"It's not a good idea to go up to people and ask, 'Are you homeless?'" It's mid-Saturday morning at the Ministry Training Center (MTC) in Elmhurst, a neighborhood in Queens, NYC. About two dozen Lancastrians have just gotten off the bus in the Big Apple and are getting a crash course in local demographics and street ministry. "There's about ninety thousand people per square mile here in Elmhurst. Most of them are immigrants or the children of immigrants. Many of them don't speak English." … [Read more...] about A Day in Queens
Travel
A Flying Trip to the Empire State
"Do you want to go on an airplane ride?", my coworker, Jen asked me a few months ago. "Clinton," she said, referring to another colleague, "needs to get his flying hours in. We could go together sometime." Although I have been on plenty of commercial flights, the last time I had been a passenger on a small plane was years and years ago. "Sure. When?" I replied. The Saturday after Thanksgiving was clear and calm. I met Jen and her friend Sharon at the Lancaster Airport at eight in the … [Read more...] about A Flying Trip to the Empire State
Sandy Shores: History at the OBX
History isn't something I associate with going to the beach, but last month I discovered the Outer Banks are more than just sand and surf. There's a ton of interesting historical events that have happened at the Outer Banks, which are long, skinny islands along the coast of North Carolina. "Let's go to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum," suggested Melissa as we huddled over Google Maps, plotting our course several weeks before the trip. Zoomed out on my computer screen, the maritime and … [Read more...] about Sandy Shores: History at the OBX
All the Tea in Charleston
Did you know black tea and green tea comes from the same plant? And that a tea plant can produce for hundreds of years? Last week, my friend Melissa and I took a road trip to the Carolinas, and one of our favorite stops was the Charleston Tea Garden. Located near the coast, where the weather is wet and muggy, the Charleston Tea Garden is the only large-scale tea growing operation in America. Ever since I lived in Ireland, I've had a fondness for tea, especially black tea. So learning … [Read more...] about All the Tea in Charleston
Kentucky Pilgrimage
Last winter my friend Amy and I discovered neither of us had ever been to the Creation Museum or the Ark Encounter in Kentucky and we both wanted to go. A few weeks ago, I asked Amy if she was still interested. "Both museums are open again. And we'll probably never again have a summer that's so empty." "Sure," Amy agreed. I also invited my friend Charity to come along. Like Amy, Charity is a schoolteacher, and she also had never been to either museum. So last week, we made the … [Read more...] about Kentucky Pilgrimage