I am interning with M.J. Seiwert, the Junior High Youth Group Pastor, this summer. Although going on the mission trip wasn't required, it was a pretty important part of the internship. I thought the two other interns were going to attend as well, but I found out later that they were both unable to attend. I was both nervous and bummed. I didn't really know any of the other leaders besides M.J.. Also, my internship and work with the youth group had been primarily internal before the trip; I hadn't interacted much with the students. When I looked at the finalized list of students, I was for sure freaking out. I recognized one name out of 23. ONE... and that was because this was the son of one of the leaders. Not only did I not know most of the students attending, but for a long time, I was the only female leader signed up. A couple of women told M.J. they were able to lead, but at the last minute, they dropped out. For a few weeks, I was planning on leading eight junior high girls all by myself. We prayed a TON in preparation for the trip-- We prayed for female leadership, guidance, trust, patience, and understanding. This was going to be my 9th mission trip... and I had never been so nervous beforehand.
A couple weeks before departure, Dan McKinney Jr., one of the male leaders, told us that a friend and classmate of his, Bri Link, would be able to help lead. WHAT AN ANSWER TO PRAYER. I was really excited that there would be a second female leader on the trip. After this, I started praying that Bri and I would get along well and work positively together.
After a ton of preparation and prayer, the day had arrived. We all met at Christ Church in Lake Forest and began to load luggage into the vans. I looked around carefully at each of the students trying to figure out who was who. I introduced myself and did my best to connect the faces with the names. (If you know me well, you know I am HORRIBLE with names. I am WONDERFUL with faces and I know if I know someone... I just lack in the whole memory department... hence why I am an art major...) All the girls were incredibly shy... I probably freaked them out a lot since I was trying to be as friendly and bubbly as possible. Once everyone arrived, we prayed with the parents and then separated into two groups: serving group 1 and serving group 2. Serving group 1 was led by Vince Pierri Sr. and myself. Serving group 2 was led by M.J., Dan, and Bri. Each group separated into their own 15 passenger van. These groups were vital on the trip. Those in our group were going to be the people we spent the entire week with and with whom we went to every serving project with. Serving group 1 and 2 never worked together and really only saw each other during free time and debriefing. We headed off. I was pretty excited Vince and I were leading together... I didn't know him very well, but could not wait to spend more time getting to know him!
We arrived downtown at the North Park University Campus where we were staying in apartments. We were there with a program called the Center for Student Missions (CSM). Going downtown, staying in the apartment, and working with this program flooded my mind with memories. When I was in junior high and in Wild Kingdom, I too went on the Chicago Mission Trip. As an incoming 7th grader, I actually attended the absolute FIRST Chicago trip Wild Kingdom had. I also attended the trip after my 7th and 8th grade years. Those three summer experiences are what definitely launched my passion and heart for serving others and for the mission field. Returning was so sweet and I could not wait to get started.
After settling in, getting to know each other a little bit better, and discussing rules and expectations, our team met the two CSM leaders/hosts (J.D. and John) that would be leading us around the city. They discussed our schedule for the week and further explained the expectations of CSM. J.D. was the host for my group, serving group 1, and John for serving group 2. Our first outing was to an Ecuadorian restaurant where we would be having dinner. A really big part of staying and working with CSM is that teams eat some sort of ethnic food every night. NO McDonald's. I was so excited... I LOVE LOVE LOVE ethnic food and am pretty open to trying new things. Later in the night, we went on a prayer tour around the city. As we drove through different neighborhoods, J.D. talked about different communities and issues in which they face. He explained to us the impact of gangs, the lack of educational opportunities, the issues of affordable housing, and tons of other things. Even living in the Chicago area for most of my life, I know little about the REAL Chicago. We drove past struggling churches, health clinics, and daycare facilities, praying that God would reveal Himself even further to the members of the communities and heal the brokenness. We prayed that God would give wisdom to civil and social leaders. We prayed that God would break down the gangs and injustice. After seeing these worn down communities, we then drove down Michigan Avenue. It was really shocking. We went from an area where the average home cost $65,000 to an area where the average apartment/condo cost $1.5 million dollars. Disgusting. I have walked down Michigan Avenue many many times, but never have my eyes been so opened to the differences in the communities. It was a really enlightening night. I was so excited to hear the opinions and thoughts of the students.
