Let. It. SNOW!!
This is the most beautiful thing I have seen in New York! I knew this day would come and I would have to face the snow of the Northeast. I also understand that this is still the honeymoon phase of my time here, and eventually I will be sick of this fluffy white gift. 
I have spent 5 hours in rehearsal for The Good Person of Setzuan and have 3 hours left to go. So when the flurries brushed passed the window panes, of course, I had to run outside. 

It's beautiful and romantic. I want to grab a steamy cup of coffee and lounge under blankets on the roof or dance down the streets singing wintery music. I love today, with the exception that I'm cooped inside and don't have a snow buddy. 

Today has been a little blessing from God! I feel like after the stressful past two weeks, I now have a little gift from Heaven to relish for the rest of the weekend. So if you live in the City and wanna come to the roof with me, let's go! If you aren't here watching this lovely display, just pray that God keeps me sheltered but keeps the snow coming!

College Needs!

As promised, I am updating you with some things that those few of us who occupy Apartment 9C would love have shipped our way! There are things that we want, and things that we absolutely need, but anything you can do to help will be magnificent! As always, the prayer requests are the most important because spiritual health is more life-giving that physical health. Our address is listed on the previous "College Needs" post and also on my facebook page under Information in the "About Me" section. 

Needs:

• Keurig coffe pods (preferably the chai latte or dark roast coffee flavors)
• Latex gloves
• Cash for metro cards
• Swiffer dust mop sheets (dry)
• Daily shower cleaner spray

Wants:

• Travel mugs
• Gift Cards: subway, mcdonald's, starbucks, dunkin donuts, 
• Clothes!! (with winter coming, we're all gonna die :P) so giftcards to- forever 21, macy's, h&m, buffalo exchange, american eagle, abercrombie & fitch, etc.
• Coasters (preferably ones that work with a red/black/gray/white color scheme)
• DVDs. all genres are loved by the 9C girls :)

Prayer Requests:

• that we would have the motivation to study hard and excel
• for the possibility of me doing a study abroad program at Oxford fall 2012
• financial provisions
• Kacey in her long distance relationship
• Chloe with just general adjustment to college life
• for opportunities to become evident to us of God's provision which will open doors to help with our futures
• strength of character/witness

Thank you so much in advance for helping us out! Some of you have sent us food (Thank you Kacey's parents and Josh)! Grocery bills have been a lot lower because of that. Anything else y'all can contribute as we continue to work off our tails in the Big Apple would be so greatly appreciated :) We love you very much and we promise to make you proud <3

The Girls in 9C

New York's Gotten Wasted! 
(A few personal observations from my time on the streets)

No such thing as a “typical street” in New York City exists. For some areas like Queens, Brighton Beach, or Brooklyn, streets are littered with cigarette butts, coke cans, gum, and various other trash. Other more attractive streets can be found in Midtown and the Upper East and West Sides. The filthy condition of some New York streets has been an assumption of outsiders for decades. But after those outsiders have visited, moved in, and passed the honeymoon phase, the environment is much less than comfortable and at moments unbearable.

            According to the New York Department of Sanitation, according to Fiscal 2011, 94.5% of all New York streets were deemed “acceptably clean.” After hours on the sanitation website and rummaging through useless and mostly outdated documents (such as the Mayor’s current street cleaning proposal dated 2006), I found that the percentage is measured by pictures sent in from 6,000 “sample blocks.” Of these clean blocks, some marginal number from 50%-69.9% were actually rated dirty according to the “seven-point picture-based” criterion of the cleaning scale.

            However, some initiatives exist around NYC that assist with this growing predicament. One of the most well developed programs is the 34^th Street Partnership. This partnership is entirely privately funded and helps maintain security and sanitation over a 31-block area from 10^th to Park Avenue and 31^st through 36^th Street. On almost all of the streets, one person with a large rolling trashcan and cleaning equipment passes by picking up debris and changing trashcan bags. The small park in Herald Square has tables and chairs with the sponsored organization’s logo on it. Not only are the furnishings cute and stylish, but also as clean as the streets surrounding them.

