Scouting Trip

I was stingy with my vacation days in 2012, so I had a full week left that I had to use by the end of January, so Bethany and I took a long weekend (with the support of Bethany’s mom who watched our girls while we were gone – thanks Gayle!) and came up to the Bronx for what we’re calling a scouting trip. We have several basic questions to answer about moving to the Bronx this summer:

• Where will we live?
• Where will our girls go to school?
• Should one (or both) of us get a job of some kind, even if only part-time?

Each one of these questions will take considerable time and energy to answer. We understand that. They will likely not be answered quickly, or with one visit, or with one meeting. We understand all that as well.

Doesn’t mean we like it, just that we understand it.

Foggy fire escape at night

Regardless, you gotta start somewhere. So we made several appointments with several people with the goal of making progress toward answering one or more of our basic questions.

We talked to a friend of ours, Dorine, who works closely with Fellowship Chapel and the breakfast ministry they run, and who works for the public school system. We had lunch with her and she told us some good stuff about how it all works in the city, because it’s rather different from school systems in PA that we’re used to. For example, elementary schools are based on where you live (that’s the same), but for high school, kids can essentially go anywhere they want in the city (that’s not the same). There are private schools and charter schools and Catholic schools and good public schools and less good public schools.

OK, good. Lots of stuff to think about.

From Dorine's balcony

Then she showed us her apartment on the 25^th floor. Quite the view from 25 floors up.

The next morning we had an appointment at Manhattan Christian Academy, a K-8 school that's been around since the 1970's. We knew of the school because Priority 1 has helped out with an after-school program called Operation Exodus that operates there. We got the tour, poked our heads in a couple of classrooms, and got to have a decent talk with the principal, as well as to share with them who we are and what our story is. I told the husband/principal and wife/admin counselor that I really liked the "spirit of the place," that there was a good, peaceful feeling there, and they responded that they've heard people say similar things before. We really liked the school. One possible concern: They said that for next year's 1st grade class, we would essentially have to apply now. Eek.

Then we went straight to the World Vision Storehouse and met with the director, Tim, to talk very generally about what we were doing and if there were any options for partnering with them there. Priority 1 has been bringing groups there for a long time, because they always need help (anybody relate to that?). What with my several years of warehouse experience, we thought there would be potential there. And there still may be, but not right at this moment.

Thanks, Diana and Daryl!

And that’s where a lot of this stands: Possibility exists, but it won’t work out right now, in this moment.

Our questions remain unanswered, but we met some great people, got to walk around this town some more, and got to worship with some great people on Sunday morning (I even got conscripted into playing my guitar and singing backup, which was fun).

We had a couple of smaller tasks before we headed home Tuesday morning, but they mostly involved food we intended to purchase and take back with us. Chambersburg, we love ya, but you can’t match the bagels and Parmigiano-Reggiano we can get here.