Reflections

In light of the last couple weeks, I have been doing some reflecting. Reflecting on my life and my journey and most importantly my relationship with God.
Living in New York City is nothing like living anywhere else in the world, and I am completely convinced that the cliche "If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere" is completely true. It isn't an easy place to live. Your schedule is completely crazy, and travel time is not only twice as long, but twice as awful as normal cities. Parties start after 8pm, showing up before 9 is bad form, and showing up after midnight is completely acceptable. As you walk through the streets, especially in Manhattan, you can see that you are completely surrounded by people, yet you can feel so alone. This city is exhausting and clinging to some type of stability here is intoxicating. Something to keep you grounded, keep you from being lonely. It comes out in different ways for different people. Some throw themselves into the social scene drowning themselves in interactions to keep from having to think about the loneliness. Others delve completely into their art, pretending that the loneliness fuels them. And then there are those who direct all their attention into a relationship, hoping to fill in the gaps in a more simple and intimate way.

I have been faced with a lot of new experiences and knowledge since arriving in this city. Things that have changed me and that continues to shape the woman I am becoming in my relationship with Jesus and my life as a Christian. Things that challenge me, and push me, and make me wonder how much of what I think I knew came from my own intellectual examinations, and what I let get put in me through sources I never thought to question.

For those of you starting to worry about my salvation, don't. Through everything one thing has remained constant: my complete faith that Jesus is my Savior, that he died for my sins, and that His free gift of Grace is in my life. The complete confidence I have in that comforts me.

So maybe I seem to be in two places during this post, so allow me to tie them together, and explain why I am even sharing this today. I am on a journey. A journey that won't be done anytime soon, and will probably last my whole life. I believe that the loneliness of this city can be cured, and I believe that Jesus is the cure. I know that sounds cheesy, but I'm OK with that. I think there is a missing piece to this puzzle of Jesus, and I am determined to try to figure it out. And I know that I am in a community here at Forefront (both in Manhattan and Brooklyn) that is on the same journey. A journey to discover how the Church can truly know God's love and show it to others. How can my life be aimed toward showing the true love of Jesus? How can I even know what the true love of Jesus looks like?  I may be facing many questions about what being a Christian means, and what showing Jesus' love looks like, but the one thing I do know is that once we accept Jesus as Savior, we are free. And I believe that in that freedom, Jesus wants us to be able to search for our own answers.

New York is an amazing city and when you let yourself be a part of it, instead of trying to grasp onto what life was before, it will change you. And it may be a scary change, and it may feel uncomfortable, but I believe it can change you For Good.

Starting anew in 2013

Let's try this again, shall we?

Last Summer I moved to New York City for a one year Children's Ministry Internship. If you read the blog posts from the beginning of the last summer, you know it immediately started out crazy. Well, it only got crazier. I went from being an intern at an Upper West Side Manhattan Church, to being the Children's Minister at a new church plant in Brooklyn. Needless to say, my life got extremely busy as we planned for the church's opening in September. The Launch of this new Forefront Church in Brooklyn went incredibly. I have made so many new friends, and the people here really feel like family now. I mean we even weathered through a Hurricane together! Now that life has calmed down slightly (yes, emphasis on slightly), I decided to restart this blog, so that I can share my life, both the ups and the downs, with my friends and family around the world.

Baby Dedications at Forefront Church in Brooklyn, NY

So, as this new year begins I want to share a special event that happened at church this weekend. We had our first Baptisms and Baby Dedications. First 3 families (with 4 kids altogether), dedicated themselves to raising their children in God's love. It was amazing to get to be a part of that experience for my first time, and come alongside these families in promising to share God's love and grace with their children. Then 2 beautiful women, and friends of mine, Aimee and Stef, were Baptized. Their stories were touching, and their tears joyous, as they made their commitment declarations for our Savior, Jesus. Sunday was truly a blessing for the Forefront Community.

This year is going to be full of joy and happiness, but the Lord knows it will also be full of heartache and sorrow. I invite you all to follow along with me, pray for and with me, and see what is in store for this Children's Minister in Brooklyn, NY. I predict this will be one wild roller coaster of a year.

Week 4 - Recap

Week four (6/24-6/30/12) was a pretty epic week.

It started with our first Forefront BROOKLYN campus Preview Service. The full Brooklyn Campus will be opening in September, but to generate interest and get our name into the community. We are also having a lot of community building events throughout the summer as well. I got to help set up the Children's Ministry for the church, including getting the necessarily equipment and setting up the room. A lovely volunteer, Heather, and I got the lesson ready and we had a great time with the kids, teaching them about Noah's Ark. It was great because I really felt in tune with my mission to reach kids in the New York/Brooklyn area. Best service yet!

