For the past two months I have been traveling with 10 other teens around the nation teaching communication conferences as an intern for a nonprofit organization called The Institute For Cultural Communicators {http://www.instituteforculturalcommunicators.org}. The lessons I have learned, as well as the different experiences I have gained, have been amazing!
We have learned to love one another as true friends and even become each other's family in times that are good, bad, and ugly.
On the flight to TN I was blessed with the opportunity to fly with a good friend of mine who is also interning for ICC. Once we arrived in TN we met up with another close friend of ours who is also interning with ICC.
While there may onlybe 11 interns total, we have a LOT of luggage! At the very beginning of tour we all piled our luggage together and took a photo of the team and the team's belongings.
As we've grown to know each other we have begun to reveal who we truly are to our team members. Some of us are introverted, while others are not. We have numerous interests ranging from skydiving, chatting, juggling, playing instruments, frolicking through sprinklers, canoeing through swamplands, gaming, taking pictures and videos, and even playing ultimate frisbee. Most people may consider us a little on the crazy side, this may, or may not, be more true for some of the members on our team.
Through out the time we've spent together thus far we have encountered numerous stressful situations that, rather than causing tension within the individual members, brought us closer together.
One particular day stands out in my memory. Caroline and Emily were feeling very stressed and began listening to a song that has become very dear to the girls on tour. The song was so relevant to us at the time that we all wrote "BE OK" on our cheeks as a means of relieving stress. it was quite humorous to see the guys reaction to nearly all of the 7 girls running around and doing our jobs with "BE OK" written on our faces.
=)
Our second conference of the tour was in Oldbridge, NJ and so we were privileged with the opportunity to spend an evening in NY City. It was so amazing! We traveled to NY on a train and for some of us, myself included, it was our first train ride.
Upon our arrival we explored some of the highlights that are located around Time Square such as the largest Macy's in history. As we explored the city we found many different stores and sights that reminded us of home, and even some that reminded us of each other.
While in the city we were able to see the Phantom of the Opera live. Through out the entire first half Emily and I kept looking at each other and saying, "Wow!" We were so amazed at how incredible every aspect of the musical was. Whether it be the singing, choreography, special effects, or the acting we were very impressed. Every time someone mentions the Phantom of the Opera or NY we all begin singing, "My music! My music!"
While NY truly was amazing, after the NJ conference came to a close we also were able to visit both Ellis and Liberty island.
Walking through Ellis Island was a very special experience as my great great grandmother entered into America through Ellis Island from England. I was so surprised at how intense the process of entering into our nation truly was. While it was to be expected, I never really gave it much thought.
Upon exploring Ellis Island, we journeyed over to Liberty Island where we visited the Statue of Liberty. It was quite the experience. From a distance the statue looks so small, and as you get closer, it still looks just as small. However, once you actually reach the island the statue seems so incredible large, that you would almost say it was a completely different sight. We traveled all the way to her feet, which is the 1/2 way point.
Upon making it to the 1/2 way point, we all went outside on the balcony that wraps all the way around the statue's feet. While there a majority of the team began to sing a song called "Rock, Sword, Shield" which is a song we teach to the 6-10 year olds at our events. The last line of the songs says, "And I'm going to wait, wait right here 'til Jesus comes. Oh yeah!" It felt so great to sing a Christian song at a national monument!
While these things are all good and fun, the real reason that we are all traveling with ICC as interns has nothing to do with seeing well known cities or monuments, but rather we are seeking to shape culture through authentic communication and equip students with both the competence and character they need to impact their culture for Christ.
"Therefore, let no one look down on you because you are young, but be an example to the believers in speech, in life, line love, in faith, and in purity." ~1 Timothy 4:12
For those of you who are asking yourselves, "Is that a stuffed frog?" yes. Yes it is. While traveling with ICC, our team had a "mascot," so to speak, named "Mr. Froggers." Whenever something was wrong, he was always there to "listen" to our complaints. While he may not be a real person, it would be really interesting to become Mr. Froggers for a day. Not because I want to be a stuffed animal when I grow up, but because he was a source of comfort to the girls on our team. I remember numerous times when some one was stressed they would just spend a few minutes with Mr. Froggers and everything would be better. If possible, I would love to become that source of comfort and encouragement to my friends and family. Even if only for a day. <3
