This summer, North Park students were active, participating in NPRESS, summer courses, Kids College, and serving at Covenant Camps nation-wide. Three students shared their experiences from their camps in their respective roles, in part made possible by North Park’s Camp Grant, awarded to students who serve at Covenant summer camps.

Barrett Loehrer – Lake Beauty Covenant Bible Camp, MN

I found myself in a unique situation at the beginning of the summer. I needed to decide between working at camp for the summer, or maintaining my double major in biblical and theological studies and exercise science. After a couple months of painful prayer and discernment, I felt this summer at camp was one I could not miss. God continually pointed me forward to the summer at camp. I lived here for the 2014-2015 school year as part of Solid Rock School of Discipleship. However, I had never worked for Lake Beauty before.

Our theme for the summer was “Set Free”, based upon the text of Galatians 5:1. Indeed, I personally felt set free in new ways, along with the rest of the summer staff. However, it was seeing kids set free in powerful ways that made the summer worth it. The campers were set free to vulnerably share their struggles with sin and difficult questions with one another, allowing even greater freedom through prayer together about such things.

It was impossible for us to predict how any camper, or which ones, would react to the preaching of the Gospel. It became apparent to me once again that I was not in control, though I sometimes wanted to be. This summer God reminded me that He is sovereign over everything and that everything, including our calling to salvation, is entirely dependent upon His mercy.

Hannah Geil – Cascades Camp and Conference Center, WA

I have successfully worked at camp for three summers now. I vividly remember sitting on the corner of my bed in Anderson, watching one of my good friends apply to work at a camp that was only four hours away from my home. She shared stories of how exciting it would be to venture away and serve God in the middle of the wilderness. This gave me flashbacks to when I had attended that camp for small retreats and I relived the joy those gatherings brought me in high school.

My first year I worked as a counselor. This is a special role that can truly show you what it means to pour out everything for Jesus, loving your kids 23 hours a day for every day they’re in your cabin. My second year I worked as an S.A.L.T. Crew Leader. This meant my partner and I were assigned high school students who were transitioning from being campers to being leaders and guides in the cabins and around camp. It was a summer that revived my love of helping high school students and reminded me how good my God is.

Finally, this summer I worked as a Rec. Leader for a 4th-6th grade section. The Program Leader and I kept the camp moving along. We were the support system for the counselors, ensuring that they and their campers made it through the day smoothly. I oversaw the planning and leading of all the games and activities for the kids, making camp as fun and exciting as possible for the kids. It was one of the most rewarding summers for me. I saw just how awesome God was using each counselor to teach these kids more about him. It was incredible to see counselors turn into screaming children full of face paint, engage kids with the Bible, or moved to tears as they said goodbye to campers each week. No matter how rough the cabin was or how exhausted the counselor was, they always wished they had more time to love on their kids.

My co-director and I both firmly believe in leading by example, and honestly, some of my best memories from my time at camp this summer involved moments in the kitchen. I found myself looking forward to spraying sticky maple syrup off of dozens of plates if it meant being able to belt along to the soundtracks of “La La Land” and “High School Musical” while doing so. The joy and satisfaction I receive from sharing the Light of Christ with young people are incomparable.

ÂÜÀòÉç’s Camp Grant has been around for over 20 years, encouraging North Parkers to serve at Covenant Camps during their summers. The grant provides a financial incentive and promotes North Park’s goal of Living Lives of Significance and Service by making summer work experiences at Covenant Camps more financially viable. The grant is awarded to those who display a servant attitude and are positive role models for campers and staff.

Keep serving at camp on your radar for this upcoming summer! Check out a list of covenant camps by following the button below!

ÂÜÀòÉç Camp Grant

This is a student blog post submitted by Leah Emerson C’18. Leah is a Psychology and Advertising double major. Pictures featured in this post were taken by Leah. 

