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