Goodbye, SYI
July 26, 2014
All good things must come to an end, I suppose, and I guess SYI is no exception. So today, we packed our bags, shared a few last hugs, and slowly went our separate ways.
Today was our last day. We shared one final breakfast with everyone and headed to worship, where we sang our hearts out, served communion, and ended with a conga line to the main Seminary steps.
Even though it was hard to say goodbye to the family I've grown to love over the past two weeks, I know that we'll all see each other again someday, through SYI or by coincidence. Even now, only twelve hours since the official end, we've already been texting and Snapchatting each other.
As we all return to our regular schedules, time zones, and lifestyles, I know that all of us will keep the experiences of the past two weeks fresh in mind, shaping and teaching us everyday as we grow in our faith and move on in life.
My experiences at PTS and SYI can be summed up in three songs:
1. Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara
2. Washed by the Water by NEEDTOBREATHE
3. How He Loves by David Crowder Band
Today was our last day. We shared one final breakfast with everyone and headed to worship, where we sang our hearts out, served communion, and ended with a conga line to the main Seminary steps.
Even though it was hard to say goodbye to the family I've grown to love over the past two weeks, I know that we'll all see each other again someday, through SYI or by coincidence. Even now, only twelve hours since the official end, we've already been texting and Snapchatting each other.
As we all return to our regular schedules, time zones, and lifestyles, I know that all of us will keep the experiences of the past two weeks fresh in mind, shaping and teaching us everyday as we grow in our faith and move on in life.
My experiences at PTS and SYI can be summed up in three songs:
1. Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara
2. Washed by the Water by NEEDTOBREATHE
3. How He Loves by David Crowder Band
SYI Week 1 Reflection
July 20, 2014 Pittsburgh Theological Seminary 616 N Highland Ave, Pittsburgh
I have had quite the jam packed week, from mission work to classes, dances to naps. My first week in Pittsburgh is at a close, and I'm only more excited for the second! So, logically, what else is there to do other than reflect on everything that has happened this week? 
RELATIONSHIPS. Probably the best part of this week are the friendships I've made. We've come a long way from the first day, that awkward car ride of silence from the airport. Dinners have turned into family dinners, everyone crowded around the conference table, sharing stories and jokes and, most importantly, chocolate chip cookies. We ended our week with a dance, and we're all still feeling the after effects of jumping for three hours today. It's amazing to see our group become more and more comfortable with each other and learning more about each other. I know these relationships are ones that will last for years, and we'll all only grow closer.
WORSHIP. Everyday, we've opened and closed with worship services at the Seminary. We also had the opportunity to attend a Taizè service. This was one of the most powerful services I have ever attended. Other services ranged from drawing out our prayers in the art room to listening to the allegory of the Unicorn, to enjoying morning worship on the chapel steps.
MISSION. Wednesday and Saturday mornings we were able to help out at a couple of different mission sites. Half of the SYI crew worked at Garfield Community Farm while the other half worked at a housing project. At the house, we scraped old paint, primed ceilings, and helped with demolition. Unfortunately, our group wasn't able to work at the farm due to weather, but we were able to tour and learn about what the farm provides for the community and how the plots and gardens work.
CLASSES. The weekend marks the end of the first language class and the first week of elective classes. I took Greek the first week, and I'll be going in to Hebrew this week. My elective class, Practical Theodicy, has raised questions and offered theories of why evil and suffering exists in the world. I've learned a lot in this first week, and I'm excited to learn more!
SMALL GROUPS. Small groups have given me the opportunity to become closer with some of my fellow scholars and to just relax after a long day of class. Our group chose to meet in the basement rec room, snuggled up with blankets for our evening chats. We've shared Faith Journeys, shared jokes, and most importantly just had fun hanging out.
FIELD TRIPS. This week, we had outings to Inventionland and Kennywood Amusement Park. These were so fun, and a much appreciated break from regular class days. Inventionland taught us to always be creative, and that God can call you to do anything in life. Kennywood wasn't exactly a learning experience, but it definitely taught me who my fellow adrenaline junkies were! We also had free time to explore the area around the Seminary, which we took as a call to an ice cream shop.
So, I'm pretty certain SYI is only going to get better from here, and I'm excited to see what else they have in store for us. For now, we're going to spend the afternoon relaxing with a pizza and movie night, recuperating and preparing for another week of adventures!
SYI Mid-Week Update
July 15, 2014
Well, the last few days have been quite an experience, and one I can tell will definitely affect me for the better.
For the past four days (and also the next two weeks), I've been in Pittsburgh at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary for the annual Miller Summer Youth Institute. This program offers students a chance to better understand their faith, learn different aspects of theology, and find a peace with the direction they are headed in life. We'll also be visiting an amusement park, working on different mission sites, and hearing from several speakers from the Pittsburgh area.
