Having already given two tours - one about
church camping and one about
cake building - in this series, I offer my third Discovery Tour: a blog post about the Ark and about the Half Tribe of Manasseh, I mean Dan. It is mainly a host of photos depicting a quick trip that Ken and I took to Kentucky several weeks ago. When we heard that my parents and my twin sister and her family were planning to spend a few days visiting the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum together, we wondered if could come and crash their party. Then my other sister and her family decided to come, too. It was a lovely rendezvous!
When you get to the Ark, the first thing you have to do is to take a picture of the whole structure, just because you are so amazed at its monstrosity. I thought it was timely that storm clouds were rolling in when we arrived - it went right along with my association of Noah's Ark and an urgency to get on board because the rain's a-comin'!
The second thing you have to do when you get to the Ark is to take family photos with the big boat as background. Here's my twin sister Annette's family, and I'll add names right now in case anyone asks me for them later and I'll wish to be able to say "been there, done that". Back row, l to r: Jeremy, Justin, Nolan; front row, l to r: Jana, Nolita, Joelle, Heidi, Annette
Dan & Ruthie, aka Dad & Mom Schrock
Ken & Danette, aka Us2
My sister Faye and her family were not with our group when we arrived at the Ark, so they weren't in the initial family photos line-up. I will introduce them here, in two photos. (I still don't know how I missed getting a pose of them all together!) In this shot, Faye is holding her third-oldest daughter, Jewel.
And here is Faye's husband Leroy, whom we often call Lee, holding Hope, their youngest daughter. In the middle chair is Becca, the oldest, and Kate is the one on the far left. (anyone else think there's some Eva in that face?)
From stem...
...to stern, this craft is huge!
Before entering the Ark, we walked up close to its underside, which made us feel rather dwarfed.
Inside, one of the first areas to observe is the back structure, where great beams curve to form the rounded stern.
Provisions for the animals on the Ark: sacks and sacks of grain...
...as well as pots and pots of water.
I found it very fascinating to observe the "ways it may have been" in the keeping of all those animals on Noah's Ark. Here is an example: water dispensers on the outsides of the cages. Water from the aforementioned pots would have been poured into the top of the dispenser and would have flowed out through the bottom opening into the water bowl the animal could access from inside the cage.
I must say, the creatures themselves were quite unique, too!
The massive logs and wooden beams required some massive bolts and hardware.
All throughout the three-story Ark were illustrations and descriptions to read and observe. It would've required much more time than we had to be able to take it all in!
There was even an animated Noah who would answer the questions that visitors would ask him (by typing on a computer). The way Noah turned his head and fixed his eyes on the inquirers and how he talked was eerily similar to real life.
I was so intrigued with the names, characteristics and personalities the Ark designers (using artistic license) gave to Noah's wife and his three sons' wives. Japheth and his wife Reynah were portrayed as the artistic and musical couple.
Here is Shem's wife, Ar'yel, working in the kitchen. She was portrayed as an intellectual and relational woman who enjoyed discussions with Noah's family about the one true God.
By the way, Ham's wife was called Kezia and she was a woman with medical knowledge. She was the nurse on the Ark - for the people and for the animals. Noah's wife was called Emzara; she was portrayed as an animal-lover. She knew more about the animals than anyone else on the Ark.
A cross lights up the door of the Ark, both on the inside and the outside.
Reflecting on our Ark Encounter.
Ken loved interacting with his little nieces. Here he's playing Peek-Around-the-Post with Jewel and Kate after our supper in Emzara's Buffet at the Ark Encounter.
The next day we visited The Creation Museum, which - after being at Ark Encounter - seemed a little anti-climatic. This was probably due to the fact that we had visited the Creation Museum before. Besides the things we'd previously seen and done there, informative workshops, interesting creation videos, a fun picnic time with the family, and strolling on the beautiful grounds surrounding the property really did add up to a great experience, though.
For me, one of the highlights of the day was attending a wonderful workshop entitled "Life is in the Blood." Annette went with me, and we had fun trying out the microscope, exclaiming to each other about our finds in blood cells on the slide. In the Q & A time at the end of the workshop, I was about to lean over to tell Anni that we should ask the instructor how alike the blood of twins is, when she turned to me and said that we should ask him that same question. We never did get a chance to ask, because the workshop time ran out, but we had one thing proved once again: we still have our twin moments. Maybe our blood doesn't flow exactly alike, but our ideas often flow along similar veins!
Sister-pics in one generation...
...and in another.
(Such a gift - to be with these wonderful ladies)
My bro-in-law Nolan (the one my brothers tease about having "connections") lined up a beautiful old house (c. 1832!) for our accommodations the nights that we were in the Ark vicinity.
I felt like we were in a cross between a storybook house and a museum. It was spacious and just gorgeous!
The second evening we were there, we had an enjoyable, relaxing time outside exploring the grounds and visiting on the patio and at the lawn swing.
Don't they look sweet together, though?
I happened to get a pic of my niece Becca when she was uncharacteristically still. Or maybe it was merely a time when she had sought out a place by some adults on the swing as refuge from Uncle Ken who was chasing her. She acted sort of scared, but her mom told me that really, Becca was loving it - for her, the more action in a game, the better. Racing around the yard with Uncle Ken roaring at her heels was the best.
I love this pic of my dad, but I love the man so much more.
Nolan and Anni's family was in charge of breakfast on the last morning we were together, and true to form, they rustled up a feast for us. Their family is one of the best examples I know for cooperation, efficiency and generosity. In this world, there oughta be lots more like them.
If you've been considering going to the Ark, I have some advice for you: Go for it.
And, if at all possible, encounter it with some great relatives.
