Wrap Up

Hey everybody, I know this is a day late, but I just wanted to put a final update up about our week. We left Chicago around 7:30 Friday morning and arrived at the church at about 6:00. The trip went smoothly, not too much traffic or construction to slow us down! Most of the passengers slept or read on the drive, since we were all pretty worn out. Overall, the week went great, I think each person brought a lesson or story back with them that had a great impact on their lives. I know I did! It was such a blessing to work both with the kids and members at Old St. Paul, and to help Uptown Baptist Church with their food ministry. Both experiences taught us different things and helped us grow closer to God and each other. Sunday we will have a slide show of some pictures and some members of the team will share some of their stories from the week. Thank you for all your prayers and support, before the trip and during the trip. We couldn’t have done what we did without it! Continue to keep the folks and Old St. Paul and Uptown Baptist in your prayers!

Day Six

Well today was our last day at Old St. Paul! It’s been a long, hard, and fullfilling week! The whole group’s grown so attatched to the kids and other folks at the church, it was hard to leave! After a good final day of VBS, we all very reluctantly said our good-byes and headed out towards Chinatown. Speaking of which, we’re not really sure if we missed the main part of Chinatown, or what, but we ended up just driving around downtown Chicago in rush hour, which is definitely a test of faith for those driving!! We did eventually make it to dinner and a place called P.J. Moondoggies, which had hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, chicken, and a lot of other delicious food! Then we stopped by Baskin Robbins and Dunkin Donuts for a little dessert. We’ve also gotten to see some interesting neighborhoods in our travels, including Little Poland and part of Chinatown. Back to the church, though. The whole group’s worked very hard and done everything that’s been asked of them, many times plus more. They’ve been able to bless the church, and be blessed, through working with the kids and through fixing up some things around the building. I know that everyone will miss the kids and the church, and they will all definitely be in our prayers in the days, weeks, and months to come. I’ve included some pictures, hope you enjoy them! We’ll be heading back to Missouri in the morning! Everyone is safe, healthy, and doing well!!

Chicago Mission Trip Photos

Day Five

Wow, it’s been quite the week so far! Our days have been packed full of activity! Tonight’s entry should be fairly short and sweet, since it’s late and I’m tired. We were at Old St. Paul again this morning and had another successful, action-packed day of VBS. Some highlights from today were the fun-foam crafts, Darrell jumping rope with the kids, and Coach and some of the boys racing some of the kids. Those are just a few of the little things that have made this week so fun. One thing I realized I’ve failed to mention so far is the work that some of the men have been doing. They’ve done minor repairs around the church, such as fixing doors and installing cabinets, just to name a few. Tonight we went to Navy Pier for dinner and shopping, then found a spot on Lake Michigan to watch fireworks from. Now we’re back at the hotel getting ready to rest up for our final day of VBS! Once again, everyone’s worked very hard. And all are safe and sound.

Day Four

Today was another busy day for everybody, even though we were only at Old St. Paul. We arrived at the church around 10:00 and started in with the kids. We’re teaching them key words each day, such as respect and teamwork, and verses to go with each word. Today’s was teamwork and the kids really seemed to grasp the idea and verse we were teaching. We also did songs, games, crafts, and Bible stories with them. Michael is doing an excellent job of teaching the stories, he has some of the kids act out the parts and it really gets them into the lesson. At about 2:00 we left the church and headed downtown for some sight seeing. We went to the top of the Sear’s Tower, and what a view!!! We took a little detour on the way home and got to drive by Wrigley Field right before a game. It was really cool to see that. Tonight we just chilled at the hotel, swam, and ate sandwiches for dinner. Tomorrow we’re going back to VBS then heading to Navy Pier for sightseeing and fireworks. The team worked really hard again today and did the church proud. Sorry I forgot to attach the pictures for Jamie to put up, I was REALLY tired yesterday and I promise I’ll attach them today!! Once again, everyone is safe and sound! More to come!!

Chicago Mission Trip Photos