Emmaus week 8 & 9.

 A couple weekends ago I ended up going home to work so I woke up early Monday morning to catch a train from Homewood to get to Uptown for my 10am office shift. I ended up missing the 8:20am train, which would get me to Uptown in time for my shift so I had to take the 8:40am train. While I was sitting on the Metra, reading, and sipping on my Starbucks the lid popped off my coffee and spilt all over my lap! I felt like I was having a bad morning, but I was trying to stay positive. I arrived to my shift being only 15 minutes late! I started my office shift by answering phones. One of the guys was calling in to let me know he would be coming in late to the MC that day. Before he hung up the phone he said “Hey guess what? You owe me a hug!” Hearing that made my morning better, definitely redeemed that bad morning I had, and made me glad I was there.

Another part of my internship experience that I haven’t mentioned too much is living with my roommates (Year long interns at Emmaus). Monday nights we usually go out and play trivia at local restaurants in hopes of winning. There are usually I would say, 10-15 teams that would play. We actually came in third place the first time we played, which felt like an accomplishment and a proud moment for us. Whether we are hanging out in the apartment watching netflix shows together or going out to play trivia I feel that living in community with other people has been an important part of my time at Emmaus. This is my first moving away from home experience, and even though is not that far it’s still something new for me. Living in intentional community with three other roommates has been a blessing so far. I am a pretty introverted person so before I moved in a few months ago I was nervous about moving into a place where a group of people has already been living there for a while. Two months into the internship and I love it. I really enjoy the intentional community aspect within the apartment and find it an important part of my internship and also my Christian walk.

On Tuesday, this is my first outreach experience were it was actually considered “warm”. Almost 50 degrees outside!!! When it is warmer out I usually assume that outreach will be busier. Usually Boystown is more crowded, but sometimes when it comes to seeing any of our guys it depends. It can be considered a good thing when we don’t run into them because we hope they are inside safe somewhere. We only ran into a couple guys that night with some short conversation and getting them on the L. This night was one of the better nights for outreach considering I wasn’t freezing cold by the time we went in around 2am. A friend who goes by the nickname Cheeze started volunteering with Emmaus about a month ago, and he joined us on outreach for just this Tuesday, which made for a fun night to hang with my roomies and friends at work.

The rest of the week I got sick with a nasty cold so I was out of commission, but luckily I made it through the week and went home for the weekend to recover, which I did! I was able to start off the new week fully recovered. Praise God!

The following week started with day of prayer on Monday, which was good. This served as a day of rest and also most importantly, to be able to stop and pray for the ministry and the guys.

Tuesday was my office day, and we had our staff meeting that afternoon. This staff meeting was a little bit different because this was our Outreach Director, Doug’s last staff meeting at Emmaus. It was a sad meeting, but an encouraging one because it was announced that my roommate who has interned at Emmaus for two years has gotten the position as our new Outreach Coordinator! We went around the table and each person said something nice about Doug and his work at Emmaus. Doug’s work at Emmaus was amazing! I don’t know how many people can say they work from 11pm-3am, 5 nights a week just hanging on the streets with hustlers and drug dealers. The rapport that he built with guys on the streets was absolutely incredible. That being said, Doug has a seven-month-old son at home, and needs to be at a job that doesn’t require him to work until 3am. A job fell into his lap that is perfect for him to be able to spend more time with his family, and closer to home. God bless Doug!

Outreach was slow this last week, which I was surprised because it was warmer out. My outreach partners Austin, Taylor, and I walked up and down Halsted and ran into one of our guys. From that moment on we hung out with him until we went in that night around 2am. He explained to us how he is planning to stop drinking and was currently sober. Most of the times that I have been around this guy he has not been sober or I have had brief encounters with him being sober. The time that we spent with this guy on outreach was a blessing just to hang with him. I felt like he needed to hang around people that are a positive influence especially that night. I have never been so glad to do outreach, and was so glad to have that experience just to hang out and chat with one of our guys.

The rest of the week went smoothly. Wednesday night in the MC we had a goodbye dinner for Doug. The guys got to say goodbye to him, and they all had great things to say about him. Doug brought his son, which I thought was so cool for the guys to get to see and hold his baby before he left. The dinner was a great way to honor Doug and his work, and also for the guys to say goodbye.

Emmaus week 7. - Baby Boo Kittens!

