Navigating this page: The most recent post is displayed at the top of each page, so if you are looking for an older post then please scroll down the page. The posts are listed by Date and then Team! Thank you for reading and praying for each team. If you have specific questions or concerns, please email ben.messner@nyack.edu or in case of emergency you can call 845-499-1356.

 

Trip: Italy

Posted by: Ben Messner

By: Sue Talley, Trip Leader

 

rip: Israel

Posted by: Ben Messner

Again, this comes through the experience of Christopher Smith..."
Today was a very full day. We was told by Dr. Notley that today was going to be one of the best days of the trip. Today I really was in awe with what I've been feeling since I got here!! I listened to a few worship songs on the bus and as we were driving I was reminded about amazing, awesome and great our God is! Just to be in a place where Jesus and many prophets and priests were was phenomenal! Today Dr. Notley took us to the Dan which is a very special place for him. At this area we saw the running river which was great! We got to drink the living water from the Dan which was very refreshing. While we were here Dr. Notley reminded us that at times in our lives we have wilderness periods and at these moments we feel that God is not answering our prayers and that you don't deserve anything. He also reminded us that we must remember the places that gives a peace when we are in the storm. This time reminded me of the song Turn your Eyes Upon Jesus! The song says Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. This song brings me a lot of peace and comfort that God will always be in my corner and when he seems so far away his arms is wrapped around me.
Shalom,
Chris
P.S. I'M HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE!!!!

 

Trip: Southern Africa

Posted by: Ben Messner

Scott Reitz phoned in from Mozambique to say the team is still doing great. They have arrived in a small fishing village and over the next few days will be taught the craft of fishing with nets as is the custom of this village. The team will also spend time in language lessons of the local dialect. The big adventure of the day was that the group was broken into 3 smaller groups and they each had to find their own way to the village without the help of a team leader!  Scott said everyone did well and they also send greetings to their families.

 

Trip: Egypt

Posted by: Ben Messner

By: Debbie Lee
I liked it when we first got here.  It was really different.  I really enjoyed visiting the pyramids and seeing the sphinx.  I thought it was really interesting how the one pyramid that looks biggest was really smaller than the other.  I also thought the sphinx would have been bigger.  It was small!  I was surprised at all the different animals - camels, horses, and cats and dogs.

It's Coptic Christmas here, and we just got back from the church service.  The service lasts more than four hours, but we only went for about half an hour.  They passed the peace to me!   It was so interesting to see how they were doing their service because it's very different from what I'm used to.  I'm looking forward to more time here!

 

Trip: Israel

Posted by: Ben Messner

Ron Walborn and Christopher Smith once again checked in to say that all is well with the group. Chris was especially excited by the hotel being right on the Sea of Galilee...here are his words about the day, "What an interesting day!! But before I tell you about that our Hotel Last night was on the Mediterranean Sea, which was truly amazing!! - The view from the balcony in my room was to die for! So today, we went to Caesarea and saw King Herod’s the great palace which was located on the Mediterranean Sea, which was really exciting.  Then we went to Sepphoris and we learned that Joseph was probably a sage, a very learned man even though he was a carpenter. So this where Jesus probably learned most of the things he knew even though he was the Son of God his earthly dad knew was a sage. We also got to go to Mt. Carmel where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal. When we read the scripture and the Spirit move through us… it was so Wow!!  

 

Trip: Philippines

Posted by: Ben Messner

You can read the updates on this team and see some amazing pictures taken by Nyack's own Andres V. by clicking on the following link: www.avcphoto.blogspot.com.

