48 hours.

the past 48 hours on the east coast have been interesting, to say the least. when i first got to philadelphia, it felt like a dream. i was repeating the same process as a year before; my luggage even came out of the same place. this time, however, i was doing it alone. the whole concept of "alone" has seemed to come up quite a bit since i have been in jersey.

luckily, i had some incredible women pick me up at the airport. i couldn't help but smile when they held a bright pink sign with my name on it out the window as they honked and screamed for me. man, i needed their hugs so badly. we ended up going on a bit of a detour trying to avoid traffic, but it was worth it! when we got back, the other assistant directors (ADs) were getting ready for dinner. i walked in to urbanpromise for the first time in a year and was greeted with smiles. to be honest, it just does not feel real at all. i'd like to blame the jet lag or emotional exhaustion, but it could just be that i did not think i would be able to come back here, especially so soon. everyone was very receptive and kind, but part of me could not help but feel a bit on the outside because the ADs have already bonded so much. they have a lot on their schedules for the next few days and are going to be incredibly busy. i ended up just taking a shower and coming back to my house to unpack, set up my bed, and relax.

friday, i went to work at 10AM. i got to see the desk i will be working at, then left with my boss to do some errands in the area. we talked about what i will be doing this summer. she wants me to establish a music program, which i find to be daunting. i may be able to sing, but that's about it. she wants me to organize groups of kids to step, rap, sing, dance, etc. to take to churches for the development department here at urbanpromise. while i think this is awesome, i don't really know how i'm going to pull it off. obviously i will try, but she said a lot of this is trial and error, because they have not run this internship before. i think it will definitely be fun working with her, but i told her to make sure she challenges me. that is the whole reason why i am doing this internship. i could have easily done camp again, but i want to make sure that i am growing and being pushed from my experience here at urbanpromise. i want to be able to take what i have learned here and take it elsewhere. i also got to see some of the street leaders that i was closest with last summer. that was the most surreal moment so far. it was weird to be able to hug, talk to, see, and walk with them. unfortunately, one that i am closest with will be at a different camp this summer, but i know he will grow from the experience. regardless, it was so good to see them again!

friday night i was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to an israel houghton and new breed concert. it was absolutely amazing! i have heard israel's music in chapel at APU many times, but nothing compares to seeing him live. God was definitely present at that worship service, and I felt a bit more at peace about the summer. Israel's song "moving forward" has a lot of meaning, and i was praying and just asked God to have that song be played if things were going to be okay. i was still recovering from the day before, and as i began to feel disconnected, "moving forward" began to play. i left that worship service feeling encouraged but still anxious.

saturday i had the opportunity to go with one of the camp directors and my friend molly to new york. there was a celebrity dentist who was willing to do free dental work for some kids from camden. we packed ten of them into one of the urbanpromise buses and made the two hour drive to the city. with pulled teeth to fillings to cavities, we spent about four hours at the dentist office. the staff were amazing with the kids and a few celebrities stopped by. i pretended i knew who they were, but because they are east coast sports stars, i had no idea who they were, haha! it was pretty exhausting to go back and forth, attempting to manage kids despite the intense heat and humidity. at the end of the day, the kids' mouths were no longer numb, they spent time in central park, and we had a quick drive home. for the most part, i really enjoyed the trip, but the whole experience was a bit hard to swallow. the celebrities did not interact with the kids as much as i thought they would have. they came, took their pictures, then played on their cell phones the rest of the time. it almost broke my heart to see the kids as a showcase rather than a genuine interest, but unfortunately, that's the way the industry is. there was one man, billy hunter, who is president of the national basketball players association, who was born in camden. he actually has a genuine interest in coming to visit the kids, which is great. i hope he actually comes!

some of the kids, fresh out of the dentist chair, with ramses barden from the new york giants.
he got a tooth pulled, but took it like a champ!
molly and i with kevin rudolf.
new york sunset.
the cityscape as we headed back to jersey.

today, i miss my family. i wish i could be at home with my dad on father's day, but i know i have been called to be in camden right now. i am excited for the other interns to arrive on wednesday, but i know i also have a lot that i need to be doing before they get here. prayers for patience, direction, adjusting, and relationships would be much appreciated at this point! :)