We enjoyed a beautiful day at Stone Mountain, the second largest rock in the world! Stone Mountain has the pictures of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson carved on it's side...it is beautiful! We rode the skyride to the top and it was amazing. The view was spectacular, and cold! The wind was blowing, but the view of Atlanta and the surrounding areas was truly beautiful.
We spent the day at the park, it's an amusement park (not quite Disneyland, to our CA kids surprise), but it was fabulous. Activities to do, food to eat, and shops to look it...it was a wonderful way to cullmanate and incredible trip.
After we finished our time at Stone Mountain we headed to the Atlanta airport, which is said to be the busiest airport. Thankfully, both teams made it through ticketing well due to some very kind American and United airlines staff. We got through TSA not without them being annoyed with us, but at this point our students were doing fantastic and doing everything they were asked! We made it to our gates and began to wait for our flights home.
The BLUE team was flying to Dallas with their fingers crossed that all would go smoothly and they wouldn't be stuck in Dallas for another 3 hours. They did great and arrived back at LAX on time and safely!
The RED team was flying to Washington DC and then to LAX. We had a long flight...the students did great and really just so tired by the time we landed at midnight.
We all had been going since about 7 am eastern time and were landing about 3 am eastern time so that's about a 20 hour day. The students did fabulous, and everyone made it home safely!
Many thanks to those who followed our journey. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience...can't say that some the sights we saw would ever be visited by the students on their own.
We live in an amazing country, with amazing people.
Ask your students to tell you all about it...
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
I AM IMPRESSED!
Over the past two evenings we have had the privilege of slowing down at night and having a group wide debrief time. It is a time of open sharing based on our Daily Refreshers (devotions), experiences throughout the day, and overall impressions from the trip. And I must say, I am impressed with this 8th grade class. Their level of processing very real and difficult material (racism, slavery, segragation, etc.) is astounding.
Here are some highlights that were shared by the students just last night(paraphrased):
*Did you know that just like when the Israelites were in slavery Harriet Tubman was like Moses.
*After seeing the affect of people's words during the civil rights era, it makes me realize what I say matters and I should be more cautious with my words.
*It struck me how humble Martin Luther King Jr. was about his leadership role. He would always say that it was not him leading the civil rights movement but all the folks, common and famous, that stand together who lead the movement.
*I have had the chance to bond with my classmates in a new way and it gives me hope as I go back to school.
*I'm thankful for what these men and women did so that I live in a different world.
These are only snapshots of the amazing moments that were shared. I really wish I could have had parents, teachers, grandparents, and friends sit in as "flies on the wall" and listen. The power of what these students had to share was stirring, moving and filled all the adults with a grand sense of hope in knowing they will be a part of our future.
Dr. MacPhee said it well at the end of last nights meeting (again paraphrased). He stood up quitely and posed this question,
Do you think when MLK Jr. and Rosa Parks were 12 years old that any of their parents or teachers had any idea what they would do with their lives?
Of course the answer is no. There is no way for us to see what will transpire in someone's life. So he pointed out that at this very moment we might be sitting in a room with the next Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks. Wow, what a powerful thought. Ordinary people at the right moment in time, standing up against injustice with the power of Jesus on their side and make a peaceful yet powerful stand for the movement of good could be riding on these buses through the southeast.
What will be the civil rights issues that this generation will face, challenge and overcome? .
Friday, April 19, 2013
Day Four...Montgomery, Atlanta
Today started as a rainy day in Montgomery...
Our first stop was the Rosa Parks Museum, which is a wonderfully done museum representing the "mother of the Civil Rights movement". Watching the reenactment was a powerful image of the power of standing up for your beliefs. The power of one life, which started a movement of the Montgomery bus boycott. The 13 month struggle to end the segregation on the city busses, which cost the bus companies $3000 a day. Powerful, inspiring ideas...challenging our students to think about what they believe in.
We traveled a few blocks to the Dexter Avenue Church, Martin Luther King Jr.'s first senior pastorate. To walk through his office, with original furniture, robe, and photos was amazing. To sit in the pews and listen to his words was inspiring for the students. To see the legacy of one life, and to think about their legacy...what life are they living.
From there we traveled to Atlanta...
Atlanta is like L.A. complete with traffic, high rises, busy streets, and lots of people. We had a tour do Atlanta seeing the sites of the Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, and the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. We visited Ebenezer Baptist Church the church Dr. king grew up in, his childhood home, and his grave site. We drove through downtown seeing the past railroads and their importance to the Civil War and Sherman's March to the sea. We saw the Olympic cauldron from the '96 games, Centennial Park, and the Olympic Rings.
