6/2/08

I arrived in New York yesterday afternoon. As part of our conference they had us find our way to the retreat center using the bus system through the city. The weather was great and I was not pressed for time so I had a nice afternoon traveling through downtown to Staten Island where we are staying.

There are about 25 people here from across the country, varying ages and backgrounds. One of the couples even has a son who lives in Tokyo so I might look him up when I get there. The group has a great mix and we are all clicking very well. It is hard to find a time when we are not laughing.

I spoke with the McConnells today, they are the couple that I will be replacing at ARI. Andy and I talked for almost an hour about their experience. I feel like I have a better grasp on what to expect, very long days. He said it is a great chance to lose weight, even if you don't want to.

6/3/08
We talked about insurance. Insurance and cross cultural communication. The good news is I will be taken care of if something were to happen. This evening we watched Romero. Oscar Romero was an Archbishop in El Salvador in the late 70's through 1979, he got involved in the civil rights movement in that country and was murdered for his convictions. It is an eye-opening and frightening story of the struggle for equality against a power hungry elite. We were informed that it is not a good idea to become martyrs during our YASC service period. I hope you understand.