A Speed BUMP is Born

The vision for BUMP's first Speed BUMP, a shortened experience designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn about what God is doing in the city while serving the city, became a reality in 2014! A team from  Calvary EFC, Rochester, MN, were the first to partner with Trinity City Church in St. Paul for the four-day mission.

The trip began like most BUMPs - worship with the TCC family, followed by lunch and an opportunity to learn about origins (and history, albeit brief) of TCC and vision for the week – 80% of us will likely live in a city so being here to learn is important now.

John Mayer, executive directory of City Vision, came to give us a guided tour, teaching us about the changing demographics of the Twin Cities. By 2050 there will be no majority culture in the US. There are more witches in our city than Catholics. Did you know the Cathedral of St. Paul was deliberately built just a few feet higher than the capitol building? We explored Rondo, Frogtown and a Hmong market.

We traveled the highway to the Phillips neighborhood, stopping in a Somali mall for some tea, where we are the minority and feel out of place, like intruders, but are invited to sit, stop by and talk and people are hospitable.

The trend of the white flight coming back to the city brings us to the Electric Fetus and discussion on the lofts and condos going up in place of more affordable housing. Millionaires living next to houses with 9 – yes, 9 – satellite dishes next to a crazy house with a ferris wheel and bikes on the side next to Somali people in Project for Pride in Living housing. Census takers said 40 people lived in the 9 satellite house while the massive house next door had a single family. The lines blur in the Twin Cities and the neighborhoods shift.

Off to Midtown Global Market for dinner, meeting Safari owner, trying samples, exploring new foods but disappointed to find the last camel burger JUST sold.  Burger/fries/malt for the less adventurous taste buds.

Debrief on the drive home – come to the cities for events – drive by on the highway but never explore the neighborhoods. No idea of the cultural diversity to be found and how friendly other cultures can be. Some were worried about a 3-hour tour (it didn’t go so well for Gilligan) and all are pleasantly surprised. Exploring/learning in the lab can be fun.We shop at Cub on Lake St. for breakfast foods and see more of the diversity John opened our eyes to. 

Today helped us gain an understanding of the "reverse great comission" - we don't necessarily have to go because the nations are here. Tomorrow we test it out further in the lab as we head to Prospect Park (site of TCC’s 2015 church plant) and the Witch’s Hat Water Tower to clean up litter and graffiti for the City of Minneapolis.

The directory at Midtown Global Market - in four languages

Boys with swords in a small Asian market