 

Trip: Spain

Posted by: Ben Messner

By: Several Students

Dear Benjamin Messner, friends, and family!
Today we had the best day ever rockin’ out with some spectacular Spanish traditions: Food and Cardboard Crowns. We started off the day late with our reservation at El Glop (no joke that’s the for realzies name). There we ate a 5 billion course meal of bread, meats, cheeses, Spanish desserts, and our personal favorite--cafe con leche! I got the fish, and my fish not only had eyes but BUCK TEETH. He was a cutie. I ate him. ALL of him. After luncheon we threw on our cardboard crowns and celebrated Three Kings Day with the Spaniards on La Rambla! It was a parade with cute babies, silly accents, and bright colors. My favorite part was when Melissa and Maria got stuck on the other side of the bridge! Now we are going to France! THE END. Aren’t you jealous?
-Shelly Marie Joy Rissinger

Today we celebrated Three Kings Day! Maria and I went on a quick errand and on our way back to the group we realized the boardwalk-bridge stopped and there was water! The celebration started with a boat carrying the Three Kings passed the crowd so the bridge was moved so it would pass by. We had a great view and an interesting time miming words to the rest of the group on the other side. It’s definitely different than watching something like the Macy’s Day Parade.
-Melissa Mersereau

We had a good lunch at El Glop. We then went to La Rambla for the Three Kings Day things. It was amazing. Now we are about to go to France and the coast. It should be nice.

-Kaitlin Anna Yasika

I was told I had to blog to use the internet. But things here are great. Super excited to go to France tonight. Miss you mom! (Love Megan:)
-Megan Williamson

We have been having so much fun together it’s crazy. . . .  Barcelona has been amazing. There are so many different people.  It’s amazing to see so many different cultures interacting together.  Going from a Spanish church to an Arabic church was crazy, but it was cool to see that we are serving the same God. These ladies are hilarious.  There is something unique about each of us that holds all of us together. Well, I’m having fun and learning a lot about the culture and what’s important to the people over here:  bread, bread, bread and coffee.
-Jazzie (Jasmine Mendez)

 

Trip: Israel

Posted by: Ben Messner

Ron Walborn just sent an email saying that everyone is safe and the tour is going really well. A comment from student Christopher Smith, "The hospitality that we are receiving from the Israel people is amazing. They take hospitality so seriously, and it really added to our understanding of the story of Nabal from the Old Testament.  After a really long flight and missing one connection and really hot temperatures on the plane, the welcome we received was amazing. Another highlight would be visiting Elah Valley where the story of David and Goliath took place and we acted out this story. My historical and geographical understanding of the Bible is exploding."

 

Trip: Italy

Posted by: Ben Messner

A quick update was sent in by Trip Leader, Sue Talley, that the team is really enjoying the sights of Venice. The temperature is extremely cold, but everyone is still going out to explore and shop! She wanted to assure everyone that they are taking great pictures and these pictures will be posted after the trip.

 

Trip: Philippines

Posted by: Ben Messner

By: Andrew Ignacio (via Facebook)

We are here safe and sound and arrived on time. Everyone is getting used to the time and we've seen and done so much already. It seems like everyone seems to be enjoying there time already!

 

Trip: Southern Africa

Posted by: Ben Messner

By: Scott Reitz, Trip Leader (via Facebook)

Students are doing very well. They are off on a scavenger hunt in Maputo today with their teams. We leave tomorrow for the coast tomorrow to the coastal town of Bilene. It is a fishing village on a coastal lake.  Students are all healthy and are absorbing all the culture they can in Mozambique. Pray for continued health.

 

Trip: Spain

Posted by: Ben Messner

By: Several students

Melissa Mersereau: Today we visited a Spanish-speaking 20-somethings’ church “El Lokal” where Orlando preached and I had the opportunity to paint during worship and the sermon and share a bit about what I felt the Lord saying. It was a great experience to be able to paint in another country and see how art can really cross language barriers.

Mollie McLoughlin: Barcelona has captured my heart.  Today we visited two churches and I got to see the Lord moving in a country that people have said is the graveyard of church planting.  After seeing the Lord here I understand what a lie from the enemy that is and my prayer is that people’s hearts would be opened to coming here and reaching these hungry people.  I believe that I will come back some day and I can’t wait to see what happens in this city between now and then.

Maria Hernandez: From the art of graffiti on the streets...to the millions of youth swarming the streets of Barcelona....from the heart of girls crying out in desperation...from the legacy of a life that stills rocks through the culture of Spain...to the amazing opportunity of getting to know a group of amazing women and two men...there aren’t many words that can describe this experience. One thing I know is that this town has been etched on my heart...a burning passion has awakened in my heart for a culture that at every corner is crying for something more. It’s interesting to see what the rest of the trip entails! Go Team Estrogen! :)

 

Trip: Israel

Posted by: Ben Messner

Assistant Trip Leader, Ron Walborn, just contacted me via email and said all is well with the team.  More of an update will be given later...

