Dear Old Ship,
A small but intrepid fraction of the Youth group went on a mini-trip to New York City at the start of this past vacation week. There were five Youth, and Maureen Butler and I chaperoned.
We rented a van and parked on East 9th Street.
We slept on the floor of the sanctuary of a Lutheran church.
We stayed overnight in Manhattan for $30 per person, per night.
We helped (a bit) with their “Feeding the Homeless” mission.
For four of the five Youth, this was their first time going to NYC, so we really packed in as much as we could, despite tight budgets and persistent, sometimes torrential rain. We walked and walked and walked… We bought overpriced umbrellas… We found a really good bagel place next to Tompkins Square Park… We had New York pizza… We saw Times Square… We saw Rockefeller Center…
The next afternoon we saw Washington Square Park… Wall Street… Ground Zero… the Smithsonian National Museum of the Native American… and the Staten Island Ferry, with views of the Statue of Liberty…
We did a lot with very little.
The church we stayed at also does a lot with very little.
Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Church has 35 faithful come to church on any given Sunday.
And they cook and serve lunch to 200 hungry and homeless, Monday through Friday.
I was amazed and fascinated as Pastor Ann detailed the dozens of ways they keep the doors open and the lights on, all the while doing God’s work.
Both facets of this trip have been a reminder to me to keep my goals and expectations lofty, and my demands for comfort and perfection low.
Bold, brave, bright blessings,
Beverly Tricco
Director of Religious Education
Old Ship DRE 