Sahara Challenge - Day #1

As promised, here is the first installment of a daily summary of the SAHARA CHALLENGE!

I was wheels-up at 6:00am from Ohmer Ave, picked up the marketing director for Crescent Project (Sven) at his home in fishers at 6:30, and then swung by the videographer's apartment at about 7:00am.

Four short hours later we "checked-in" to the Living Water's Church in downtown Chicago to start our staff retreat (from 10am to 3pm), punctuated by a disturbingly spicy meal at a local Indian restaurant.

We then headed over to the dorm we are staying in (Regis Hall).

By "we" I mean me and my roomie, Mike. Mike is a missionary who (until two years ago) was living in Morocco for 23 years. He isn't allowed back in since he's on their "watch list" as a Christian!

After dinner at the cafeteria (reminding me of my days at IU), all 100 of us kicked off the conference proper from 7pm until 9pm.

Finally, after a late-night run to pick up Mike's bags from where he had left them earlier, we landed back in our room (the desks of which reminds me of my college years):

Tomorrow: Mass at 8am (not part of the conference), then back to kick off the day around 9am.