While Skip eagerly anticipated the historical stint of our tour through Virginia (which you can read about in our last post), I’ve been eagerly anticipating the mountains of North Carolina. First stop… Charlotte.
Based on recommendations from several friends, we planned a visit to the Billy Graham Library. This library was designed not so much to memorialize the person of Billy Graham, but rather to celebrate and evangelize the very message to which he devoted his life. Each room of the self-guided tour presented a time in his life, the path he chose, decisions he made, and the impact of his reach. As a Baptist minister, evangelist and civil rights advocate, Graham’s impact was global. Across six continents and 185 countries, he preached to 215 million people through his nearly six-decade mission to change the world through the power of the gospel. Ruth Bell Graham was equally celebrated for her role as Billy’s wife, his life partner, deepest confidant, and mother of their five children. Skip and I agreed this was one of the highlights of our trip.
While visiting Asheville, we enjoyed an afternoon visit to The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. I had attended a writer’s conference in 2016 at The Cove. I wanted to share this special place with my beloved. Skip shared that his mother was a strong supporter of Graham’s ministry and that rubbed off on him. Also, Skip remembers driving past the Billy Graham headquarters on Hennepin Avenue on the bus line. Moreover, he attended a crusade at the Minneapolis Metrodome in 1996. Lastly, in 1949 Graham launched the Christian radio station KTIS from Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. We’ve listened to and supported KTIS for years. Thus Graham’s reach into Minnesota impacted both of our lives.
Led by a vision from God, the Grahams bought a 1,200 acre Asheville property in 1970’s, envisioning a place of spiritual renewal and training in the Word of God. Together, they decided that the first building at The Cove would be a chapel. Ruth guided the design and interior styling. The Chatlos Chapel’s 87-foot-tall steeple reaches to the heavens, with an additional 8 feet of wooden cross. The 400-year-old pulpit was discovered at a used furniture store in England. The 200-year-old antique pews were sourced from a shuttered English school for the blind. The simplicity of the design magnifies God with a quiet serenity.
Finally… cherished time with friends. While serving with SOWERs at the Africa Inland Mission this winter, we were blessed to meet Dan and Christie Greene. From the get-go, I knew we’d become great friends. We eagerly accepted the Greene’s invitation for an overnight at their new home in Charlotte. After enjoying a tour of their new digs, Dan graciously made a pot of his famed tomato bisque which was complemented by sourdough grilled cheese. YUM! Since all four of us love games, Christie and Dan taught us how to play Ticket to Ride; brownies and ice cream enriched the experience. The next morning, we relished returning to the pickleball court for doubles. Our games were very evenly matched, each side claiming two winning games. We had a ball!
Our next post will celebrate the glory of the western North Carolina mountains as well as the Biltmore estate. Hope you’ll come along for the ride!
So glad it’s going so well. We’ll be back in town around the same time you are. Continue to enjoy.
I love reading your travels. They are so descriptive that we can almost imagine ourselves there with you.
There are a few familiar and much missed faces.
I feel like I am reading a chapter from a book — so well written and interesting. The Billy Graham museum is certainly worth the trip. BTW Anne and Skip brought 3 pints of ice cream from a creamery in NC. Wow! Thanks for the memories…travel safe!