DestiNATIONS International . My family rents an apartment in Elmhurst , Queens , one of the most culturally diverse places on the earth . Fun Fact : our local hospital offers translation services in 153 languages ! Our neighbors are Chinese , Indonesian , Columbian , Nepali , Pakistani , and Bangali , just to name a few . Being surrounded by so many cultures is one of my favorite parts of New York City .
For the most part , I live a fairly “ normal ” Mennonite life . I am seventeen , the oldest of five kids , and a senior in high school . I spend most of my time studying Economics , Spanish 2 , or any of my other credits . From September to March , I also compete in MACSA Bible Quizzing , which means that I have to memorize 260-300 verses in approximately four months . This year , the passages are Ephesians , Ruth , and Proverbs 4 , and we are right in the middle of memorizing and practicing . My family is also part of a homeschool group which meets once a month . We go to the go on field trips , and I really enjoy it . In my spare time , I enjoy reading , making cards , writing letters , emailing , or trying new crafty ideas . But I spend most of my time in school or in quizzing .
At the Mission Training Center , my dad is the Assistant Director , and our family often interacts with the trainees that come through . Youth groups come for the weekend and I can see some of my friends from quizzing , or I make new friends . Twice a year , the MTC offers a six-week long training course called Long Term Orientation ( LTO ). I always enjoy LTO because I get to know the trainees very well , and I can see how God works in every person ’ s life a different way . Interns also come for six to eight months , and they can often be seen sitting at our table or singing in our living room . Life at the MTC as a “ staff kid ” gives me the opportunity to meet dozens of people every year who are serving God with their lives . That , in turn , inspires me to serve Him where I am right now . park , sing in choir , have talent nights , or