Gardening Tips from Russia

Recently my youth group went on a mission trip to Staten Island in order to help rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. I was surprised at the amount of need one city can hold. My eyes were opened in so many ways. Throughout the week, we stayed very busy. Our group did a variety of jobs including construction on houses directly affected by the storm, canvassing in beach communities, and outreach activities. We also met many, many people from multiple cultural backgrounds. For example, while we were canvassing, my group met a Russian man named Alex. His home was flooded up to the doorstep but miraculously did not go inside the main part of the house. While my friends and I were weeding his flower beds, he came outside and showed us how to use the tools at our disposal. It turned out that most of the bushes were actually berries from his homeland. After explaining what they were, he popped a few in his mouth and continued to give us a tutorial on how to landscape successfully. Alex’s advice proved to be helpful in the later encounters that day, and perhaps in the future. His lessons are only a few of the many that I will take home with me, and use in my own town and the surrounding areas. The Lord has showed me that New York City is an amazing place, and I will never forget it. The insight my youth group and I gained from this adventure will live on in our hearts for the rest of our lives.