#CoCMidAtlanticII, Day 6

Today was our last full day of the trip where we’d be doing activities together and I’ve been looking forward to today all week as we traveled to Washington DC! It was my first time there and it was so beautiful to see everything blossomed despite it being a gloomy day. We went straight to the Museum of the Bible to have a tour from Brother John Harvey and I must say it definitely takes the cake for the best museum I have ever been to. All of the dedication and detail put into organizing history and presenting the Bible in such a touching way was so amazing to see. I loved seeing different printed copies of the Bible and the material they were inscribed on as it’s stuff I learned in my college classes but am now seeing with my own eyes in front of me. My favorite part of the whole tour was the immersive walk-through of the Old Testament. All the saints I talked to leading up to Friday kept telling me about this part of the tour I had to make sure I didn’t miss out on and my expectations were far exceeded. From the beginning of Genesis to the story of David, you felt like you were walking in their shoes for a brief moment and you couldn’t look away. This tour overall truly reminded me of how wonderful the Lord is and how He has always been so present throughout history and is so present with us today. Throughout this whole week actually, I can say that this idea has been revealed to me more and more.

—Mariah C. 🌸

After a long journey, we finally reached the heart of the United States--Washington, D.C.

Did you know that the DC cherry blossoms are in full bloom on this very day? The pretty pink cherry blossom skies highlighted the stunning 169-meter-tall Washington Monument. A major highlight of the trip was seeing the Washington Monument surrounded by cherry blossoms in full bloom. It was beautiful in a way that’s hard to capture—everything felt alive, bright, and peaceful. Being there as a group and taking pictures together made the experience so much more memorable.

In the afternoon, we visited the Museum of the Bible. I loved learning about the history of the Bible, and how it has been preserved and passed down through generations. The immersive Old Testament and New Testament walkthroughs were also so touching, especially the dramatized presentation of Luke 24. Seeing how the Lord walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus and caused their hearts to burn was so powerful. It reminded me that the Lord is not distant—He is walking with us, speaking to us, and making our hearts burn in the same way even now.

In the evening, we had a small group gathering with the saints in Washington, D.C., and it was such a sweet and genuine time. We shared a meal, sang hymns, and opened up in fellowship, sharing our enjoyments from the trip. It truly felt like a continuation of what we see in Acts, with believers gathering simply to enjoy the Lord and one another.

Overall, it was so encouraging to see that the Lord has a testimony and a strong, shining lampstand right in the capital of the United States. What an encouragement!

—Ivy N.

One of the key destinations in Washington D.C. we got to experience today was the various sights of the National Mall. Following our long and pleasurable trip through the Museum of the Bible, we got to leisurely stroll through the area lined with historical landmarks and buildings. Every direction our eyes laid had something to take in. As we began our walk through the area, we set our eyes on the Capitol Building, setting us up in preparation for the many more monuments we were to come across. In the distance, we could see the Washington Monument, with us constantly pausing along the way to take pictures of it at every angle. By the shortage of time, we could only experience the White House and Lincoln Memorial at a distance, but that was not to say we were in any lack of great times. With the bloom of cherry blossoms in this spring season, we took our time to admire and appreciate this pink and white scenery. Stopping to take so many pictures, we spent the remainder of our time in the National Mall along the cherry blossom trees. Mix and matching the various combinations of students, we didn’t hesitate to simply just enjoy the time with the fellow believers of the club, aligned with this center, corporate enjoyment of the Lord. It was such a sweet time to enjoy the sights with one another in the club, building up even more memories and simply just appreciating everyone’s company.

—Chris K.