Ruff Notes on Chicago Trip: Blogs are coming

Okay, it has been busy and I just have gotten behind on the blogs. I know! But I have been taking notes, of which, I will be sure to eventually flesh out into stories. So for those parents who are texting and emailing me about how all their kids are doing I will at least give you the notes for now. Check back later and I hope to get this updated more soon.

WARNING!!!: ALSO DO NOT CALL YOUR TEEN WHEN I PUT THEM TO BED AND PROCEED TO TELL THEM THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TORNADO WARNING!!! You do that again and you will have your house TP'ed by me. I promise. There were no warnings. Only a watch. Even in a real tornado we would have been just fine where we were at and we were keeping our eye on the weather. I have personally been through tornadoes and I know what to do. Panicked junior high girls make it all the worse to maintain control! A pile of girls freaked out and in my room was NOT what needed to happen which was caused by texts from parents at home!  I will ban cell phones next time if you stir this pot of prepubescent energy after lights out! And I will tell them it's their parents fault, not theirs!  Cut your kid off for the week and enjoy the peace and quiet! For real!

My rant is over now. Deep breath . . . . proceed . . . 

Ruff draft of the week so far:

July 24 

Up and off to church

Junior High Class: prayers for our trip and help with sorting out tools!

Getting ready to leave for Chicago

Much better bladder control than the Senior Highers!

Arrive at North Park University(Evangelical Covenant Church Affiliation)

Meet our Host leaders: Lauren and Rachel

Split up our team into two groups

Dinner at a Colombian restaurant: nonstop family style dishes

Prayer tour all throughout Chicago: learned about economic contrasts and impact of racism

Bed

July 25

YMCA’s

Bingo with the elderly: anger, tension, the will of a bingo ninja warrior, and the fight scene!

Nile apparently reading to a group of kids!

Prayer walk

Dinner at Thai restaurant

Debrief

First Showers

Arrival of Doug and Hannah

Slip out to McDonalds with kids for last night snack

Lights out

July 26

YMCA’s in the morning: kids having fun on a water slide

Team #1: Ethnic Plunge in Albany Park

Team #2: Uptown Prayer Walk

Meet-A-Need

Serve Dinner at Cornerstone Community Outreach

Dinner at Vietnam Restaurant

The gun shots

Team #1: Serve Dinner at Ravenswood Community Services

Dinner at Mediterranean Restaurant

Showers

Head injury

Debrief

Max reading the scripture to the boys for tomorrow

The joy of seeing ministry reproduction in our kids

Lights out