I am half way through my internship at Emmaus, and so far it has been a wonderful experience filled with challenges, fun, and an overall a great learning experience. It is a bittersweet feeling to be half way through. I feel excited for graduation to come and to be reunited with my social work buddies, but also sad because I don’t want to leave Emmaus. I have been considering staying at Emmaus for another year to join their Kaio internship program, and if not I still want to stay connected to Emmaus long-term through volunteering. I will have to be in prayer about this decision and for what God wants me to do after graduation.

This past week at Emmaus was a pretty good week, but tiring. Sometimes lack of sleep gets the best of me. I felt really tired in the MC on Tuesday. Tuesday’s are really long days due to staff meetings and outreach. I demonstrate self-care by going out for walks on the lakefront trail during my free time on Tuesday, but even after going to bed at 3am due to outreach that night I felt rejuvenated and awake the next morning. Wednesday was a busy but pleasant day in the MC. My co-worker was working in the clothing room so my responsibility was to make sure the guys were completing their chores, and for me to watch over the MC. The guys are not really allowed to use the phones at Emmaus without supervision, and multiple guys wanted to use the phones after lunch, and were asking me to help them out some things on the computer. During this time I felt a little stressed because multiple guys were coming up to me asking me for things or to do something for them. One of the guys got a little demanding with me, and I had to step out of my comfort zone and tell him “no” and that he had to wait for when I had some free time to help him out. Telling somebody “no” is not a strength of mine. I felt bad afterwards and told him that I understand the importance of what he wants done, but it has to wait because it is not an emergency at the moment. Even though I felt bad about it I understand the importance of being able to tell people “no” sometimes. Fear not! After everything calmed down I was able to help him out with phone calls and other needs.

One of the guys decorates hats and sells them. The name of his business is Baby Boo, and he has different kinds of hats that he sells. When he came into the MC that day he gave me one of the hats that he made, and told me that hat type is Baby Boo Kitten. I thought it was really sweet and kind that he would give me a Baby Boo Kitten hat. I also think it’s cool that he makes them, and uses his talent through making hats. This definitely made my day!

I say this in pretty much every blog, but I am really blessed to be here. I have had some really great conversations with some of the guys, some great relationships built, and the guys have touched my heart. I am not looking forward to leaving Emmaus in May, and still hope to stay connected in some way afterwards. The guys and people at Emmaus will always hold a special place in my heart!

Emmaus Week 5 & 6.

 It has been a while since I have blogged. I have had a busy, but very fun past couple of weeks here at Emmaus. We had a group from Steubenville, Ohio come in for a weeklong mission through their school.  This group prepares to come to Emmaus for a while by praying and raising funds, and they stay down in the ministry center for the entire week. They are known as The Steubs. The previous week before that was a normal work week including a couple MC shifts, and night of outreach and some office time. Christa and I created more of a schedule and due dates for my work in the office, which is great and a whole lot easier for me to get work done when I have a deadline. Outreach was warmer this last week, which was nice, but was still a slow night, which is good!

The Steubs came in last Sunday. They are an incredible group of people and so much fun. This was my first time getting to experience them, but they come every year around this time. They hang out in the MC with the guys, cook meals, and take us all out on field trips. It was super awesome to see this group interact with all the guys and just love on them. The first field trip that we took the guys to on Tuesday was Whirlyball, which is basically bumper cars and lacrosse combined. So much fun! It was so amazing to watch the guys have a fun time playing the game and to be able to experience it with them. I thought it was really nice to be able to hang out with the guys outside of the MC. I also thought how cool is it that I am playing Whirlyball for my internship?! There was no field trips planned for Wednesday, but I had a great time in the MC with The Steubs. They brought so much energy and it was just so much fun to be around them. Most of them were around my age and college students so I connected with them, and considering we are open for lunch and dinner on Wednesday I was basically friends with all of them by the end of the night. It was a day filled with great conversation, awesome food, and a lot of game playing. Unfortunately, I lost in an intense game of UNO between the guys, The Steubs, and Dr. Rose!  I was amazed that The Steubs were down there from morning until night hanging with the guys and the energy that they had throughout the whole day.

