After breakfast, we went into our first lecture which was called "Deconstructing the Matrix" by Andy Frye. It was about postmodernism. We got a five minute break then went into evangelism training.
Evangelism training is usually just a quick meeting telling us where we are allowed to go and generally walking us through the tract we were given, but this time they did a short bible study on evangelizing, which was very encouraging! After our bible study, they went through the usual things, but there was something very shocking they told us. We would be evangelizing in Millennium Park. Even the alumni was shocked by this fact. Usually we go evangelizing in very small areas, so we were not expecting such a huge location!
We were dismissed from training and sent into our small groups to be put into evangelism teams. My group had two girls and a guy, which included Abby, myself, and Daniel (who is leader Rebekah's younger brother). Once we met up with our groups, we were sent to lunch. Daniel, Abby, and I were going to awkwardly sit at a table with just the three of us for the hour of lunch, but then we noticed that our small groups were sitting together at one of the big tables and decided to join them. Abby and I sat together at one end of the table and Daniel ended up sitting at the other end, so we really did not get to talk much, but that is okay. Abby and I were at the same end of the table as Andrew (Daniel's leader), Amy, and leader Rebekah, so we got to ask a lot of questions about where we were going, how long it would take to get there, and all of the other logistics, before hand.
After what felt like a very short hour, Amy and Andrew told us it was time to go to our dorms and put all of our bags in our rooms so we did not have to bring them with us. Abby and I made fools of ourselves all the way to our room and while we were in the room because we were so terribly nervous for the evangilism practicum.
We met back up with our small group and Andrew's small group and then loaded up on the buses. Half of my small group was on the other bus, while the other half was at the very back of my bus. Abby and I sat together with Daniel and Abby's older brother Jacob in about the middle of the bus. Talk about a loud bus ride! I never knew an hour ride in a bus could take so miserably long!!! Once we got closer to Chicago, Abby and I started talking about Divergent and got very distracted by this thought for quite a while.
The buses dropped us off in Millennium Park and the group gathered around the leader who was facilitating our practicum. He prayed with us and told us what time to meet back at the buses and then released us for our practicum.
Abby, Daniel, and I walked around for a second trying to find someone to talk to, then approached a man who was very cautious of us at first. After a few moments in conversation, he started to warm up to us and then told us about where he went to church and how amazing the Gospel is. We highly enjoyed talking with him and were very encouraged, but we knew we had to move on.
The next people we talked to blew us off pretty quickly. Daniel asked him "What happens when you die?" and his response was brief, "I don't want to die, so it doesn't matter." I cannot help but feel bad for this man and his family if that is truly what they believe. There is no hope in that. None at all.
Abby and I started the next conversation with two women who were talking on the sidewalk. One of the women very adamantly did not want to talk to us, but the other seemed willing. Sadly, the woman who did not want to talk to us dragged her away before we were able to have much of a conversation.
We talked to a black couple who was very open. I was not too sure what they believed at first, but soon realized they were both Christians. Sometimes it is rather encouraging to talk to someone who believes the same thing, especially after being rejected back to back several times.
Our next conversation was by far the longest. There was a couple sitting on a bench and Daniel started talking to them and the conversation lasted almost 15 minutes, which is a pretty decent amount of time. The one man claimed to be an atheist and the woman did not know what she ultimately believed, though she did know that she believed nothing happens when we die. At one point the man started to get very loud and pushy and a leader started circling around us to make sure we were okay, then the conversation settled back down and we continued through without any problems.
After we talked to them, it was time to head back to the buses. Abby handed her pamphlet out on our way back, then we met up with our small group outside the buses and talked for a little bit before it was time to load up.
On the way back, Abby, leader Rebekah, and I sat together and we had a lovely talk all the way back. It kept me distracted from the noise and the motion sickness that was starting to overwhelm me. We talked about all sorts of stuff and were all laughing and having fun on the way back with the pressure of evangelizing off our shoulders.
When we got back, we had evangelism debriefing where students get to share their stories. This is one of my favorite parts of camp, because it makes us feel like we are not alone and others were rejected. Also, some people talk to individuals who are willing to have a decent conversation and are open to hearing the Gospel.
After our debriefing, we had two minutes to go back to our dorms and grab our bags. It is a five minute walk one way, so we all took off running back to the dorms full-speed. On the way back, Abby, Diane, and I got stuck in a downpour and were quite wet when we got back to the lecture hall. Amy met us before we made it in the room and then we headed in for our lecture.
We were all so hungry during our lecture, I don't think many of us were paying too much attention. I honestly don't even remember what the lecture was really about. It was called "Word (part 1)" and Andy Frye gave it. The lecture was something along the lines of proof that the Old Testament is real.
Dinner was next. Heavenly food!!! My whole small group ate way too much and all had pretty bad stomach aches afterwards. In the time between our next lecture and dinner, leader Rebekah taught us a silly game with sound effects and motions. We all were laughing hysterically and it was nice to play a game that required us sitting down and not moving around too much. :D
Our next lecture is a lecture that all of the alumni look forward to. It is called "A Night at the Movies." The marvelous Chris Sharp presented the lecture and did a fabulous job. It is a lecture talking about the worldview in popular movies and how to decipher the main questions each movies asks.
