St. Noel-Rebecca

Today, I woke up excited by my brother who told me he couldn't sleep and that today was just like Christmas. This was because of all the excitement and anticipation that led up to this point. I have been on three other YNIA trips, but this trip is my last year as a student. It is kind of bitter sweet because this group of kids that I have been going on this trip with the past three years will go on next year to help more people and serve the community more fully in another city in need. Even though it is my last year, you never know what to expect at the place where you will be staying, so I was anticipating the worst, and hoped that the location would exceed my expectations. Looking back from the beginning of the day, I had no idea that I would be staying at a location where basically the whole building was created for retreats and mission trips. I did meet some of the students from Wisconsin on Saturday night before the trip, but I had no idea what to expect. I was met here in Buffalo with warmth and welcoming, and I could not feel more at home at a place that is states away from my own. With Ray as one of the leaders this week, we started out with some icebreakers and learned about one another quickly and in a way that brought us out of our comfort zone. We were then met with the prayer and singing which added a new dimension to the worship and thought throughout the nightly reflection. I still do not know exactly what I will be doing at my worksite this week, but being able to come in the night before, and meet everyone has truly made the experience so far bring me ease and comfort. For the rest of the week, I just hope that we as YNIA will continue to grow with the discomfort we face and learn to adapt to make the world a better place.