My Daddy Came To Chicago!

After a few weeks of uncertainty due to Idaho's spring weather, my Dad was able at the (very) last minute to fly out for 3 1/2 busy days with me in Chicago! He's going to need to come back because we weren't able to see it all - but we sure made the rounds.

I made him take about 30 pictures with me so we could be sure we got a good one, even though he thought the first one was just fine. But he did it any way ..... cuz he LOVES me!

Megan and Wayne, April 18 2009

This is an anti-climactic view from the top of the Sears Tower, it has 103 stories. It was a little overcast the day we went, but nice just the same. We walked through downtown - a new experience for both of us, really. My job doesn't have me downtown much .... and 3 blisters later I can't say that I am sad about that.

This is the entryway to the Sears Tower. Chicago is a bid-city for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, along with Madrid, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro. I don't know when they decide, but this is a big topic here right now. It mostly comes down to an economic question (will this help Chicago or create a new/big debt for Chicago?), a social justice issue (the buildings that will be built have the potential to displace people, and it won't be weathly people moving), and a practicality issue (is Chicago safe enough to host an international event?).

We went to the Field Museum for a day. These are the man-eating lions from the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness". They would have been bigger in real life because the person who killed them made them into rugs. Then when they were sold to the Field Museum and stuffed the rugs wouldn't cover them at their original sizes.

You could go the this museum every day for a month and still not see/read everything. This was a display on the country of Benin, Africa. My friend Laura Ziulkowski is a missionary in Benin with Mercy Ships and she writes an incredible blog. We grew up together, did ministry together, went to camp together, and dreamed of being missionaries together. Well, we never really saw ourselves together in the same place, just together in ministry. I was commissioned by Paul Baptist Church on the same Sunday as Laura and for me, it was "picture perfect" to start full time ministry the same moment as my childhood friend!

p.s. Did you know that a thirsty camel can drink 30 gallons of water in 6 minutes?! Seems like he would have to hold his breath. Or that his tongue would get tired.

This was from a display showing various mammals. It is funny to me that they felt they needed to label this doll as "model: not life-size". In case what? A jelly fish reading the display assumes people are 4 inches tall?

Last night I was driving back to Chicago from camp in a torrential downpour. I have decided I don't love driving in rain because even with my wipers on high I can still only half see. There are these electronic signs on the expressway that typically tell you how many minutes to downtown, etc. But last night, through the blur of the water on my windshield, I read "Caution: Wet Pavement". Hmm.

Perhaps the guy who labels exhibits at the museum also works nights for the department of transportation?

While my Dad was here we walked around my neighborhood and drove around various neighborhoods that I do ministry in. My mom would have loved it because there are lots of old buildings, but she wasn't able to come because she's teaching classes at CSI. This picture is from Sunshine Gospel - we helped out with their after school program for part of an afternoon. I can send home all the pictures I want but it's still not the same as being here and getting to see places in the city. He didn't make me fly home with him (although I suspect part of him wanted to), so I guess that means it get to stay. ;-)

The highlight of the trip for me was that my Dad got to meet my Jabri and Jabari. These children are beautiful and sweet and I love them! God always gives me people, and living here is no exception!

We also went to a coin dealer - dad's new hobby is coin collecting. It was .... interesting. Some really little coins sure do cost a lot. The dealer had a penny for $4000. Imagine putting that in your pocket and then accidentally spending it to make tax for a hamburger. Probably not the hobby for me, eh?

Dear Daddy,

Thank you for coming to see me! Thank you for finding a way to make it work, even at the last minute! Thanks for being a good sport about taking so many pictures. Thank you for giving me a reason to have ice cream at the house. :-) And remember - St. Joseph, MI is right down the street and Money Magazine called it one of the 6 best places to retire.

Love you, Megan