Kaybay

This is my Chicago roommate Katie Norregaard. For some reason, we get along ridiculously well. She has a habit of talking really fast and not waiting for an answer when she asks a question. She's just always on and excited about life. She's really just an encouraging person to be around.

We always have Sunday adventures after going to church. (We really just have adventures in general.) One Sunday we were walking back from the el stop and there were mangoes for sale. 12 for $4. Of course we bought some because we both love mangoes. And of course we took a picture.

This is currently our bed set up. At the beginning our beds were more in an L shape. And we joked about putting them together. Then we actually decided to do it two nights ago. It takes up so much space. But it really doesn't matter since all we do in the room is sleep. Our next thought is that we are going to make a fort in the room. Who's excited?

...my hand is raised.

Living Room Cafe

Tonight I had the opportunity to go to a soup kitchen with some co-hosts today. I took a little break from my group and went with three other girls: Nicole, Meagan and Alysa.
This is Nicole. She's from Olympia, Washington. She's is such a blessing in this whole experience. She was a host during the spring so she has a lot of wisdom. She is also always willing to just listen when I need to vent or when I need to just talk something out.

Living Room Cafe is different from other soup kitchens. It serves only about thirty people and these guests are involved in the different programs the place partners with. They have to sign up. They come in and someone goes around and takes their order.

We got there at four and immediately started helping making dinner while the radio was on. This guy named Roy was the head cook who gave us all our tasks to do. We made spaghetti and salad and garlic bread. It was so fun because it was so laid back. And everyone was dancing. Even Roy.

(Nicole, Brian, Meagan and Alysa)

This is Brian in the picture. He was a whole lot of fun. He came at the end of the cooking. And immediately started washing the dishes and singling along to the songs. When we were taking a picture he of course jumped into the front.

There's our spaghetti sauce. Not as good as my mother's but pretty darn tasty. Those bagels in the background were the garlic bread. To make them we melted butter on the stove top and put garlic salt in it then spread the butter over the bagels. They were so good. Also one of the things Roy put in the spaghetti sauce was sugar. I have never thought about that.

We dished up the plates and took them out to the guests. We then served outselves a plate and ate with the remaining guests. I can't wait to come back to this place with a group. It was a good experience.

Park House

This is the place that my group went to this morning. Its a elderly care facility but it doesn't necessarily mean that all the people here are senior citizens. Some of the patients were definitely in their late thirties or early forties.

The group played BINGO and bought a whole bunch of prizes that the residents were super excited about. When we were touring everywhere to see all the ministry sites, our director told us that this is a place that you don't go to feel good about yourself. And its true. The group that goes to this place makes it what they can. They cannot expect a whole bunch of happy residents because that may not necessary happen.

It's a really sad place. Playing BINGO was probably the highlight of their week. The residents here don't have any friends or family besides each other.

I was sitting next to a lady who I never got her name. But she kept asking me about Shirley Temple and if she had died. That is just one example of the residents.

It was definitely an experience. But I'm glad I got to go. Not many people know about this place. It's really just a hole in the wall nursing home. Who knew there was such a thing?

Hosting Week 1

As I've already said I just finished my first week of hosting.


These were two of my three hosts from this week. From the left: Matty P and Julie. Funny story about Matty, he goes to APU with me. But we've never met. He's from Denver and he's one of the coolest and nicest guys I know. He always goes out of the way to help everyone out. He is also always willing to walk me to the office when I have to go back at ten at night to do the finances.

Julie reminds me a lot of me. We're both athletic, competitive and always trying to solve problems. But we're also different in a lot of ways. So we even each other out when we co-host.

The host not pictured is Joseph. He doesn't like having his picture taken and he doesn't talk much but he has quickly become one of my favorite people in the world. He'll probably have his own post sometime during the summer.

Hosting itself has been quite interesting. It has been draining but so rewarding. In my last post I talked about Chase elementary. We would go to that site in the morning and in the evening we would do different things. On Monday and Tuesday we went to soup kitchens. It was so cool seeing the group of Sophomores and Freshmen just willing to serve in any way possible. My position is supposed to be more of a supervisory role but at these places I got to help with the serving of the food. I loved seeing the people of Chicago and having the most random conversations.