After dinner we went to the top of the Westin hotel, the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere. A 72 story view of the city at sunset...gorgeous view.
The students are doing so great...we are proud of them and are constantly receiving compliments on their behavior. They have done well...learning a lot, processing a lot, and bringing a lot of pictures home.
Tomorrow on to Stone Mountain...then home.
Our first stop was the Rosa Parks Museum, which is a wonderfully done museum representing the "mother of the Civil Rights movement". Watching the reenactment was a powerful image of the power of standing up for your beliefs. The power of one life, which started a movement of the Montgomery bus boycott. The 13 month struggle to end the segregation on the city busses, which cost the bus companies $3000 a day. Powerful, inspiring ideas...challenging our students to think about what they believe in.
We traveled a few blocks to the Dexter Avenue Church, Martin Luther King Jr.'s first senior pastorate. To walk through his office, with original furniture, robe, and photos was amazing. To sit in the pews and listen to his words was inspiring for the students. To see the legacy of one life, and to think about their legacy...what life are they living.
From there we traveled to Atlanta...
Atlanta is like L.A. complete with traffic, high rises, busy streets, and lots of people. We had a tour do Atlanta seeing the sites of the Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, and the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. We visited Ebenezer Baptist Church the church Dr. king grew up in, his childhood home, and his grave site. We drove through downtown seeing the past railroads and their importance to the Civil War and Sherman's March to the sea. We saw the Olympic cauldron from the '96 games, Centennial Park, and the Olympic Rings.
After dinner we went to the top of the Westin hotel, the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere. A 72 story view of the city at sunset...gorgeous view.
The students are doing so great...we are proud of them and are constantly receiving compliments on their behavior. They have done well...learning a lot, processing a lot, and bringing a lot of pictures home.
Tomorrow on to Stone Mountain...then home.
Daily Refreshers
Morning Devotions = Daily Refreshers
We have chosen to guide our students through the short New Testament letter from the Apostle Paul to his good friend and partner in the faith, Philemon. Have you ever read it? Just 20 short verses, but packed with relevance for our Civil War and Civil Rights March.
Paul complimented Philemon for his love and refreshing encouragement toward other people in both his actions and words. Encouragement literally means to "breathe courage into" another person. Your students have been diligently practicing the beautiful art of speaking and living encouragement, not only toward one another, but also for our tour guides, those they meet in museums and restaurants, and hotels. Believe me, we make quite a splash wherever we go, yet the compliments for behavior keep coming back our way.
Here is the reality though. Philemon was the owner of the runaway slave named Onesiumus. Paul made a heartfelt appeal that Philemon would receive Onesiumus back, not only as a new brother in Christ, but as a free man, "no longer as a slave" [v16]. While processing the reality of prejudice, racism, and slavery in Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, students have been invited to consider where slavery still exists today. Central to the good news of Jesus, the same gospel that propelled Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is freedom from anything that impedes men and women, boys and girls, from experiencing the fullness of living as a loved child of God.
It is a thrill watching our students connect the dots in their own lives as they reflect on history, classes in school, the Bible, and this rich experience.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Day Three...Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery
Today was an amazing day. The students were able to experience significant places that represented struggles for power and the passion and beliefs that challenged people to act.
In Birmingham we visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute which is an amazing museum, it is so well done. The students were able to walk through displays of segregation, the movement for equality, the vision of freedom, the right to vote, and experience the enormity of what freedom means.
We walked across the street to the 16th Avenue Church which was a very powerful moment for students to consider the 4 young girls who were killed there...to sit in the church, to look at the beautiful windows was inspiring.
We ate lunch at Kelly Ingram Park the site of much of the violence of Birmingham, it was peaceful and a beautiful day. The students were able to sit where history was made and make their own history of this adventure they are on.
We traveled 2 hours to Selma...the site of the beginning of the March to Montgomery for voting rights. We walked the Edmund Pettis Bridge the origin of the March...it was awesome to cross this historic bridge and think that close to 50 years ago equality was fought for.
We drove the 54 miles they walked...
Stopped along the way to see the campsites, hear the stories, and experience the passion of belief.
It was powerful.
We culminated our drive at the base of the Capitol building where those people who marched did to being Governor Wallace there grievances over voting rights.
We walked to a beautiful memorial for those who lost their lives during the Civil Rights movement. The memorial was designed by the same lady who weighed the Vietnam War Memorial. A beautiful black stone fountain with names etched with water slowly passes over...
With the words of Dr. King quoting the book of Joel, "...until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty steam."
Tomorrow is Rosa Parks Museum and the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and on to Atlanta...