For as long as I can remember, a goal of mine has been to visit all seven continents before I die. When it came to Asia, my first thoughts were always things like, “I’d love to see Thailand,” or, “Hong Kong would be amazing.” I knew that Taiwan was a country, but it has never been a country that crossed my mind when I thought of the places I wanted to visit. Not because Taiwan wasn’t interesting or worth my time, but because I just didn’t know enough about it. Yet, here I am writing about my first experience in Asia that took place in—you guessed it—Taiwan! Life is a funny thing.

The context of the trip is a Keystone course offered by ÂÜÀòÉç entitled “Culture and Ecology of Asia.” The course is exactly as it sounds. It is two weeks long and focuses on teaching students of all backgrounds about the culture—customs, societal norms, food, etc—and the ecology—living organisms and their surrounding—of Asia, and more specifically of Taiwan. The trip was led by Dr. Timothy Lin and Dr. Linda Vick—Dr. Lin specializes in the more  cultural aspect of the trip, as he is a Taiwanese native, and Dr. Vick specializing in the ecological aspect—teaching us about the unique organisms and living things in this unfamiliar part of the world.

This trip was more than just a class where we gained factual knowledge. It was an experience that we got to make our own. Throughout the two weeks we were there, we did more than sight-seeing. We did things that pushed us beyond what we are accustomed to which gave us the opportunity to see and experience the world, and engage with people in a way we didn’t know possible.

my biggest take away from this trip was this: mindset is everything

We spent one day at Tunghai University, North Park’s Taiwanese partner school. During our stay at the University, each of us were paired  with a Taiwanese student from the university, and we spent the whole day with them. We talked with them and compared our lives, cultures, experiences, and so much more. It was things like that, having simple conversations, which really opened  our minds and created great learning experiences—and many new friendships!

One of my favorite parts of the trip was traveling to the countryside of Taiwan and seeing all the rice fields. While we were there, we had the chance to eat dinner in a Taiwanese family’s home. The father was previously a professional chef in Taipei (the largest city in Taiwan), but due to health reasons, he and his family had to leave and move elsewhere. They decided they wanted to live a simple life, so they moved to the countryside and began farming. While in their home, he prepared somewhere between 8-10 courses for us to enjoy, all of which were grown and farmed locally, and his two little daughters and his wife served us the food. Afterwards, he came out of the kitchen and spoke with us (in Mandarin—Dr. Lin translated). He told us his story and answered questions we had. It was such an incredible and special experience, and the food was even better!

As much as I learned in the two weeks, my biggest take away from this trip was this: mindset is everything. It plays a crucial role when it comes to our outlooks on life. I left on this trip challenging myself to keep an open mind, and a willingness to try new things. I came home two weeks later with an entirely new perspective. That open-mindedness ultimately opened up my world. This hands-on learning experience allowed me to learn things about the world, myself, and others that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise; for that I am thankful.

This is a student blog post submitted by Rachel Weaver C’19. Rachel is transfer student majoring in Biology.

After months of anticipation, we are finally in San Salvador, The Bahamas!! This all started in the Johnson Center at ÂÜÀòÉç. The first part of our Marine Biology course was spent in the classroom where we got to know each other and the marine creatures we are spending so much time with. We learned about different species of fish, coral, and invertebrates and how to recognize them in the field (don’t touch the bearded fireworms!). We practiced identifying the Caribbean fish at Chicago’s own Shedd Aquarium to test our abilities. In the Shedd’s Caribbean Reef Tank we got a glimpse of many of fish we had been studying in depth within the classroom; we were impressed by how much we could recall after such a short time.

If we thought fish identification skills were hard, picking out our snorkeling gear and choosing which colors we wanted was even tougher. With this difficult decision made, we used our new gear well in advance of the trip, practicing our snorkeling skills in a local pool. We developed the myriad skills needed to snorkel successfully and safely, including surface dives and mastering breathing through our mouths instead of our noses (it sounds easier than it is . . . try it for an hour straight).

