My China Bus Adventure
(and I’m not even going on the trip…)
It’s officially spring break in college world. And while many students all across America are headed to places with warm weather and lots of ‘extracurricular activities,’ 45 Triad area students are headed to NYC for a week of helping launch ministries on campuses in the Brooklyn area. There are 143 college campuses in NYC, and 1 million students from all over the globe. Yet, there are only 10 full-time Campus Crusade staff serving in New York City. Thus, the boost that spring breakers can bring to ministry there is HUGE!
I, however, am not taking part in this trip. So, how did I have an adventure and what does that have to do with a China bus? Well, college students are thrifty and creative. When some of our international friends told us about a bus that will take you from Greensboro to Chinatown in NYC for $30, that sounded right up “college student alley.” So, as students registered for the trip they were directed to purchase their bus tickets to leave for NYC this Friday night.
The bus picks up riders outside a Shell gas station off of High Point Road at 11:59pm. Students met on campus at 10pm to get shuttled over to the gas station with all their luggage and make sure everyone was accounted for in plenty of time to catch the bus. An hour later, everyone who is going on the trip is there and cars have been driven to safe parking places for the week. We’re just hanging out in the parking lot and waiting for the bus.
At about 11:50, a bus with Chinese characters on the side pulls into the parking lot and all 45 of the Triad staff and students begin lining up with their luggage to board the bus (along with about 7 other people who were taking part in our adventure with the affectionately named “sketchy bus”). An Asian man is driving. He waves at us from the driver’s seat, then gets off of the bus and proceeds to tell us there is room for 5 people. The bus is full of riders - those in the front were Asians who watched the Americans waiting in the parking lot and will have quite a story to tell about their own adventure.
After a few of the guys with our group talk to the driver and some phone calls are made to the bus-people-in-charge (all while a few of the Asian passengers are standing outside, right beside of gas pumps, smoking some cigarettes), those who are not with our group get on the bus and we are told that another bus will come in one hour. They had oversold the seats - guess they didn’t think 40+ Americans were really gonna show up for the midnight bus to Chinatown!
The students seemed to have pretty good attitudes about the delay and we all found ways to amuse ourselves. I figured at this point, I would just hang around for the adventure and to see them off. What did we do? Imagine 40 adults sitting around on the floor of a gas station, while the luggage of those 40 people sits in the parking lot a few guys hang around out there to watch it. Lots of random gas station food was purchased. Students had conversations, played cards, listened to their iPods, and even did some homework. And we had lots of fun reactions from people stopping at the gas station during our time there. A couple of drunk guys talked to us about government. A few ladies came by after their time at a local club and asked if they could come to NYC with us. One fellow asked if we were going on a field trip.
At about 1:20am, the second bus finally pulled up and students loaded all their luggage and themselves onto the bus. As I type this, they are on their way to NYC for a week of ministry. Pray for their safety, as well as for the Lord to work mightily during their time there. And also praise God that He allows us these crazy adventures…
1 year ago • 0 notes