We're here and it's Wednesday

WE MADE IT TO DETROIT!
(To view the Dome replay from Wednesday night, scroll down to the bottom)

After a short 3 hour drive from Upper Arlington to Detroit, we are here at the Quality Inn and Suites.  Wait (you say) weren't you supposed to be a the Holiday Inn?  Why, yes you are correct.  So a day or so ago our hotel was changed by the Gathering Staff due to a problem with the plumbing.  The Gathering Staff worked well and quickly to get us a new hotel.  The hotel worked diligently to get us set up with rooms (and cots).

We then went to the Ford Rouge Factory tour.  What an amazing place! We got to tour an actual Ford factory and immerse ourselves in the past, present and future of American automobile manufacturing.  See the factory tour website by clicking here.  We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the plant, but we did take some of the plant, which you can see below.

After exploring the factory we needed to eat before we went to Ford Field.  So we found a Bob Evans and Cam found caffeine...

 After a short 25 minute drive into downtown Detroit, we parked and walked a mile to Ford Field for the Dome program!  What a sight to see over 30,000 Lutherans gathered into one place, praising God and hearing God's Word claimed and proclaimed!

 On our back to the vans to go back to the hotel we took Detroit's "People Mover."  It's an elevated train that was not only a lot of fun, but it's a place for Pastor Aaron to bump into a lot of his friends!

PAL and Pastor Ethan Beiler

PAL and Pastor Russell Crouthamel (Pastor Aaron's former student!)

PAL and Christen (PAL's former student at Capital University)

PAL and Pastor Gary Sandberg (Capital University's Dean of Chapel)

 After a full day of traveling and touring and walking...we were tired.  Once we made our way back to the hotel we met in Matt and PAL's room to do Final 15.  Final 15 is a time to debrief from the day.  To talk about our Joys | Junks | Jesus moments and reflect on the devotionals provided in the Bible we received from the ELCA Youth Gathering when we arrived.  Everyone got in bed around 1 a.m. with a wake up call for breakfast and buses at 6 a.m.

Thursday is Proclaim Justice Day.  It's a day where we will go out and do service projects in and around Detroit...sharing God's love, following Jesus, and if we get the opportunity...make disciples!

Blessings!

Click below for a replay from Wednesday night's Dome experience