Thursday The Steubs took the guys and us to the Willis (Sears) Tower Sky Deck. This was my first time doing the sky deck along with most of our guys so I was really excited! To see the guys excited about going to the skydeck made me excited for them! We had so much fun on the 103^rd level of the tower. Some guys were nervous to step on the glass, but it was so cool to see them light up with excitement. Some of the guys and I gathered together to get a group picture in one of the skybox windows. It is seriously the coolest photo ever! Again I was thinking about how awesome it was to be doing this for my internship! When Friday came around I was really sad to say goodbye to The Steubs but was so grateful to have been able to spend time with them, and to have them come and treat our guys with such unconditional love. During their time here I feel like the guys had a blast, and by just hanging out and having fun I feel like I have gotten to know them better!

I am so blessed to be at a place like Emmaus and to have been able to experience The Steubs on their mission trip, and to witness them come in and serve the men. I love being here, and hanging out with the guys. They truly are amazing people and I am really enjoying my time here and feel like I am learning so much from the ministry and the guys.

Glad to hear from some of my Social Work buddies and that you all are doing well. See you all soon!

Emmaus Week 4

I have been at Emmaus for a month now already! I can’t believe how fast time is going. I had the same schedule this past week of doing a couple days in the MC, a night of outreach, and a couple office days that involved doing research for the future database website about men involved in prostitution.

Something that stood out to me this past week was that one of the guys who I helped a few weeks ago to get a signed notary for homeless status certification, to get a free state ID card came back to the ministry this past week really excited to show me that he got his new state ID. We sign many homeless status certifications at Emmaus so I didn’t think it was a really big deal at first when I signed it, but when he came back to the ministry excited and joyful because of his new ID that made me happy to be able to help him out.

Wednesday was a pretty busy day in the MC since we serve lunch and dinner that day. I had some really good conversations with some of the guys sharing their stories, and some guys talking about changes they needed to make in their lives. I really love being able to be down in the MC and talk to the guys, and eat dinner with them like a family. I never walk into or out of the MC without receiving hugs or handshakes from the guys.  I am so blessed to have this opportunity at Emmaus, and to walk alongside these men.

Emmaus Week 3

 I can’t believe I have been at Emmaus for 3 weeks now! I really love being here! It did not take long at all to become adjusted to a new living environment and working here. I had a busier week working in the MC, and was able to experience more of the Uptown community this week. As the weeks go on I am getting to know the guys more and learn more about my role at Emmaus.

I worked in the MC Monday-Friday this past week. Monday wasn’t too busy in the MC, and it was more of a relaxing day. A few guys came in, we had lunch, and I got the chance to hang and talk with them more rather than facilitating clean up and chores. On Tuesday since my roommate Austin wasn’t able to be in the MC that day I stepped in and cooked the meal. I am not going to lie out of all the things I have done and learned to do at Emmaus I was really nervous about cooking for the guys on Tuesday. The guys are not shy about how they feel about how their food is cooked or how it taste. When I came down to start preparing the food one of the guys just came into the kitchen and started helping me. He basically took over the kitchen, which was fine with me! He made a chicken taco, burrito type of thing. It was fun to have the experience in the kitchen as nerve racking as it was. I heard from my roommates that when there is a new person cooking all the guys would crowd around kitchen and give their cooking request and/or “advice”. The guy who helped me out cooking said to me, “Ill make sure they don’t bug you when you are cooking. You are like my little sister now.” I think it’s so cool and heartwarming that even with the littlest things they are such caring guys.

Later on that Tuesday before our staff meeting I went shopping for a few items at the local Aldi. When I was walking back to the apartment. (I was in a hurry to get back to the staff meeting on time.) On the way back I witnessed a domestic dispute between and man and two women. The guy was pretty belligerent and getting physical with the women. It shook me up to see that happen in the middle of the day on a crowded street. I felt guilty for not knowing what to do in the moment besides call the police. I was afraid and concerned for the two women’s safety and prayed that they were okay. When I came back to the apartment I felt like I needed to talk to somebody about what happened. Christa has been working at Emmaus for a while and is the go to person for any questions or just to talk about anything. I got the chance to talk to her about what happened and we prayed about the situation and for the community of Uptown. Being able to talk and pray about it brought a sense of peace over the situation. I am definitely thankful and blessed to work along side people who care enough for their volunteers/co-workers and community to be able to do that in situations like this. I was especially thankful for Christa taking the time out of her day to listen and pray with me.

