Unit Leader.....Officially

So once again it's been awhile since I've written, and so much has changed in that time! I am now officially a divisional leader (now known as "unit leaders"). For those of you who don't know what a unit leader is, it's pretty much the person who leads the team of staff and interns in a specific area of the city. Before I was a regular Sidewalk Sunday School Staff, and now I am a Sidewalk Sunday School Unit Leader. It's a tough job, because it consists of leading the team, planning the lessons, training the interns, making sure everyone gets along, overseeing all over our sidewalk sunday school sites, and on and on. It's quite a big responsibility. It's been so busy! Late nights till 1-2am and early mornings at 6-6:30am just so I can get all the work I need done! Soon I'll be able to get more sleep. It's been tough only because I'm learning all the ropes right now and having to make up templates and schedules for everything, so you can imagine how much extra time it takes! My first week at it was pretty good though. Sure a few times I was really stressed out, but for the most part, I held it together really good.
So, because I'm a unit leader, it means that I had to leave my site, Pink Houses, which has been extremely hard. I've made such good relationships with many of the kids, parents, and teenagers. I had a good one week breakdown a couple of weeks ago because I was so upset. To be honest with you, it was so painful (and still is) to have to let my kids go. This is the kind of job where you invest so much time and money into these kids - you love them so hard - so it's not an easy thing to have to walk away. But I know I have to trust God in all of this.
Not only do I have to leave my site but also my Unit (previously known as Division) which means that I'm not working in East New York, Brooklyn. Now I'm based out of Manhattan in an area called the Lower East Side (a.k.a. L.E.S.) and one site on Saturday in Chinatown. So it's very different especially because I'm in the city ministering. But let me tell you, there's still a ghetto there! But so different from Brooklyn. I'm really going to miss Brooklyn....a lot. The new site I'll be taking over is called Jacob Riis Houses (like "Reeses" Pieces). I'll let you know more about it once I get to know the area and the kids and all. I'm excited but also terrified, nervous and completely distraught. But this is all in God's hands, and I know that he has a purpose in all of this! And I'm assuming he trusts me to oversee all of these people!
Please pray for me when you think of me. Pray for wisdom, time management, and rest.
I think I mentioned that I moved about a month ago now. I live with one of my old room mates Cindy (from Quebec!!). She's amazing and we get along so great....it's been really good! We also got a kitten about 3 weeks ago. We named her Rahab the Redeemed but we call her Ray Ray. She's grey and white and she's so playful. Unfortunately I'm allergic to her, but for now we're going to keep her. I just can't spend much time in the kitchen and living room where she hangs out....and I've of course been taking lots of Benadryl when I can't avoid it!
This semester we got 3 interns. Sara from California, Heike from Germany, and Conrad from Taiwan. All of them are great and I'm so excited to see them grow both in their preaching skills but most of all in their walk with the Lord. Exciting times!
God has really been moving amongst us here. And I can say that with confidence. He's been really breaking the hearts of the staff here and also of the youth and the adult churches. It's been amazing to see cause people haven't been this receptive to what God wants to do in them ever before like this at metro. It's so exciting! I can't wait to see what God has in store for us on our sites with the kids.
Well, I think that's all for now. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers. And thank you to those of you who have sent me birthday cards and gifts! I appreciate every one of you so much and am always blown away that you thought of me. For real! I'll be writing each of you quite soon....I do have the cards to say thank you! Love you all and hope everything is going well back home. Thinking of each of you often.