While most of the 68 students on Chicago Summer Mission came to the city eight weeks ago as tourists and outsiders, Crossroads designer Danielle Brinkman had already called Chicago her home. A junior at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Danielle was entertained as her new peers were awestruck by the same trains and busses [...]
Archive
Intern Highlight: Madison Amalfitano
Viral videos and music are two things that Madison Amalfitano is passionate about. A major in Media and Information with a concentration in Video Production at Michigan State University, Maddy’s ultimate aim in life is to make short films about the gospel that go viral on the internet. “My dream job is to make [...]
Week 7 Part 1: ‘Can You Give Plants Sprite?’
Are you more introverted or extroverted? Intuitive or sensitive? A thinker or a feeler? Are you more of a perceiver towards people or a one to judge based on decisions? Here at the Crossroads office in Chicago, we have quite the mix of personalities. Our beginning days at the office were spent doing activities to [...]
Week 6: What Do You Do At Crossroads?
Our first full week without staff has officially come to an end. We weren’t kidding when we said that our staff left us in a great place, surrounded by a great foundation and community. And they weren’t kidding when they told us that we were ready. Ready to take up this mission as our own, [...]
Intern Highlight: Jae Park
Chicago or Seoul, South Korea? Those were the options for Jae Park as he considered what to do with the summer of 2015. A native of South Korea, Jae is studying journalism at Indiana University and hopes to work for a travel magazine after graduation. He has been in the United States for 10 years [...]
Intern Highlight: Joe Stockton
One thing you need to know about Joe Stockton is that he isn’t what he seems. A computer science major and mathematics minor going into his senior year at the University of Michigan, one might think that Joe is not concerned or intrigued by creativity. Stereotypes might make people assume that Joe wouldn’t have any [...]
Intern Highlight: Tia Esbenshade
Tia Esbenshade is a spunky individual filled with outdoorsy adventurousness, who genuinely cares for people. Going into her senior year at Baldwin Wallace University pursing a degree in communications and public relations, Tia loves being able to relate to others through listening and communicating well. Having joined Cru just last October and immediately having fallen [...]
Week 5: We’ve Only Just Begun
This Friday officially marks our halfway point of Chicago Summer Mission (CSM) 2015. Five weeks ago, we never imagined that saying our farewells to the staff would produce the feelings it elicits now. Our 40-plus staff members (including our four Crossroads staff) are more than just staff members who make us follow a schedule and attend [...]
Kickball: Cheaters never prosper
June 21 brought with it the annual staff vs student kickball game at CSM 15. Students, dressed in blue, marched onto the kickball field at Sheridan Park while cheering about our inevitable victory. The staff wore black and seemed thoroughly unimpressed with our pomp and circumstance. After a quick introduction of the specifics of the [...]
Chicago Summer Mission–Week 1: Settling In
Wow, we’ve made it through one crazy week of being in Chicago. Only seven days ago, we were all trying to cram 10 weeks worth of clothes, cooking and cleaning supplies, and other miscellaneous belongings into our rooms in Dwight Lofts. It was a common talking point prior to arriving, how blessed the students of Chicago Summer Mission [...]