On outreach that night (first night of outreach where the temperature was at least above 15 degrees.) it was still a pretty slow night. I partnered with Doug who is the outreach director at Emmaus and he as been there for a while so he basically knows everyone we see on the streets that is connected with Emmaus. We ran into a couple guys, got some coffee, and talked with the guys for a while. Just before we left to go back in Doug and came across a young man on the streets that fit the description of someone involved in prostitution. Doug approached him and gave him our contact card to come into the MC. I found it heartbreaking that this man we came across was my age. He was very open about stopping by at Emmaus. At the end of the night we prayed together for all our guys and the new contact we came across on the street that he would come to Emmaus and stay safe. 

The rest of the week went smoothly in the MC and office. I felt a little more tired this week. My strategy for when I get tired is to drink coffee and attempt to exercise. I don’t live to far away from the lakefront trail so it’s nice to go for a run or a walk when I can. I feel like it gives me energy, distresses me, and a way for me to spend time with God. I also have really amazing roommates and coworkers at Emmaus that understand about stress management and self-care.

Week 2 at Emmaus

 "It is true that going out on to the street implies the risk of accidents happening, as they would to any ordinary man or woman. But if the church stays wrapped up in itself, it will age. And if I had to choose between a wounded church that goes out on to the streets and a sick, withdrawn church, I would definitely choose the first one." -Pope Francis

I really like this quote from Pope Francis I found posted on the Emmaus Facebook page. It made me think of some of the friends and family that came to visit me at Emmaus or hear about what the ministry does. First, I will say that Uptown isn’t the nicest community in Chicago or at least doesn’t appear to be the safest. Some of my friends have made comments or felt uneasy about how unsafe Uptown appears to be. Even when they hear about what Emmaus does usually people are intrigued, and inquire about the safety risks (Understandably so). I know that going out into the streets of Chicago at 10pm-2:30am implies the risk of accidents occurring, and even that short walk from the CTA to my apartment in Uptown at night can serve as a safety risk, but I think it’s super important to remember what Mark 16:15 says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Whether we are going into a community in Chicago or into another nation it’s important to know that God doesn’t tell us to do so only if it’s safe! That being said, what would you rather do? Be apart of going out into the world where risks can happen or withdraw from the world and stay where it’s safe? That’s a tough one for me because I am not much of a risk taker, but when God calls you to something you just do it! I definitely agree with Pope Francis I would choose a church or a mission that goes out into the streets with the risk of accidents than just staying cozy inside where it’s safe. Ultimately, I agree with what the Bible tells us to do by going out into the world (or streets) and preaching to all creation. Does this make me feel any safer with going out into the streets at night? No. We should always have a healthy fear of our surroundings, being aware of what is going on, but that should not stop us from doing what God calls us to do. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

I have completed my second week at Emmaus, and getting more into the groove of things here. I have been learning more about what my role will be working in the Ministry Center (MC) along with the office work I will be doing. I still have yet to go through the volunteer training, which should be in the next few weeks.

I started off the week by working in the MC. I got to learn more about how to sign guys into the MC. When they come in whoever is signing them in we ask what their goal is for the day and if they want to do laundry. I spent most of my time in the MC signing guys in and playing a lot of Yatzee, which is always fun! Monday was a shorter day in the MC.

The following day I did office work and started working on a research project on male prostitution along with my roommate that Emmaus is hoping to put up a website for in the future. I will be looking up research articles, reviewing articles and websites to piece together research information for the future website. I am super thankful for the research class I took last year to better prepare me for this, but I do enjoy doing this research so far.

On Wednesday I had a longer day in the MC since it’s open for both lunch and dinner. A lot of guys came to the MC that day so I got to see some new faces. I signed people in, had lunch and dinner, and of course, played a lot of Yatzee. J I feel like being in the MC longer I am able to have more conversations and connect with the guys better. I was also able to help them out with their goals that they had for the day. I am able to use some of my social work skills when helping the guys out with their goals, whether it be making a phone call, looking up new job opportunities, or trying to get a new state ID. Being in the MC is what I enjoy the most about being at Emmaus. It really is a blessing to sit and eat with the guys and hear their stories about who they are, and what God is doing in their life. Their faces light up when you give them encouragement, and they are so appreciative when you help them out with anything. I am looking forward to the next week ahead!

Just getting started! Week 1

 I can’t believe the time is here and we are all starting our internships! This past Sunday I moved to Uptown in Chicago into my apartment at Emmaus, which is located above the ministry & offices. I moved into an apartment with three of the nicest roommates who are doing a yearlong internship with Emmaus known as Kaio. I felt nervous moving in and being the new person, but was overwhelmed with how welcoming everyone is including everyone at the ministry.