 

Trip: Egypt

Posted by: Ben Messner

By: Amy Davis, Assistant Trip Leader

Saturday, we arrived safely, and finished our day with a cruise on the Nile river, where we enjoyed live entertainment, the cool breeze, and beautiful sights.  Sure, it's a lot smaller than the Hudson, and we actually compared the size to the East river, but it's a place of such history that has given life to Egypt for millenia!

The highlight of today, Sunday, was going to the Garbage City church.  We traveled through small, run-down houses with garbage everywhere, and then came to an area where we could see carvings of Jesus on the cliff.  We entered the church, and were absolutely amazed by the size - it was in a cave, but it can seat 30,000 people!  Tears came to my eyes as we entered and saw the capacity in the open-air area and the Coptic icons at the front.  The story of the church is amazing!  

We also visited several mosques, the Citadel and Islamic Cairo.  This evening, we will attend a church service at Kars el Dobara church, and afterward, (at 9pm!) we will feast at Tabbouleh restaurant!  It's a bit dusty here, and you can smoke inside, so that's hard to get used to, but overall, we are doing great!

 

Trip: Italy

Posted by: Ben Messner

I received emails from Professor Dana Talley and Gina Rippa (student) this morning. Both emails indicated the team had arrived safely and were getting adjusted.  

 

Trip: Philippines

Posted by: Ben Messner

The Philippines team departed safely from JFK airport today. Please stay tuned for updates and keep the team in your prayers

 

Trip: Israel

Posted by: Ben Messner

The Israel team departed safely from JFK airport today. Please stay tuned for updates and keep the team in your prayers.

 

Trip: Italy

Posted by: Ben Messner

The Italy team departed safely from JFK airport today. Please stay tuned for updates and keep the team in your prayers.

 

Trip: Southern Africa

Posted by: Ben Messner

Team Leader, Scott Reitz, phoned me this evening to say that all is well with the team. The students are healthy and enjoyed a first meal in Africa of Pizza and Soda. They were about to board the bus to Mozambique. 

 

Trip: Spain

Posted by: Ben Messner

By: Joelle and Michele

Joelle: I was talking to one of my fearless leaders after a quite remarkably mind blowing Jesus moment that if I were to journal right now, all I could say was “wow.” But I’m fighting that because I believe what Jesus is saying truly needs to be given a voice, so I will do my best to use my feeble words to encompass the transcendence that I am finding myself in.

I am in Spain, a beautiful country with a beautiful heritage that has defined generations.
As I find myself here in the midst of this splendor and chaos and beauty, I cannot help but begin to ponder what is my heritage... who am i... what is my art, my culture, my place in this world?

I have come to but one conclusion that resonates with my soul: my place is Jesus.

The architect Gaudi created many works in Spain, and as I viewed his heart in graphic form, I realized that the reason his work endured is that he never claimed to be something amazing.  He just looked back, all the way back, to God, to good versus evil, to the beauty God created. He looked back, and he discovered that the only way forward is to look back and to realize that his passion and identity was wrapped up in his heritage, in his origin.

And when he looked back, he created works that speak volumes that a philosophy book would be hard-pressed to capture. When Gaudi was creating one of his most famous works, the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, he said that he made a model so that everyone could see the vision he saw in his head, and that if something ever happened to him, others would have to complete it because of the awe he translated to them.  Now, centuries later, a nation is rallied around the scaffolding of this cathedral.

I want my life to be like this--a vision of something that could be so great that others must join. I do not want to be alone in this. My story is wrapped up in the stories of my teammates here in Barcelona.  My story is wrapped up in the stories of every single person I meet and together we have the chance to rally around something more infinite than the sky, to gather around and raise high a banner of love that is deeper than the deepest ocean.

