©  Focus on Jesus.  Focus on Souls.  ©

 

Tuesday, October 8

 

Taxi came at 6:30 in the morning to take us to the Orange County Airport.  This same taxi driver, as I recalled, had driven me few years ago on a business trip.  Last time, we talked about how God was good to our families.  He and his wife moved from New York to California many years ago.  This morning, he told me he is Jewish.  His ancestors were Polish Jews.  I told him we were going to the Christian Support for Israel Rally in Washington, D.C.  He was unhappy about President Bush’s stand against Iraq.  I replied with my simple thought, “What it comes down to is really what God wants us to do.  War or no war, it’s His decision.  And His timing of it.”  We arrived at the terminal and forgot to ask the driver’s name.

 

Wednesday, October 9 - The Congressional Galleries

 

D.C. weather wasn’t as cold as I thought.  Foliage did not start turning its color.  The sky was heavily overcast though. 

 

Before leaving the hotel for sightseeing, I earnestly prayed for the Lord’s mercy, patience and strength for I had been nervous.  Edmond had seriously warned me he would easily be bored by most of the things he saw, especially museums and monuments.  Guess what?  Those were exactly what mom had planned for the family to visit.  She had no idea what else D.C. could offer and be interesting to her 12.5-year-old son.  Perhaps, the government?  Or, the Memorials?

 

We walked to the Air and Space Museum in the late morning.  We saw the original Wright Brothers’ first plane successfully flown in the air and the Spirit of San Louis.  We watched two IMAX films.  One was about all kinds of helicopters and what civilians and military can use them for.  The other was about the galaxies.  Kids enjoyed the movies.  Mom relaxed a little.

 

We walked to the House (south) side of the Capitol building.  Before the trip, we could not receive the passes we had requested through our senator or congressman’s office.  At the visitor line, a lady in charge told us to find our representative’s office in one of the three House office buildings, and get passes to the House and Senate galleries.  We did.  At around 3 p.m., we visited the House gallery.  About an hour later, we visited the Senate gallery.

 

Both the House and the Senate were busy debating on the Iraqi resolution.  I truly felt awed being in the nation’s highest office in the Legislative Branch, and observe the democratic process with my own eyes, especially in this end-time hour.  Whatever resulted from the congressional debates would be part of the continual fulfillment of the end-time biblical prophecy.  Both galleries are right above the congressional floors.  Coming thus far (with big monetary investment, too), how could I miss this one-of-a-lifetime moment to pray right on top of the debating legislators?  I prayed quietly and thanked the Lord for letting me be one in the army He has brought to D.C. to pray on location.  Next morning on 10/10, Washington Post reported the Senate overwhelmingly approved to give President Bush authority to war against Iraq.  On 10/11, we read the House did the same.  I told kids we had just watched the history recorded before us.  Our President has done much to avoid a war to disarm Iraq.  We continue to pray for the Lord’s will be done at His divine timing.

 

As one could imagine, contrary to their mom’s excitement, the gallery observations bored both kids to the extreme.  We walked blocks to find food.  After the deli meal and ice cream, they became normal. 

 

At night, after praying I changed the plan for tomorrow.  We booked the 9-to-6 red trolley tour to visit the whole D.C.  We could get off at a particular stop, visit and get on the next trolley to continue the trip.

 

Thursday, October 10 – the White House, Memorials and Georgetown

 

Not just overcast, it drizzled.  We started praying for a good weather for the outdoor Rally Friday afternoon.

 

The red trolley took us to different places.  We got off at the White House.  Since 9-11, it no longer permits public tours.  We learned you could still get inside if you prearrange it through the representative’s office for the representative to personally lead the tour.  We walked the south lawn and the Ellipse.  There we were - just outside of the nation’s top office of the Executive Branch, while President and his staff were inside making nation changing and world impacting daily decisions.

 

Next we visited the Vietnam and Korean Memorials.  The beautifully designed inscription wall of countless names, tombstones and soldier statues solemnly stood in the rain.  These warriors obeyed their call and gave their lives for other people and nations they had known little about.  Many survivors still suffer impact of the war till this day.  Sel, a tall, soft-spoken Vietnam vet I prayed for at the street outreach, came to mind.  O Lord, continue blessing the families of the dead and the living of all wars.  May all of them come into Your kingdom.  We have troops in Afghanistan now and many other countries as well.  May they and their families be strengthened daily and glorify Your name in fulfilling their high calling.

 

The Lincoln Memorial was right beside the two Memorials.  Both sidewalls had Lincoln’s speeches inscribe on them.  On Lincoln’s right sidewall was the Gettysburg Address.  Also, we read portions of his other speeches in the museum downstairs.  His words pounded my heart.  Christ’s love, righteousness and characters flow through them.  They have penetrated the American blood. 

 

A neighbor of mine once half-jokingly said, “America was founded by rebels.”  To be correct, I’d say, “America was founded by God-seeking rebels.”  For this, the Almighty blessed this nation with more God-seeking leaders and founding fathers like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and many others.  Pastor Perry Stone once gave an old statistics that approximately 90% of the missionary resources and headquarters come from North America.  America has been great because she has been built on the only true and living God.  I consider America as the land of milk and honey of the New Testament.  The Lord uses her to bless the world. 

 

Next we stopped at the Arlington National Cemetery.  It drizzled stronger.  We fast walked to the Unknown Soldiers’ Tomb and caught the tail end of the changing of guard.  On the tomb, it prints, “Known But To God.”  How true it is!  I told the Lord it’s O.K. if He wants me to die for Him this way and I shall be known but to God.  Then, we walked over to see John F. Kennedy’s tomb with its everlasting flame.

 

The red trolley took us to Georgetown where George Washington and other presidents lived.  Also, some senators and congressmen live there now.  We had lunch in the food court in a mall.  Later, we found the visitors’ center and discovered the Georgetown National Historical Park.  It’s a 185-mile park along the canal.  We took the canal boat tour.  The water level went down first so the boat can pass under the bridge and gas pipe.  Then, in the lock, the water level arose, the boat moved on.  Two man rangers pulled the boat first.  Then two lady mules pulled us. Two lady rangers walked along the mules to lead and take care of them.  The ride took about an hour and fifteen minutes.  The park ranger working inside the boat gave us a thorough education on the canal history and how families worked on the boat.  Their kids could only go to school for the three winter months when the canal was non-operable.  Also, how the canal lost out to the railway development. 

 

By the time the trolley reached the Holocaust Museum, it had closed for the day.  I regretted not being able to enter.  Kids were exhausted (and mom was glad) and dozed the rest of the way back to the hotel.  It was 5:30 p.m.  Praise God!  He gave us another rich day.

 

--- to be continued ---