Looking for something to do with her visiting parents, Tanisha Googled “Easter events in Charlotte” and Easter at the Library popped up in the search results. It looked like a perfect place to spend a Saturday afternoon with her husband, parents, and 6-year-old son, Christian.
Plus, the Library—ranked as the No. 1 thing to do in Charlotte on TripAdvisor—was a place she had wanted to visit since moving to Charlotte from Tennessee recently.
From a kid-centered Journey of Faith scavenger hunt called “Resurrection Quest,” to an animated showing of Ruth’s Graham’s The Lion of Judah to cross T-shirts that visitors personally designed, Easter at the Library kept the focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For Tanisha, it was the Journey of Faith that was undoubtedly the highlight of her day.
“I really liked hearing about their family,” she said. “How Ruth stayed at home, raising the five kids while her husband traveled all over the world sharing the message.
“I knew about them already, but I really enjoyed hearing about their back story.”
‘It’s Life-Changing’
Claudette Lina stood outside the Billy Graham Library, wiping tears off her cheek.
It was three years ago that her family—including husband Jericho, daughter Gabrielle, and son Jonah—felt the Lord leading them out of California. Trying to decide between Texas and North Carolina, they followed God’s call to Charlotte.
They didn’t know much at the time about the Queen City, only that it was the home town of Billy Graham, the evangelist whose teaching had been instrumental in Claudette and Jericho growing in their faith over the years.
“We picked out a place to live on the internet and it turned out to be five minutes from the Billy Graham Library,” Claudette said. “This was the first place we came to after we moved here. This is me and my husband’s Disneyland.”
Saturday’s Easter event marked the fifth visit to the Library for the Lina family, who were among a crowd of more than 1,300 to enjoy Christ-centered Easter activities on Saturday afternoon.
Claudette heard about the Easter event on Facebook and Instagram and after coming to last year’s Easter at the Library, was determined not to miss it.
Her 15-year-old daughter, Gabrielle, was excited to come back. “I love it here,” she said. “Everything is so welcoming.”
“It’s life-changing for the kids,” Claudette said. “How Billy Graham impacted not just North Carolina or the United States, but the whole world.”
