Promised Pictures!

A view from Navy Pier.

Millennium Park - Orchestra 

No words for this one.

Heading into the baseball game with our new friends. 

A sweaty Sarah and Anna just before the fireworks.

Serving breakfast to the peeps at the senior center. 

The girls' senior picture poses.

The school we stayed in while living in the hood for a few days.

Best. Picture. Ever.

Sarah, me, and Jenna's humble abode at the KOA.

This is why I don't do rides. 

Darwin won this huge monkey. He traveled all the way home with us :-)

Thankful Thursday!!

Back in Business

Well after a trip to Chicago and Sandusky, Ohio, I have arrived back to the real world. Despite the heat and long car rides, it was a rewarding and successful trip full of making memories and stepping out of our comfort zones.

As I mentioned before, I was asked to be a chaperone on my sister's Youth for Christ Chicago Caravan trip. It was a great opportunity and I am so grateful to all of those that participated. Here's a little recap:

We left early Thursday morning to travel to Chicago. Along the way, we picked up other YFC groups around the state. Overall, we had 42 people caravanning in various vehicles. It didn't take long to figure out that it was kind of difficult (and stressful at times) to coordinate bathroom breaks and keep the vehicles in sight, especially as we got to the city.

Thursday night was briefly spent on Navy Pier. The heat and parking situation, partnered with a long day of driving, called for some tired, and somewhat crabby, teenagers. We were more than ready to get to the place we would call home for the upcoming nights. We drove into “the hood” (literally, that is what they call it), and the students’ (and adults’) faces were priceless as we witnessed the school that we would be staying at. The church was only a block away, but we were instructed to not leave the building without a volunteer from the church. The showers were also in another building, so we learned quickly to be patient and flexible. The worst part was the lack of airflow. The school did not have air, only small air vents in the windows of each room. It was stuffy and uncomfortable as we sprawled out on the floors to sleep.

Friday began with immersing ourselves in the church’s summer program for kids. The program includes reading, singing, praying, and various activities. The shouting kids partnered with the overwhelming heat was a lot to take in. I don’t know how people can live in such heat; I felt so tired all day long. After lunch, the kids all went to Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. Our YFC group tagged along, but at our own pace. It was really cool to spend time with my sister as we took pictures and shared frozen yogurt in the park. It was my first time at that park, and I was very impressed. 

Friday night we watched the Chicago White Sox beat the Blue Jays. While waiting in line, my back and stomach were literally dripping with sweat. Yea, I wasn’t even moving. Like I said, it was hot. However, once we got settled into our seats, spending time together, chatting and laughing, was one of my favorite parts of the trip. After the big win, fireworks wrapped up the evening. Giant ice cream cones and super nachos were devoured by the kids… all a part of experiencing America’s favorite past time.

Each night, after devotions, the kids would get together to hang out… Well, I don’t really know what they were doing, but I trust they were action on their best behavior ;-) Being the chaperone, it was nice to let them do their thing and have time alone. Usually I was too tired to know what time they went to bed. All I know is that it was far past curfew, which doesn’t bother me one bit. Gossiping, sharing, and getting to know each other is one of the best parts of these trips. As long as the little shysters were up and at ‘em in the morning, I’m all for staying up late.

Saturday morning consisted of a couple more service projects. Half of our group cleaned up trash throughout parts of the city, while the other half (my group) served breakfast at an assisted living facility. It was cool watching and hearing the stories in the room unfold. Of course, we wrapped up the morning with a few games of BINGO. We left feeling appreciated and loved.

After some much needed downtime in the afternoon, the group traveled on the “L” downtown to the infamous Michigan Ave. It was quite funny watching the “country folk” take in the busyness of the city streets. I have to admit it was a little frustrating. I really felt like I was going to lose a kid somewhere along the way; however, we all made it back to the “L” and to our living quarters in one piece. Phew!

Sunday morning brought us to a Chicago city church where it was clear we were the minority. It didn’t take much for the church members to notice that we “didn’t belong.” The funny thing about that is in a sense we all belong. In fact, we were all there for the same reason – to worship Jesus Christ. It was a great learning experience that pushed us all out of our comfort zone. After all, we don’t grow by living in our comfort zone.

The rest of Sunday was spent traveling to Sandusky, Ohio where we would stay at a KOA campground. A couple of the girls shared that this was their favorite part – the car ride were everyone got a little loopy. The giggles hit us all pretty hard as we drove East to our destination. Once arriving, there was a sense of relief. Everyone was ready for a slower pace and some relaxing. Devotions and various discussions took place. It was so much easier to get to know one another in the lax setting. And boy did it feel good to sleep in a bed with air conditioning! We had little cabins to sleep in; it was great.

Monday was spent at Cedar Point – a huge amusement park full of various rides, but their focus is mainly on rollercoasters. It was crazy! I am not a ride person, so I spent the day “playing mom” as the kids bopped from line to line to enjoy the thrill of the twists and turns. I didn’t mind one bit holding bags and watching from below. In fact, I was happy to do it.

My favorite part of the trip occurred Monday night after returning from the park. We got a group of people together to play some sand volleyball. While I was a little out of practice, it came back pretty quickly. It was so awesome to watch the different personalities and abilities come together to have fun and make memories. I wouldn’t consider the game competitive in nature; it was just plain fun.

The ride home was a long one. Tuesday consisted of a twelve-hour drive back to Iowa. The strange part was that it didn’t seem very long at all. Between various stops, snacks, naps, music, and reading, we made pretty good time getting home. I was on a high as I drove myself ‘back to reality.’ I couldn’t stop smiling as I thought about the trip, the kids, the memories we shared. What an amazing experience to have shared with my sister and her friends. While it feels great to be back in business, I am so thankful for the opportunity to mature in my faith, spend time with amazing people, and watch the kids grow as people and Christians. 

