from this summer) was in town for a few days so she brought me some chocolate, two pillows, and a warm blanket. Thank God for good words and good friends.
Week 1 Day 3
December 30, 2013
I was able to sleep late this morning and Lauren took the team to the Hindu temple ( we teach the team about the culture and religion of the ESL students that we witness to). I got to spend a lot of time in prayer and reading Scriptures. It was a good time with God that I needed. Then I headed the 2 hour trek to pick Tosha up from the airport. I'm thankful for her. Once she got her luggage, we went on a journey to find her a metrocard. The people in the airport sent us all over the place but we finally found a change machine so she could pay for the bus with quarters. Then we got on the bus and had to transfer to a different bus at Jackson Heights. She was able to buy a MetroCard there and we got on the bus to the beachhouse. We got to the beachhouse and decided to get some food. We saw a spanish restaurant so we thought that we would eat that but it turned out to be real Spain buffet food and we were craving mexican so it was not the same. So we chose pizza. We got some yummy pizza and the restaurant had the Ole Miss game on! Thank Jesus for a taste of home. Then we headed to Union Square to grocery shop with Lauren and Tanisha and Tosha at Trader Joe's. The prices were so cheap! I got a few weeks worth of food for only $35. God is so good. Then we headed to the beachhouse and we had good quality tea-time. Then we went to bed because we were so tired.
Week 1 Day 4
December 31, 2013
We slept in a little bit. The beachhouse was so warm, like a furnace. We are thankful for the powerful heaters because it is so cold here. We got ready to spend the rest of the day in Manhattan. We put on so many layers and it was so hot. We met Jovani and went to Manhattan. We found a Starbuck's at Trump Tower and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We got breakfast and ate it front of Tiffany's. It was a lot of fun and then it started snowing a few flurries. Then we went to find a good spot to line up for New Year's Eve to see the ball drop. We met so many cool people. We saw Kansas people, people from Mexico, Asian countries, and Australia. We made good friends with the Aussies. We stood together for warmth, sat in a circle for warmth, shared good stories, pizza and snacks. It was a good time communing with them and it was so cold. When the ball finally dropped, it was worth the wait. There was so much excitement. A couple got engaged right in front of us. God provided us with supper and snacks and friends. Then we made our way to the train to the beachhouse. We got home before 2am which is a record especially for New Year's Eve. Then we had chocolate and tea time. I'm thankful for Lauren and good life talks with her. Then we went to sleep.
Week 1 Day 5
New Year's, January 1, 2014
We woke up and had breakfast and got ready for the day. We spent time talking. I had a really long quiet time too. We got to the party a lot faster than expected, even after Lauren used a sketchy grocery store bathroom (thank God for protection, no really it was sketchy). The Stallard's were super awesome. They have a cute Brooklyn apartment and a sweet one year old baby girl (who has a broken leg- please pray for healing). They are planting a church in Brooklyn and they had a New Year's Eve party for their church planting team and neighbors. They also invited us because they knew we were without family on New Year's. They were so generous to invite us into their home. We ate snacks, played games, shared 2013 blessings, life stories, and 2014 resolution's. We ended up staying longer than the party was supposed to last because everyone was having such a good time. We eventually went back to the beachhouse and went to sleep.
Week 1 Day 6
January 2, 2014
We went to the South Asian Center and met the West Texas team to pass out Christmas presents that some ESL students forgot to pick up on the last day of class of last semester. There was so much joy in the students' eyes when they got their presents (which were Bibles in their own languages). One lady named Iris was so happy to receive her gift that her joy brought us a lot of warmth. We were walking a lot in the cold but it did not compare to the joy that radiated from these students. After the present delivery, we got some food from the halal cart and it was warm and delicious. Then Tosha and I had a meeting with Larry about our placements and assignments for our times here. Then it started blizzarding! It was amazingly beautiful. Then we went back to the beachhouse and my first seminary book came in! So God gave us a lot of joy this day.
Week 1 Day 7
January 3, 2014
Today was a snow day because we got 12 inches of snow and the streets were not fully plowed yet. The train and bus were not running in the morning because we are closer to the ocean and it was worse here. So we walked across the street and got Chinese food and then we watched Hercules, which is also what the storm was called! Then we had a meeting with the team. Some of the team helped shovel snow at ladies' houses that could not get out. One team member and I made Beach Church flyers to pass out later to the neighborhood to remind people of the new church in the Rockaways. Then we had hot chocolate and pizza and fellowshipped with the team. Thank God for rest, restoration, and fellowship.
