#CoCMidAtlanticII, Day 2

I opened my eyes, and it was 8:20 AM. I got 11 hours of sleep—yay! The Costco quaso was fire, and the egg was boiled just right. During the morning time, I enjoyed how Sampson shared that there is no condemnation between Jesus and us, so we can enjoy His riches fully. I also met Scorpy, and now it is my favorite plushie. Then we went to the Duke campus, and a wasp kept chasing us. The food was pretty good, and the buildings were WOW. Amy from our sister club- Duke Christians on Campus guided us to all the best parts of the campus, and she is very nice. UNC is pretty nice too; their clock tower is shorter than ours, though. At the end of the day, Nathan and Jeffrey trolled me into getting boba while they got nothing. Also, Bojangles. What a day.

What encouraged me most was the Bible study. Initially, we struggled to have open fellowship. Everyone tended to talk with friends they already knew. But I am thankful for this opportunity, and God encouraged me to open up and share my enjoyment with others. Through sharing and praying, everyone started to engage more and enjoy the Word more. Even though we are all from different places with different personalities, God unites us all with His love and authority. “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him.” We shared about not relying on feelings and about eating the Word each day as spiritual food. Another thing that impressed me was how John did not understand what Jesus meant when He said He would build up the temple in three days, but later he wrote in 1 John about loving the brothers as taking care of the Lord’s house. I really enjoy the fellowship with one another, and God has used it as an opportunity for growth.

— Jacky D.

Scorpy included as reference

Today we went to Duke & UNC Chapel Hill! But first we had breakfast at a young couple’s home (it was so well decorated and cute, I loved it) and had some singing time with the whole group. Then we split into smaller pods to read a little bit of a ministry book, “The Two Greatest Prayers of the Apostle Paul.” I really appreciated from today’s reading that the living Christ has an overruling power, and when we take Him as the Head and we are His Body, we share this overruling power!

After that, we visited Duke University and got to see the basketball museum and the Duke gardens (this part was definitely a highlight for the sisters). We got to spend a lot of time here before we moved to visit UNC Chapel Hill. At UNC, we got a quick tour of the campus (Bella and I were wearing all blue so we blended into the walls) and joined the students for dinner and Bible study. It was really sweet to blend with the students and enjoy their portion of Christ across the country. Thank You Lord for Your Body in Durham and Chapel Hill! 🩵

— Hayley Y.

When we went to visit Duke University my favorite part of the tour was when we were in the botanical garden. I loved seeing the flowers that came in bright various colors and the nice ponds throughout our time there. I thought the flowers were very pretty and the place in general gave me an overall sense of calmness which I really enjoyed. We ended the day off with a Bible study with some of the UNC students on campus. As we split into groups I enjoyed the contrast we talked about in my group where the comparison was made between Zaccheus and the rich young man who asked the Lord how to gain eternal life. The rich man was asking for the purpose of attaining knowledge and in general self-gain. In the end when the Lord asked him to give his possessions away the rich young man couldn’t do it. While on the other hand Zaccheus just to hear Jesus speak he would climb a tree just so he could see him speak and when the Lord entered his house he gave half of his possession away. The rich young man's heart was with his riches and wasn’t even seeking the Lord while Zaccheus was seeking the Lord himself and saw the Lord as so wonderful and precious that he would be willing to give away his riches. I loved the fact that it made me realize that the most precious thing we can ever have is the Lord himself and not anything else.

— Ebenezer M.