A really awesome CRAZY thing was that one of the girls, Co-Co, who was in my Sunday School class back in Joplin was there!! Her dad works for the church planting company that helped plant Forefront (they also help plant churches all over the world) and the whole family is in New York for the summer!!

After church Michelle and I went to explore SoHo. It was fun, though there weren't enough SoHo Hipster stuff for Michelle! Although I did find a SUPER hipster shop that sold One Piece Shirts! (One Piece is a Japanese Anime that my best friend, Brandon, and I love). I think it's hilarious because it is the cool thing to do now is to wear Anime and Geek clothing, even if you don't know what it is. But hey, I'm not going to dis it, because it means I have access to A LOT more geek clothes than I normally would!

Michelle took me to the very corner of China Town, since I hadn't been there yet. She wanted me to get to see one of the "Purse Guys". It was SO sketch!! (fyi - 'sketch' is a slang word used to describe something that is on the brink of being scary/dangerous/generally bad) Michelle went up to the man with a big bag, which was just a sheet, obviously filled with purses. She asked to look at them. But then we saw police lights, and he was like, "Hold on". I looked down the street toward the cop car. The street looked pretty normal. The cop car pulled away, and Michelle told me to look again, and in those 2 second I wasn't looking the entire sidewalk filled up with the men with big sheet bags! It was crazy.

Michelle, Lili and I went to get Frozen
Yougurt on a STICK!

After the dip into China Town we met up with Lili and went to eat a late lunch in Little Italy. I LOVE Little Italy. It is so cute! Just a long road completely dedicated to truly Italian restaurants. We picked a cute place that we noticed gave out free bread (we are college kids after all). It was very yummy. Then Kait called and we decided to go to the Newsies to put out name in the Lottery. Broadway Lottery's are awesome. You put your name in a bowl, and they draw out about 20 names and each person gets to buy 2 $30 tickets! Way cheaper than normal ticket prices! Sad news is that when we got there, they weren't doing another lottery. So we decided to Google what was going on for free.

We ended up going to wait 5 hours to see a free showing of the Upright Citizens Brigade, an improv show that usually has NBC stars there, specifically Saturday Night Live stars. We had a lot of fun in line. We played an intense game of Spades, and got to know a girl sitting near us in line. The show was worth the wait, though there were no SNL people there that night. There was however 2 people from 30 Rock and 1 from Community, plus my personal favorite Lennon Parham one of the writers and stars of Best Friends Forever, which sadly got canceled!


That week I got to go to dinner with my Aunt Missy who was in town, my cousin's Alix and Jordan and Alix's sister and boyfriend. It was a really great night! It's still crazy that I live in the same city as 3 of my cousins! I wish we got to see each other more often!! And I hadn't seen my Aunt for like 10 years! She lives not too far, so I can foresee a road trip with Alix, Sam and Jordan out there!


That week at work was really fun. I got to organize a middle/high school overnighter, which we called INSOMNIA. So I spent most of the work week getting the games ready and buying supplies! It was fun. Michelle and I went all around the city getting very random things, which you can see from our shopping list! It was a work intensive week, but that was what I needed. I like working! I particularly love the view I have when I go to the Tea Shop right next to the office to work. I love New York!

This week ended with a Family Picnic/Field Day in Prospect Park for the Brooklyn families of Forefront. Heather and I organized a LOT of games for the kids, and we only ended up having 3! But they sure got spoiled! I painted all of their faces, and had time to be very detailed on the Butterfly, Cat and Bunny! It was a beautiful day and a lot of adults came. We played games, and everyone had brought their dogs. My landlords, Mike and Mira, brought Adam, their German Shepard. He is so much fun!!

Week 3 - Recap

Week 3 (6/17-6/23/12) was another great week in the city!

Sunday began with Church. West Side campus was still open so after 2 services at the east side, and made the trek up to the West Side for Evening service. It was also the last week of West Side services - that campus is now closed for the summer (maybe forever). There had only been 2 kids the week before (PKs), so I had them tell me their favorite Bible stories and we did Reny's (Jonah) the first week. Oliver did not make it as easy on me however. He chose Lot's wife turning to salt!!! I will be honest, I asked him multiple times through the week if he was sure that was his favorite story, but he did not back down. So, being the nice Children's Minister I am, I did the lesson. As could be guessed, we didn't talk specifically about the bad things Sodom and Gomorrah did that they were being destroyed for, but we talked about having faith in God and obeying his commands even when it is scary. And then we played with salt!! And made salt covered Paper Bag Lot's Wives. It turned out pretty fun for all 4 boys I ended up with.

