Flushed In

No pun intended with the title, but it's pretty much how I feel--to the point where, they threw me in a "flushing device", flushed it, and now I'm mixed into whatever was different from me, and we are all comfortable with each other... Sorry for the sickening analogy.
I arrived in Queens on Thursday afternoon and was literally "flushed in" to the cycle of things. The worship team, meeting people, explaining why I am vegan (a different reason every time), telling people I'm from Ohio, but different parts of Ohio, how I'm a senior by credits, but only one year out of high school...ahh my complicated life.
I feel really welcomed into the Flushing environment, connecting with two girls, Christa and Hannah right away within these first few days. I am certainly welcomed into the house that I'm staying in-- a woman named Patricia houses missionaries for free, and when contacted by someone from the church, said she would house me for no charge, and that she is going out of town for some of the summer.
I spent the first night at Christa's house, where her mother, when finding out that I was vegan, supplied me with a lifetime of peanut butter, two cartons of soy milk, and a box with cans of beans, vegetables, and half a loaf of whole wheat bread.
I went to the Discipleship meeting for the worship team on the first day I was in Flushing, and dug deep into the word with the Worship team, for two and a half hours. Then yesterday evening, I went to the Young Adult Bible Study, and delved more into the word. The interesting thing is that I haven't gotten to do my devotions. But God takes me as I am, vulnerable in these new situations, learning in intense ways, what he wants me to learn, which is really great, and important. These bibles studies are a great shaper for what this summer is going to be like--God filled, and God driven. I'm pumped.
Christa showed me around Kissena Park when I was at her house. It was raining when we woke up but by the time we stepped out the door, there was a shining sun, and it was quite warm. I cannot wait to go running there-- it's so beautiful.
At the after-school tutoring program, on the first day, it was sort of unsuccessful. Introduced as knowing some Spanish I was set to work with Denise Mandelena, fresh from El Salvador, and to teach her the alphabet. I felt really bad because I wasn't able to communicate very well with her. But then yesterday, it went really well--we were doing math, and I was much more comfortable. I made her smile a lot, and I think she is catching on quickly.
Christa and Hannah came over to my house and we watched Gigi the musical last night--it was an interesting way to spend the evening, but entertaining, no doubt.
Christa took me to the Korean food market, where I might do some of my shopping. There is supposedly a Whole Foods and a Target elsewhere, but who knows when I'm going to get a chance to go shopping there--soon I hope. I need some tofu. I'm going to get sick of PB and J really soon.
Pictures and videos to come? (when I take, upload, and edit them--I'm really busy here.)

The Pakistani woman who lives in Pat's basement brought Pat breakfast this morning, and while waiting for pat, told me I was so pretty, and made me some tea, (which I'm sure has milk in it, but I appreciate her kindness. I hope to spend more time with them in the future--we'll see.)

Prayer requests:
--That I will work on my Spanish.
--For the family of Pakistani Muslims in the basement
--That I will let Christ reverberate from my soul.