Friday & Final Thoughts

Friday was an emotional day as we said goodbye to the children at both YMCA's and pastor Bell and his crew.  Our students quickly formed bonds this week with the children at the YMCA's as they read stories, played on the playground and made picture collages.

Groups 1 & 2 didn't slow down at all on Friday as they helped install rubber roofing on a soon-to-be barbecue restaurant.

After a tough morning of physical labor, they were rewarded with a cookout featuring pastor Bell's famous "Kirk Sauce".

After hearing about Kirk Sauce for the two years since our last visit to Chicago, I can attest that it lived up to the hype.

Groups 3 & 4 concluded their trip with an Immersion, in which they were given a CTA card, a map and $2 per person with which to eat for the night.  Along the way, they were given a series of tasks that were suggested they perform.  It was a positive experience that allowed them to see the stark realities of the homeless population in Chicago.

Meanwhile, Groups 1 & 2 worked at the Saint Thomas of Catebury soup kitchen where they got to interact individuals eating dinner there.

Saturday morning was our chance to say goodbye to our City Hosts who helped us navigate the city and challenged us to stretch our comfort zones. Moses, Emily, Joe and Kaelin did an outstanding job and greatly added to our experience in Chicago.

Overall, we had a great trip to Chicago.  God really worked on the hearts of some of our students. We all felt an overwhelming urge to continue our service after our return.

Blog vs. Sleep - Friday

It was an epic battle, but at 12:15 am sleep wins. I'll try to put together some thoughts about Friday and the trip as a whole when we return.

Free Day Fun & Food - Wednesday

After checking the radar about a hundred times and coming up with Plans B - Z, we finally decided to take our chances and press on with the original plan of spending our free day at Navy Pier.  It proved to be the right call, as what was forecasted to be severe weather turned out to be perfect.  Our students enjoyed the many activities at Navy Pier with some much deserved time to just have some fun.

We even found a nice spot for story time with Blaine.

The anchor was a popular spot for pictures:

With the threat of severe weather looming and a tight window in which to get seated at Gino's East pizza, 43 of us hopped on a trolley before navigating 5 city blocks in downtown Chicago in record time.

Gino's East took great care of us, both with their service and their quality of food.  If you ever find yourself trying to figure out how much pizza to order for a party of 43, go with at least 13.  That's 104 slices, if you're scoring at home.

All in all, it was a great day; a well deserved one at that.  We're back at it tomorrow and we are looking forward to a worship service with the other groups that are serving here this week.

Please continue to pray for our students as they serve the people of Chicago this week.  We're praying that this is a week that changes their lives.

Let's Jam Out and Eat Pickles - Thursday

What another great day in Chicago!  The Windy City definitely lived up to its nickname today.  Cooler temperatures and a steady breeze made it feel more like fall than summer.  Each serving group visited their morning serving site and then headed to the shore of Lake Michigan after a quick bite to eat. 

I knew we were in for an adventure when I saw the lifeguards wearing pants, hoodies and jackets as they watched the water.  A few brave souls ventured into the   water, only to be called back onto the shore by the lifeguards.  The cool temperatures and inability to enjoy the water didn't dampen the spirits of our students, as evidenced by these pictures:

Our evening started off with an authentic Mexican meal, during which we were able to fellowship with the other serving groups in Chicago this week.  After dinner, we entered into a time of worship led by a few of our city hosts.  We also heard a powerful message from a local pastor that incorporated original poetry and spoken word.

During our debriefing session to end the night, we asked each serving group to come up with a couple Bible verses that parallel what they've experienced this week.  Our students blew us away with the messages they gave us about how this week has impacted their lives.

Now, about that blog title...

Today's blog title is a quote from one of our students.  Candace was reflecting on her time at a soup kitchen where she saw a man sitting at a table by himself.  Candace noticed that no one wanted to sit by this man because he was dancing to the music in his head and he had an affinity for pickles.  Candace shared with us that the only thing she could think of to say to him was "Let's jam out and eat pickles".

While is may seem a little humorous on the surface, it illustrates a point that we've been trying to stress all week.  Proverbs 14:31 tells us "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God".  We are called to love our neighbor, without regard to their socio-economic status.  Some of our students struggle with knowing what to say to start a conversation about their faith.  Candace's story is a great illustration that shows us the point is not how we start the conversation, but that we start the conversation at all.

The thoughts of how we continue our service when we get home are already stirring in our students' minds and we are encouraging them to not lose sight of the experiences they are having during our time in Chicago.

Things to pray for:

- Our continued safety during our time here and as we travel home on Saturday

- That God will continue to move in our hearts

- For the ministry sites we have worked with this week.  They all provide much needed services to the people of Chicago.

- For the city of Chicago itself.  Many of our students have commented about how "wrecked" the city is and how they had no idea of how bad it really is until this week.

My Goodness Snakes

Groups 1 & 2 adopted a pet at their worksite this morning and have a schedule worked out to where each of the team members will get to keep it at their house for two weeks at a time.

Groups 3 & 4 continued their work at the YMCA's, having a great time working with the children there.