Those who were feeling adventurous took the opportunity to become certified to scuba dive down to 60 feet deep. Getting certified was exciting and only took two weekends to complete. Our first open water dive took place in the 50 degree waters of Haigh Quarry, also affectionately called the “Caribbean of the Midwest”; fitting for our future travel plans. Fortunately, we were in the real Caribbean within a week, where the waters are much warmer (80 degrees), the sun is hotter, and the aquatic life is more diverse. We will get to use our scuba skills toward the end of our trip.

The Marine Biology course is one of the many field courses available at North Park. What’s a better way to learn marine biology than to see the real deal? Here at North Park, not only is Chicago our classroom, but so is the world.

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This is a student blog post submitted by Leslie Nelson C’19. Leslie is a Biology major.

Over these past two days through these experiences and countless others, our team was more excited than ever to see what San Salvador had in store for us.

Upon arrival at our home for the trip, the Gerace Research Centre (GRC) on the island of San Salvador, we once again encountered Bahamian island time contrasted with the military-style scheduling of GRC. At GRC, meals run like clockwork at specified times, no exceptions. If you show up too late for a meal, you won’t be eating. Further, there are other specific times such as quiet hours as well as the return of GRC vehicles. All this precise timing facilitates smooth function, courtesy, and even safety (many vehicles lack working headlights, wipers, speedometers, doors that latch shut, and other “unnecessary” luxuries). Additionally, the GRC guests are mostly scientists from around the western hemisphere with multiple research foci; strict schedules allow for better coordination across campus. Passing through the gate of the GRC puts you in a different temporal space than the laid-back style of the islanders, who never seem to be in a rush or even on a specific schedule.

Further, there seems to be a more welcoming attitude on the Bahamian islands than you would find in many US cities. This is most apparent while traveling the roads. Driving up to GRC following our arrival on San Salvador, we were told by the campus director to wave as cars pass each other on the Queens Highway, the one road around the island. Waving is part of the culture here on the island, as everyone knows each other and therefore there is an almost obligatory friendliness. Perhaps it is because everyone on the island is family, in some sense.

On Nassau, as well as San Salvador, honking on the road is more of a friendly ‘hello’ than an annoyed ‘what do you think you are doing?’

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This is a student blog post submitted by Leslie Nelson C’19. Leslie is a Biology major.

“The first time is the worst.” The mini heart attacks subsided as we remembered that Bahamians do indeed drive on the opposite side of the road. Meanwhile, we were still trying to comprehend why half of the cars have steering wheels on the left side and the other half have them switched to the right. This is one of the first examples of merging cultures we experienced on arrival in Nassau in The Bahamas.

Another striking cultural difference noticed early on was between the leisurely island style and the bustling tourism industry. Tourism is the largest industry found on the Bahamian Islands. Once again, a merging of these two worlds became apparent in Nassau during dinner time at “Da Fish Fry,” the local seafood strip. The restaurant owners persistently pursued us to get us to eat at their establishments. One owner even picked up a Chicago Cubs t-shirt worn by one of our group members, using this as a segue to talk us into his establishment. This kind of personalized attention is not as common in North American cities. We snacked on local delicacies like conch fritters and some members of our group even enjoyed a full conch meal!

However, there were also tastes of home. Dunkin Donuts. This time, donuts at the Lynden Pindling International Airport were the method by which cultures were fused. Dr. Rholl was the only brave soul who was willing to give a guava donut a try . . . he loved it. And these donuts appeared once again when multiple people traveling on our small flight from Nassau to San Salvador brought a box full of donuts to the island with them, a commodity which can’t be found on the out islands.

Beyond experiencing the unique culture of the Bahamas, we also found time to work on our snorkeling and identification skills. Two snorkeling sessions have already been squeezed in between flights and meals and catching up on sleep. To begin we checked out Junkanoo Beach in the heart of Nassau which is right next to the shipping lanes and a public beach. For our second session, we waited until San Salvador and walked across the street from our lodging at the Gerace Research Centre to the boat launch at Graham’s Harbor.

In just 24 hours, our eyes have been opened to a new world. In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on the tiny Bahamian island of San Salvador. 525 years later, we are excited to see what else “Columbus’ Isle” has in store for us, both culturally and ecologically.

