On the way home

Leaving Omaha, the team embarked on the next leg of our journey to Chicago, Illinois. Thankfully, Lynelle Curtin, the mother of Rachel Curtin, found it possible to accompany us, so we had an extra driver. Arriving in Chicago around 7:30, we decided to sing at restaurants and ask for food donations. To our delight, a Subway sandwich manager donated us all sandwiches, and a Chinese restaurant donated several dishes!

We slept at the Chicago family church center, and attended the Sunday service the next morning. We were amazed that there was a report being given on a recent medical outreach trip to Haiti, and we asked to sing the song we wrote: Reach Out. It was a beautiful experience to share this song with people who have done so much outreach themselves.

Back on the road, we drove all the way to Columbus, Ohio, where we were welcomed at Ilseuk Masuda’s home with a big pot of homemade beef and vegetable soup and some lovely baked potatoes and yams. Sleeping soundly after our long journey, we awoke ready for the next day’s trek to Ithaca, New York.

Since our funds were so depleted by the accident and van situation, some of the team members called restaurants to ask for discounts. A Ponderosa Steak House in Bath, NY, offered us a substantial break on our meals. We arrived, met the manager, and sang “Reach out” for the diners. One table of customers asked if they could donate, and then suggested we consider a trip to Puerto Rico. Others wished us luck in our work.

The staff of the restaurant asked for another song at the end, and we took a photo together. It was a special moment of grace and love to meet such loving people in the middle of our journey.

That night, we arrived at the home of Ann and Chad Hoover, a family who have often hosted WAIT when we traveled to Upstate New York. We were so happy to see their own work, and to feel the warmth of a loving family.

The next day, we arrived at the Lansing Residential Facility to meet one of our favorite people, Dee Cooper, who has a wonderful team working with many girls in crisis. We did a shortened version of the PowerPoint, and then the full WAIT performance. It was wonderful to feel the girls there responding, blossoming in response to the songs and dances.

We then began our final leg of the trip home. To our great shock, it began to snow! Soon, we were in a repeat of our recent experience in Kansas: snow flying everywhere, trucks backed up on an interstate, accumulation of the icy crystals on our windshield. We changed our route to avoid the mountains, and after crossing one mountain, the snow turned to rain! We stopped to make sure of the weather, but then confidently proceeded to do the final journey home.

We arrived to the gleeful welcome of Do Joon, our number one fan, and all the Tsubata family. It felt good to be home.
Now, there is one more part of our trip to complete: the training trip to Atlanta, Georgia. We are looking forward to bringing the WAIT model and message to our “southern cousins” after such an amazing journey to the Midwest. Many thanks to all who made this such an unforgettable trip.

Kate Tsubata