In Birmingham we visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute which is an amazing museum, it is so well done. The students were able to walk through displays of segregation, the movement for equality, the vision of freedom, the right to vote, and experience the enormity of what freedom means.
We walked across the street to the 16th Avenue Church which was a very powerful moment for students to consider the 4 young girls who were killed there...to sit in the church, to look at the beautiful windows was inspiring.
We ate lunch at Kelly Ingram Park the site of much of the violence of Birmingham, it was peaceful and a beautiful day. The students were able to sit where history was made and make their own history of this adventure they are on.
We traveled 2 hours to Selma...the site of the beginning of the March to Montgomery for voting rights. We walked the Edmund Pettis Bridge the origin of the March...it was awesome to cross this historic bridge and think that close to 50 years ago equality was fought for.
We drove the 54 miles they walked...
Stopped along the way to see the campsites, hear the stories, and experience the passion of belief.
It was powerful.
We culminated our drive at the base of the Capitol building where those people who marched did to being Governor Wallace there grievances over voting rights.
We walked to a beautiful memorial for those who lost their lives during the Civil Rights movement. The memorial was designed by the same lady who weighed the Vietnam War Memorial. A beautiful black stone fountain with names etched with water slowly passes over...
With the words of Dr. King quoting the book of Joel, "...until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty steam."
Tomorrow is Rosa Parks Museum and the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and on to Atlanta...
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Day Two...Mississippi River, Martin Luther King Jr., Corinth, Elvis, Birmingham
Did I tire you out with the title? If so, than you can only imagine the pace of life we are living...it's a whirlwind, but oh so amazing.
We started the morning with a river boat cruise on the "Mighty Mississippi", it was awesome. The importance of the Mississippi was obvious and it's power was so evident. It was a beautiful hour spent aboard the Island Queen on the river. Ask your kids when they get home what trivia they learned about this amazing physical feature of the U.S.
Next, we went to Mud Island, which was formed when a Union gun boat ran aground. Amazing museum tying in The Civil War with the Mississippi River, the importance of controlling this river and what it meant to the North and South. There was a 5 block replica of the Mississippi for its origin to the Gulf of Mexico. Neat to see just how wide, how deep the Mississippi is.
On to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.was killed. What a moving experience to stand on the balcony where he was shot and look towards the window where James Earl Ray fired the shot. Amazing to listen you the words of Dr. King read to our students and to learn about the Civil Rights movement and the legacy of many great people. Our students were awesome, so proud of their respect and desire to learn more about a significant time in our history.
We said good-bye to Memphis and headed to Corinth, Mississippi.
At Corinth we learned of the significance of this little town to the life of the South during The Civil War...the railroads. At Shiloh which is 30 minutes from where we stood on the Corinth battle field close to 24,000 men lost their lives in a single multiple day battle. The enormity of what was at stake, what the states were fighting for was so evident on this quiet little field. The thought that the Union and the Confederacy believed in their cause and the country was so broken.
A quote..."The United States as we know it today began not with the Revolution of 1776, but rather in the new nation that emerged from the Civil War."
From there we drove through the Mississippi countryside to Tupelo, Mississippi, the birthplace of Elvis. We had some amazing BBQ, choice of fried okra, friend green tomatoes, mashed potatoes, and more. Delicious!! The kids enjoyed it very much. We got to drive by and see the house Elvis was born in and the hardware story where he bought his first guitar. And well, the rest is history.
We drove to Alabama, finding ourselves in Birmingham.
We have had a full day...lots of learning, lots of fun, lots of memories.
On to tomorrow...until then.
We started the morning with a river boat cruise on the "Mighty Mississippi", it was awesome. The importance of the Mississippi was obvious and it's power was so evident. It was a beautiful hour spent aboard the Island Queen on the river. Ask your kids when they get home what trivia they learned about this amazing physical feature of the U.S.
Next, we went to Mud Island, which was formed when a Union gun boat ran aground. Amazing museum tying in The Civil War with the Mississippi River, the importance of controlling this river and what it meant to the North and South. There was a 5 block replica of the Mississippi for its origin to the Gulf of Mexico. Neat to see just how wide, how deep the Mississippi is.
On to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.was killed. What a moving experience to stand on the balcony where he was shot and look towards the window where James Earl Ray fired the shot. Amazing to listen you the words of Dr. King read to our students and to learn about the Civil Rights movement and the legacy of many great people. Our students were awesome, so proud of their respect and desire to learn more about a significant time in our history.
We said good-bye to Memphis and headed to Corinth, Mississippi.
