THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 15, 1996 TAG: 9603130139
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
More than 40 students from Greenbrier Christian Academy will see the best and the worst New York City has to offer.
This weekend the students will catch a Broadway show, take the Staten Island Ferry and tour Chinatown, Little Italy and other parts of the Big Apple.
But the group's main stop will be missions in the Bowery, one of the city's roughest sections.
The school sent 47 of its choral and drama students under the supervision of drama teacher Michael S. Klefeker and choral teacher Brenda P. Bodnar.
On the first leg of their journey, the drama and choral teams will present the Christian drama ``Altered Lives'' at schools in Manassas and Fredericksburg.
After the Northern Virginia performances, the students will travel to New York City's Hotel Iroquois on 44th Street. While in the city they will sing and work at the Bowery and Avenue D outreach missions.
There students will see another side of life.
``We're doing this to try to broaden their outlook on life,'' Klefeker said. ``Most of our students come from safe and comfortable suburban homes. For so many of them everything has been provided. Here they will see another side of life. This will be a big exposure for them. They will see both sides of the city.''
At the missions, Klefeker said his students will sing, perform and serve food to the less fortunate of the city's populace. He said this type of ministry will be in keeping with the actions taught by Christ when he urged his disciples to minister to the sick, troubled, those in jail and other less fortunate individuals.
``Our students have been working on their story telling, scripture recitations and songs,'' he said. ``They will share their faith with the people they encounter in the missions.''
But not all will be work and ministry. The group will also tour the city and take in a Broadway production of ``Les Miserables.''
Klefeker said the trip has been financed through self-financing, hard work and what he calls providence.
``The students have paid a certain amount themselves and received a $2,000 donation from an interested party,'' he said. ``They also earned money for the trip by holding their own car wash.''
And while busy washing cars, their effort touched a patron from New York City.
``This man, who was from New York, had his car washed and was so impressed with what the students were doing he went to a local bank and came back and gave each of the students $100 in cash in individual envelopes,'' he said.
The success of the car wash and the fact that the students received those out-of-the-blue donations, has convinced everybody associated with the trip that God's will was at work, Klefeker said.
Klefeker said his students are excited about the trip and are anxious to get to the Bowery missions. Some of the parents are a little apprehensive, though.
``Some parents are a little nervous, and that's understandable,'' he said. ``After all, these kids aren't going to the best places in the city. But we'll be safe. We have about 10 parent and faculty chaperones and we all believe that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will.
``But the parents know this is important work for our kids. I find one of the biggest maladies in high schools today is student apathy, and I think this will do away with any apathy our students may have.'' by CNB