            Walking around this sector, I saw a middle aged man with a bleach white sweat suit uniform and large blue rolling trashcan passed me on the corner of 33^rd and 7^th. When I asked, the man beamed and said his name was Barry. I inquired if he enjoyed his job, and he said he loved it because his supervisors cared about him and the team was a real family. Barry went on to say that “even if it’s just minimum wage, it’s a job. With forty hours a week and only four days a week, I can’t be more grateful doing something I feel helps keep my community clean.”

            In our conversation, Barry shared why he loved his job, but with an 8.7 unemployment rate which is the highest in New York State, associations like the 34^th Street Partnership can provide more for New York City than job satisfaction. If the city is willing to trash its lanes, then it’s the city’s onus to clean it up. 

My Prayer
Father, this is my prayer in all of my weakness. This is when I cry out to you because only you are sovereign and only you can can give me the strength to follow Your will regardless of how painful it may seem. Thank you for being my Daddy, that strong place of comfort in my life when everything else seems to be falling apart. Thank you for holding me in Your loving arms and assuring me that everything will be ok. In your will there is peace. I only feel at unrest because I worry what others will think of me if I stick in your will.
Father, I ask now that you will show those whom I love why I must surrender myself to what You want. I pray that you'll show them Your will too so that it doesn't  seem like I'm blindly or idiotically choosing things that are wrong. I need you to clear the way for me now and prepare the hearts of those whom I must confront. 
I feel safe in Your will and in Your arms, but that doesn't always mean I feel happy. Sometimes, knowing that I have to take the brave steps to do Your bidding makes my stomach churn with fear and nervousness. I am uncertain of my human abilities to execute everything in love, but I pray you'll give that to me. Speak to me and through me and give the hearers Your grace and patience. I know that in all things you work together for good. I have seen the good which will come, but Lord, I know not everyone has. 
For once I think that I'll be doing something to better myself, my future, and my spiritual walk. Naturally, I have been met with the most adversity for that. Just hold my hand as I walk along this path. This is Your journey for me, not one I've chosen. I give it up in Your hands now. You know what I hope to see from this and You know the future I desire. Selfishly, I will ask You to keep that in mind as You plan out these next years :) But I don't want to ask too much. All I desire is Your wisdom and the self-control to obey it. 
I love you so much, Daddy. 


Hope

random update


So last night, I ventured to the homecoming boy's soccer game against Copper Union. I walked the wrong way in the rain to find the 6 train. Once I found it, I waiting in the wrong line for the M35 bus. After I got on the right bus, I was surrounded by a bunch of old men and found my way to the soccer field. We lost by quite a bit...but I have to say in complete honesty and I promise no sarcasm, I had a blast! I got drenched in the rain (which I love!!) and I felt like I was really supporting my school :) 


Oh, and today, there's a parade for Korea. Hahahaha....good times. 

Shiny Pink Gems With Silver Stars

"This one was from my great-great-great-great-grandmother," Olivia stated pulling out a beautiful antique gold necklace with amber and emerald stones. 
"Really, Olivia?" I said with a smile. "I can't believe you got to meet your great-great-great-great-grandma!"
"Well..." Olivia paused. "She's actually just my great-grandmother."
"I see," I stated. Then I paused and looked at her searching for the real meaning behind her over-exaggeration. 
"Now close your eyes!" I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to not have seen the stunning gold ring with yellow semi-precious gem. "I must emphasize AGAIN," clarified Olivia, "that you must be very very D-E-L-I-C-A-T-E with this." As she said this, she pulled every syllable of the emphasized word out as if mysterious stressors were hiding in-between the alphabetical symbols which lacked the power she sought. "This is my favorite ring." "Oh, and you can look now," Olivia said. 
"Wow! I love this!" I exuded. "Did someone special give this to you?"
"Oh, probably."
"Olivia," I whispered. "What is this beautiful necklace?" I said as I pointed at a Hobby-Lobby-style pink necklace with tiny pink plastic beads intermixed with translucent clear star ornaments. The tape at the end of the pink string indicated it was probably a unique Olivia original. There could be none others like it.
"This is my favorite necklace," Olivia said with glowing pride. "I made it, and I call it! Look, it has shiny pink gems with silver stars," she said with a smile that was cramped for room on her face. "That's what we'll call it; shiny pink gems with silver stars." 