On Wednesday we went to a men's shelter called Epworth. This is a place where guys can sign up for a bed in the morning and come to the place later that night. There is about sixty guys there. We go to just talk to them and listen to their stories. It was the night of the Stanley Cup finals so we also got to watch the game where the Blackhawks officially became the champions. It was fun. These guys just love to talk, too. And really that's all anyone wants in life: someone to listen to them.

Thursday night, the group broke up into four groups and explored four different neighborhoods with only $2 each for dinner. When we debriefed that night, it was so cool hearing what the different groups did. One group went to Trader Joe's and another group went to Jimmy Johns (sub shop) and bought day old bread for 50 cents.

And today they had a full day off to walk around downtown. That meant that all the hosts had a day off too. Since the week was draining, we didn't make any extravagant plans. Matty P and I watched the South Africa vs Mexico game this morning. Then Julie made the suggestion to go the beach. I took her up on this offer because the wonderful humidity that Chicago is known for came back this morning even though yesterday was an absolute beautiful day weather wise.

The day started off overcast.

And then it started to rain. But we weren't going to be moved. We had only been there for an hour and we were not ready to go back.

We got in the water but it was freeeezing so I only went in up to my knees. You could go out pretty far and it still was shallow.

And then the sun came out. We were laying out and reading but we kept getting attacked by bugs. Julie made a joke that we would have a better time reading in the water. So of course we took our books and cameras and made it a great photo opportunity.

Sunday is when the next batch of groups come. There will be a total of nine groups so it doesn't necessarily mean that I'll be host. But there's a good chance.

Chase Elementary

So this past week I have had my first group. It has been quite a growing experience. I've learned so much about what to do next time and I feel confident that I can do this for the rest of the summer.

In the mornings I would take the group to Chase Elementary where they helped in the different classes. This place had the coolest mural all throughout the school building. It was designed by the kids and even a lot of them helped paint it. The following pictures don't show its entirety but the general idea of what all the walls were like.

This was Salmon P. Chase who the school was named after.

The skeletons are mosaics.

They even portrayed the el.

Soldier field. Daaaa Bearrrrrs.

I wonder who number 54 is/was...

Margie's Candies. Apparently its pretty popular. I'm going to have to check this place out.

This is an actual fountain in the city.

P.S. There's a Jazz festival this weekend. So pumped.

Take me out to the ball game. Take me out to the field. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks.

This was a sign on one of the classroom doors. It made me go 'aww.'

I have a real picture of the lions in front of the art institute and the Chicago sign.

Apparently there were a whole bunch of cattle statues around Chicago a while ago. I don't know much about them.

Ugh this picture is so dark. But they had a picture of the U.S. so I just had to take a picture with California.

All in all, Chase Elementary was a fun place to be at.

Mural

One of the things we do is give a prayer walk. And this mural comes at the end of the Uptown Prayer walk. This guy named Ray Bakke had a vision for this mural but he didn't want the gangs to tag it up. So he went around to all the gang leaders and told him this idea. The leaders respected him and agreed not to tag it.

Bakke then asked for help from people from all the gangs. And this is what happened.

Pictures don't show the whole thing but its really cool.

When the neighborhood was getting more higher class people they painted over the mural with white paint. In the nineties they sand blasted the white paint off and the mural was for the most part still in tact and just needed a little touch up. How awesome is that?

If you look at the picture of Jesus. He is not one color. Rather he is all colors.

Training has ended

Training for groups has officially ended. We are supposed to have all the information that we need to know to be able to host a group.

The first few groups are coming next week. Not everyone is hosting but I get to have the wonderful privilege of co-hosting next week.

I'm so excited. This is what we've been training for. This is what I have been waiting all year for. I don't know for sure where the group will be serving or anything specific like that. But it should be fun. And challenging. And good.

Today is Saturday and it is a wonderful little break from everything. I think some of the hosts and I are going to go explore one of the many neighborhoods here.