Week 2 Day 1
January 4, 2014
Today was a very emotional day. On New Year's Eve I broke up with my boyfriend and I was not going to post about this but it's a major part of what's going on in my life right now. I was very distracted for a few days so the reality just sank in today. God just called me to surrender that relationship because it would have been a distraction from here. God has a lot in store and a lot of work to do in both of us right now so it was the right thing to do, it was just hard. Yes, I'm being completely vulnerable with you guys right now because I need the prayer and I think in a community of believers there should be vulnerability. So please pray for both of us right now. Lauren and I went to Manhattan to pass out scarves to homeless people. We were able to pass out only one. We decided that a lot of the homeless were at shelters because it was so cold outside. God taught us to always be prepared so we are going to carry them with us all the time now so that we can hand them out when we see a person in need of one. Then I got to Skype my mom, Stephanie, and Mackenzie but Skype did not really work so a phone call sufficed. Mackenzie read me a bedtime story and then I spent quality time with Lauren. Then I went to sleep early because I was so emotionally drained. But, thank God for restoration and comfort and strength that only comes from him.
Week 2 Day 2
January 5, 2014
Tosha and I went to surfside and got coffee. Then we headed to All Nations Baptist Church and went to the fellowship time. Then we had the worship service. I loves this church and all the people here. They are so encouraging. Pastor Dan talked about the reason that we come for church: to worship God. Sometimes we come for the people and to socialize or we rush in without preparing our hearts to actually hear God. Tosha and I had just prepared our hearts on the bus ride to the church because we both have been struggling with homesickness but hers is to the point of her wanting to go home. Please pray that God would give her guidance in this decision. Then we went to Beach Church Bible Study where we talked about the beauty and perfection of heaven and that we will be complete. Then during the worship service we talked about the vision for the church and the book of Nehemiah where he follows Gods vision that he has for him. The Beach Church is 9 months old. It's first service was Easter 2013. Pray that God would continue to grow and build this church and meet all of their needs. Then we went to New Hope Christian Church and the sermon was on making presumptuous plans when our life is just a vapor. When we make plans they should be within God's will because we are not promised tomorrow. Then we came to the beachhouse and I was able to talk to Granny and my mom. It's been a great day but I have come to dislike the aftermath of snow. Slippery sidewalks and black slush are not beautiful things. But God has been my strength today and He will always be every day.
Thank you for reading and praying.
Bless you if you took time to read this whole blog.
deeper than my feet could ever wander,
Amy Drake
December 28, 2013
I woke up this morning and finished some last minute packing and spent time with God. Then I had coffee and biscuits for breakfast with Granny. I got a little teary eyed at the thought of leaving her alone again. Then my older sister Jessica came in the kitchen and hugged me and the tears really fell then. Then my brother-in-law Tyler packed my stuff in Granny's car and they took me to the airport. Granny dropped Jess and I off so I could check-in and Granny could park. One of my bags was too heavy so I had to take a lot of stuff out. Ronnie said he would mail it to me! So I hugged Granny, Jessica, Mackenzie, Stephanie, Blake, Ronnie, and mom goodbye and got on the plane. My first flight was good. I read most of the time and tried to sleep but couldn't. Then I made it to Charlotte, NC to catch my next flight which was on the other side of the airport. The medicine and sinus infection that I was diagnosed with on Friday was making me very weak but I did not have time to get a big lunch so I got a banana and Cheerwine (a NC must have). My plane to NYC was boarding so I had to wait to eat until I was on the plane. I tried to sleep again but I couldn't. I got my bags and then met up with Lauren (an intern from this summer who is spending two weeks here). We got our Metrocards and then the crazy adventure started. We went to the wrong bus stop and waited there for almost an hour. I was so weak and could barely carry my luggage but we made it to the right bus stop which was a few terminals down. Then we got on the wrong bus but we found a route through a subway on the next stop. But.. it was an above ground subway so we had to get the luggage up a lot of stairs. Now there aren't really that many stairs but when you are carrying 150 pounds it feels like the stairs never end and I was very weak from being sick, on medication, and not eating much that day. And then something amazing happened that made Lauren and I fall in love with NYC all over again. People at every stop picked up our luggage and helped us at every stop. Every stop. God gave us strength. God gave us helpers. The people that we came to minister to were ministering to us. It was so humbling. Three hours later we made it to the beachhouse and the team took our luggage inside. We were so hungry so thankfully, cheap chinese was just across the street. We ate and watched a movie with the team from Texas. Then we talked and went to sleep.
