It is good to be home but training was absolutely fabulous! We had a two week orientation that covered cultural sensitivities, the role of the Anglican Communion, the purpose of service, and also logistical parts of our service. We had an interfaith day where we visited various houses of worship, including the so called "9/11 Mosque" in NYC and a Buddhist center. We also explored NYC's cultural diversity, my group heading back to my old stomping grounds in the Bronx. We had a day at the Holy Cross Monastery, praying with and learning from the Brothers. We even got to meet the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, an inspiring woman I have long wanted to meet, Katherine Jefferts Schori, whose advice was genuine and inspiring. It was a truly incredible orientation, but what was even better was getting to know the 23 other Young Adult Service Corps members. They are from as far away as Hawaii and are serving everywhere from El Salvador, Honduras, and Cuba to South Africa and Tanzania to South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan in roles from rural agriculture work to nursing assistants to gang reconciliation aids. They are some truly incredible women and men with strong hearts and great passions and I will look forward to sharing in their journeys through their blogs.
The Young Adult Service Corps plus the 4 older adult missionaries at our training!
Our meeting with the Presiding Bishop
The stained glass at the Eldridge Street Synagogue
Also, check out this video Ashely Cameron made of all of this year's YASCers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-NBnHLUpNI
