How in the world has this gone so quickly, our last night in a hotel...so, tomorrow parents your children will be yours again. :)
We started the morning in Montgomery, headed to the Rosa Parks museum (which is part of Troy University) and Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. The Rosa Parks museum had traveling art display of the DMZ separating North and South Korea and the Berlin Wall separating East and West Berlin. After that we moved our way through the museum telling the story of Rosa Parks and her stand against bus segragation. It was a powerful display of the Civil Rights issues in Montgomery.
From there we walked to Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, which as Martin Luther King Jr.'s first and only pastorate. It's a very surreal feeling to sit in the pews from 1889 and listen to a pastor tell the story of the church and it's importance to the movement in Montgomery.
We traveled from there to Georgia and ate lunch along the way.
When we arrived on the outskirts of Atlanta we went to Kennesaw National Park the site of a major battle during the Civil War on Sherman's campaign to capture Atlanta. Our students did a great job and were complimented by a group of people who were there as well.
From Kennesaw we went to Sonny's BBQ for dinner...which was wonderful!
After dinner we went to the Westin which is the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere and rode the elevators to the 72nd floor to see the amazing view of Atlanta. It was a fun experience for the students, make sure you ask to see their pictures.
It's been an amazing trip, the students have been great!
Tomorrow we are heading to Stone Mountain for a day of fun together...then to the airport to head home.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery
Woke up this morning with rain in Birmingham, but thankfully it did not put a huge damper on our day.
We headed to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a museum of the Civil Rights movement with special focus on the events in Birmingham. The students were exceptional, going through the museum, reading the information, and really thinking through the tough realities of the Civil Rights movement. After the museum we went across the street to Kelly Ingram Park, the site of the student march which turned violent with fire hoses and attack dogs turned on the protestors. It is a beautiful park, and was a nice moment for the students to walk around talk and take in the various markers there for the people who marched that day.
We walked across the street to the 16th Street Baptist Church which was bombed and lead to the deaths of 4 young girls. This was a very moving time as the girls were the same ages as our students. The church is beautiful and very much the same as that day when it was bomb close to 50 years ago. Our students sat in the pews and walked down to the basement where much of the church had been damaged due to the bomb. There were a lot of thoughts stirred in Birmingham, a lot of moments when students considered our history as a country and the importance of the lives lost.
From there we headed to Tannehill National Park which was a significant spot during the Civil War due to the iron that was produced there and sent to Selma to make ammunition for the South. It was absolutely beautiful there...the students got to see an iron blast furnace and hear about the significance of that very location and it is destruction towards the end of the war. There was also a cute general store there with lots of treats that the students enjoyed.
We loaded the buses and headed to Selma, Alabama the site of the Edmund Pettis Bridge and the event of Bloody Sunday. Our students marched side by side, just like the marchers did in the 1960's over the bridge...it was a piognant moment for many of them to consider the realities of what the marchers believed in.
After Selma we headed to Montgomery. Montgomery was the birthplace of the Confederacy and a major city during the Civil Rights era. We stood on the steps of the capital, looking down Dexter street at the church that was pastored by Martin Luther King Jr., and the site of Rosa Park's historic stand for equality. We walked to the Civil Rights Memorial to see the beautiful memorial remembering those who gave their lives during the movement. It is a breath-taking memorial, one that always leaves an impression on me.
After that we headed to dinner at the Golden Corral which the students enjoyed...lots of food and lots of time to chat and be together.
Tonight when we got to the hotel we gave the students an opportunity to share their thoughts of the trip...I wish I could relay to you all their thoughts, but they were many and left me so proud of our students and their respect for both the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement.
Tomorrow we visit the Rosa Parks Museum and the Dexter Avenue Church and then it is on to Atlanta the last stop on our journey.
It has been amazing.
We headed to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a museum of the Civil Rights movement with special focus on the events in Birmingham. The students were exceptional, going through the museum, reading the information, and really thinking through the tough realities of the Civil Rights movement. After the museum we went across the street to Kelly Ingram Park, the site of the student march which turned violent with fire hoses and attack dogs turned on the protestors. It is a beautiful park, and was a nice moment for the students to walk around talk and take in the various markers there for the people who marched that day.
We walked across the street to the 16th Street Baptist Church which was bombed and lead to the deaths of 4 young girls. This was a very moving time as the girls were the same ages as our students. The church is beautiful and very much the same as that day when it was bomb close to 50 years ago. Our students sat in the pews and walked down to the basement where much of the church had been damaged due to the bomb. There were a lot of thoughts stirred in Birmingham, a lot of moments when students considered our history as a country and the importance of the lives lost.
From there we headed to Tannehill National Park which was a significant spot during the Civil War due to the iron that was produced there and sent to Selma to make ammunition for the South. It was absolutely beautiful there...the students got to see an iron blast furnace and hear about the significance of that very location and it is destruction towards the end of the war. There was also a cute general store there with lots of treats that the students enjoyed.