Week 1 Day 2
December 29, 2013
We woke up and got ready for church. We got some bagels and coffee at a place close to the beachhouse called Surfside. Then we headed to the Brooklyn Tabernacle. The service was so good. There was a Spanish worship song. And a former Muslim prayed in Arabic. It was so beautiful. The sermon was on restoration. It was great. God's Kingdom was reigning in that place. All the different cultures worshipping together was good for my heart. We also talked about the word hallelujah which means the same thing in every language. Praise God is what it means. It's beautiful. Then Lauren and I went to the Brooklyn Bridge Park but it started raining so we went to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Then we headed to Hillsong Church but we stopped by Starbucks first because we had an hour to spare. Then at Hillsong God brought us the same sermon message from earlier today. It was a different passage in the Bible but it was mainly talking about restoration and praise. It was great! Then I was really tired so I came back to the beachhouse to dry off from the rain, eat some leftover chinese, spend time with God, and rest. My friend Taylor (who was another intern from this summer) was in town for a few days so she brought me some chocolate, two pillows, and a warm blanket. Thank God for good words and good friends.
Week 1 Day 3
December 30, 2013
I was able to sleep late this morning and Lauren took the team to the Hindu temple ( we teach the team about the culture and religion of the ESL students that we witness to). I got to spend a lot of time in prayer and reading Scriptures. It was a good time with God that I needed. Then I headed the 2 hour trek to pick Tosha up from the airport. I'm thankful for her. Once she got her luggage, we went on a journey to find her a metrocard. The people in the airport sent us all over the place but we finally found a change machine so she could pay for the bus with quarters. Then we got on the bus and had to transfer to a different bus at Jackson Heights. She was able to buy a MetroCard there and we got on the bus to the beachhouse. We got to the beachhouse and decided to get some food. We saw a spanish restaurant so we thought that we would eat that but it turned out to be real Spain buffet food and we were craving mexican so it was not the same. So we chose pizza. We got some yummy pizza and the restaurant had the Ole Miss game on! Thank Jesus for a taste of home. Then we headed to Union Square to grocery shop with Lauren and Tanisha and Tosha at Trader Joe's. The prices were so cheap! I got a few weeks worth of food for only $35. God is so good. Then we headed to the beachhouse and we had good quality tea-time. Then we went to bed because we were so tired.
Week 1 Day 4
December 31, 2013
We slept in a little bit. The beachhouse was so warm, like a furnace. We are thankful for the powerful heaters because it is so cold here. We got ready to spend the rest of the day in Manhattan. We put on so many layers and it was so hot. We met Jovani and went to Manhattan. We found a Starbuck's at Trump Tower and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We got breakfast and ate it front of Tiffany's. It was a lot of fun and then it started snowing a few flurries. Then we went to find a good spot to line up for New Year's Eve to see the ball drop. We met so many cool people. We saw Kansas people, people from Mexico, Asian countries, and Australia. We made good friends with the Aussies. We stood together for warmth, sat in a circle for warmth, shared good stories, pizza and snacks. It was a good time communing with them and it was so cold. When the ball finally dropped, it was worth the wait. There was so much excitement. A couple got engaged right in front of us. God provided us with supper and snacks and friends. Then we made our way to the train to the beachhouse. We got home before 2am which is a record especially for New Year's Eve. Then we had chocolate and tea time. I'm thankful for Lauren and good life talks with her. Then we went to sleep.
