Creation and Separation

We made it safely to Chicago yesterday afternoon with no problems. The flight was great but the heat in Chicago is crazy for this time of year. We had one small issue with transportation at the airport but it was quickly resolved. In fact it turned out better for us that what we had originally planned. Thanks for your prayers and the wonderful send-off yesterday before Church.

Sunday afternoon was spent driving about 45 minutes from the airport to Wheaton College, checking in and reviewing guidelines, moving our stuff into our rooms and taking a breather before dinner. To get us started on the right food they features some Chicago favorites at dinner. We had Chicago style pizza, sliced beef sandwiches and brat's as well as salad. Everyone was hungry since we only had snacks on the plane. Following dinner we went into our first group session for the week. All evening we discussed the first theme of our journey which was Creation. We connected with this theme through music and the telling of the creation story out loud as it would have been told way back in the times of Genesis. The next step was joining an interactive community group where we were able to discuss what we heard "from the story" of the evening. It was amazing how some new insights came from this story that is all so familiar to most of the students. We often times don't listen as we should to the "story" of Gods plan for his creation.

Because of the missed meal earlier in the day the students convinced me to take them on a late night food run. Destination of the night: TACO BELL/ WENDY'S. It was great. Remember to ask your students how they got their food at Taco Bell!!!

Today we took up a slower pace. We rose early for breakfast and then met in the large group with over 500 other students to look into the theme of separation through the stories of the fall, Cain and Abel and the Flood. All were very intriguing when heard only through audio not looking at the text in any way. We then journeyed to our interactive communities once again.

After lunch we went on our first off campus trip. We ventured to a local high school to discuss how the fall has worked in our students lives in the context they find themselves in most of the time. From the High School we visited a cemetery which really brought the reality of the flood into new light. The students were very somber as they gained a new realization of the damage sin causes in the world and felt an increased burden for their friends who at this moment don't know Christ.

Our last afternoon exercise was to visit a local mall and people watch. The goal being to interpret some of the effects of sin that are common in our everyday lives that we may simply not notice because we are in our comfort zones. The students findings were eye opening. They journaled their thoughts so you will be able to ask them about it when they return home.

Our fun trip this afternoon was to a little Candy and popcorn store in downtown Wheaton. It is an ally that was turned into a store, very unique location in the town. The kids stocked up on sugar snacks and Dan Holder bought the biggest bag of popcorn I have ever seen. It was as big as a grocery store paper bag!!!

Dinner and group debriefing time followed and was capped off by a sharing time in the large group. It was a great start to our mission of Knowing and Sharing Christ. Tomorrow we will start to reach out into the community through our afternoon expressions. Pray that God will continue to move the students lives and work in and through them to minister to others also.