Most of the staff and TAP students gathered in the foyer to pray and wave us off at 8:30. Travel went smoothly and we soaked up the beauty of the calico leaves the entire three-hour trip to State College.
Our destination was Sowers Harvest for lunch. We’ll enjoy other meals there this week and take turns the team in the bustling café. They use hospitality as a bridge to connect with people, and see the business as a Kingdom embassy. The food and drinks were top-notch, and gave us energy for the afternoon.
We walked from the café with Ernest Eby, who took us an hour-long tour of the campus of Penn State University Park. We saw where student clubs can organize events and projects for other students. Ernest and Shawn Miller head up the student club called Happy Valley Christian Community and find ways to connect with college students who are lonely and/or want friendship, English practice, or Bible study. Over the next few days, we’ll come back here to engage with students by taking a survey that assesses their American experience as a foreign student and their interest in having a conversation partner or Bible study.
After the tour around the vast campus (we didn’t tour the 700 buildings) we settled into our lodging at All-Nations Bible Translation headquarters, which locals call “the hill.” The ladies have a lovely cabin, and the men stay across the parking lot in Ernest’s family’s basement.
We gathered in a circle to hear from Ernest, Shawn, Bryant, and Brian–all involved with various forms of outreach in State College. They told us their goals, stories, and visions for how we can join them this week. It was good to hear some of the back stories and framework of what we’ll be doing with them later.
Javon and Genny are staying at an Airbnb about twelve minutes away from the hill, and they hosted us for chili soup, corn bread, and lemon pie that we had brought for supper. We ate quickly and headed back to the café for culture night, an event they host every month. They invite college students from various countries to share about their country’s culture.
A student from Medina, Saudi Arabia gave a delightful presentation for an hour. His friend with him helped him serve Arabic coffee (with strong cardamom), dates, and a sweet pastry. He gave us time for a brief Q&A, then we mingled briefly before heading back to Javon’s for debrief and prayer.
The group is exhausted, but we are excited with what we learned today, and grateful for the ways we experienced beauty and goodness in many forms.
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