ATL → CHI

WE MADE IT!

Mom and I left on Saturday, drove to Tennessee to see family for 2 days, then made the trek to Illinois. We arrived on Tuesday and its been a whirlwind since then.

Wednesday we spent all day exploring the town I will soon call home. Wheaton, IL is a really great place with lots of character. My favorite place we visited was the Wade Center. The Marion E. Wade Center of Wheaton College is a research collection of materials by authors such as: Owen Barfield, C.S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, J.R.R. Tolkien, and others. I may or may not have freaked out a bit. I LOVE The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and so many other works from these amazing authors. At the Wade Center they have both C.S. Lewis’ and J.R.R. Tolkien’s desks, along with many of their possessions. They also have  a wardrobe form Lewis’ childhood home that is said to have inspired “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe”. So here’s a few pictures for those of you that care as much as I do.

Thursday was spent with my team learning new skills that we will be using at our mission sites this summer. I learned how to frame a wall, measure out and dig space for a patio, and add trim to drywall. This summer my group in Kentucky will be building many decks, so learning how to use the circular saw and how to measure correctly for a foundation was vital. I still have a lot to learn and we will be training more starting tomorrow!

Friday. Oh friday. This was a tough day for me. Our entire team has been planning a Run, Walk, Crawl. Which is a run from Wheaton to Chicago (23 miles). Everyone made a goal, then you go as far as you can on the trail until you get on the train to the city. For those of you that know me, know that I am NOT a runner.Not only am I extremely out of shape but I also have a problem with my knee and have been getting cortisone shots. So this was not something I was looking forward to. I actually think it was what I was most worried about. I hate being bad at something and holding others back, and that is exactly what happened. I was asked to be in the front, because I was the slowest, so that it would be easier for our team to stay together for the first 2 miles. So when I walked, everyone walked. I slowed the team down. I was hurting, I was embarrassed, and I was angry with myself. I know that this sounds irrational but I wanted to be a part of the team and be good at it. However the team was amazing, I never felt any of this because of them, It was all in my head. Afterwards I realized that this is what I asked for. I asked God to surround me with a community and opportunities that would push me, challenge me, and get me out of my comfort zone. And that was just a run. This summer will be intense. I will work hard, I will be tired, I will fail, I will probably be embarrassed and angry at times. God will use all of these things to better me, yes, but it’s not about me. This summer I pray that students will be transformed and that God will use me as a vessel to lead them. And if one student is impacted, it’s worth it.

SaturYAY. Saturday was so much fun. Mom and I were tourists in Chicago. We hailed a taxi for the first time, took a architectural boat tour through Chicago River, and stood on ‘the ledge’ of Willis Tower. Chicago is so different from Atlanta and I loved every minute of it.

 

Next week will start our week of training, the interns arrive on friday, we leave for Kentucky and then the summer officially begins! It’s happening fast and I’m excited to see what God has in store for us!