At Corinth we learned of the significance of this little town to the life of the South during The Civil War...the railroads. At Shiloh which is 30 minutes from where we stood on the Corinth battle field close to 24,000 men lost their lives in a single multiple day battle. The enormity of what was at stake, what the states were fighting for was so evident on this quiet little field. The thought that the Union and the Confederacy believed in their cause and the country was so broken.
A quote..."The United States as we know it today began not with the Revolution of 1776, but rather in the new nation that emerged from the Civil War."
From there we drove through the Mississippi countryside to Tupelo, Mississippi, the birthplace of Elvis. We had some amazing BBQ, choice of fried okra, friend green tomatoes, mashed potatoes, and more. Delicious!! The kids enjoyed it very much. We got to drive by and see the house Elvis was born in and the hardware story where he bought his first guitar. And well, the rest is history.
We drove to Alabama, finding ourselves in Birmingham.
We have had a full day...lots of learning, lots of fun, lots of memories.
On to tomorrow...until then.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Day One: traveling & Memphis
Bright and early our day began and we navigated LAX without a hitch, really these kids are awesome.
The RED team made it safely to Houston, the kids were super great on the flight and we were so proud of our Village kids! We waited in the airport for our connecting flight to Memphis, the plane was teeny tiny, but the kids were super and many of the crew members commented on our group traveling to the South.
Unfortunately, the BLUE team had some problems due to the American Airlines computer system going down and the FAA grounding all American flights. The kids were so patient and did a great job with the waiting and waiting. Finally, work came that they were in the air on their way to Memphis!
While the RED team waited we visited the Cotton Exchange...learned about cotton, growing cotton, and the importance of cotton to Memphis. We also visited the Rock & Soul museum, which was fun. I did envy listening to some Elvis and Johnny Cash! We were bummed not to have the BLUE group with us, but we were so thankful they arrived safely and in time for dinner!
Dinner was fabulous, truly an authentic Memphis BBQ...complete with chicken, pulled pork, ribs, beans, cole slaw, and sweet tea! It was delicious!
It was a full day and we are tired. Everyone is safe, healthy, and doing well.
Please continue to pray for us...we are enjoying our "march".
Until tomorrow....a river boat cruise awaits us.
The RED team made it safely to Houston, the kids were super great on the flight and we were so proud of our Village kids! We waited in the airport for our connecting flight to Memphis, the plane was teeny tiny, but the kids were super and many of the crew members commented on our group traveling to the South.
Unfortunately, the BLUE team had some problems due to the American Airlines computer system going down and the FAA grounding all American flights. The kids were so patient and did a great job with the waiting and waiting. Finally, work came that they were in the air on their way to Memphis!
While the RED team waited we visited the Cotton Exchange...learned about cotton, growing cotton, and the importance of cotton to Memphis. We also visited the Rock & Soul museum, which was fun. I did envy listening to some Elvis and Johnny Cash! We were bummed not to have the BLUE group with us, but we were so thankful they arrived safely and in time for dinner!
Dinner was fabulous, truly an authentic Memphis BBQ...complete with chicken, pulled pork, ribs, beans, cole slaw, and sweet tea! It was delicious!
It was a full day and we are tired. Everyone is safe, healthy, and doing well.
Please continue to pray for us...we are enjoying our "march".
Until tomorrow....a river boat cruise awaits us.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
The Vision
The vision began a year and a half ago, born out of a desire to align the 8th grade class trip with the 8th grade curriculum. A variety of ideas were tossed around and the excitement began to formulate as The March, a trip to the South.
Research was done with tour companies and existing trips that are taking place. Outlines were made of sights to see, must visit places, maps were looked at, and ideas were discussed. As the vision began to emerge it became obvious that a trip to the South was the way to go. After consulting with American Christian Tours, the company that leads Village's 5th grade Washington D.C. trip, we decided to partner to make this vision a reality.
We are excited to embark on this inaugural trip...an opportunity to experience the South with an amazing group of students.
We covet your prayers for our safety, open hearts, and that God would go before us as we travel on this adventure.
The vision is now a days away from reality...
Research was done with tour companies and existing trips that are taking place. Outlines were made of sights to see, must visit places, maps were looked at, and ideas were discussed. As the vision began to emerge it became obvious that a trip to the South was the way to go. After consulting with American Christian Tours, the company that leads Village's 5th grade Washington D.C. trip, we decided to partner to make this vision a reality.
We are excited to embark on this inaugural trip...an opportunity to experience the South with an amazing group of students.
We covet your prayers for our safety, open hearts, and that God would go before us as we travel on this adventure.
The vision is now a days away from reality...
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