We can't believe it's Thursday!

The sun is back out!

Wednesday was quite a day. We were certainly tired. We were wrestling with that mid-trip emotional feeling. We were trying to assimilate a lot of new information and difficult challenges into our own experience and make some sense of it. And we felt the spiritual warfare coming down. In the midst of that - your kids served with great attitudes and even more dedication. Kids were leading each other through prayer and sharing. People were opening up and diving in in even deeper ways.

The leaders decided we needed to get out and just have some fun so 'we' had a great plan. We would finish up the afternoon activites quickly, push back dinner and take our kids to the beach for a few hours. They were pumped and we were pumped! We ran into delays, rain and misunderstanding. But, we saw that we can have fun just getting out and being together. We laughed and helped clean up an area outside our church where water had gathered and was flooding a bit. So - we got wet, got to serve and had a great time. His plans are always better.

Last night Joel allowed for a time of question and answer. The kids have been learning a lot about the history of this neighborhood and our country and our world. They have been looking at injustice, race and poverty. About sin and circumstance. I have been so proud of how they have really focused in and are taking this all seriously but it can be difficult to understand and process. Joel did a great job of helping them sort through it. He ended early so we could get some rest. Many of us kept talking and sharing and trying to understand each other and how we identify first as Christians and we can and should filter all of our experiences through that. Amazing stuff! Ask them about it and be prepared to be amazed at their depth of knowledge and new found love for God's people! :)

Last night before bed we had a special treat. A gospel group was rehearsing in the sanctuary of the church that is our home this week. They allowed us to listen in as they rehearsed but they worship through rehearsal and our kids did too. It was so fun and a perfect way to end the night and begin our final days here.

Today they are back at their work sites. This afternoon they will either do a bus tour of the city - super interesting as Joel shares about the history of Chicago and how that ties into what we have been talking about this week. Or they will do the El experience, taking the El through the city and witnessing first hand who lives here with the goal of having spiritual conversations. Tomorrow the groups will switch so everyone will have a chance to do both.

Prayer requests: Praise God everyone is more rested today and we are staying healthy!
Please pray that the kids would continue to ask the tough questions and be open and honest as we discuss them. And pray that we would finish well.

Below are a couple of notes from kids as well.

We love you. They miss you. Thanks for being with us on this journey!

Kelli

This has been a very eye opening experience. Between spending time with adorable children with tough family lives at sports camp, having lunch and conversation with the homeless, visiting an energetic black church, hearing and dancing to worship by these incredible singers and Joel's stretching talks - there has been so much fun and learning and tears. God has revealed himself in so many ways to us and these past few days have been some of the best moments of my life.
Emily

Kitchen duty is the bomb! Every day is a new experience - some days we chop veggies, or make chocolate cake. Every day we head out to other work group locations to drop off goodies and one day we were able to shop at the Restaurant Depot which is three times the size of Costco! Each day my favorite part is talking with Paula (Joel's wife) and my group in the kitchen. We discuss the previous night's session and our feelings on each topic. This trip is impacting the people we meet and also ourselves. I am so blessed to be in Chicago deepening my relationship wtih Christ and Wooddale friends.
Maddie Bloom