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This is a student blog post submitted by Kaylyn Sweitzer, C’19. Kaylyn is an English Literature and Creative Writing major.

Never have I felt so filled, yet so empty. Charles Dickens explains my situation well in the opening line of A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I felt completely torn between having the time of my life and wanting nothing more than to go home. Studying abroad is, in fact, the most fulfilling and rewarding thing you can do in college; however, I will be the first to say that it is also the most draining and difficult. But just because it was hard certainly does not mean that it wasn’t worth it. And I have to say . . . it was completely worth it.

Upon my return from studying at SVF in Sweden, I was frequently asked the convenient conversation starter, “How was Sweden?” To which I found myself providing a variety of answers. I openly shared personal details and anecdotes with some people, while shielding aspects of my experience with others. No one knows the true story of my time in Sweden–not even me. It already feels like a distant memory. I look at the photos see the familiar faces of the friends I spent both the most rewarding and challenging four months of my life–and it just doesn’t feel real. I have pictures of me standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, the Roman Colosseum, and Big Ben, but I am still struggling to process the fact that I was there just a few months ago. I spent a semester on another continent, in a different country, learning an unfamiliar language, and eating cultural food; however, since I’ve been back at North Park, that experience has felt like more of a fantastical adventure. And in a way, it was. I was living in a dream–my childhood dream of traveling Europe. It was euphoric, incredibly brilliant, simply life-changing. But it was also taxing, strenuous, and exhausting.

In the wise words of Bilbo Baggins, “It’s a dangerous business going out of your door. You step into the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to” (LOTR). By moving to a different country, I had exposed myself to the elements of the world. In America, I know what to do, where to go, what to say . . . for the most part. I am comfortable. Living in Sweden, I was surrounded by a new language and culture. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and not just from the wear and tear of going through the day. It was partly due to having to adjust to a different environment and way of life. Even trying to process the Swedish language wore me out. I was uncomfortable, but I was thankful to be. We grow and change when we’re uncomfortable and when we’re challenged and pushed to our limits. In those moments, we don’t break–we rise. So even though I felt strained and overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity, I knew that the familiarity and comfort would come with time.

With each passing day, I appreciated the country and culture of Sweden, along with my overall experience, more and more. I appreciated walking out of my dorm every morning to see the sun rising over the city of Jönköping and Lake VĂ€ttern, Friday fika and Ica runs, the peace and quiet of SVF, having late night talks with my roommate, FaceTiming my family from the basement of my dorm at midnight, Pepparkakor and glögg, having to use a converter whenever I needed to charge my phone, daily morning fika, and having to wear reflective bracelets to avoid being hit by cars since it would get dark by 3:00. It would’ve been so easy to take the little things for granted, but the little things are what made the opportunity so special.

I really enjoyed getting to know Sweden’s lifestyle. Generally speaking, life in Sweden simply happens at a slower pace; people aren’t in as much of as rush. They multitask less and focus on the moment more. Swedes also tend to be more reserved and humble and not as showy and flashy as Americans. I love how Swedes routinely pause throughout the day for fika breaks; they’re very good at being communal and forming deep relationships over time. And that’s another thing I appreciated about Sweden—they take all relationships seriously.

Studying abroad pushed me to grow in ways I hadn’t anticipated beforehand. I grew in my confidence and independence, and I learned to rely on myself in a whole new way. It was the longest I have ever been away from my family, meaning that I had to accept the fact that I couldn’t always rely on them to hold my hand. Apart from relying on myself, I also had to rely more heavily on those around me. I had to accept the fact that I needed to place my trust in my peers and to accept the idea of vulnerability. Sweden did leave me vulnerable—vulnerable and raw, my protective walls peeled away. Shedding these skins hurt, but it allowed new ones to replace the old, and these new skins have made me stronger and more resilient than ever before. And I owe all of this change to my decision to leave my comfort zone and take on an adventure of a lifetime, my adventure in Sverige.