The next day, my group drove to the Carole Robertson Center. This is a pre-preschool/preschool for low income children and families. While parents are looking for jobs or working, this center watches their kids and teaches them basic lessons. Our students were divided into pairs and placed in different classrooms for kids between the ages of 3 and 5. These kids were the cutest... absolutely adorable. We played games, sung songs, played outside, and read stories. We went back two other mornings as well. I was just amazed at the bonds that were created between the kids and the junior highers. They really touched my heart- it was just a small example of the love and compassion of Jesus Christ and the love God the Father has for each of his children. I was so proud at how well the students worked with the little ones.
That Afternoon, we went to the Greater Chicago Food Depository to repackage corn flakes. The GCFD packs different food and drink items and distributes them to food pantries and soup kitchens. The corn flakes came in 44 lb. bags that we opened, then scooped 8 ounces of into smaller bags, which were then weighed, sealed, labeled, and boxed for distribution. After a couple hours, our serving group bagged over 5,000 bags of corn flakes! WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That evening, we went to dinner at an Algerian restaurant and then returned to the base for debriefing. The entire team/group would share their reactions from the day with one another and tell any "God Sightings" or anything exciting that happened. We did this every night, and for me, debriefing was always the highlight of my day. I loved hearing stories from the day and hearing students talk about their thoughts and reactions. God is so good and it was incredible hearing about the things HE did for them and revealed to them those days.
The morning of second full day of the trip, my serving group went on their "immersion trip." Our serving group of 14 people was split in half- two groups each with one leader and 6 students. CSM assigned each group to a location in the city, gave us a map and $14, and then sent us off. The purpose of the "immersion trip" is to experience what life is like (for just a day) trying to live off of $2 a day. I led a team of 6 students to Michigan Avenue. I was really nervous about leading my own immersion team. Would if we got lost? Would if a student is left behind? Would if we get in some sort of trouble? I don't really know how to use the "L"... what do I do?Dozens of questions and concerns floated through my mind. Not only was I responsible for myself and trying to figure out what the heck I was doing, but I was a guide and leader for 6 others. I was just incredibly thankful that I received the trip to Michigan Avenue, a very familiar area. I was also greatly comforted by J.D. and John's words of affirmation and positive attitudes in that I would be perfectly fine. Looking back on it, I think that me being so nervous about the trip was silly... we were PERFECTLY fine. No issues whatsoever. We didn't get lost, we got on the right trains, we made perfect timing, and it was a gorgeous day. My group could only really afford lunch at 7-eleven (since we were only given $2 per person). We each got a hot dog and shared a big bag of chips... nothing special, but we even had extra money at the end. I challenged my group to meet and talk to a lot of people, get out of their comfort zones, and to really open their eyes to what God is doing on Michigan Ave. Look at the homeless and the men/women on the streets. Look at how others react to them. Be thankful for all that you have been blessed with. I really was eager for them to get a lot out of the trip. I was so proud of the kids, because they really listened and did everything I asked. I would have been proud no matter what, but they went ABOVE and BEYOND what I was expecting, and it really allowed me to thank and PRAISE the LORD for their willing hearts. It also made me realize that I cannot put limits on what I think the students can do... they are capable of so much!!!!! We talked to four individuals: a fisherman, a trolley lady, a homeless man selling "StreetWise", and a film maker. Most of the conversations we had were pretty casual and laid back. The one conversation that really stuck out in my mind was with the homeless man, Darian. We gave advice to the kids, "Stay out of gangs and stay in school. I am not a bad guy but I made a lot of bad decisions. Stay out of gangs. I have one thing, and that is God. That's all I really need. The most important thing." He was friendly, open and honest. I don't think many of the students had ever talked to a homeless man before, so it was incredible seeing them interact with no judgement .
