Chi Dos....the name of our worksite

I AM BACK!!!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!! I have returned and recuperated somewhat. Thank you for praying. It made a world of difference. I felt completely covered in peace throughout the entire stretching week.

Some of the most obvious moments of peace prevailed when I headed down Michigan Ave the wrong way and had to hike my 15-passenger van over the median to get out of on-coming traffic!! Yeah, it was a bit harrowing but God is good and He prevailed.

I know He poured out His power when the 47 of us were lost travelling through southern Chicago trying to find our way to the L. I hate it when we lose direction. It was one of the most challenging moments of the trip. You combine that with a few of these doosies and I did have moments of sweaty pits and cussing thoughts!

Doosies:

-HS girl gets shoulder dislocated and has to stay in ER for 6+ hours.

-Different HS girl cuts her finger open in the shopping district and feels like passing out.

-Driving through Englewood, the most impoverished ghetto in Chicago.

-Watching HS girl get stuck in window because she is determined to climb outside to clean.

-Seeing HS boy scale a building over 13 feet high.

-Finding a pregnancy test box in the girls trash (learning later it was a prank from boys!! not funny!)

-Never having a moment to myself from 6:30am until 11:30pm every day!

See, it was a memorable trip. I am sure I am still missing some highlights. I just wanted to give you a broad glimpse at the week. Plenty of drama and fun and also a beautiful spiritual element as the girls I work with opened up with new amazing questions of faith. They invited deeper accountability and showed such grace and maturity when they invited me to be prayed for after our foot washing ceremony. It was amazing to hear them intercede on my behalf. I was blessed.

So, all in all, Beautiful Chicago memorable moments. Am I sad that this is the farewell tour? Gotta confess, yes and no. Yes, I am going to miss the opportunity to see God's powerful influence in student's lives up close and personal. No, I am not going to miss sleeping on floors, dressing in closets, doping up on caffeine and mothering the masses. Until they ask me to go as a parent volunteer!!