This is a student blog post submitted by Stephen Nielsen, C’19 and Charlotte Manning, C’17. Stephen is an English (creative writing concentration) and Media Studies double major. Charlotte Manning is an English major with a concentration in creative writing.

It’s been two months since Charlotte Manning and I traveled with 42 others on the University Ministries-led “Sankofa” trip. The bus ride from Chicago, Illinois to Montgomery, Alabama alone took 12 hours. Why were we subjecting ourselves to this? We can talk about the bathroom situation later, but suffice it to say, the men didn’t smell anything for days after the trip. Here, Charlotte and I share our thoughts about the experience.

Charlotte

The trip is designed with such intention. We were assigned with partners of different races and ages, so experiences were quite naturally formed. It is so much more than an educational field trip or a simple act of social justice; rather, the experience and purpose of Sankofa is about as complex as the word “race.” No matter how uncomfortable we may have felt amongst our peers, we could not escape the conversation of race. And trust me, I know that the mere thought of that makes people want to run for the nearest hills, and although that fearful feeling is valid, discomfort is the whole point.

I am a half-black, half-white, Swedish-American, and even I cringed at the thought of mourning my own history and race. My whole life I preferred to disconnect the past from my own personal experience as a middle-class, privileged, millennial woman of color, but Sankofa changed that. We all felt the heavy burden of ignorance in some way in those three days, but the beauty of our group’s dialogue came from those realizations.

The ability to choose to stay out of the race conversation is ignorance in its most murderous form.

As badly as we all wanted to get off that bus and vow to forever say that “we don’t see color,” because it would have been easier that way, we quickly learned that the ignorance we had always heard of and shrugged our shoulders to was in us. The way we all had chosen to ignore the painful part of the conversation, those times we did not speak up when we should have, the times we denied our privilege, and the times we swore we had a black friend who swore we weren’t racist. We’ve heard it all, we’ve done it all and yet, our lack of presence in the conversation has only been the water to the roots that have perpetuated racism and furthered the evolution of slavery and oppression, unending.

Stephen

We were unprepared. I was unprepared. I saw things I didn’t want to see; things I needed to see, and was treated in ways I’ll never be treated, but other humans have had to endure, and much worse. It’s been two months; why did it take so long to get this piece written? It wasn’t because other deadlines were pushed up, it was because we weren’t taught how to process everything. The number of conversations I’ve had about race have surged. I had nothing to say before, now I thought I had everything to say after this trip. I still have a lot to say, but there is so much I still don’t know. We were taught of systematized racism. “But systematized racism is illegal, why would it happen?” some have asked.

1 in 17 Whites in America will go to jail, while 1 in 3 Blacks in America will go to jail. Is this an example? “No, that’s just black culture,” some have said. “If you look at them, they’re fatherless, men get women pregnant and then leave them. It’s black culture, it’s not racism.” So, does this then still have to do with privilege? These numbers still don’t accurately represent the American population. There is something wrong, but is it in the Black or White community? Is it a result of oppression, or irresponsibility? But then isn’t that incorrectly stereotyping, to say that Black people aren’t responsible? We know that’s not true. If racism is only on the individual level, then that’s where we must tackle it. But it’s not, is it? Biased medias don’t portray lives correctly; they produce a fear of color.

The trip left me with more questions than answers. It opened my mind to massive amounts of information and ideas that have never occurred to me, being in America. I have noticed if, how, or where race has been playing a role in our country, and what roles race is playing. I was downtown the other day, and walked into four different clothing and accessory stores. Only one of those had about an equally mixed race staff during the two-hour time span I was there. The rest of the stores had primarily or only Black staff members. What does this mean?

Charlotte

We learned that privilege is being white. We learned that slavery hasn’t ended; rather it has evolved into what we now know as the criminal justice system. We learned that socioeconomic discrepancies are the way they are because of the blueprint that our forefathers used to build our cities—with intention to divide and segregate. We learned that tolerance is not the same thing as love and acceptance. We learned that even once we recognize the ignorance, the privilege, and our individual role in being an advocate for people of color, the conversation of race is never easy, and never gets easier. But that does not mean it has to be a conversation of hopelessness. Racism is not dead. We witnessed it in Selma, Alabama where the streets were once covered with Civil Rights protestors, we heard it in the preserved voices of Martin Luther King and Angela Davis who refused to be quiet, we felt it with the old slave shackles we wrapped around our ankles, and we felt it in the conviction and sympathy of God’s words, over ours, every time.

