Hello All!  This is unbelievable to be home right now and blogging about New York. Sorry, still in shock about this so please  hang in there with me. Also, thank you so much for reading these past two months. We are so happy to be here and the only reason we are here is because of people like you, and our Awesome GOD. We greatly appreciate it.
     Please excuse me for being late with this, crazy last week in the Bronx. The Tuesday after Chris (Bekah's mom) left is where we will pick up. Chris had another session in the morning for us and then she and Whitney went home. We were very thankful to have that time with them and learn. And I'm sure it was a wonderful blessing for Bekah to see her family again.
    Wednesday, we went to the Bowery and the to the after-school program at Manhattan Bible. At the Bowery, we organized tons of clothes and helped move boxes all around the warehouse; they had to make room for the shipments of food that were coming in later that week for Thanksgiving dinner. We said out goodbyes to the workers there. Many new friendships made, so that was also sad. In the afternoon Vicky came, and we hung out with her. We also...finally... shared our testimonies. A lot of people talked about how they found Christ and just a few of the highlights as to where they are where they are today. It was very nice to hear from everyone. Even though we had the amazing opportunity to get to know everyone for two months, it was nice to put some puzzle pieces together and really share out in the open with everyone listening. Vicky shared her testimony as well (Bonnie had told us a little about her family previously). Wow; it was a very good night.  Lots of lovin and understanding. Tons of giggles. New memories.
  Thursday, we finished up the rest of the testimonies. Vicky took Renee' and Beth home. A part of us left. The remainder of the group still went to the Love Kitchen and Exodus, but it was very odd for me without the whole group there. Something always felt a little bit empty whenever the whole group wasn't there. Anyway!  We got a lot done: packaged some vegetables to hand out to those that came, gave out some T-shirts, handed out the normal food (soup, rice, beans, potatoes, carrots, juice, milk, pasta) and some shampoo and conditioner! -thats a treat! Afterwards, we walked across the street to the after-school program. That was fun! Last time with all of the kids. Snap. The kids have been fantastic this whole time, even though I know some of us complain sometimes as to how rowdy they are and why don't they listen and such. But! As you guys may know, Bekah and I are a lot to handle sometimes too so it was good to remember that. :D   Some of us received pictures and cards from our students and that was very sweet. We stood in front of the school, and they prayed for us. So many blessings from that building. GOD is definitely doing some powerful things there! We left we heavy hearts. It was the week of goodbyes. Exodus was probably one of the hardest places for me to leave just because the teachers there were so great and the kids...the kids surprised me everyday by what they taught me: how they prayed, how humble and helpful they were, how they were willing to clea up after each other even when they didn't know someone was watching. Very good.  VERY GOOD. Anyway, we played another game of Settlers that night. Five STEPpers left. We were dwindling down.
   Friday was our last day we had something to do. We went to World Vision and moved pallets of the boxes that were still clean (some of them were ruined because of Hurricane Sandy).  They were remodeling the whole place, once again. We actually ended up finishing everything they had planned for us, so we got to leave early. Everyone took a nap once we returned. Then, we ate and got ready to go to Times Square Church for teh very last time. We walked around Times Square until 12am, and then returned to the apartment. We wanted to pull an all-nighter so we stayed up and watched a wonderful movie called To Save A Life. If you have not seen it, I very much recommend it. It's about a popular kid who sees that there's something more to life. He ditched his one friend when they went to highschool, but when his friend kills himself, he struggles to find his purpose. He tries out the whole "Jesus thing" but he's not sure about it....to see if he does find God, you'll have to watch it! :D  haha.  That took us to about 3am. We watched anothr movie and finally rested our heads on our fluffy pillows at 5:30 Saturday morning. Eryca's family came in the morning and everyone slept in. They went sight-seeing in Times Sqaure. Aaron, Asher, Bekah and I met up with them to eat some good old...Applebees  food for dinner! (Other places had a long wait so we just settled for Applebees). Asher and I shared a plate of chicken and pasta-y stuff! Eryca and her sister shared a plate of cicken alfredo, and they graciously shared a bite with me! YUM! :D   We walked around Time Square for a while with them. Into the M&M's store and Disney store we went once again! We made funny faces with all the M&M's faces  to make things....just a little bit more interesting!  Eryca's family is adorable! We all had fun. Then, Asher, Aaron, Bekah and I went home. Eryca's family folowled in pursuit 25 minutes later. We spent some good old bonding with them and went to sleep.
   Sunday was our last week at church. We sang "In Christ Alone" among other worship songs led by the pastor. She had a very good message-I'll have to look her up on their website because that woman has been blessed by God the Father for sure! After the mesage, the elders of the church prayed for us. Not a dry eye amongst the STEPpers when the morning was over. We had to peel ourselves away that day. Long walk back to the apartment. Sunday we stayed up late just treauring the moments we still had with one another. Just four left, and Asher was leaving in the morning with Bonnie to go to the airport, so it was yet another sad night.
   Monday morning we sai goodbye to Asher and Bonnie and hello to Aaron's family. They had driven from Canada to come to see Times Sqaure and take him home. The rest of the day, Bekah and I spent with his family. We walked around Times Sqaure. (If you guys need to know where anything is in Times Square, we've been there three nights in a row plus we did some of our own touring earlier on...so!  Just let us know if you need some help....we're experts now! ;D  ha!) That was a lot of fun. His family made me excited to see my family, so by the end of the afternoon, I was ready to go home. Aaron kindly went with Bekah and I to the train station to say goodbye and help us carry our many bags. (I definitely came home with a lot more than I had left with! :/  whoops!) We said our goodbyes. Boarded the train. Got off the train. Saw our families. Now, we're home. Going back to the old scenes. Going to the store and not running into people everywhere you step. Driving down the road and being able to go over 35mph. Crossing to street to street and not seeing skyscrapers. Walking outside and seeing a backyard inside of another wall to a house.  Going to bed at night without seven other teenagers laughing and giggling with us and we discus how we probably should go to bed but never actually doing it until someone has to drag us into bed. It's different. We've grown. We still look the same, but on the inside, so much of us has changed. Some parts of us are still left in that little apartment in teh Bronx. Sometimes I see a bike and think of Aaron. I break out in song and think of Asher. I want to say a witty comment  but mine never meaure up to Renee' and her comments. I see a truck and want to marvel at its beauty with Beth. I hear a country song or sing a song from Veggie Tales, but Eryca isn't there to sing along with them. I'm cold but Bekah isn't there to cuddle with. I need some wisdom but Bonnie isn't there to say a simple word from the Book of Life.  Yeah, it's weird...but this is home. It's where family is. It's where I was born. It's wonderful to be home. To get one more taste of every little thing that I never treasured before...and to treasure it once more before I leave for Thailand. It's wonderful to be home; it's sad to leave NY; it's nerveracking to think we'll be in Thailand in less than a week. BUT! Always....always!  Our God is supreme. HE guides, and strengthens. HE gives us hope and joy and peace about our troubles. HE is always there...He was here when we left. HE was in the Bronx. HE is here again and HE will be in Thailand. And that is why we keep on going every day. Yes. Our God is good.
  Thank you for reading. I'm sorry if I talk too much or you can't follow me sometimes. Please, do keep reading though. I promise you it will get better.     Stay tuned for the first message from us in Thailand next week. For now, we can't wait to visit our friends and family and fill our bellies with so much Thanksgiving goodness that we explode!  haha!  Have a great week everyone! Treasure the time you have with your family. The day may come soon when it won't be as easy to meet with them.  God bless you all!  and remember by we are thankful this holiday season.  Have a wonderful day!  :D