The evening of the previous day (day 4, aka Thursday), I had the opportunity to yet again touch the transcendent force that is the Holy Spirit. I had the honor of worshipping alongside youth from 9 different nations.   The details of the service themselves are not the important part. What is important is that Jesus somehow loved me enough to bring me to Barcelona to meet future nation changers from all over the world, and he let me have the privilege of interceding for these warriors.

I took communion with the body, and at one point we all prayed the Lord’s Prayer together, each of us in our native tongue.  What a privilege.  We are all family and now part of my story is tied to that of a French girl named Sophie who is seeking to see the church have a presence in her country. My story is tied to an Italian missionary named Jon who has within him the calling to illuminate a country in desperate need of Jesus. I am part of a German/Alabaman adopted missionary kid who has a fire within her that I believe Jeremiah would understand.  I am tied to them and they to me and we are all somehow marvelously part of the architecture of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona because it is inspired by the cross that has saved us all.

How can I even begin to express the humility and gratitude I feel in the face of such benevolence? 
The words lie outside of the reaches of my soul;and so i sit, in awe, looking back and shaking off all fear of forging ahead because I am not alone, I am not mistaken, and I will not be silent.

Michele: Today was a “free day,” meaning we were free to go wherever we desired, as long as we went in groups of at least three.  Molly, Kelly, Shelly, and Melissa went shopping on La Rambla; Yee, Jasmine, and Kaitlyn went shopping everywhere; and Maria, Joelle, Cassie and I decided to check out Montjuic, a park on one of the highest peaks in Barcelona.

Within Montjuic is the Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic, which is the stadium in which the 1992 Barcelona Olympics were held.  One of Joelle’s life goals is to visit every Olympic stadium, so we were glad to be there to keep a photographic record.  After we spent some time letting Joelle soak up the atmosphere, we moved on to the Olympic Museum.  Joelle and Maria decided to spend some time there while Cassie and I investigated the park across the street.  The park was covered with statues and fountains and overlooked the entire city of Barcelona.  Cassie was convinced it was Barcelona’s version of the Secret Garden, with moss-covered paths and stone walls crawling with ivy.

We met back up with Maria and Joelle and walked down the hill toward the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catlunya, which looked like a castle, but was actually built in 1929 for an International Exhibition.  Below the museum is Placa d’Espanya and the Font Magica.  We were disappointed to see that the Font was dry, but learned through our excellent Catalonian deciphering skills that the Font would be working in the evening.  We vowed to come back.

We then went to a neighborhood called El Born, which has a trendy feel.  The narrow (and I mean narrow!) streets are lined with small, hip shops selling everything from freshly roasted coffee to every possible shape and size of gummy candy you can imagine.  We especially loved seeing the amazing graffiti done by local artists.  Joelle commented that in this very old neighborhood, with buildings dating back to the 13th century, graffiti artists chose to “tag” only the metal rolling doors that pulled down over the shops.  None of the paint was ever on a building.  Perhaps that’s why Barcelona has a pretty friendly relationship with these rogue artists who in other cultures would be seen as vandals.

Our evening was topped with a return to the Font Magica, a gorgeous display of water, light, and music being enjoyed by people from around the world.

Tomorrow morning, we will visit a church that reaches out to 20-something Spaniards.  Professor Rivera is preaching the message, Jasmine created the powerpoint, and Melissa will be creating art that reflects his message as he speaks.  How cool is that?  In the evening, we will be attending a service at a church that ministers to the Muslim community.

 

Trip: Egypt

Posted by: Ben Messner

The team took off from JFK today and is now in route to South Africa. Keep the team in prayer!

 

Trip: Southern Africa

Posted by: Ben Messner

 

The team took off from JFK today and is now in route to South Africa. Below is the trip itinerary:

2 Jan - Depart on South African Airlines
3 Jan - Arrive Johannesburg – Stay in hostel
4 Jan - Depart for Maputo Mozambique on Intercape bus
5 Jan - Maputo
6 Jan - Maputo
7 Jan - Xai Xai
8 Jan - Xai Xai
9 Jan - Swaziland
10 Jan - Swaziland
11 Jan - Swaziland
12 Jan - Depart from Johannesburg to Capetown
13 Jan - Capetown
14 Jan - Capetown
15 Jan - Depart Capetown to Johannesburg then Joburg –Dakar- Home

 

 

Trip: Spain

Posted by: Ben Messner

By: Joelle Wolters (Reflections on Day 2)

 

I am writing about Day 2, but know that we are all alive in Day 4 as well!