Stephen

“How was Sankofa?” I was asked just about a gazillion times after I got back. There were no words to describe my feelings; the hurt we all experienced, the sadness and empathy we all felt sitting in the Equal Justice Initiative, the laughs we shared on the bus or over a meal, and the silence after watching the documentary “13th”. I have only been able to talk about my experiences with those who were on the trip. Two months later, I still haven’t told my family everything about the trip, I don’t know how.

What can be done? We all know that going up to an intentionally racist person and telling them off probably won’t change their worldview or actions. Something you can do? Be aware of the types of people you surround yourself with. What are their backgrounds? In your workplace, who are the people who are or aren’t speaking up? Why? Who is over or underrepresented? Why? Can something be done? If you have the power to direct the conversation, or know you won’t be shot down for speaking up, use that to get the underrepresented voice out there.

Charlotte

The ability to choose to stay out of the race conversation is ignorance in its most murderous form. And I encourage everyone with a beating heart, especially those with ivory skin, to try and do the same thing in the conversation of race. Whether or not you believe in the kingdom of God, compassion is a universal notion, one we all hope to receive at one point or another, but I believe that true compassion is a selfless act and an effective weapon against injustice.

Stephen

Regardless of your stance on racism, especially in America, we want to challenge you to listen to someone who isn’t like you, who doesn’t look like you, or come from a similar background as you. Go somewhere you wouldn’t normally go, hang out with someone you wouldn’t normally hang out with because of a preconception you might have of the place or them. It can’t hurt to hear another side. And find out the why in history. Ask: “Why. . . ? ”

Charlotte

Enter into it, feel the discomfort in others’ experiences, and open up your eyes to the possibility that human suffering does not have to directly affect you to move you.

Portions of this piece also appear in issue published May, 2017.

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This is a student blog post submitted by Melanie Lofgren, C’18. Melanie is a psychology major, with a biblical and theological studies minor. She spent her spring break in Italy with a group of 12 students and two professors. On the trip, students considered the continuity between the life of the earliest Christians in their cities and present-day Christians in the city of Chicago.

Today I’ll share about something I’m not very knowledgeable about, and yet find incredibly interesting and thought-provoking.

Rome and art.

I’ll start at the Vatican. We went to the Vatican museum on Tuesday and spent the day in our groups viewing, listening, and reading. Everything was simply beautiful. The artworks expressed feelings, depicted moments or a series of moments in time, or the feeling of multiple emotions, history, and so much more!

I want to focus on the Sistine Chapel. No pictures were allowed, as I was sternly told by a clearly aggravated Italian man shaking his hand at me. So, sorry, I don’t have any photos. The effort and thoroughness Michelangelo used to paint the chapel are insane to think about, not mention painful with the method he had to use. He depicts the final judgment, stories of Moses, moments in Jesus’s life, prophets, the book of Genesis, the apostles, and more. The amount of Christian history and significance in that room is incredible. Couple that with the one who painted it, and where . . . I was standing in one of the most significant places for Christians, and I’m Protestant.

As I stood in front of piece after piece in different museums, I felt something like what I like to believe the artists were feeling. It’s all subjective and can be interpreted differently, and yet each piece is timeless and has a story. Most Roman art we saw conveyed a historical event or religious belief.

Take the painting by Pietro Aquila, for instance. Located in the Room of Triumphs in
the Capitoline Museum, the battle scene depicts the victory of Alexander over Darius (ca. 1650–92). I am initially frightened because I am extremely uncomfortable, afraid, and disapproving of the violence. However, as I take a closer look I see a deeper message. This is not simply a battle between Alexander the Great and the ultimate defeat of Darius, but it elevates Alexander to a higher level than previously. The sky is clear and bright revealing that this is a good scene. The bird flying overhead could be a scavenger waiting for a meal, a symbol for the inevitability of death. There are faces full of terror and ones of absolute confidence and power.

