Philadelphia

Laurence had Monday, April 7, off. We took the train to Philadelphia. With speeds up to 125 miles per hour, we arrived there in only an hour and 15 minutes after leaving Penn Station. My cousin Gaylene with husband, Charles, met us at the train station. First stop was the Reading Terminal Market, a busy, bustling place with many food choices and not enough tables to seat the crowds. We, of course, had Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Afterwards, we threaded our way through the aisles, stopping for donuts from Beiler’s. Laurence and I also purchased sausage from our go-to place, an Amish vendor. I appreciated visiting with the two older Amish ladies running the stand.

We dumped luggage off at an Airbnb before going down to the site of the immigration station along the Delaware River where the SS Vaderland landed on December 26, 1874. My great grandparents (likely along with your ancestors) came ashore in the New World there. Broken down pilings poke from the river; otherwise, we use our imagination at what it must have been like to set foot on land and walk into an unknown future. (As you know, it didn’t go good for a long time for them. Do I need to say how blessed we are?)

From there, we took Laurence back to the train station since he had to work today. Charles, Gaylene, and I went on to Germantown to the birthplace of the Mennonite Church in America. We couldn’t get into the church, but we walked around in the cemetery, thankful for the faith of our fathers!

Supper was at a Mexican restaurant before going back to our Airbnb. I messaged the host that there were no coffee pods. He responded by having Uber Eats deliver some from an hour away; that’s service for you! (I wrote him a nice review.) I felt rather loathe to leave the cute little house this morning, but we had places to go and things to see.

First stop was Independence Hall where the park rangers did a great job of explaining the writing of the Constitution. The original chair with the “rising sun” where George Washington presided is there. (Ben Franklin sat in the chamber wondering if it was a rising or setting sun and declared it a rising sun after the constitution was written.) Charles and Gaylene went to the Liberty Bell. I met them afterward at the Visitor’s Center. A lady there helped them plan the rest of their time in the Philadelphia Historic District.

We said goodbyes, and I parted ways with Charles and Gaylene. They went on to the Betsy Ross House, Christ Church Cemetery, and the Museum of the Revolution. These are all places we’ve been to numerous times. I walked to the Pennsylvania Bible Society. Founded in 1808, it’s America’s first Bible Society. It isn’t very impressive, but I like to go to that little place with Bibles. The older lady volunteer manning the desk shared with me how America needs to turn back to the Word.  Amen!

An Uber driver picked me up there and dropped me off at the train station. Less than two hours after leaving Philadelphia, I walked in at home – glad to be here, but so very happy we could appreciate the rich history of our forefathers and of our country together with Charles and Gaylene.

Berniece