We loaded the buses and headed to Selma, Alabama the site of the Edmund Pettis Bridge and the event of Bloody Sunday. Our students marched side by side, just like the marchers did in the 1960's over the bridge...it was a piognant moment for many of them to consider the realities of what the marchers believed in.
After Selma we headed to Montgomery. Montgomery was the birthplace of the Confederacy and a major city during the Civil Rights era. We stood on the steps of the capital, looking down Dexter street at the church that was pastored by Martin Luther King Jr., and the site of Rosa Park's historic stand for equality. We walked to the Civil Rights Memorial to see the beautiful memorial remembering those who gave their lives during the movement. It is a breath-taking memorial, one that always leaves an impression on me.
After that we headed to dinner at the Golden Corral which the students enjoyed...lots of food and lots of time to chat and be together.
Tonight when we got to the hotel we gave the students an opportunity to share their thoughts of the trip...I wish I could relay to you all their thoughts, but they were many and left me so proud of our students and their respect for both the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement.
Tomorrow we visit the Rosa Parks Museum and the Dexter Avenue Church and then it is on to Atlanta the last stop on our journey.
It has been amazing.
good morning...
Sorry for missing the post last night the wifi in the hotel was not the best.
Yesterday was a beautiful day.
We took a river boat cruise on the mighty Mississippi which was mighty. The kids enjoyed the boat and had fun talking and being together while a tour guide gave us interesting tid-bits about Memphis and this natural water highway which is still a vital part of the U.S. today. We were thankful to escape rain throughout the boat ride, we did see some very cool lightening off in the distance in Arkansas.
From the boat we loaded the buses to make our way to Shiloh. This was a change from last year's trip and it was worth it. Shiloh was incredible. The students walked part of the battlefield and rode on the buses as well, it was amazing to consider the over 23,000 lives lost on that battlefield. The tour guides complimented our group, which is always nice to hear.
We headed to dinner...I don't think I can do our dinner stop justice, you will for sure have to ask your kids about it. It was a very cool, local place complete with karokee which some of our students sang. The kids enjoyed the food, atmosphere, time together, and fun.
We made it to Birmingham late last night...we are up early this morning on our way to Birmingham Civil Rights museum and the 16th Street Baptist church.
The rain has caught up with us, but we will enjoy our day and learn a lot...
And most of all consider what we see, what we hear, and how that makes us feel.
Yesterday was a beautiful day.
We took a river boat cruise on the mighty Mississippi which was mighty. The kids enjoyed the boat and had fun talking and being together while a tour guide gave us interesting tid-bits about Memphis and this natural water highway which is still a vital part of the U.S. today. We were thankful to escape rain throughout the boat ride, we did see some very cool lightening off in the distance in Arkansas.
From the boat we loaded the buses to make our way to Shiloh. This was a change from last year's trip and it was worth it. Shiloh was incredible. The students walked part of the battlefield and rode on the buses as well, it was amazing to consider the over 23,000 lives lost on that battlefield. The tour guides complimented our group, which is always nice to hear.
We headed to dinner...I don't think I can do our dinner stop justice, you will for sure have to ask your kids about it. It was a very cool, local place complete with karokee which some of our students sang. The kids enjoyed the food, atmosphere, time together, and fun.
We made it to Birmingham late last night...we are up early this morning on our way to Birmingham Civil Rights museum and the 16th Street Baptist church.
The rain has caught up with us, but we will enjoy our day and learn a lot...
And most of all consider what we see, what we hear, and how that makes us feel.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Los Angeles to Memphis...
Today started bright and early with a 4:30 am arrival time at LAX...yikes, it was early. All the students arrived on time and were ready to go on our adventure of a lifetime. The excitement was evident as we made our way through ticketing, security, and on to the gate.
Both teams had great flights with no problems or issues. Honestly, the airports are the most nerve-racking part of the trip. Phew, one down and only a return flight left.
All our luggage safely arrived in Memphis as well, so we said good-bye to the Memphis airport and hello to our ACTS tour guides.
From the airport we headed to the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. The kids stood on the bank while they heard some history and then were able to walk down and hang out by the water for a few minutes. It was beautiful. Storms clouds were forming over Arkansas across the river and a nice breeze was blowing...it was wonderful.
We then loaded the buses to head to the National Civil Rights museum at the Lorraine Motel. The museum has been completely renovated and does not open until Saturday, so we got to have a preview tour today...it was awesome! Some of the museum was still getting the final finishing touches, but it was amazing to see and hear some of the stories of the Civil Rights movement. With the climax of the tour being able to see Martin Luther King Jr.'s hotel room and look out on the balcony where he was killed. The students were amazing. After the tour we debriefed and the students had great thoughts to share about what they saw and how it made them feel. Yes, even after a very long day they were thinking and feeling.
From the museum we headed to dinner at Central BBQ which was great food and fun. The students enjoyed good Southern food. It was a great time.
Came back to the hotel and had our devotional time with Mr. Ratchford who is going through the story of Philemon as our theme for this trip.
Now, it's time for bed...
Tomorrow river boat cruise, Shiloh, and on to Birmingham.
Pray the rain stays away.
Good Night.
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