Vacation with a Purpose

By Carla and Estell  2015

Whether its Dino digs, fossil beds, creation museums, canyons, or petrified forests, America is full of God’s handiwork just waiting to be explored. Our family has been so blessed to be able to travel coast to coast, presenting creation seminars for churches, Christian schools camps, home school groups…, all along the way we’ve been able to explore God’s amazing creation. In this and future articles, we want to tell you about some of the treasures that we’ve discovered.

Our first article (April 2014) focused on the geological features formed at Mt St Helens.  I am happy to report that in August we were able to return to the mount.  Although we only had 2 ½     days, we were able to explore all three sides of the volcano, update our displays and put together a new power point presentation. While there I was constantly reminded of our first trip  to the mount in 1992, the trip that unbeknownst to us would lay the ground work for the creation ministry we have today.  During that 40 day camping tour across America, we visited many geologically significant areas and national parks. And, they all had one thing in common, a steady indoctrination of evolution. Whether it was a nature center or a roadside sign, evolution was woven throughout the interpretive information.  Even the museum at Mt St Helens ignored the evidence for catastrophic geology and focused on evolution.  But, scattered across America, the number of God honoring museums is on the rise.  Christians are beginning to take science back and once again show how the heavens declare the glory of God.  I’m sure there are many we have yet to discover, but here are the ones we have had the privilege of visiting and highly recommend.

On highway 504, the gateway to Mt St Helens, is the “Seven Wonders  Museum and book store. Began by Lloyd and Doris Anderson the original directors of the ministry in 1998, it is now called the “Mt St Helens Creation Center” We were thrilled to discover their museum and have enjoyed spending time with the Andersons over the years.  Today the work continues under the directorship of Paul Taylor.

The tip of Kentucky just below Cincinnati, Ohio is home to “The Creation Museum”. It is a one to two day stop complete with gardens, petting zoo, and state of the art “EPCOT” like museum.  Began by Ken Ham, co-founder of AIG (Answers in Genesis), it attracts visitors from all across the country.  AIG has also began the Ark Encounter which will be a museum housed in a full size wooden ark.  It is being built about an hour’s drive south of the museum.

In Santee, CA there is a wonderful creation museum originally founded by Dr. Henry Morris with ICR (Institute for Creation Research).  The scientifically based, Scripturally sound “Creation and Earth History Museum” is free to the public.  Located in southern California just east of San Diego, so if you are headed to the zoo, make plans to stop by the museum too. And while you are there please tell the director, Jason Payne, the Estell family said hello.

On the other side of the country there is a small museum and bookstore in Pensacola, FL. “The Creation Store” was began by Eric Hovind as he picked up the baton from his dad, Kent also known as “Dr. Dino”.  Kent had established a wonderful, family oriented, museum and activity center called “Dinosaur Adventure Land” but that had been closed and seized by the government some years ago.

In southern Florida in the small town of Arcadia, Dr. Gary Parker and his wife Mary have turned their house into a creation museum.  They offer fossil camps and fossil float trips down the Peace River.  It is a learning experience for the whole family.

Further south and east there is “Creation Discovery Museum” in Fort Lauderdale.  We have not made it to that one yet, but hope to in Feb 2016.  “Creation Discovery Museum” was founded by Tom DeRosa and Dr.D. James Kennedy.

In eastern Montana right off interstate 94 in the border town of Glendive, there is the “Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum”. Begun by Otis Kline, it has the appearance of a state funded, state of the art earth history museum and is well worth the small entrance fee.   As you start reading the signs and talking to the volunteer guides you will soon know it is teaching the truth of creation, fall and flood.  Focusing on dinosaurs, they offer day-trip fossil digs into the badland hills of Montana. www.creationtruth.org

Just a 2 hour drive southeast of Glendive in the small town of Lemmon, SD there is a jewel of a city park all constructed of petrified wood and the “Grand River Museum” which features dinosaur fossils from the area all interpreted from a creation/flood perspective.  They too sometimes offer week long fossil camps and dinosaur digs.

If traveling is not your thing, we will bring the museum to you.  We have a miniature ark complete with hand sculptured animals, petrified wood, dinosaur bones, models of Mt St Helens, and much more.  For the upcoming year we be concentrating on sharing throughout Michigan, but will also be in WV, NC, GA and FL.

This is just the handful our family has personally visited, but more can be found at a new website, visitcreation.com.  But there needs to be even more.  Even a small nature center or creation room can be used by God to open the eyes of the blind and point people to the Creator and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Our family would love to come and spend a week or two painting murals, making dioramas, displaying fossils… As we have traveled our fossil collection has multiplied, coupled with the artistic abilities with which God has blessed our family, we are ready to plant creation centers across America.

It is so important to arm yourself and your family with the facts and, what better way to do so then to enjoy a day learning together at a God centered museum. The God of the Bible is real.  Not only the heavens, but all of nature declares His glory.  If you cannot travel to a museum, you can attend lectures, watch DVDs and read books to strengthen the faith of your family. Organizations like ICR (Institute for Creation Research), AIG (Answers in Genesis), CMI (Creation Ministries International), Creation to Day, and many others offer an abundance of resources which clearly show God’s creative power in nature.

Brian and Carla Estell are cofounders of The Stones’ True Story. They and their six homeschooled children travel across the country, spreading the Gospel and proclaiming the Biblical truth of Creation and the world-wide flood. Learn more about their family and ministry, and where they will be presenting their programs by visiting  www.

stonestruestory.org phone 678-644-0879 or email stonestruestory@gmail.com