After our lecture, we got to go to t-time. We played "Never Have I Ever..." combined with musical chairs and had a blast!!! It was so much fun to play and get to move around a little bit after sitting so much (and after our stomachs had the chance to settle a little!). We had our own small group evangelism debriefing for the rest of small group time. Then we walked back together in the rain to our dorms.
Naturally, we had another after t-time small group party. This time we finished off the oreos and spent most of the time laughing and enjoying the freedom of being done with evangelizing. Leader Rebekah came to give us our five minute lights out warning and ended up hanging out for those last five minutes. We also experimented with eating oreos and bananas which is rather good together!
Amy told us lights out and none of us fought to hard before going to bed.
After what felt like a very short hour, Amy and Andrew told us it was time to go to our dorms and put all of our bags in our rooms so we did not have to bring them with us. Abby and I made fools of ourselves all the way to our room and while we were in the room because we were so terribly nervous for the evangilism practicum.
We met back up with our small group and Andrew's small group and then loaded up on the buses. Half of my small group was on the other bus, while the other half was at the very back of my bus. Abby and I sat together with Daniel and Abby's older brother Jacob in about the middle of the bus. Talk about a loud bus ride! I never knew an hour ride in a bus could take so miserably long!!! Once we got closer to Chicago, Abby and I started talking about Divergent and got very distracted by this thought for quite a while.
The buses dropped us off in Millennium Park and the group gathered around the leader who was facilitating our practicum. He prayed with us and told us what time to meet back at the buses and then released us for our practicum.
Abby, Daniel, and I walked around for a second trying to find someone to talk to, then approached a man who was very cautious of us at first. After a few moments in conversation, he started to warm up to us and then told us about where he went to church and how amazing the Gospel is. We highly enjoyed talking with him and were very encouraged, but we knew we had to move on.
The next people we talked to blew us off pretty quickly. Daniel asked him "What happens when you die?" and his response was brief, "I don't want to die, so it doesn't matter." I cannot help but feel bad for this man and his family if that is truly what they believe. There is no hope in that. None at all.
Abby and I started the next conversation with two women who were talking on the sidewalk. One of the women very adamantly did not want to talk to us, but the other seemed willing. Sadly, the woman who did not want to talk to us dragged her away before we were able to have much of a conversation.
We talked to a black couple who was very open. I was not too sure what they believed at first, but soon realized they were both Christians. Sometimes it is rather encouraging to talk to someone who believes the same thing, especially after being rejected back to back several times.
Our next conversation was by far the longest. There was a couple sitting on a bench and Daniel started talking to them and the conversation lasted almost 15 minutes, which is a pretty decent amount of time. The one man claimed to be an atheist and the woman did not know what she ultimately believed, though she did know that she believed nothing happens when we die. At one point the man started to get very loud and pushy and a leader started circling around us to make sure we were okay, then the conversation settled back down and we continued through without any problems.
After we talked to them, it was time to head back to the buses. Abby handed her pamphlet out on our way back, then we met up with our small group outside the buses and talked for a little bit before it was time to load up.
On the way back, Abby, leader Rebekah, and I sat together and we had a lovely talk all the way back. It kept me distracted from the noise and the motion sickness that was starting to overwhelm me. We talked about all sorts of stuff and were all laughing and having fun on the way back with the pressure of evangelizing off our shoulders.
When we got back, we had evangelism debriefing where students get to share their stories. This is one of my favorite parts of camp, because it makes us feel like we are not alone and others were rejected. Also, some people talk to individuals who are willing to have a decent conversation and are open to hearing the Gospel.
After our debriefing, we had two minutes to go back to our dorms and grab our bags. It is a five minute walk one way, so we all took off running back to the dorms full-speed. On the way back, Abby, Diane, and I got stuck in a downpour and were quite wet when we got back to the lecture hall. Amy met us before we made it in the room and then we headed in for our lecture.
We were all so hungry during our lecture, I don't think many of us were paying too much attention. I honestly don't even remember what the lecture was really about. It was called "Word (part 1)" and Andy Frye gave it. The lecture was something along the lines of proof that the Old Testament is real.
Dinner was next. Heavenly food!!! My whole small group ate way too much and all had pretty bad stomach aches afterwards. In the time between our next lecture and dinner, leader Rebekah taught us a silly game with sound effects and motions. We all were laughing hysterically and it was nice to play a game that required us sitting down and not moving around too much. :D
Our next lecture is a lecture that all of the alumni look forward to. It is called "A Night at the Movies." The marvelous Chris Sharp presented the lecture and did a fabulous job. It is a lecture talking about the worldview in popular movies and how to decipher the main questions each movies asks.
After our lecture, we got to go to t-time. We played "Never Have I Ever..." combined with musical chairs and had a blast!!! It was so much fun to play and get to move around a little bit after sitting so much (and after our stomachs had the chance to settle a little!). We had our own small group evangelism debriefing for the rest of small group time. Then we walked back together in the rain to our dorms.
Naturally, we had another after t-time small group party. This time we finished off the oreos and spent most of the time laughing and enjoying the freedom of being done with evangelizing. Leader Rebekah came to give us our five minute lights out warning and ended up hanging out for those last five minutes. We also experimented with eating oreos and bananas which is rather good together!
Amy told us lights out and none of us fought to hard before going to bed.
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| My amazing evangelizing group! (Daniel looks like David Tennant from Doctor Who in this picture!) |
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| My evangelism group talking to the couple. |
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