After service the adults all went out to dinner around the corner to celebrate West Side Ministry. I'm glad I went because I got to meet a lovely girl from Texas, Lili! She had moved to New York just for the summer simply because she wanted to! I had a lot of fun getting to know her through dinner and now we are good friends, so her name will be popping up again!


The other VERY exciting thing that happened in week 3 is that I got to go to my very first Professional Baseball Game!!!! 

Interns + kidstuf Director before game (Taylor, Sara, Michelle, Rachel, Kait and me!)

I mean, it was the Yankees.... so it wasn't quite THAT exciting to this hard core SF Giants fan, but it was alright! The whole staff from Forefront went, so it was incredibly fun. We were right up the third base line, so we had a great view. First hit of the night was a home run by Derek Jeter, which I'll admit was pretty cool. They were playing the Atlanta Braves, and honestly got their butts kicked. 

We went to get food at the stands which was crazy. Taylor and I stuck with the nice American Veggie Burgers, while the rest of the interns made the trek back down the the 2nd floor to get sushi (at a BASEBALL games.... I don't think they are American!) But it was fun hanging out with Taylor, who was rooting against the Yankees, and hearing all the funny comments the pastors kept making. Also, Kait fell asleep, which I found hilarious.

Friday of that week I tried to find a vegan coffee shop in Chelsea, but it was closed, so I got lost. Then it started raining and I got stuck in a Barnes and Noble at lunch time. And to my dismay it is like the only B&N in the world without a cafe! So I had to run across the very wet road to get to Chipotle. I was stuck in there for about an hour, luckily I had a book. When the rain finally subsided I went to my comfort spot in the city (Times Square). I actually found an awesome Comic Book shop! 

To end out the day the interns all went to dinner with one of the staff members and his wife to the BEST pizza place in New York. It's called Luzzo's, it's a little hole in the wall place in the East Village, but it is AMAZING. And we even ended the night with a delicious Nutella Pizza!! Although my flip flop broke on the way to dinner and so the walk home was pretty bad (especially cause it started raining again). But hey, that's living in New York!

Week 2 - Recap (aka The Week of the Flood)

My second week (6/10-6/16) in New York can be summed in one word FLOOD. 


That Tuesday was a long day. I was at work till about 5, then I went shopping for some house supplies (hangers, broom, etc), and it was raining, which is draining in itself, but especially so in New York. I finally get home about 9pm. My roommate is still out, and then it starts. The water started up slowly from the bathtub. I had no idea what to do... I have never seem water come UP from the bathroom drain before. I called my mom and boyfriend, Matt, who both told me to call my landlord. They were not home, but said they would be home in about an hour.


Kait came home soon after that, with her boyfriend, Josh. And we tried unclogging the drain, or blocking it, but nothing was helping. Finally our landlord got there, assessed, and we decided it had stopped rising, about 3 inches high. He said he was going to go check the drain in the backyard and would call the contracter who had been working on the house (they moved in a  week before me), and he would come in the morning. We both went to our rooms and thought we were done for the night.


About 20 minutes later I hear a knock on our front door, and Mike (landlord) says through the door "You guys alright in there?" I walk out of my room to answer the door. As I begin opening the door I see the water. It is pouring our of the bathroom and going across the hall into Kait's room. I swing the door open and yell at Mike: "IT'S FLOODING!" I run into Kait's room (she and Josh were watching a movie, unaware of the water that had begin to creep into the room) and I yell "IT'S COMING IN YOUR ROOM!" Kait starts screaming, Josh and I swoop up all the electronics on her floor, just in time for the floor to be covered.


Everyone is freaking out by this point. Mike run downstairs to the basement and yells up that it is flooding there too. Mike and I empty our trash cans and begin to use them to scoop the water out of the bathtub and out to the street (where it is still pouring). Kait is traumatized, and Josh tries to console her, but many of her things (her mattress, luggage, shoes, etc) are beyond saving. They end up leaving soon after that so Kait can stay at a friend's house in the city.


Meanwhile, back in the apartment, Mike and I continue to use the trashcans to stay ahead of the water pouring out of the bathtub. The contractor was called at about 12, but he lives in Jersey so it would be a while before he arrives. Once we got the water line down to a manageable level, we start taking turns resting. 


The contractor finally arrives at 2:30, but the rain is still going and we are still shoveling it outside. He takes a look at things, and like a contractor blames the previous owner and whoever did work before him. He says there is nothing he can do that night, but He'll start working on it tomorrow. Luckily at about 3 the rain stops. The four of us spend some post-trauma bonding time talking, because the adrenaline is running high. Finally about 3:30 I head to bed and get a very sad amount of 3-4 hours of sleep before I had to get up and get ready for my first staff meeting at work. Mark one full week of living in New York.