So, yesterday was a crazy day full of traveling and jet lag and walking around the city, but today we actually started to get into the swing of things. We woke up and had a chill morning... I got up and ran [of course] and then got breakfast, and then we had a meeting to get some of our academic business out of the way.

We went into Sant Cougat (like 4 train stops from us going away from Barcelona) to hang out with this friend we met at our hostel. There is a Youth for Christ/Campus Crusade for Christ retreat happening right now so there are kids from like 9 countries all staying at our hostel, and we joined up with them this morning to help them with this giant project they are doing to set a world record.

While we were hanging out with them, I got to talk to a few different people, and I was really encouraged to just meet some awesome kids that love Jesus from like all over.

It has really been stretching me to think about what it would be like to be a Christian in this context and possibly even be in ministry in this culture. I think it would have a very interesting dynamic because the culture is more open with things such as drinking and smoking and nudity that the church in America frowns on.  I almost feel like the church in America has made personal preferences into "Thus saith the Lord" type statements.

 

More and more, I’m convinced that we need to start from the bottom of the gospel up and just love people. I mean, if we really believe God is all powerful, wouldn’t the scope of his power include our free will? Like if we trust that God is that big, do we trust that he is big enough to speak to his children when they are on the verge of what we would consider a mistake? Do we trust that we can stay silent on the preferences and just love?

Interesting thoughts . . . .  I think I’m just gonna keep soaking in this experience and letting Jesus speak to me and see what happens.  :]

 

Trip: Spain

Posted by: Ben Messner

Day 3, by Michele Pinkham (Assistant Trip Leader)
Casa Batilló and Parc Güell

Two things Barcelona does really well:  chocolate and coffee.  We are enjoying regular injections of cafe amb llet, the Catalan version of cafe con leche.  It certainly helps with the symptoms of jetlag--ask Molly.  The chocolate is just . . . better.  No one can quite figure out why.  It may be that we are walking up and down (and up and down) the hills of the city and just have desperate need of the quick calorie fix that chocolate brings, but we are all wondering if it is financially feasible to chuck our clothes on the last day of our trip and fill our bags with chocolate.

Two things Barcelona also does well:  public transportation and architecture.  It’s funny, because the public transportation is everything the architecture is not.  The trains are   clean, regimented, well-communicated, and on time to the second.  In contrast, the buildings that Barcelona is known for are organic, creative, colorful, undisciplined, and very, very curvy.

Today, we toured two of the city’s most renowned architectural gems, and two of Europe’s greatest examples of Modernisme, Casa Batilló and Parc Güell.  Both were designed by Catalan architect Anton Gaudi.  Gaudi’s style breaks all conventional rules of architecture, using no straight lines and mimicking shapes and patterns he saw in nature. 

Climbing the stairs of the Batilló home felt like ascending into some enormous, amorphous beast.  The stair rails curved like a spine; the walls were painted in scale patterns, and the ceilings spun and curled and bubbled.  He built without any plans other than a plaster mock-up of the building, which meant that he directed every move of the contractors and builders who assisted him in the project.

He also would change his plans on a whim, based on materials that he procured or recycled.  He was actually far ahead of his time in his passion for re-using borrowed or leftover materials. 

The whole effect is rather . . . Seussian, although I know that Gaudi came first, making Dr. Seuss rather Gaudian, I suppose.  I did feel like a Who down in Whoville most of the day.  I wouldn’t want to live in a Gaudi house, but I was inspired by this man who pushed all the bounds of acceptable, and even ‘beautiful,’ and made such a lasting impact on this city.

 

Trip: SPAIN

Posted by: Ben Messner

I just heard from the trip co-leader Michele Pinkham, and she says the team is great, everyone is healthy, and the lodging is beautiful. More to come soon...