Of Chess, Choice, and Air Conditioners: The last half of June.

So...umm....I really sucked at keeping this updated there, didn't I? The whole last half of June, not to mention the first week of July? Yowza. If it helps, I have been busy/exhausted. Does that help? Say yes.

OH GOSH, PLEASE SAY YES.

I'm a sucker for sunflare. I make no apologies.

Hola!

See? I'm picking up Spanish while I'm in little Dominican Republic!

That's a joke, by the way. I can kind of comprehend Mexican Spanish decently enough if it's spoken slowly and simply, but I fear I will never be able to even reach comprehension with Dominican Spanish. There's a reason The Bible lists languages as a gift, children. I must've been in the bathroom when they were handing that one out....

The week of the 16th consisted of things like trying (trying here being the key word) to install new air conditioners, cleaning up old air conditioners, spending time on the phone with the air conditioners manufacturing hotline, and then with an air conditioner repairing service place. A lot of air conditioner related things. On non-A.C. related projects, I figured out how to take apart a portable speaker system, worked on a donor base, bought food for meetings, and went to meetings. I also played on the O.E. pinterest,worked on tracking down lost receipts, and probably more in there. I just did as I was bidden, haha! The OE afterschool program ended the 19th, but I got to spend some quality time with some hilarious fifth graders being taught how to properly play chess on the penultimate program day. What an experience, man!

I really need to take photos and post them to the blog, but my lodgings are what I fondly think of as the "typical crappy new york apartment." This idea was solidified on thursday night when Emma and I found not one, but two, massive dead cockroaches in the apartment. Emma is braver then I and promptly disposed of them, but let's just say out room was cleaned pretty thoroughly that evening!

Emma, left, cockroach, center.

Saturday morning I headed out bright and early to a meeting in lower manhattan as regards the free lunch program that OE participates in via the public schools. It was frustrating, as they didn't have the form they promised us they would and I sacrificed my one morning to sleep in, but it all worked all right, praise the Lord! After I got out of the meeting, I took a train over to Brooklyn and got to experience the Renegade Craft Fair, which, needless to say, was amazing!

It's a shame NYC isn't very pretty, isn't it?

 Sunday I went back to Redeemer Downtown for church. I decided that while I really like CCF and love the people from it, Redeemer is more my speed. This particular sunday I was pleasantly surprised by getting to hear Tim Keller preach, about such light and easily understandable items such as free-will in view of God's plans. Unfortunately, you have to buy sermons from the redeemer website if you want to listen to them, but if you have a spare $2.50, I truly recommend it ("The Lord in the Storm.")
 After church, I went to Rockefeller Center, got some window shopping in, and toured the NBC studio, which made my nerdy little heart pretty darn happy. I also got cheesecake from Magnolia Bakery and they randomly gave me a piece of cake for free with it, which I mean, hey. Pretty nice end to the weekend.

The best post Tim Keller belated breakfast ever?

 The week of the 23rd dawned the heavy-duty preparation week for the Summer Achievement Program (SAP, or just camp,) with the Heights location becoming a hub of activity, tutors and admin from all three sites gathering to strategize, train, plan and pray. I spent the week sorting through boxes and boxes of Exodus t-shirts and helping run the t-shirt/wristbband table at the site-specific parent information meetings, and getting some things together for the brand new Bronx Exodus. The week flew! I was discussing that with someone today, and we agreed that while the days here can be very long, but the weeks are short. A good thing, I suppose. I know I went to Bible Study and down to Tribeca for an AWOLnation concert with Emma, but the week was pretty well dominated by parent meetings up until 9 PM friday night. Phew!

Exodus wristbands!

Saturday Emma and I went over to the fabulous BobbiJo's (the MTW short-term team coordinator, photographer extraordinaire, and former Christ Churcher) apartment for a very lovely catch-up brunch. Afterwards, I headed down to Central Park, where I bummed around for most of the day. So relaxing! It was a little too warm to attempt to take in the whole park, but I spent a blissful few hours laying on the grass reading.

Just your average saturday.

Sunday I had full intentions to take in the MET after church, but alas, it was Pride Day, and traffic in midtown was insane! I called it a day and went back to the apartment to nap and relax.

Encouraging reminder from church.

And that's a wrap on JUNE! First week of July recap up soon!