Chicago and Milwaukee

    We recently returned from our inner-city mission trip to Chicago and Milwaukee! We experienced so many different cultures and ministries -- and learned a lot about ourselves and God.

     Here are a few highlights from my journaling of this adventure:

Saturday 11-5-16
    I woke up freezing cold on my air mattress in the Grace and Peace Center. It was so early that it could not even be described as “bright and early” because it wasn’t technically bright yet. The thought of a hot shower was more compelling than the thought of sleep at this point. Thus, at 5:45 AM, I rose to hop in the shower. This shower was not as hot as I had hoped, but after maybe twenty or so minutes of relentless prayer, the temperature rose (with my attitude). My day moved forth per usual. I went downstairs before anyone woke up and sat on the granite countertops in the kitchen while I did my devotions.
    Chicago is an interesting place. I remember from the moment we got there it was overwhelming. No matter what time of the day it was or what I was doing, something inside of me was constantly aware of the fact that there was so much going on in that city. 
****
    We split into smaller groups and wandered Chicago. We talked to people and prayed for some. Some people only spoke Spanish, which was a pretty big barrier for us. I prayed for a man in the Home Depot parking lot that was having some issues with his neighbors. 
We went back and sang worship outside by the road. We offered to pray for people as they drove by. 

Sunday 11-6-16
    I slept a lot warmer. We attended a church service at the GAP Center in the morning, which was incredible. They sang in Spanish, and I cried. There’s something about being in an atmosphere of believers worshipping the Lord in a different language that tends to get me right to my core. I’m supposed to be in places like that. All different languages and cultures — the same God. I want to be used in places like that so badly.
We (and our many blessing bags) drove to downtown Chicago see some sights and bless some hearts. Walking around a place like that is ridiculous. I never notice how observant I am until there are so many things to observe. Which is funny, because you'd think that if I was really observant, I would have noticed how observant I am by now.

Tuesday 11-8-16
    Our first day in Milwaukee was also election day. We went on a city tour and were able to see all the different areas and learn about the history. We stopped at a park, lake Michigan, an old pump/coffee shop, and a Hispanic grocery store. It was ridiculous to see the segregation in Milwaukee. We literally only drove maybe a block and would find ourselves in what seemed like a whole new world. 

Wednesday 11-9-16

We served breakfast at a place called The Gathering. I served apple crisp until it was out, and then served squash. Lots of different people and faces went through the line, and lots of them did not like squash. I mopped up, and we left soon thereafter. In the afternoon we did an activity called Adopt-A-Block. I went with a group and knocked on doors praying for people and passing out flyers.
That evening, we started our poverty simulation

****The simulation was a 40-hour experience and was super eye-opening. I will be making a separate post about the simulation.****

Saturday 11-12-16
    I helped out with breakfast (and also spilled yogurt on the floor) in the morning. We worked at the free health clinic at COAH and it was really cool. I had the job of a personal attendant. We walked people up and down the stairs to the free clinic. I loved being a part of such an awesome ministry and feeling like I was actually seeing people receive help from us. 


(our "fall formal" in Milwaukee)

   I learned a lot on this trip, and I definitely see many things differently than I did before. I thank God for all He is doing and the friendships I am creating already. I cannot wait for next semester!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Letter to the Anonymous Individual

       I have had two experiences with very generous anonymous individuals. 1. Someone bought me real Chacos — my size and favorite color. Like, brand new Chacos. What on earth? Why? Suddenly I felt so encouraged. Yes, God provides for our needs — but He also goes above and beyond just because he loves us. I felt like someone could see me and truly cared. 2. Someone paid the remainder of what I owed to go to Togo. That was a lot of money.  This reassured me that I really am doing what God wants me to do. I’ve never seen generosity so extreme before, and it really touched me. Why would they do this? Why for me? I struggle to pay for all my school and necessities already, so raising money for this trip seemed unlikely. Yet here I am today having been totally and unimaginably provided for. I have no idea who these people are or what compelled them to be so incredibly kind to me, but I feel so blessed. I want to say thank you.         To the individual who bought me Chacos:        
Read more

Missional Worship

Image
      We know that the mission of God’s people is and has always been to make His name known among all peoples. This was the mission at the very beginning and it is still what Jesus commissions us to do today. We also know that we are called to worship and glorify God with our lives. We incorporate congregational worship into our weekly gatherings and sing praises to the Lord regularly. But how do these two relate? Do they relate at all? Does worship have anything to do with missions and does missions have anything do to do with worship? The answer is “yes.” As Zac Hicks writes in his book to Worship Pastor - a Call to Ministry for Worship Leaders and Teams , “just as a heart has no purpose without veins and arteries, and just as those veins and arteries are useless without a heart, so worship is inherently missional and mission is essentially doxological” (Hicks 98). We were created to glorify God and declare His goodness. We read this repeatedly throughout the Scriptures. One
Read more

“Reflecting.” A poem by me

Image
This is a poem I wrote while I was in Tennessee. My mind was racing and I couldn’t fall asleep. I needed a new perspective. So, I got out of my hammock, didn’t even put my glasses on, and went for a walk. The poem is called “Reflecting” because while the Great Blue Heron reflected on the surface of the pond — I reflected on my life. In the dark of night, on a small dock, on a small pond.  Blurry vision, flickering street light, quiet heart. Raining so softly it produced no sound, just a sparkling pond. In the middle of the water — a Great Blue Heron. Standing with me. Together, we reflected.
Read more