This year’s Miami trip was a great one! The main purpose of the trip was to spend some time relaxing with some old and new friends from NLCF, as well as taking some time to meet some of the leaders from the Rhythm Church of Miami. We left on Saturday, March 9th from 130 Jackson. After we got everything squared away and the van unlocked and ready to go, we started our 15 hour trek south. After several stops for gas, food, and bathroom breaks, we finally made it to our hotel in Miami. Sunday, we slept in for a bit, and then checked out the local Burger King for breakfast before taking some time for a group devotional. Each day we were in Miami, we took some time to dig a bit deeper and examine how the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew affects our lives each day. After that, we traveled to Key Biscayne to spend the rest of the day at Bill Baggs Cape Florida Park. It was a nice, quiet beach with some awesome sights and a lighthouse to explore. Although the water was a bit cold, we still had a great time relaxing and soaking in the sun…some of us took in a bit too much sun!
After we got back, we cleaned up and went to the evening service at Rhythm Church, a church in the Ecclesia network that NLCF is a part of. We finished off the evening by having dinner with some of the church members at the Shake Shack, a local burger joint.
Monday started off with an adventure to get breakfast, which ended up at IHOP after trying out a local Cuban bakery. We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon doing some small service projects around the church where Rhythm meets. Some people washed outside walls and floors while others picked up bush trimmings, cleaned the kitchen, and did some vacuuming. La Rosa, a popular local Cuban restaurant, was the next stop where we had lunch. Monday night was spent soaking in the Miami culture and checking out some of the local shops and restaurants.
Tuesday, our last full day in Miami, was very memorable as we spent the day at South Beach. We got a tour of the area and got to see the sights, including places like the Kardashian’s store and Miami Ink. The afternoon was spent relaxing and enjoying the fun and sun on the beach. Dinner was a nice treat at one of the world’s best Cuban restaurants, the Versailles. We packed up and headed out the following morning. Leaving Miami early in the morning was still in the mid 60’s, but when we got out of the van in Blacksburg, it was a balmy 28 degrees! Overall, it was a great time to have fun, relax, and catch up on sleep: something every busy college could use! Miami Trip = Success!
~ David McCann