#CoCMidAtlantic, Day 4

Getting off the ferry and walking into New York city was such an exciting moment. It’s probably the one day everyone was looking forward to the most, me included. Once we walked through the Financial District as a group we all split into our respective groups for lunch. My group got to eat on the rooftop of New York’s IBM building along with two working sisters and four college sisters from NYU. Their cafeteria was very fancy with a fresh pasta bar for lunch and a beautiful terrace we got to take pictures on and enjoy the amazing views. However, I really enjoyed the blending and fellowship I got to have with the sisters during this time. We prayed together and exchanged stories of our time at college. Despite us being from opposite sides of the country, we found many similarities among each other. We got to share laughs and ask questions, and by the end, it felt like I knew some of these people for longer than just today. I’ve been so grateful for all the saints who have taken time out of their day to spend with us and this was another moment I’ll cherish with me.

— Mariah C.

Today was the part of the trip that I had looked forward to the most: NYC day! And what better way is there to start an exciting day than by singing? As soon as my hospitality roommate Priscilla and I got ready for the day, we got into our car with a few more sisters (+ Andrew) and started our day by singing our favorite hymns as we drove to the ferry station. I particularly enjoyed singing “He’s the Rock who’s following me” because it reminded me that the Lord is following and supplying us in our every step!

After taking the ferry to New York, Karissa and Grace gave a short tour of the Financial District, dropping by the Charging Bull statue, the Trinity Church, and the New York Stock Exchange. At each stop, Grace would give us a Bible verse with some relevance to the landmark, which I really enjoyed. The final stop of the tour was the 9/11 Memorial, and afterwards we split into smaller groups to explore various parts of New York City.

My group explored South Midtown, starting by visiting Joe and Jess, a married couple working in NYC. They cooked spaghetti for us and showed us their rooftop, which had an amazing view of the Financial District! They also shared their experience living, working, and enjoying Christ in NYC. My group also visited the Empire State Building, New York Public Library, and the Grand Central Terminal. We also made sure to make stops to check out gift shops and buy food—pizza, bagels, and $18 gyros.

After our exciting day in New York, we headed back to the meeting hall of the Church in Piscataway. The saints had prepared a dinner for us, before we joined their prayer meeting. To end our day, Priscilla and I came home and gave a gift to our hosting family, because this would be our final night in New Jersey. The gift included a short letter, chocolates from Berkeley, our Christians on Campus pin, and a group picture of everyone on the trip! Our host family loved it and told us that they’d love to meet us again if they ever visit California, and wished that we would all continue loving and pursuing the Lord together as the Body.

— Hayley Y.

Today we took a day trip out to New York City! For lunch, my group met up with some brothers from NYC at The Hungry Pearl, a food court with a variety of different lunch options (including a Michelin-recommended Japanese spot that some of the brothers tried out!). Afterwards, we navigated the subway system to Central Park and met up with two sisters from NYU, including one of my closest companions Victoria. We even managed to squeeze in some New York classics—pizzas, bagels and Magnolia Bakery—within a 40-minute interval at the very end, and were the first ones to make it back to the afternoon ferry!

Though it was fun to run around New York for a day, one of my major highlights of the day came after we got back, when we joined the church in Piscataway for their weekly prayer meeting. Since arriving in New Jersey, the students have been so cherished and watered by the local brothers and sisters here, and I think that helped us really enter into the burdens that we were praying for. I felt very encouraged by the spirit of the saints and the spirits of the other students. Even after a full day of sightseeing, it was so enjoyable to pray in one spirit with the saints for what the Lord is doing in New Jersey. 

A verse that came to me toward the end of the prayer meeting:

"Because the God who said, Out of darkness light shall shine, is the One who shined in our hearts to illuminate the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)

— Zoe O.

There were a lot of interesting things taking place with my NYC group today where we covered Midtown South, which started off with a meal with saints named Joe and Jess where we enjoyed some spaghetti with marinara sauce and some salad. Then we proceeded to visit some nearby iconic places, such as the New York Public Library and Grand Central Station. Before we had to reunite with others to return back to Piscataway, we enjoyed some of the local goods, such as some pastries from the Heritage Grand Bakery and some amazing pizza from Previti Pizza (highly recommended). All in all, we saw a lot and we ate a lot, so we enjoyed it a lot. That's all for today and I'm looking forward to what's in store for tomorrow!

— Henna K.