The week really did get better though! The interns all went to Times Square together that Friday night! Being from Vegas I wasn't shell shocked by the lights, it honestly looks like Vegas on Steroids. I loved it though, the crowds were a reminder of home, and it brought a much needed peace to me. (Current Ashley will admit that she still goes to Times Square sometimes because it feels like home). We saw Ricky Martin coming out of the night's showing of Evita - that was my first (not last) celebrity citing!! The night was particularly fun because one of the girls (Sara) wanted to find a place to dance and when we asked a host at a restaurant he motioned us to come in and led us to the back of the place, much to our protests Sara follows, so we in an attempt to protect her follow also. He takes us to a bartender in the back who gives us very detailed instructions - including a map on her iPad - to the "Meat Packing District" which is apparently where the dancing places are. We thank her for the information and leave cracking up.

The end of the week was my cousin Alix's birthday! I love getting to live in the same city as my awesome cousins, Alix, Sam and Jordan. I had gotten to see Alix once the week before (she took me to a restaurant where the walls to the bathroom were 2 way mirrors, so I could see everyone.... Luckily I didn't actually need to use the restroom). For her birthday, Sam and I went with her to brunch. It was so nice to catch up with these lovely sisters. We reminisced a lot about our many family vacations together. Then we headed to Prospect Park and walked around. It is a HUGE park in the middle of Brooklyn. We watched the cutest dogs play at the little dog pond. We also somehow got lost after accidentally turning onto a horse path! Then we ended up continuing the night right on though dinner. Can't wait to spend even more time with my family here in New York!

Week 1 - Recap

So, I've been in New York for almost a month now, but have not been blogging enough to keep up. So this week I am going to do 4 posts, recaps and highlights of these first four weeks in NYC. Here is week 1 6/6-6/9 (It's a short week, but a long post because, well, I moved to New York. lol):


Before the plane was in sight of New York I began talking to the woman next to me. She was even more excited than I was that I was going to New York for the first time. She told me that I would know instantly if I would like it or not, but honestly I didn't really believe her. I figured New York would be a change, and at first I may not love it, but eventually I would learn. But she was right. As soon as I could start to see the Island my heart started racing. It looked just like all the pictures I had seen, and up in the air it looked like a perfect little Lego city. Before I even had one foot on the ground I knew I would love it here. I was completely assured.


I took my first cab, alone, to Brooklyn. I practiced saying my address and cross streets the entire day so that he wouldn't take advantage of my lack of knowledge and take me around on a $100 cab ride. Luckily the cab driver was a really nice Ugandan man, and I had a great ride to Brooklyn, where my roommate, Kait, was waiting outside for me.


My apartment is great. Aside from the dumb gnats (which Week 4 Ashley can now officially say are almost gone thanks to Apple Cider Vinegar with a few drops of liquid dish soap! *coughdiegnatsdiecough*) it is a really great place to live. It is not big by Las Vegas standards, but it is by New York standards. Kait and I both have our own bedrooms, and we share a bathroom and Living Room/Kitchen. The couple that owns the building lives upstairs, and they are very nice. With a 2 year old daughter, a baby on the way, and a giant German Shepard.


The area, Bed-Stuy, seems a little rough, compared to some of the nicer areas in New York and Brooklyn, but honestly it's not too bad. Most of our neighborhood is owned by one family, so they are often outside talking and the kids all play together. There are a lot of cops around at night, but it is part of the initiative to clean up all of New York, and it's working pretty well.


I started work the next day. Kait and I took the Subway to work. Our office is at 22nd/Broadway. I am working at FOREFRONT church, a non-denominational Christian church. They don't meet at the office for church, but at a college walking distance from here. They are also in the midst of opening a new church in Brooklyn (Week 3 Ashley will tell you about the first Preview service). The people are all really great here, everyone was nice and welcoming here. Most of the work I did the first week was get to know the church and the people, so it was pretty light.


The really awesome thing about work is that there are 5 interns! We are all girls about the same age, and 4 of us are actually Ozark students! Kait, my roommate, is helping plant the church in Brooklyn. Taylor and Sarah are working in the Music Ministries. Michelle (who is the non-Ozarkian, from Texas A&M) is working on community development through small groups. And I am working with the children's ministry. Having us all together is great, because we are hanging out and taking in New York together. This picture is of our "intern office" (aka, the back room).


Friday and Saturday I'm off, so I wandered around the city, trying to learn the subways and get a handle on the city. I loved every moment, and I know that my time here is going to be AMAZING.