A little rain did not deter us from enjoying our last day in Washington. We began at the Newseum where they display news reports as well as a room full of Pulitzer Prize winning pictures. Our favorites were the pictures, the 9/11 reports, and the Berlin Wall reports.

From there, we traveled to Georgetown where we found some great eating places as well as some great shopping. The favorite there was Georgetown cupcakes; most people chose the peanut butter chocolate swirl cupcake. Yum!

As the trip comes to a close, we celebrate the fact that we got to create some lasting memories with our best friends!

Today was packed full of memorable moments. It began at Mount Vernon where we got to tour George Washington’s home. What a beautiful view of the Potomac River! There were sheep, cattle, and two baby pigs. We got to see Washington’s tomb and spend time walking along the river. From there we traveled to Arlington National Cemetery.

After viewing the Changing of the Guard, we had the honor of participating in a Wreath Laying. Alli Stroud, Alex Mamula, Rachel Turnbough, and Anneka Clingman were able to lay a

What a beautiful day! We began our itinerary with Mr. Clingman praying on the Capitol steps. It is such an honor to be able to pray for our legislators. Next, we split into two groups, and half of us went in the Capitol and the other half in the Supreme Court building. We learned some of the minutiae about how our legislators and judges work. It was amazing to see a real life example of what we talk about in Mr. Hollars’ class. To finish our Capitol Hill visit, we had lunch in the Visitor’s Center. The brownies were delicious!

To begin the afternoon, we spent a sobering time at the Holocaust Museum. It was difficult to see some of the atrocities that happened during WWII. This museum helps us see what a vital role God plays in making a nation successful.

We ended the day with a tour of the Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean Memorials. We spent some time reading Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address on the Memorial wall. It is incredible to see how many times this man referenced God in his writing. He was truly a man who believed God played an important role in his presidency.

Tomorrow we will continue to learn about our amazing country at Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery.

Angie Brock

6:15am came really early for some students as we pulled out of the school by 6:30. Despite a traffic delay, we made it to the airport and to our gate in time for a 9:50 departure.

Upon arrival, we traveled to the city where Mr. Hollars directed many students to food trucks while others chose to eat in the Smithsonian. We enjoyed seeing some of the World War I planes that we have talked about in history. The dinosaur and the mammal exhibits were also a hit. We ended our tour of the Smithsonian with a visit from NCCS alum Emily Bless (Class of 2012). She shared her journey through NCCS, to Mercer, and now to Washington, D.C.. It was a blessing to have her with us.

After a delicious dinner, we spent time at the Tidal Basin Memorials. We began at the Jefferson Memorial where Alli Stroud helped Mr. Hollars explain some of the quotes around the memorial. We then ventured to the FDR Memorial where we learned more about our country during Roosevelt’s years as President. We ended the day with a visit to the Martin Luther King Memorial. We are all looking forward to another day of adventure as we trek over to Capital Hill tomorrow.

Angie Brock