Pictures to come! 

To the Windy City We Go

It wasn’t too long ago that I mentioned to my mom that I wanted to do another mission trip. I have been thinking a lot about it, and would love to go overseas again to serve and be a light to those in need. The feeling of peace and sobriety was overwhelming in Haiti, and I would love to experience something like that again.

About a week or so ago, my sister came to me with a request. Her youth group is traveling to Chicago for their annual mission trip. They were looking for another leader to help chaperone and mentor the 60 plus students that would be attending the trip. Of course, I was all in. After checking with my employer, I hoped right on board.

I am not really sure what we are all doing, but I know that we will be working in inner city Chicago to those in need of love, support, and faith. I am thrilled to be around amazing teenagers that share a thirst for God. I can’t wait to also spend time with my sister. I was most happy that she wanted me to be a part of her trip. As she goes off to college in the fall, I know that our time together will be limited. It will be a great way for us to bond in our relationship and our faith.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for those believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

Kids have so much to offer. They are smart, excited, and energetic. I am privileged to spend time with them for the next week! And just think how much gossip I’m going to learn ;-)

I will be off the blog train for a while. Don’t miss me too much!

No Boat

Happy Independence Day blogger friends! Yes, the middle of summer has just arrived. I hope you have exciting plans filled with brats, beaches, beers, and boats :-)

Truthfully, this is the first summer in a long time that I do not intend to spend on the water. I feel a little sad about it, but I am resting up and preparing for a trip to Chicago (I'll explain soon). I woke up to sunshine and feeling a little nostalgic. Over the past few years, I have had a blast over the 4th of July. Fine, I'll share them with you ;-)

The River: Who doesn't love a day full of three "naps" as we sipped cocktails and played beach volleyball in between. It was so fun to fly around the river on a boat, but even more fun to dock up to the sandbar and lay out in the sun.

Clear Lake - A Forever Favorite: The busyness of Clear Lake may discourage some people, but it is what I love most. The amount of people docked in Party Cove for dance parties on boats just adds to the excitement of the holiday. I always feel like I am surrounded by the love of great friends when I am on a boat at the lake.

South Dakota: Last year, I spent the holiday eight hours away. The road trip with Ashley was almost just as much fun as the boat parade and fireworks on the pontoon. I met so many great new friends and was welcomed with open arms. People are so great.

So, happy birthday America! Enjoy your holiday!

Forgotten Excitment

Unknown. The dreaded word that leaves us scared and unsettled. Even when things are out of control, we tend to find some part of life to take into our own hands. We seek the comforts that have existed in our lives. We try to overshadow the fact that the unknown is full of discomfort and anxious feelings by looking to people and things that make us feel safe.

These mixed feelings make us forget that the unknown doesn’t always have to be bad. In fact, more often than not, the unknown is exciting. When we don’t know where the future is going to take us, we are able to dream. If we knew what the future had in store, our minds would forget to search into far away places. We would leave hopes and dreams at the door as we settled into the mundane days, weeks, years.

The unknown should not be feared. It should be embraced. We should all consider throwing the scared and anxious feelings out the window as we remember…

That’s right, folks. We have a lot to look forward to… Enjoy!

Show and Tell

Sometimes I feel like I have a little déjà vu when it comes to my blog posts, so if this is a “repeat” please excuse me. However, if I have already written about it, there is probably quite a bit of importance behind it. Anyway, I digress.

Have you notice how many people are all talk? They say they will volunteer, they want join a book club, they promise to pray for a suffering neighbor. But, do we? I’m just as guilty as the next person of talking and not doing.

I think a place where we often fall short is love. The most important part of life is caring and loving for others. Furthermore, the best way to love is to show, not tell.

One of my favorite songs is “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol. It talks about the complexity of sharing our feelings. How will we ever really say what we mean? How can we ever really express our love? “Those three words are said too much. They’re not enough.” It takes more than just words. It takes actions – showing love and kindness to those we encounter.

The hardest part of this is finding a way to show that love to those that we don’t know. Yes, it’s just as important to love a stranger as it is our family and friends. Think how different the world we be if we showed love, rather than just talked about it. This challenge is daunting and scary; however, it is more than important. It is vital.

When is the last time you practiced a little show, not just tell?  

Constant Learning

Emotions ran high this weekend. As cliché as it sounds, we never know what each day will bring, and this could not be any truer. I found myself wrapped up in unforeseen conversations, running into unexpected people, and receiving startling comments over the past two days.

While I did not anticipate really much of anything this weekend, I am very glad that everything rolled out the way it did. Why? Because it happened the way I know it was supposed to. I may have found myself a bit frustrated at times, but overall, I am okay. What may have once rattled me up, has proved to me how mature I have gotten.

I realized this weekend how much I have learned over the past six months – mostly about myself and the amount of growth that has taken place. I have been reminded of the importance of constantly learning and growing. Sometimes we feel defeated or even broken, but in order to overcome, we must learn. We must grow.

Adversity is what shapes us; it is what makes us appreciate the abundance of greatness that fills our lives. Things cannot be great all of the time. We must be faced with unexpected conversations and occurrences to keep us in check. I heard this today, “Adversity allows us to build perseverance, which leads us to hope.” Hope is what drive us each day; it motivates and helps us see that this is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

What I hav learned this weekend: I am surrounded by amazing people who love and care about me. I am lucky :-)