This afternoon is our free time and we're headed to Navy Pier and then to experience authentic Chicago style deep dish pizza.

Sheep & Goats in Chicago? - Tuesday

Tuesday turned out to be a little more intense than the rest of the week has been so far.  Groups 1 & 2 continued serving with Pastor Bell on the south side of the city.  Everyone got their hands dirty as they helped clean out a garage.

Even though the work was exhausting at times, the students appreciated their work and enjoyed the privilege of working beside a wonderful man of God, Pastor Bell. Pastor Bell's ministry has been a favorite site for both recent trips to Chicago.

Groups 3 & 4 continued their work at separate YMCA's where they read books to children, played on the playground with them and even decorated the classroom doors.  During a quick trip for ethnic beverages at a nearby McDonalds, Karen gave an impromptu devotional on Matthew 25 when Jesus tells a story about a shepherd isolating the sheep from the goats. The McDonalds devotional turned out to be foreshadowing as the director of at the soup kitchen in which these groups served quoted the exact same verses that Karen read earlier in the day.

Groups 3 & 4 also did a prayer walk through the Uptown neighborhood where they learned about the infamous Blood Alley and how Cornerstone Community Outreach has taken it upon themselves to bring light to this once dark area, both figuratively and literally.  Another highlight of the Uptown area is the reconciliation mural that has become a rallying point of the neighborhood.

Group 1 spent part of the afternoon doing an ethnic plunge in a very culturally diverse area of the city.  The students were challenged to learn about the different languages spoken and cultures represented and the struggles that each of them face. Following the ethnic plunge, they enjoyed a Peruvian dinner before heading to a homeless men's shelter.  

While at the shelter, they were able to interact with the temporary residents and learned that each one of them had a story to tell.  This group of students came dragging back to the housing site at 10:30 p.m. to get some well-deserved sleep.

One common theme of the trip has been excellent ethnic food. Group 2 was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the staff at Sabor Latino, a Puerto Rican restaurant.  The owner even came running out to the van and said "You can't leave without giving me a hug!"  Groups 3 & 4 dined together at Silver Seafood, which is a Chinese restaurant.

During our debriefing session at the end of the night, it was clear that the Spirit is moving within our students.  They are asking lots of good questions and are starting to recognize what God is laying on their hearts.  We are challenging them to find ways that they can be sure the lessons learned this week don't stay in Chicago.

Highlights from the day:

- "The homeless people at the soup kitchen reciprocated the respect they were given.  You could tell how appreciative they were to have a hot meal and someone to talk to."

- "Preach the gospel at all times and, if you must, use words" - St. Francis

- "Jim needs to speak with me in the kitchen."

Wednesday's agenda includes our free day after serving at the morning ministry sites.  The weather forecast doesn't look very conducive to outdoor activities so it looks like we might have to move on to Plan B.

Things you can be praying for:

- Pastor Bell's ministry in south Chicago

- Leadership in the Uptown neighborhood has put up roadblocks for some ministry partners.

- Support for the growing homeless population in Chicago

- An end to the violence that is rampant on the streets of the city.

- Safe travels for our groups as they venture out into the city to go to ministry sites.

"Off in their own world..."

Monday was our first full day of serving the people of Chicago. Groups 1 & 2 began the day with a pastor who focuses on revitalizing neighborhoods on the south side of the city.

Groups 3 & 4 each served at different YMCA's where they interacted with children in head start programs. After a quick lunch, Group 3 learned a new skill: the art of making "plarn". Plarn is a yarn-like strand made from plastic shopping bags. Old bags are cut into strips and tied together to make long strands. A program called New Life for Old Bags takes the strands of plarn and crochets them into sleeping mats for individuals that experience homelessness.

You can see the sleeping mat in the foreground as Paige stretches out a strand of plarn.

Group 4 headed to play BINGO with residents of a low-income senior housing center. They were big hits with the residents, especially after they learned the nuances of calling out the BINGO letters & numbers.

After a much appreciated shower, Groups 1 & 2 set off on their Immersion. Small groups of 4-5 students are given a small amount of money that they are to use for food while experiencing different parts of the city via public transportation.

 It was an eye-opening experience. During our debriefing session at the end of the night, one student commented that "everyone was off in their own little world" and people were doing whatever they could to avoid eye contact.

Group 3 became familiarized with the diverse nature of the many neighborhoods. They were given a list of questions about a specific area and encouraged to meet business owners and residents to learn more about the various cultures represented. This definitely put some of our students outside their comfort zone, but that added to the impact the exercise had on them. They even learned about new foods:

Here are a few highlights of our debriefing session that illustrate the impact of today's activities:

- "I learned that a little action can have a big impact."

- "The city has a darker side that most people don't see."

- "The kids at the YMCA fed off our affection."

- "During the ethnic plunge, it felt weird to walk down the street and be the minority."

- "Talking to the Muslim store owner made me realize that despite our differing religious beliefs,  we're all here to serve the collectiveness of humanity."

After my much appreciated shower, it's time for lights out.  Check back tomorrow for another update.