Day 3: Chicago (by Elizabeth L.)

Today we took a break from service work to check out some of the different sights in Chicago. After sleeping in a bit, we made a delicious breakfast of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Pastor Betty, the pastor from the church we are staying at, joined us for breakfast and shared a little bit with us about the church and the ministry they do. Even though St. Paul’s is a smaller church (around 150 active members) and does not have a ton of money, the people are very focused on using the money they do have to help others. They run a soup kitchen every Sunday as well as an emergency homeless shelter when the outside temperature drops below zero. I think it shows a lot about the church’s character that their primary focus is on the ministry that they can do out in the world, rather than just on what they can do to better themselves.

After breakfast, we rode the L train downtown and walked a few blocks over to Navy Pier. We took about an hour to check out some of the shops around Navy Pier and grab some lunch. Then, we walked over to Millennium Park and checked out the giant silver bean (a great photo opportunity, since it is so reflective that you can take your picture in it). We also enjoyed taking a break from the heat by dipping our feet in a fountain that ran through the park. Although we never made it to the Field Museum (our original plan for the afternoon), we nevertheless had a great time just wandering around Chicago and taking lots of pictures. For dinner, we took the train over to Chinatown and indulged in some of the best Chinese food that I, for one, have ever had. Right now, we are back at the church just relaxing before bed—Pastor Shelley is teaching the others how to play Bible Scattergories in the other room.

One thing that we found surprising about today was that we did not really encounter any homeless people. After all that we have seen and learned over the past few days, we were inspired to change how we approach the homeless that we encounter on the street. Rather than look away, we wanted to do something to show that we view them as human beings just like us and that we care. Some of us brought granola bars along to give to anyone we encountered. Ironically, however, we did not come across anyone asking for change or anything like that. We talked about why this might have been and our reactions to it after returning to the church tonight. Amy referred to the saying, “A watched pot never boils”—sometimes looking for something is not the best way to find it. Lisa mentioned that our plans for us often don’t match God’s plans for us. Maybe today was just not the day that God wants to use us. What’s important is that we take back everything that we have seen, felt, and learned so far on this trip—and tomorrow, when we make our last stop in Waterloo, Iowa—and use it to make a difference back home in Rochester, no matter how small that difference is, or what form it takes.