That afternoon and evening, our entire serving group did a scavenger hunt on Devon St. and then served in the Good News Community Kitchen (very similar to a soup kitchen). Both events were pretty stressful for multiple reasons (especially from a leader perspective). I tried to remain positive and thankful though, keeping Christ in mind and His attitude. Good News was VERY VERY VERY demanding, but I was incredibly blessed to have met some amazing people. I talked to one middle aged man that was a former veteran and civil worker who was now disabled. He told me about his past and the CRAZY things he saw and experienced (if you wanna hear some of the stories, just let me know and I will tell you... there are too many to write down on here). He was so real and so friendly. Another woman I met at Good News was an elderly woman named Martha. She came late to dinner and was the last one served the cold food. We were all cleaning the room and noticed she was the absolute last person in there. I went over and asked her if I could help her pack her food up (she had brought a bunch of paper cups to store her leftover food in) or help her clean away trash. We just started talking and everything was so fluid and natural. I have never met someone so sweet. She was probably around 4'10'' or so, only had a few teeth, and her hair was matted into pigtail dreadlocks. She carried a couple of bags with her that contained some pretty random things like an owl pillow. She told me about how she liked going to Good News but the problem was, was that she always showed up late and got served cold food and there would be no one there to talk to. I told her to come early and get a ticket so she could enjoy both the warm food and some company. She didn't have a very good memory; she repeated herself DOZENS of times. She also told me I looked like one of her favorite actresses from the 1940's except she had blonde hair and I have brown. I helped her pick out a couple of free books that they had at Good News and helped her repack her bags. I absolutely adored talking with her. She gave me a huge hug at one point and even though she didn't have a very good memory, she did remember my name (and I, hers). She is definitely someone I will remember for a long time. After we served dinner at the Good News, our serving group had dinner at a Peruvian restaurant... which was INCREDIBLE. SOOOO good. They day ended once again with worship and an incredible debrief.
Over the next couple of days, our group went to the Carole Robertson Center in the morning and then spent the afternoon at the beach for free time. On the last full day and night downtown, CSM hosted a 20th year anniversary for the CSM program. We joined other teams from around the country and played games, ate GREAT Mexican food, worshipped together, and then listened to a speaker. It was cool just winding down and meeting others with the same passion for missions and Christ. Our real last day, we once again went to Carole Robertson, said goodbye to the kids, then headed to the YMCA to hang out with kids ages 9-12. We played some INTENSE dodgeball and just hung out and played other random games. It pretty much just rocked. That night, we ate our last meal at a Thai Restaurant (this meal was probably my favorite) and then headed back to the site, packed and loaded up, said our goodbyes to the hosts, and headed back to Lake Forest.
God did so much for our team that week. He opened each person's heart and mind to every experience, good or bad. He really challenged us too seek HIM and look at HIM amidst both strong and weak points. He gave us compassionate hearts like His Son. He softened my heart for the students and really allowed our entire team to bond beyond expectations. I fell in love with each girl... ESPECIALLY BRI (the other female leader). She is an amazingly Godly woman. We literally stayed up for hours after lights out and just talked. We laughed, cried, shared our concerns and fears, our hopes, and gave each other words of affirmation and advice. I have never bonded so fast with someone in my entire life. It was an enormous blessing from God to have her there. It would not have been the same. We also did our morning and evening devotions together and with all the female students. It was a really solid time to just connect on a deeper and more spiritual level with each other. I love each of them. They are hilarious and I wouldn't have changed it for the world. I was also very blessed to have gotten to know all the boys as well. They were so vital to the team. J.D. and John, the two hosts, were incredible. They were so encouraging, optimistic, and open to sharing about their life. They definitely helped make this experience a positive one... not to mention J.D. unclogged and fixed the girls toilet about half a dozen times... now that takes a good heart! The guy students were hilarious and random and made the trip a whole bunch of fun. If you wanna see what I mean, look up "Can We Dance With You? (Number 1)" on YouTube.com... you will understand :). The male leaders were also incredible. I was sad I wasn't able to spend too much time with Dan or M.J. because they weren't in my serving group, but still, I got to talk with them a little and catch up. They are two stellar (yes, stellar) dudes. Vince Pierri, the other leader in our serving group, was amazing. I don't really know how else to describe him... all I know is that without each of these leaders, the trip would not have been the same. God blessed our team with solid solid solid individuals. I praise HIM everyday for the people I met and those on our team. I am praying for each of them and thanking Him for the blessings poured upon us last week. We Praise Your Holy Name.
(Thanks for enduring.... that was so freaking long.)
1 comment:
Bethy
I enjoyed reading about your Chicago missions trip. I love you and who you are. You are such a wonderful and caring person. I am so blessed to be your dad. Thank you for making me so proud.
Dadeo
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