Rest in the Lord and be willing to wait for Him. Psalm 37:7 (NLV)
~~~ Friday, April 4 ~~~ I had seen some wisteria trees from a distance and was glad when the bus slowed down real close to a beautiful one shortly after leaving The Billy Graham Library. Because a few people asked her how she met her husband (she is the widow of Paul Heil of Gospel […]
~~~ Friday, April 4 ~~~ It was just a half hour drive from our motel to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC. A staff person from the Library came on the coach to orient us to our time there. The person who would welcome us to Billy’s childhood home was already in place. The […]
~~~ Thursday, April 3 ~~~ We were partly sad that this was the last night of our trip, so we just kind of soaked in the view as we left Samaritan’s Purse in Wilkesboro, NC, (leaving about 2 pm) for the two-hour drive to our motel in Charlotte, NC. Following supper in the motel and […]
~~~ Thursday, April 3 ~~ Following breakfast at The Cove, we boarded our coach and headed for Wilkesboro, North Carolina for a tour of Samaritan’s Purse Operations Center. Our bus driver stopped to get directions from this safety officer. Before long we had a thumbs up to move ahead. After getting name tags and a […]
~~~ Wednesday, April 2 7:30 pm ~~~ Elva opened with a short devotional and told us she learned that the staff at The Cove had a list of those in our group and were praying for us multiple times a day. She challenged us to keep on sharing the Gospel by: Committing yourself to sharing […]
~~~ Wednesday Afternoon, April 2 4:00 pm ~~~ I took the privilege to get interior pictures of the chapel before the concert began. The chapel was completed in 1988. When the Billy Graham Association was looking for a piano. George Beverly Shea noticed an advertisement for this piano, called about it and went to the […]
~~~ Wednesday, April 2 ~~~ One of The Cove’s shuttle buses came for our group about 3:30 pm on Tuesday for easy transportation the Chatlos Chapel about 3/4 a mile away. It is named Chatlos Chapel because it was donated by the William Chatlos Foundation. I thought I backed up far enough and got low […]
~~~ April 1 – 3 ~~~ Ruth’s Attic is part of The Training Center and located on the first floor in the area of all the wall displays I showed in my previous post. Each of us received a coupon to receive a free gift if we spent $45 in the store. I looked inside […]
~~~ March 31 – April 3 ~~~ There are large portraits of Billy and Ruth in the giant entrance area. Across the room is a huge fireplace with one of the largest wreaths I have ever seen. The gas fireplace added to the coziness of the large room. This large tic tac toe game was […]
~~~ March 31 – April 2 ~~~ On the bus – Angie (tour guide) and Shelia. Shelia is the only one on this tour who I knew before the trip. However, we were just acquaintances and Facebook friends. She is Paul Heil (Gospel Greats) widow. We had fun getting to know each other better, especially […]
~~~ Wednesday, April 2 8 am to 9 am ~~~ Following a delicious breakfast, we met in the small auditorium to music by Bethany. She is a skilled pianist and soloist. Before long she was joined by Ruth Ann doing a beautiful chalk art scene. Music and chalk art certainly go together to create a […]
~~~ April 1 to April 3 ~~~ The Flora – Flowers and Vegetation The view of the valley from the deck (2nd floor level). The Cove is nestled among 1,200 acres of the Blue Ridge Mountains owned by the Billy Graham Association. A view from the 3rd floor. I found a better view from another […]
~~~ Monday, March 31 to Thursday, April 3 ~~~ We found the staff at the Cove Training Center to be incredibly friendly from the moment we entered these large front doors. Someone was always at the door to make sure were supposed to be there. We had BNT name tags which were our right to […]
~~~ Tuesday, April 1 Music and Memories Concert ~~~ We enjoyed a delightful concert by Bethany (Elva’s daughter), Elva, and their friend Dave. Many were songs Elva and Dave learned in their growing up years, others were songs she has written. The evening session closed with a testimony by Cody – a friend and boss […]
~~~ March 31 to April 3 ~~~ I was impressed with all the seating areas in the Training Center of The Cove. Outside the front door. The entrance area where there was always a staff person to greet us or answer questions. I understand from a staff person that Ruth Graham had a huge effect […]
~~~ March 31 to April 3 ~~~ Our first meal at The Cove’s Training Center dining room was Monday evening, March 31 – the evening we arrived. We had breakfast, lunch, and dinner there on Tuesday and Wednesday. Our last meal was breakfast on Thursday, April 3 before leaving for Samaritan’s Purse. Meals were buffet, […]
~~~ Tuesday Morning, April 1 ~~~ Our second chalk art session began about 9:40 am when Elva introduced “The Story of the Cross”. She used music like, The Old Rugged Cross, and a recording of her voice, explaining the sacrifice Jesus made for us. I will just show the picture as it developed under her […]
~~~ Tuesday, April 1 ~~~ It was a beautiful day for a one-and-a-half-mile, round trip, walk in the Blue Ridge Mountains behind The Cove. To enter the path, we went down the steps behind The Training Center. There is a nicely paved walkway near the buildings. The path into the mountain is well marked. Our […]
~~~ Tuesday Morning, April 1 ~~~ Our first session was a chalk art program by Elva (who organized this tour with Bob Neff Tours and Prelude Tours) while her daughter Bethany played piano and sang a variety of gospel songs. Elva (left) was joined by Ruth Ann, another chalk artist. They only met recently. I […]
I have so many pictures from Tuesday and Wednesday that I put them in categories for easier posting. Today I will introduce you to the four main buildings on these 1,600 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains owned by the Billy Graham Association. This retreat center is about 15 miles from their home in Montreat, […]