Farm day before we head home

I'm sitting at the kitchen table while the kids are playing board games in the dining room. They've been playing for more than three hours, stopping for pizza and Kubota rides. And laughing. So much laughing. I'm pretty sure that playing board games every night would make the world a better place.

It's been a cloudy, low key day at the farm. We're all pretty tired after such a busy week.

This morning we rinsed out our tie dye projects then we went to 392, a coffee shop in Clinton, twenty miles away - my niece, Peyton, has a job there this summer.

We said goodbye to Paul who headed right back to Chicago for Bishop Formation School this afternoon. It might be called something else but I know it's NOT called Baby Bishop School - though the kids may have mentioned that once or twice. I am so grateful he was able to spend this week with us - I know the kids are too.

The world's friendliest farm cat, Tuxie, made an appearance today. That's about as exciting as things got besides exploring all of the fields on the Kubota - each taking as many turns as possible.

The sunset was beautiful. Their phones were returned briefly which leads to frantic checking of all things social media, including stuff I don't fully understand. Popcorn and a movie, then eventually off to bed.

We've had such a good week but I think everyone is ready to head back home. In the morning we'll be up to pack and eat breakfast. My mom's going to show them how to make cinnamon rolls on the waffle iron - I can't wait. I know that the reality and tensions back home will be there soon enough.

Pastor Lynn

From City to Country

This morning after waking Kory up with the birthday song, we packed up, cleaned up and said a fond farewell to the Youth Center where we spent the last four nights. This was a spacious, convenient, safe place for our home base as we moved from there around the city.

We made it to Navy Pier just as it opened so Helen and Sarah took advantage of the short lines to ride the giant ferris wheel. We spent the morning exploring the shops and food court, making selections for souvenirs and lunch food. The kids were kind enough to explain the term "snapback" to me - they were looking for just the right snapback. I feel silly now calling it a baseball cap.

The drive to the farm took just over three hours. We had a feast of grilled hamburgers, sweet corn, watermelon, strawberries. While the food was being prepared and after supper, I gave the kids tours around the farm on the Kubota. We tie dyed some t-shirts which we'll unwrap tomorrow.

There are so many more fireflies here than at home in the Twin Cities. It was harder to capture them than in looked but it was fun trying. Sorry - we have no pictures to verify that they each caught at least one.

We had a worship service and prayer on the lawn as we released lanterns, talked about how was saw light of Christ shining this week and shared our hopes for the world. One of the kids prayed for the people we had helped on our mission trip, hoping their lives would improve and not be such a daily struggle. One prayed for an end to gun violence and racism.

Blessings to Lana who is preaching tomorrow at Salem. We are having a wonderful trip but also look forward to being home.

Here are a few pictures from the day. I'm too tired to make them fancy tonight. This chaperoning/pastoring thing is exhausting. Pastor Lynn

 

A belated update from yesterday

Friday was another packed day.

We made our way through heavy traffic to a program called Chicago Lights which is sponsored by Fourth Presbyterian Church in the Pilsen neighborhood. The church is home to a great variety of programs, including many geared toward the homeless and hungry who struggle to survive in one of the wealthiest areas of Chicago.

We were immediately put to work unloading and organizing food for their emergency pantry. Deven and Ronnie sorted through three huge bags of red potatoes, tossing out the ones that were too squishy or gross to save. Hours later, they still smelled like potatoes. Others organized cans on the shelves, pulling the older stock to the front and adding the new cans to the back. Paul cleaned out and organized the refrigerator and freezer. We left the small space clean, organized and inviting.

After stocking and cleaning the pantry, we moved to the kitchen where we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They are given away to adults who seek emergency assistance and are also given out to homeless folks on the streets as an introduction to the many services offered at the church.

We stopped for cupcakes at the Sprinkles bake shop which was just a short walk and then traveled to an area of town that is home to many Mexican Americans. We ate lunch at a taqueria then visited the Museum of Mexican Art. The kids were struck by the bright colors used in much of the art work and the powerful political themes portrayed.

We finally made it to the beach not far from the youth center. It was a hot, beautiful day – the beach area was filled with every kind of family.

We ate leftovers for supper and processed what we saw and heard and thought about today. This led to a great conversation about racism and faith and justice and friendship and hope. 

