Monday - Arrive around lunch time, go to lunch with Sharon. We spend the afternoon discussing our plan to get the most out of the week and answering whatever burning questions I brought with me. Stop at the grocery store on the way to the place where I am staying (with a friend of LBT, Betsy) to pick up breakfast and lunch items. I spend a quiet evening at the house.
Tuesday - Sharon picks me up at 8AM, we go to the office. This morning I am occupied with meeting with people around the office, getting a better feel for what they do, putting faces solidly to names and discovering how their job interacts with and supports mine. In the afternoon, I start watching videos done by other missionaries as models for the type of thing Rob and I could prepare to bring to churches when we start speaking. Sharon and I leave the office mid-afternoon to make it to south-side Chicago before rush hour. We meet with Jim & Pam, missionaries in Cameroon. They give me a personal picture of reasonable expectation and possibilities, based on their years of experience. We talk, listen and laugh until late in the evening ... a good time was had by all.
Wednesday - I spend the morning watching videos and reading informational materials. I also get the chance to ask more questions of anyone who is around, as questions come up. In the afternoon, more reading. I leave early to catch the Metra train to Oak Park, to meet with Paul & Ali for an early dinner. They are currently in the membership process with LBT so it was good to meet with them and debrief on our recent experiences at GIAL in Dallas. Plus, they're alot of fun so it was cool to hang out with them as much as it was possible.
Thursday - Meetings in the morning with the rest of the LBT office staff. Continued with reading in the afternoon. I was trying to get as much reading and watching done as I could, trying to cut down on take-home and ship-back materials. Sharon and I went to a bistro and brewery managed in part by her son for a yummy meal and tasty brews ... a nice "last night" dinner.
Friday - Last-minute questions answered and materials photocopied in the morning. I picked up a stack of informational books to take back to Waxhaw. We left just after lunch to get me to the plane.
A successful trip: I come away from Chicago with a clearer perspective on the direction Rob and I will be taking as his course ends this summer and a more concrete sense of the task at hand as we prepare for our "partnership development" phase, beginning this August. A big part of our apprehension was related to the idea that we wouldn't have a physical address following the end of May. Where would our stuff go? Where would we get our mail? Is it possible to function without actually living somewhere? I can see now that, with careful planning and prior clear communication with friends and family, this can be a great opportunity to have sort of a "bon voyage" visit with all the people closest to us prior to leaving town. We just need to learn how to pack light.
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