Talk about a fun day!!!
We had such a great time today for our final day of the trip. Our morning started with a special treat -- Firecakes donuts. Thanks to the generosity of Bill Kortepeter, we had the chance to chow down on some of the most delicious donuts in Chicago. Next time you guys are in the city, get to Hubbard Street downtown and stop by Firecakes, because they're unbelievable.
Post-breakfast, we had time for personal reflection and devotion before departing to Navy Pier for our fun day activities. We walked down to the pier as a group, and spent a few hours running around the shops and the sites. At the end of the afternoon, we all attended Cirque Shanghai. I'm pretty sure that Anna Savery might be permanently scarred emotionally from the stress that the performers put her through. Just try not to mention circus stuff to her for a while.
In the evening we went to Water Tower Place and spent some time exploring the Magnificent Mile together. Everyone got the opportunity to eat some delicious dinner and check out their favorite shops in town.
After dinner, the seniors led the group in worship together, with the theme of graditude as the center of their discussion. They each shared their personal stories and reflections about what they were most thankful for about our unique group. Many tears and laughs were shared as we ended the week by celebrating what we so appreciate about the people around us.
Near the end of worship together, the seniors presented a special gift to Karen since she started as a leader for Trek at the same time they entered Trek as a class. They've been together for years and it was bittersweet for them to be leaving their final trip as students. They bought her a build-a-bear at Navy Pier, that they named Kare Bare, and inside they put a heart for each of them.
Once worship finished, we moved on to the pinnacle of our week every year -- the bestowing of the cheese burrito. Michael Luse had the burrito from the year before, and he chose a student this year that he felt embodied the true nature of our trip. We all completely agreed with his choice: Evan White.
Evan came into the trip clearly a bit nervous and unsure of what awaited him this week. But in the first few days he made a ton of new friends and completely opened up, becoming one of the most valued leaders within the students. It didn't go unnoticed! Now, he has the responsibility of sheltering (fighting off?!) the cheese burrito for a year until next year's trip, where he must return to bestow it on another future student.
The burrito safely stowed back into the freezer, we went to the padded room and had a dance party to commemorate our last night together. I won't include any pictures, as most of them would be at best severly embarassing and at worst incredibly incriminating. We had a blast!
Tomorrow morning we pack our things, clean up and depart on the bus back to Indy. It's bittersweet to be ending our trip and leaving, but we're all excited to get home and continue our service in Indianapolis as part of our daily and weekly lives.
Please pray for good rest and safe travels tomorrow as we come home (and clear traffic!). Thank you for your support this week and for coming on this journey with us, we look forward to telling you all our stories upon our return home.
Peace,
High School Mission Week 2
P.s. Maria wrote a song last week at the end of the week to commemorate the cheese danish and cheese burrito awards. Thanks to the filming of Chris Wright and the production of Henry Johnston, the video was uploaded to YouTube this week and we were proud to debut the legend of the cheese danish (in song): "One Cheese Danish Rides Away"
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