Greetings from the Windy City

After 8 hours on the road, 35 high school students and 8 adults rolled into Chicago.  After getting settled in the housing site and a brief orientation from the Center for Student Ministries (CSM) staff, we headed out to dinner.  Half of the group ate at a Puerto Rican restaurant, while the other half of the group dined on authentic Vietnamese cuisine.  One of the unique aspects of CSM trips is the opportunity to experience many different ethnic foods.  After dinner, each serving team went on a driving prayer tour around the city.  It was amazing to see the stark contrasts between the affluent and impoverished areas of the city, some of which are separated by only a few blocks.  While on the tour, we learned about the rich history of Chicago and many of the problems it faces today.  We ended the night with a quick debriefing session which gave our students the opportunity to share their initial impressions of our short time in the city.