So as for my experiences here, I have quite a collection of stories.
Saturday was the travel day. I arrived in Pittsburgh by plane, along with a couple other scholars. We were received by some wonderful SYI staff (Morgan and Chris, some cool kids; Derek, cool kid-at-heart) and were shuttled to the Seminary by a driver. Now, since this is my first time in Pittsburgh, I was like a kid at a candy store; I had my face pressed to the glass driving through the city. I'm shocked at how green everything is! I was expecting more city and less trees. Once we had all settled in and arrived, we had dinner and relaxed. This mainly included some board games (namely, the most awkward game of Apples to Apples known to man), watching the World Cup, and playing volleyball outside.
Sunday, we headed to Eastminster Presbyterian Church, just a block from the Seminary, for morning worship. The church was beautiful, with astounding architecture and amazing stained glass windows. The service was nice, featuring a blend of traditional hymns and modern praise songs. Though, the lack of air conditioning was quite a shock to my Florida baby self, I loves me some air conditioning. The rest of the day we played more volleyball, enjoyed some ice cream, met for small group, and prepared ourselves for class the next day.
Monday marked the first day of classes. The morning started with Ancient Greek with Prof. Davison. We learned the pronunciation of the alphabet, some basic reading, and some homework worksheets to practice translating. After the morning break was Practical Theodicy with Dr. Hancock. This class is most certainly my favorite so far. It covers the big questions, "Why would God create suffering?" and "Why does evil exist?" to name just two, not to mention we're reading C.S. Lewis' never-meant-to-be-published journal.
During free time, we finished our homework in the library (where we saw Karl Barth's actual desk) and then headed over to the craft room. Having some Disney withdrawal, I decided to color a couple Disney inspired pictures and enjoy conversation with the other scholars until dinnertime. After dinner, we heard from a speaker from the Fred Rogers foundation. This was one of the best speakers I have ever had, and the presentation left more than a few in tears. To me, it really made it hit home what it means to have faith and shows that I can make a difference in the world no matter how crazy my dream is and how stacked the odds may seem. We ended with worship, small groups, and snacks.
Tuesday, we repeated the same schedule. Morning language class, elective class (Theodicy), lunch; and then we had free time. Now, since both my room mate and I are incredibly studious, we knocked our homework out in no time, and had about two hours of time to enjoy ourselves. Rather than encroach upon the boys game of basketball, or repeat craft time from theprevious day, we decided to try our hands at tennis. We were both absolutely terrible, but we had a great time playing and that's all that really matters. We ended with small group and worship again, and I'm now up past lights out updating y'all on my life!
For the past four days (and also the next two weeks), I've been in Pittsburgh at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary for the annual Miller Summer Youth Institute. This program offers students a chance to better understand their faith, learn different aspects of theology, and find a peace with the direction they are headed in life. We'll also be visiting an amusement park, working on different mission sites, and hearing from several speakers from the Pittsburgh area.
Saturday was the travel day. I arrived in Pittsburgh by plane, along with a couple other scholars. We were received by some wonderful SYI staff (Morgan and Chris, some cool kids; Derek, cool kid-at-heart) and were shuttled to the Seminary by a driver. Now, since this is my first time in Pittsburgh, I was like a kid at a candy store; I had my face pressed to the glass driving through the city. I'm shocked at how green everything is! I was expecting more city and less trees. Once we had all settled in and arrived, we had dinner and relaxed. This mainly included some board games (namely, the most awkward game of Apples to Apples known to man), watching the World Cup, and playing volleyball outside.
Sunday, we headed to Eastminster Presbyterian Church, just a block from the Seminary, for morning worship. The church was beautiful, with astounding architecture and amazing stained glass windows. The service was nice, featuring a blend of traditional hymns and modern praise songs. Though, the lack of air conditioning was quite a shock to my Florida baby self, I loves me some air conditioning. The rest of the day we played more volleyball, enjoyed some ice cream, met for small group, and prepared ourselves for class the next day.
During free time, we finished our homework in the library (where we saw Karl Barth's actual desk) and then headed over to the craft room. Having some Disney withdrawal, I decided to color a couple Disney inspired pictures and enjoy conversation with the other scholars until dinnertime. After dinner, we heard from a speaker from the Fred Rogers foundation. This was one of the best speakers I have ever had, and the presentation left more than a few in tears. To me, it really made it hit home what it means to have faith and shows that I can make a difference in the world no matter how crazy my dream is and how stacked the odds may seem. We ended with worship, small groups, and snacks.
I already feel like I've grown in my time here, and I can't wait to see how much I've learned and changed in two weeks. Through the amazing people I've met so far and the classes I'm taking, I can tell this is going to be an experience worth my time.
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