Victory! Today marked the end of our adventure, and what an adventure it has been. This morning we departed first to the Vatican City state, in which we visited the Vatican Museum. Many beautiful pieces preserved from thousands of years of history filled the halls as we walked through towards the main attraction of the area, the famous Sistine Chapel. Our wonderful tour guide Antonella gave us an overview of all of Michelangelo’s work before we entered, as talking, videos, and photography are all strictly forbidden. Unfortunately, the beauty of the work depicting many of the most important scenes of the gospel really must be seen to be believed. My particular favorite piece was the fresco of Jesus’ sermon on the mount, which is actually positioned right below the balcony where one would have spoken from, very clever!
After lunch in the Vatican, we moved to the last stop in our following of Paul, Mamertine Prison, where he was held until his beheading and martyrdom. We learned that it is actually believed that Peter and Paul were trapped down in the dungeon level of the prison together for quite some time. Two busts exist in honor of them in the room above, Peter with the keys to the kingdom, and Paul with a sword representing his demise. What is truly special was knowing in that very room, deep underground, hidden away, Paul wrote multiple books from the Gospel, the letters of Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. The hope that came from even his time imprisoned is spectacle. While we were there, we were lucky enough to film a Daily Hope of Pastor Todd going in depth on the subject, so make sure to check that out on our social media!
Finally, we ended our Tour of Rome, and finally Italy with the Colosseum. Be sure to check out the photos and videos to see the wonderful architecture and art from the visit! Well VLC family, I will come to you with one more report to let you know how the trip home fared for us, and to look deeper into the spiritual aspects of the trip, as this pilgrimage was powerful not only for me, but all of my fellow pilgrims. While our time in the country of Italy has come to an end, the memories and friendships we have formed will last all our lives, and eternity in the kingdom. God Bless you Victory Lutheran friends, and may the Lord our God show you His peace and love that surpasses all reason and understanding, so that you too may be awash with His joy as we have here.
