May 14, 2015

Last week, the St. Louis Mercy residents had the privilege of visiting the Illinois State Capitol as the guests of Illinois State Senator Kyle McCarter and his wife, Victoria. The McCarters are long-time Mercy supporters, serving on our St. Louis Community Board, volunteering at and hosting events, and offering encouragement to the young women in the Mercy program. For the past six years, the McCarters have graciously extended this special field trip invitation to our Mercy residents, and each visit has proved to be an engaging, first-hand experience with history and politics.

Mercy residents and staff toured what is known as the Old Capitol, a reconstructed historical building from the C ivil War era.They also toured and enjoyed lunch at the Governor’s Mansion. After lunch, the Mercy group gathered in front of the Capitol to pray in observance of National Day of Prayer. From there, they toured Senator McCarter’s office and the State Capitol. They visited the Senate Gallery, where they watched the Senate in session and were even announced as special guests of the McCarters from the Senate floor. The field trip concluded with a visit to Abraham Lincoln’s home.

“The most significant part of the day for me was hearing Senator McCarter share how most people did not believe that he could actually become a Senator, even saying, ‘You can’t do that!’” shared Mercy resident Lindsay. “He believed and trusted that if God wanted him to be Senator, God would promote him to that position. Senator McCarter encouraged me to trust God with the dream He has given me, no matter the opposition I may endure.”

Mercy resident Janna said, “It was a huge blessing to have had the opportunity not only to learn about a piece of our country’s history, but also the importance of persisting through struggles while pressing into God. The McCarters taught me about humility, how to dream big, and how to lean on and trust God through it all!”

Mercy is grateful for the inspiration and support of caring, influential leaders like Senator Kyle and Victoria McCarter.