I sent this to all of the folks back home.  Since it was already typed, I
thought I would put it here just in case someone wondered what Jeff
Hill did in April and May.

Last Days
My time in New York is quickly coming to a close. I graduate from TLJ
this Thursday, the last day of the after-school program will be June 7,
and I will fly back to Texas June 16.


Events
Concert
Our concert was everything we could have hoped. The artists sounded
great, the church once again looked fabulous thanks to our volunteers,
and over 100 people showed up. Most of those came from our
neighborhood. Everyone who came had a great time and loved the music.
Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success.

Easter Egg Hunt
April 15 a large group of us from Graffiti trekked up to the south
Bronx where Andrew Mann and Graffiti 2 sponsored a community-wide Easter egg hunt. They had never had one before, so they did not know whether to expect 25 kids or 300. On the day of the event, we provided snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy, and face painting in addition to laying out 5,000 candy-filled eggs, all free to the community.

As they started registering kids for the hunt, the line backed-up until
they had to start turning people away. Over 300 kids showed up, each
with at least one guardian! I have never seen anything quite like the
hunt itself; the egg-covered fields were picked clean in less than two
minutes. Afterwards, Andrew put on a magic show complete with a
presentation of the gospel. The event was a huge success.

College Metro Conference
Lorie, Jenny, and I along with TLJ hosted a conference for over 60
college pastors here at Graffiti April 19-21. Jenny and I were
responsible for providing the food and setting-up/ breaking-down the
dining areas. Neither of us had provided food for that many people
before. We did not see much of the conference, but we had plenty of
food, it all arrived on time, and everyone had a place to sit and eat.

Clothing Sale
We held another clothing sale on the first Saturday this month. Once
again, the weather was ideal and the crowd calm. We sold nearly all of
the clothes we had, by the bagful for a nominal price. Everyone who
came left with something they liked.


Road-Trips
Over the last several months, some friends and I have taken advantage
of the opportunities that we have had to hit the road and see what we
can see.

Washington D. C.
Jenny, Jennifer, and I decided to take a Friday and travel to
Washington and see what we could in one day. We saw the cherry trees in bloom and many famous buildings and monuments, including the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown American Soldier.

Princeton, NJ
The next week, Jenny and I visited our friends at Princeton Theological
Seminary to watch their ultimate Frisbee tournament and help eat the
Southern Society's barbecue. It rained most of the day, but the campus
and town were beautiful.

5 Boro Bike Tour
The day after our clothing sale, I joined 30,000 people in the largest
recreational cycling event in the U.S.: NYCs 5 Boro Bike Tour. We rode 40-miles traffic-free from Battery Park in Manhattan to Staten Island via the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. I have never seen so many people on bicycles. I ended up in the heart of the bike traffic, but still had a great time.

Alas! My poetic career has died. Upon its completion I did indeed send my declaration of deepest desire for publication, only to be scorned for its “imbecilic grammatical structure, hackneyed phrasing and theme, and simplistic arrangement.” I see it so clearly now. Its inconsistent rhythmic scheme and weak stanzas mock me. That the expression of my “love” must languish in the styleless confines of so pallid a poem rends the very fabric of my sanity! No, I cannot look upon it any longer; it must be banished forever from memory. It must never, ever return!

Well, it's about time I got this thing started. I'll try to find a more recent photo, but for now, this is the only one I've got. That being said, if you have any, please send them to me.