Week 1 Day 5
New Year's, January 1, 2014
We woke up and had breakfast and got ready for the day. We spent time talking. I had a really long quiet time too. We got to the party a lot faster than expected, even after Lauren used a sketchy grocery store bathroom (thank God for protection, no really it was sketchy). The Stallard's were super awesome. They have a cute Brooklyn apartment and a sweet one year old baby girl (who has a broken leg- please pray for healing). They are planting a church in Brooklyn and they had a New Year's Eve party for their church planting team and neighbors. They also invited us because they knew we were without family on New Year's. They were so generous to invite us into their home. We ate snacks, played games, shared 2013 blessings, life stories, and 2014 resolution's. We ended up staying longer than the party was supposed to last because everyone was having such a good time. We eventually went back to the beachhouse and went to sleep.
Week 1 Day 6
January 2, 2014
We went to the South Asian Center and met the West Texas team to pass out Christmas presents that some ESL students forgot to pick up on the last day of class of last semester. There was so much joy in the students' eyes when they got their presents (which were Bibles in their own languages). One lady named Iris was so happy to receive her gift that her joy brought us a lot of warmth. We were walking a lot in the cold but it did not compare to the joy that radiated from these students. After the present delivery, we got some food from the halal cart and it was warm and delicious. Then Tosha and I had a meeting with Larry about our placements and assignments for our times here. Then it started blizzarding! It was amazingly beautiful. Then we went back to the beachhouse and my first seminary book came in! So God gave us a lot of joy this day.
Week 1 Day 7
January 3, 2014
Today was a snow day because we got 12 inches of snow and the streets were not fully plowed yet. The train and bus were not running in the morning because we are closer to the ocean and it was worse here. So we walked across the street and got Chinese food and then we watched Hercules, which is also what the storm was called! Then we had a meeting with the team. Some of the team helped shovel snow at ladies' houses that could not get out. One team member and I made Beach Church flyers to pass out later to the neighborhood to remind people of the new church in the Rockaways. Then we had hot chocolate and pizza and fellowshipped with the team. Thank God for rest, restoration, and fellowship.
Week 2 Day 1
January 4, 2014
Today was a very emotional day. On New Year's Eve I broke up with my boyfriend and I was not going to post about this but it's a major part of what's going on in my life right now. I was very distracted for a few days so the reality just sank in today. God just called me to surrender that relationship because it would have been a distraction from here. God has a lot in store and a lot of work to do in both of us right now so it was the right thing to do, it was just hard. Yes, I'm being completely vulnerable with you guys right now because I need the prayer and I think in a community of believers there should be vulnerability. So please pray for both of us right now. Lauren and I went to Manhattan to pass out scarves to homeless people. We were able to pass out only one. We decided that a lot of the homeless were at shelters because it was so cold outside. God taught us to always be prepared so we are going to carry them with us all the time now so that we can hand them out when we see a person in need of one. Then I got to Skype my mom, Stephanie, and Mackenzie but Skype did not really work so a phone call sufficed. Mackenzie read me a bedtime story and then I spent quality time with Lauren. Then I went to sleep early because I was so emotionally drained. But, thank God for restoration and comfort and strength that only comes from him.
Week 2 Day 2
January 5, 2014
Tosha and I went to surfside and got coffee. Then we headed to All Nations Baptist Church and went to the fellowship time. Then we had the worship service. I loves this church and all the people here. They are so encouraging. Pastor Dan talked about the reason that we come for church: to worship God. Sometimes we come for the people and to socialize or we rush in without preparing our hearts to actually hear God. Tosha and I had just prepared our hearts on the bus ride to the church because we both have been struggling with homesickness but hers is to the point of her wanting to go home. Please pray that God would give her guidance in this decision. Then we went to Beach Church Bible Study where we talked about the beauty and perfection of heaven and that we will be complete. Then during the worship service we talked about the vision for the church and the book of Nehemiah where he follows Gods vision that he has for him. The Beach Church is 9 months old. It's first service was Easter 2013. Pray that God would continue to grow and build this church and meet all of their needs. Then we went to New Hope Christian Church and the sermon was on making presumptuous plans when our life is just a vapor. When we make plans they should be within God's will because we are not promised tomorrow. Then we came to the beachhouse and I was able to talk to Granny and my mom. It's been a great day but I have come to dislike the aftermath of snow. Slippery sidewalks and black slush are not beautiful things. But God has been my strength today and He will always be every day.
Thank you for reading and praying.
Bless you if you took time to read this whole blog.
deeper than my feet could ever wander,
Amy Drake
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