Needless to say, I adore Olivia. She is the new girl I nanny five days a week early in the  morning. I make her breakfast and take her to school. She's a sweet girl, but somewhat detached. I already can tell I will love her. I'm looking forward to starting my job tomorrow morning bright and early at 6:30!! Just pray that my alarm will go off every morning and that I will wakeup regardless of how stubborn I want to be! If I do things right, I may have this job for 4 years! This is seriously a blessing for God and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to get close with a family in NY and hopefully bless them in return. I appreciate all your prayers as I explore this journey. Everything is going by quickly and I get a bit consumed in my work and forget to just have fun. But I'm avoiding homework now, so perhaps that counts as living a normal college life? Anyway, thank you for following me and I will keep posting as long as you're interested! 

A Weekend in the Woods


First of all, thank you so much to everyone who follows me and keeps up with what the shenanigans of 9C. I appreciate the love, support, and prayers greatly. It's always an encouragement to me!


This weekend was the 2011 Fall Retreat for King's Students. It isn't mandatory for anyone to go, but highly recommended mostly for freshmen. Very few upperclassmen go. I was not planning on going because it cost $35, and as a broke college kid, I don't even want to spend that little on something that isn't mandatory. But President Dinesh D'Souza was gracious enough to grant me a scholarship for the trip and I paid nothing.


The Bus Ride: I won't hesitate to tell you that the bus ride to upstate new york was HORRENDOUS! Someone had the bright idea to play a Star Wars film at full volume on all the little tvs in the charter bus. I not only didn't want to see or hear the movie, but because of that, the overhead lights are set to stay off meaning I couldn't study whatsoever. And if you ask my roommates, I'm defined by my ability to overachieve and push myself to my limits. :) So, I attempted to sleep, but that didn't turn out too well.


The Arrival Fri. Night: I stepped out of the crowded bus and a gush of cold air nipped at my cheeks. Oh no, I didn't enjoy that. I. Hate. Cold. So I bundled up in Josh's blanket, grabbed all three of my bags, and booked it to my room. I'm sure I was a sight to see as I frantically set the heater high and buried myself under all the provided sheet and blanket I brought. I spent the next few hours studying and chatting with my roommates (current house scholar, Gabbi, and former house president, Katie). Between Gabbi's smelly feet and Katie's overwhelming laugh, we had a fantastic time! I spent the rest of the evening up in the "White Hall" (aka student activities building) and read and played on my computer. Oh, and I have a strict rule of never sleeping before 2 am :) I'm sure that makes you proud, mother. 

Saturday: While I hadn't been looking forward to the trip initially, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the things camp Taconic had to offer. Despite everyone else's high standards for camp food, I loved almost everything they made for us, especially the salad bar. I didn't much enjoy the morning session, I skipped the afternoon session to do homework, and I read through the evening session minus the worship part. The lectures were basically centered around the triune love that God the Father, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit offer us as well as ways to balance everything in college while fulfilling the King's mission. 
My favorite part of the evening was the bonfire! It made me terribly reminiscent of times at the Crews' house where we would make a fire in the pit, talk, pray, worship, goof off, and make memories that I cherish to this day. But it was wonderful to remember those things and make some new memories. Kacey and I stood on a picnic bench to the side after s'more-making and joined in all the ridiculous group singing. The house of Churchill boys started the night by singing "My Girl" to the house of Barton (that's us, and we're they're sister house). We refer to our relationship as "Barchill." Then we spent the next hour or so just singing everything from Jason Mraz and Taylor Swift to old church hymns and worship songs. 

Sunday and the trip home: I didn't do much of anything exciting on Sunday. We had two meals at the camp and just did homework until the bus left. On the bus I engaged my seat-mate in conversations about what highschool was like, what I'm doing in NYC, and various other philosophical topics. 



Now that I'm home, things are pretty much back to normal! Just plugging along and working hard. Thank you for all your prayers and references about the Nanny job! I will start next week and work 5 days a week early in the morning. Unfortunately, I have to work through most of my breaks, but this is an answer to prayer for my loan money to be payed off. Just keep praying that I will keep the job and that hopefully more scholarship money will come in so that this job can be spending money in the future!