Loving and Learning

July 19th I set out for NYC. It's not a new destination. In fact, this is the fifth consecutive year that I've joined the group at SpreadTruth to see God at work in the city. More specifically, for me, in Brooklyn. Each year carries a different flavor, and each year God impacts me in different ways. For a couple of years, I went through New York parks and did evangelism or set up prayer stations in the streets to talk to and pray with people. But this is the third year of doing Summer Fun Week at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and it's been a wonderful three years!

Now, Summer Fun Week probably isn't like any Vacation Bible School that you've ever experienced. We had up to 640 kids from Brooklyn and beyond for five days. I'm not exactly sure how many leaders and staff we had, but most groups probably averaged up to ten or fifteen kids for one or two leaders. For many of these leaders, it's their first time at Summer Fun Week. Our director affectionately refers to the first day of Summer Fun Week as "Baptism by Fire;" I think that's a fair descriptor. I honestly can't remember much from the first day. My brain really only remembers things from Tuesday forward.

A bracelet that one of my kids made at Summer Fun Week! Any similarities to the French flag are purely coincidence and do not reflect the views or opinions of the person posting this image.

A photo posted by Nathan Snyder (@snyderxc) on Aug 9, 2015 at 12:25pm PDT

My role as a commander was different. I didn't have a crew of my own, but was set to oversee seven crews of kids from seven to eight years old. Nonetheless, I always have a couple of kids that I get to know pretty well over the week. As I'm overseeing my group, I like to go around to different groups and get to know the names of some of the kids, tap them on the head and ask if they're having fun, ask them if they're listening to their leaders, etc. Before I knew it, I had a couple of kids that wanted me to go everywhere with them. It's a special thing to see the positive impact you can have in someone's life, even for a short week.

One thing that I saw over the course of the week was how much the kids respected their leaders. By Thursday I could ask them to be quiet for one of my leaders who was losing her voice and they complied without issue. It was such a huge blessing to see that! The leaders loved their kids, and the kids really loved them back. At one point I had a line of kids waiting for me to pick them up during worship. It was really heartwarming to be able to see these kids having a good time, especially because it may be a stark contrast to their home. I've got a number of kids that I just fell in love with for the week, and the opportunity to show Christ's love to them was a real privilege.

Kids are a workout! #spreadtruthnyc

A photo posted by Nathan Snyder (@snyderxc) on Jul 23, 2015 at 1:45pm PDT

We had the opportunity to be Christ's witness to these 600+ kids for a week, and it was a blessing. I can't wait to go back, and I'm praying that God continues to work into the lives of these kids. It's pretty special to be able to make that kind of an impact. I wouldn't give that week back for anything, and I'm already looking ahead to the trip next year! I pray for God's continued work in Brooklyn, NYC, and the world, and I'm glad to be a small part of it.

Endings

After four years at Grove City College, it's time for graduation. There were times when I wasn't sure I would make it, but I wouldn't trade the last four years for anything. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. I've met people that I would never have met, done things that I would never have done, and learned things that I would never have thought about. Honestly, it's all gone really fast. I've come to appreciate the difficulties I've faced and some of the rules we have. I've also been fortunate enough to be around Grove City for a lot of change over the past four years.

• Three professors have left the computer science department
• Three new professors have joined the computer science department
• The computer science department is ABET accredited for the first time
• Grove City opened two new buildings on campus
• Grove City selected and  inaugurated a new president
• Intervis now includes Wednesday nights
• Probably a few other significant events that I'm missing

Additionally, I've finished my competitive running career. Although, I still plan to continue running, and have registered for a half marathon in October. The cross country team has provided some great friendships, and I'm going to miss having running partners.

I've also learned to Swing dance and Ballroom dance over the past three years, which I'll be continuing to do for as long as I can find a place. I never knew that I loved to dance until then. I've made some of my best friends through it and will miss it terribly.

I'm also very thankful for good church friends / family that have opened their homes to me, and put up with the antics that come along with a house full of college kids. It's been a huge blessing!

Last, I'd be remiss not to mention my Redcoat family and other friends. It won't be the same without spending my days or Thursday dinners without them. I BLEED RED!

I'm so appreciative for everything, and more importantly everyone I've met over the past years. "Because I knew you I have been changed for good." Thank you.

And since I'm a little bit sappy, I'll close with this video: Frank Sinatra - We'll Meet Again (Not the original version)

Nathan