The kids and leaders were exhausted after their walk across the mile long Chain of Rocks Bridge, and then having to walk back again, so they slept well that night in the campground. They were still tired the next morning when they got onto the Ugly Little Blue Bus to continue their trip, so they fell asleep again.
A short time later, the Leader woke the kids up and told them to look out the windows. The kids could hardly believe their eyes! On one side of the bus, they could see the Mississippi River and on the other side of the bus they say an amazing metal arch that was shining in the sunlight!
The Leader told the kids that the arch was called the Gateway Arch and it is a national monument to President Thomas Jefferson, who purchased the western part of this country, and to the men and women who explored and settled the west. It took a lot of planning to build something as wonderful as this arch.
- They started planning a monument in 1933.
- Money had to be raised, to pay for the monument.
- 40 city blocks along the Mississippi River were used for the monument.
- Dozens of buildings had to be bought and torn down.
- The railroad tracks along the river had to be put underground in a tunnel.
- 12 years later in 1945 they had a contest to decide what the monument would look like
- The arch designed by Eero Saarinen was chosen as the monument.
- The concrete foundations were installed underground in 1961.
- Construction of the arch began in 1963.
- The arch is made of 142 stainless steel equilateral triangles stacked on top of each other.
- The two legs of the arch were built at the same time.
- The triangle sections had to be stacked perfectly, if they were off even 1/64 of an inch, the two sides of the arch would not meet at the top.
- During construction, a metal brace was temporarily put between the legs of the arch to hold it steady.
- To get the last two sections put in place, the south leg of the arch had to be cooled with water from firehoses and a jack was used to force the legs 6 feet apart (they were leaning toward each other)
- The side-to-side clearance was only 3/8 of an inch off.
- The arch is 630 feet tall and 630 feet wide.
- The arch was finished on Oct 28, 1965.
- The arch is resistant to earthquakes and is designed to sway up to 18 inches in either direction, while withstanding winds up to 150 miles per hour.
- Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower is the only President or former President who has been to the top of the arch (the Secret Service Agents will not allow it).
- Former President Hubert Humphrey dedicated the arch on May 25, 1968.
One of the kids interrupted the Leader and asked, “Can we go to the top?” The Leader told the kids that they would be going to the top, but the ride to the top is very unusual.
- A regular elevator would not work because the arch is curved. If they tried to use a regular elevator, the people would fall over before they reached the top.
- In each leg of the arch there is a tram of 8 pods
- Each pod holds 5 people.
- The pods are like a seat on a Ferris Wheel, they can swing freely so that the people are always right side up.
- It takes 4 minutes to get to the top of the arch and 3 minutes to get back down.
- The observation area at the top of the arch (inside) is 65 feet long, 7 feet wide, has 32 windows, and holds 160 people.
The Leader took the kids into the arch. They were amazed at what they saw underground! There were places to eat, two movie theaters, a museum, and the waiting areas for the tram. The trip to the top was exciting, but the view from the top was awesome.
That night at the campground, the Leader reminded the kids about how much planning it took to build the Gateway Arch. God is the ultimate planner, He has had plans from before the beginning of time, and His plans never fail or change!
God planned this whole universe and everything that is in it. God knew that Adam and Eve would sin and pass on the sin nature to all humans.
From the very beginning God had a plan to save us from sin. In Romans 5:6 it says:
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
God has a good plan for the life of each Christian. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
God also has a good plan for the future of Christians. In Revelation 21:3-5a it says:
I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said “Look, I am making everything new!”