Do you guys remember the Geico commercial about “Hump Day”?  We in the girls room awoke to the beautiful sound of the camel yelling out his greetings, and with that we stumbled downstairs to prepare breakfast.  We helped Roco, the cook, make the oatmeal.  We set out bagels and fruit and pastries, including cinnamon rolls the size of my face. 

 Instead of working on lunch, I had the opportunity to work cleaning and organizing the pantry with Laurie and Melanie.  You guys need to understand the size of the pantry.  Now, my pantry at home is big enough for one person to maybe turn around in.  The pantry here at the Bowery Mission not only has enough room for shelves of food reaching way over our heads, but room for the dozen kids that came and toured.  The group of 6 to 9 year-olds enthusiastically helped the three of us put away the latest food donations and carry the boxes into the other room.  The later was very exciting for them.  We finished later after they left.  It’s crazy how much food they have, and how much it varies.  Guess how many pounds of fudge topping they have? 161 lbs. Donated by your neighborhood Baskin’ Robbins.

Our day continued with an outing to the famous Coney Island! The sun beat down and we were all ready for a dip in the ocean.  They actually have real beaches here, complete with sand for sand castles.  Or sandvillages, such as the one created by Allison and Jennifer.  We swam and talked and took some photos to help us remember the seniors leaving us (You might have seen them on Facebook).  

Ice cream in hand, we wandered through the ride options and a few rode the Tickler, or the famous wooden Cyclone. We had dinner at Nathan’s hot dogs, followed by discussion, and ended our evening peacefully surrounded by city lights.  Up on the roof, we sang and enjoyed the view of the skyline, admiring this city we’re in.  Each day, we learn more about New York and the people inside it. From the immensity of the buildings to the immensity of the cultural variety, the observations are endless.  It brings to mind how awesome God’s power is.  He promises us that not a hair will fall from our heads without his approval. In this huge city, it can be hard to comprehend that.  However God has the whole world in his hands, from the Bowery Mission to BCRC in Bellevue. 

Love from all of us,

Anni