“We know that all things work together for good, to them who love God and are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
Our trip to the Windy City, Chi-Town, Illinois, in mid-July, was punctuated with dramatic mechanical issues. However, in retrospect, these issues became side interests and financially not-so dramatic as we envisioned.
Thirty representatives of St. Stephen went to Chicago on a Youth Mission Trip. It included middle school and high school church members, college age SPITS (sponsors in training), and experienced and inexperienced sponsors – including one who just returned from his honeymoon…
We traveled uneventfully through Oklahoma and Missouri including a stop over in St. Louis. And then in Chicago, we had a wheel bearing mishap in the middle of I 90/95 in rush hour traffic on a SUNDAY as we arrived. Tommy Wadley deftly handled the crisis and prevented the wheel from falling completely off the church trailer as we pulled off the highway and unloaded suitcases and VBS supplies into other vans. We loaded more kids into the other three vans and six of us waiting impatiently for 4 hours on the side of the road for a tow truck. Thinking this might define the trip, I was cautious about the next days’ happenings, but to my surprise and the rest of us, our Chicago trip was magnificent. Sometimes, “All things work together for good!”
The construction crews met in the Living Hope Presbyterian Church’s newly purchased old Pool Hall, a three story century old building with a basement, to begin patching floors, removing nails, sweeping and sweeping, and cutting out pipes. All this was done in dimly lit circumstances because the old building is not equipped with much electricity. The work was dingy, grimy,and snorted up our crew’s noses and into clothing.
We at VBS, two blocks away, sweated in the heat of the church building and the out of doors. Chicago was humid and hot as it had been in decades! Those of us working with the Vacation Bible School, began the process of building trust and excitement with our brand of organization for a group of black children 3 years old – 15 years old in a small Gospel Church. We brought in unfamiliar songs and crafts and science for these kids 5th week of an eight week recreation and free lunch program designed by both Southside Gospel Church and Living Hope Presbyterian Church.
At first, kids were reluctant and cocky; but by week’s end, we were loving friends with about thirty kids with names like Chunky, Antonias, Damonte, Myron, Marlon, Sherenka, Nasir, Jaylen, Jayden, Curtis and Marcel.
At the end of each day’s work, the VBS Crew would wait with our new friends while the dirty, black dusted SSPC construction workers walked slowly towards us as we counted heads before loading vans to head to showers at the Irving Park YMCA.
Once fed supper by our cooks, the talented Lynn Yeoman and Tammy Hille, we’d take in the sites of Chi-Town nightly. Monday was the elevated train and a hearty walk to Millennium Park; Tuesday was the Bus ride and a trip to Wrigley Field; Wednesday was the laundry mat and post card writing; Thursday we took vans to Navy Pier; Friday – the crème de la crème…an Italian dinner downtown and a nighttime architectural tour on the Chicago River.
Each night we’d sing led by a talented crew of youth and spits, and reflected in the sanctuary at the Bethel Christian Church. Our home away from home was a perfect setting for us in Irving Park neighborhood. Amazingly, our mix of personalities worked beautifully together and we developed a camaraderie and closeness not all mission trips produce. We were one in the spirit.
Our trip home had one victim, the Red van windshield. Again, Tommy Wadley and Robin Owhonda handled the crisis well, taping up the affected shattering, and proceeding home. No available help on the road home for a weekend glass emergency.
I must stress that we came out okay through these crises. We endured record setting heat in Chicago; we embraced a poverty stricken neighborhood and felt the presence of God with us all along our path.
“For WE know, that all things work together for good for those who love God “ …in Chicago, in poverty stricken neighborhoods, and God’s love is present in all of us. We felt stung with love and purpose despite our obstacles. What a glorious purpose it was!