Before I go, I want to share my favorite painting with you; it’s the fresco of the riot between Pompeiians and Nucerians, 59 A.D., Pompei, Volume IV, plate XXXII by Fausto and Felice Niccolini. This is an illustration of a riot that occurred outside of the amphitheater in Pompeii in 59 CE, speculated to have been between organizations from different towns. It’s distinctive because the artist decided to paint this event rather than a gladiatorial fight, which was the most common use of the amphitheater. They’re also what you’d assume people would want to remember in a painting. It may be that the artist was connected to the riot somehow. The piece takes a bird’s eye perspective which removes the artist from the scene, whether that be to distance themselves to not be triggered by the event or because they were not there, I cannot say. It also is very spread out; each brawl and element are separated from each other, this is very different from the other art we saw during this time and that made it even more interesting. It is just so cool!

This is a student blog post submitted by Melanie Lofgren, C’18. Melanie is a psychology major, with a biblical and theological studies minor. She spent her spring break in Italy with a group of 12 students and two professors. On the trip, students considered the continuity between the life of the earliest Christians in their cities and present-day Christians in the city of Chicago.

Over my spring break, I traveled with a group of 11 other students and two professors, all of us ranging in academic and professional disciplines . . . and in prior knowledge of Rome and Christian history. Despite being a Junior and a BTS minor, I actually haven’t taken many Bible or theology classes. I also never learned much of Roman history in junior high or high school, so this trip was going to be a whole new world and wealth of knowledge for me. Before the trip we read some books to brush up, or in my case learn about Christian and Roman history (it was a lot of information that did not care to remain in my brain during the trip).

As soon as we arrived, we were herded to our first three sights of the trip: The Pantheon, the Church of the Gesu, and the Ara Pacis. It’s important to note “herding” is a very appropriate term. We walked everywhere, led (or shall I say shepherded) by our two professors; we probably looked like a herd of unusual American tourists, and this is exactly what we were.

Stepping outside of your comfort zone is one of the greatest gifts God has given us and that we can give to God.

Professors Willitts and Veeneman know how to travel. If there’s one thing I took away, it was how to be a traveler. We had free audio guides (courtesy of Rick Steve), and guide books that had enough information to spark conversation while not overwhelming us. I loved all the walking, and I chose to walk when given the option, even going on a mini “pilgrimage.” Walking is a great way to see the city. Walking through Rome made me take in more of the city, see the neighborhoods and their aesthetics change, experience the interactions between people, not look like a tourist (a huge plus for me), get great exercise (and not feel guilty about all the pizza and pasta I consumed!), and it helped me navigate and understand the city. Although taking a bus everywhere may have been less tiring, I wouldn’t have been able to grasp the immensity, extravagance, and culture nearly as well.

Let’s get back to what we did though. Every day we saw a few different places of significance to the Christian faith, to the Roman Empire, to western theology, and any combination of these. In this blog series, I’ll talk about the places that I found to be the most intriguing, the knowledge and relationships I gained, and the topics that still lurk in my mind all while relating it to my life back in Chicago.

Before I wrap up this first post, I want to encourage anyone reading this to a) continue to read the rest of my series, b) study abroad or travel to other countries, and c) go on this trip! Traveling and experiencing a new culture is daunting and nerve-wracking. It is a humbling experience if you let it be (please let it!), and although the cons may seem to outweigh the pros in foresight, you will never regret the experience in hindsight, no matter how unplanned, disorganized, chaotic, and scary it may turn it out be. You still learn things years afterward, and stepping outside of your comfort zone is one of the greatest gifts God has given us and that we can give to God.

Interested in traveling with BTS next spring break?

ROME and POMPEII SPRING BREAK 2018 TOUR INFO MEETING