Day 3 - posted in a hurry before we head out for day 4

Our group in the chapel

We were invited to eat breakfast in the Refectory, the seminary’s cafeteria.  We had a wide range of options from made-to-order omelets, pancakes, bacon and a variety of beverages. Fanya, the director of Beyond Belief, gave us a tour. A highlight of the tour was the hallway that contained photos of graduates, including Salem’s own, Paul Erickson.

Look for Paul on upper right

After our seminary tour, we went to The DuSable Museum of African American History. There was an animated, interactive display featuring a life-size Harold Washington, the first African American mayor of Chicago. We took a self-guided tour of the museum which was interesting, challenging and disturbing.

An animated Harold Washington spoke to us about his time as Mayor

Thanks to Paul’s driving skill, we were able to locate a parking spot for our 12-passenger van and we walked to the Taste of Chicago for lunch. It was difficult to decide how to use our tickets – there were at least 50 booths and many times that many options. It was a fun place to people watch. The weirdest things we tried were aged Gouda ice cream and bacon ranch mac and cheese bites.

This afternoon and evening we helped to serve a community meal at A Just Harvest. There were placements and flowers on the table and the meal was served restaurant-style, a change from yesterday’s cafeteria-style meal at Cornerstone. There were many volunteers so we had some down time, but eventually all of us were given jobs to do which we did willingly and well. We ate supper there when the guests were gone and we had cleaned up – turkey sausage, squash, coleslaw, fresh fruit and dessert. It was fun to interact with the other volunteers and the floor host, Erin, was friendly and inspiring. She greeted the guests with “Hello, beautiful people!” and “If no one said anything nice to you today, I want you to know that you are all beautiful people and I appreciate each and every one of you.”

We stopped on the way back home for Garrett’s popcorn then sat by the lake as the clouds were clearing and the sun was going down. 

Throughout our trip, we’ve been on the lookout for dogs and have had the opportunity to pet a few, including one that looked more like a bear than a dog. Today, we spotted 55 dogs - a new record!

It was long, full, very good day. These are really great kids. 

Pastor Lynn, with input from our tired group

Bagging up bread and sweet rolls for the guests

Looking good in our aprons and hair nets

Mopping up at the end of the meal

Mission Trip Update

Lots of whole chickens to bag

This morning, we got up bright and early at 5:30 am to get ready for the day. Our service project for the day was at Cornerstone Community Outreach and food pantry. First, we helped to prepare and serve breakfast and began to prepare pizza for lunch. We helped cut up the pizza, add toppings, and arrange them efficiently on the oiled trays, kinda like Tetris. Once breakfast was served, we helped out with the food pantry. Some of us policed the food to make sure everyone got a fair amount. Others helped to register people and sign them in. After this, we helped to set up the tables for lunch. We met many new people speaking many different languages.

Oiling the pans for pizzas being assembled on the other table.

Once we left the food pantry, we had a picnic in a park area. We used ingredients we had bought last night to craft our own sandwiches. 

During our meal we were greeted by a friendly squirrel in search of a few crumbs. After a chip was thrown at him, he realized that the food was not for him, and ran up a tree, never to be seen again.

After this, we walked over to the subway to catch a ride to the Oriental Theatre, to see the world premiere of the SpongeBob Musical. The subway experience was new for many, but exciting for all. Once we got off the train, we stopped by Garrett’s popcorn to eat samples and Magnolia’s bakery for banana pudding. Then, it was time for the best musical of our lives. We found our seats on the balcony and admired the extravagant set around us, full of fluorescent flowers and streamers. The musical was very colorful and extremely fun, with many cheerful songs and detailed dances, such as Squidward’s tap dance. The plot featured a volcano and the surrounding apocalypse facing Bikini Bottom, but was surprisingly cheerful in the end. Our main takeaway was that optimism can prevail even in the darkest of times.

Rice was chosen by almost everyone

Then, we walked over to Cloudgate, or the Bean, in Millennium Park and admired our reflections. From there we went to another big park with an even bigger playground. After that, we stopped for gelato and something to drink. Finally, we went back on our way to the Youth Center, our home for the week, where we have eaten meals and rested.

Ryan broke down 1000 boxes

The SpongeBox stage - so exciting!

Can you find our reflections in the Bean?

Maggie Daley Park - playground for all ages!

Perfect adventure for our group - even Paul cried a little at the end!

Riding the train downtown

Towards the end of the food pantry

Rafael cooked up eggs for breakfast

Stay tuned for the next installment of our Chicago adventure!