Emmaus is a pretty small ministry located in Uptown, which I really like because it gives me a chance to get to know everyone faster and more personally. For those who do not know Emmaus Ministries reaches out to men who are involved in survival prostitution on the streets of Chicago. There is an outreach team that goes out into the streets of Chicago in the night to build relationships with the men to get them into the ministry center, and ultimately off the streets to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, Emmaus has their Ministry Center (MC) open 5 days a week for lunch (sometimes dinner). We hang out with the guys, eat food, and offer some resources to the men. This includes: phone calls, mail, shower, laundry, and sometimes clothing. When the men come in the MC for the day they sign up for a chore on the list and write down a goal they want to accomplish for the day. 

My first day starting at Emmaus the ministry had a day of prayer. This is where they close down the ministry every first Monday of the month, and pray for the ministry, staff, and the men they serve. This basically serves as a time for the staff to receive rest from their work and to spend time in prayer. The staff can give out prayer requests, and then everyone prays for each other. We read scripture, meditated on it, and then talked about it. After lunch we then spent time in prayer for the men. There were three categories: Alcohol, Drugs, and Mental illness. We added names of the guys that struggle with these issues, and prayed for all of them. I thought the day of prayer was a cool way to start with my first day at Emmaus. I was doing more observing than participating considering it was only my first day and I was still getting to know people. This was a really neat experience to see how the staff cares so much about all the men that they serve.

My second day at Emmaus I did office training, which involved answering phone calls, and learning how to work the phone system. I then had the opportunity to go downstairs to the ministry and have lunch with the men. The MC at Emmaus serves lunch Monday through Friday, and dinner three Saturdays a month. The men were so welcoming to me considering I was an unfamiliar face. Before every meal one of the guys does devotions and prays. My time was short in the MC, but it was really great to meet some of the guys at Emmaus.

I did my first Outreach later on that night! This is where volunteers go out to Boystown, (which is known as a gay community in Chicago) at 10:30 at night and hang around until 2:30am. Outreach involves walking around or standing at a corner, and just being open to having conversations with people particularly the men who are involved in survival prostitution and Emmaus. Considering this was my first night I wasn’t sure what to expect, but my roommate explained to me what a typical night of Outreach looked in the winter. Usually, there is not too much activity on the streets on a Tuesday night, but in places such as Starbucks, 7-11, and various bars is where a lot of the men hang around. The Outreach teams at Emmaus do not approach the men, but we let the guys approach us. If we are approached we just talk and build relationships with them. If we meet someone for the first time we build a relationship with them in hopes to get them into the ministry, out of a life of prostitution, and into a relationship with Jesus Christ. I met one of the guys during Outreach that night. Hearing a little bit about his background he has a pretty close relationship with Emmaus, and has been involved in the ministry, but has not been at the ministry center recently due to certain issues, and not following ministry rules. The relationship Emmaus has with him will always be there whether he returns to the ministry or if it’s on the streets. I really enjoyed doing Outreach for the first time, and being able to experience and learn more about what it entails. It was snowing pretty bad and was super cold that night so we came in a little earlier. Before we left Boystown my roommate and I were interviewed by a cameraman for ABC 7 news in regards to the weather and ended up on the news the next morning. What a way to end the night!

The following day I worked my first shift in the ministry center. This was a day where I could just hangout and get to know the men. This involved me having lunch, small talk, and playing a whole lot of Yatzee. Having this day of getting to know the men in the MC was a blessing. Having this experience even only on my third day made me so glad that I chose Emmaus for my field placement. The men that I have met so far are so kind and welcoming. I did not walk out of the MC that day without receiving hugs and handshakes from the men. I was given the opportunity to have some guys share some of their pasts with me filled with addiction and prostitution and where they are at now. It was so amazing to hear how far some of the men have come through this ministry and most importantly, God!

I really like it at Emmaus so far. I love the ministry and the mission of the ministry. The staff is the kindest group of people, and it is obvious how much they care about the men they serve. I am so thankful for this opportunity God has given me to be here at Emmaus, to serve these men, and have three really awesome roommates for the next few months. The Lord is working here, and I am excited to see what God will do during my time at Emmaus!

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On the news!!!!


*Names will always be changed for confidentiality.