Encouraging News from Kansas

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As Ray and I drove west through Kansas on our way to Colorado, we veered off our disciplined schedule when we hit Topeka. There seems to be a magnet in our vehicle when we see a state capitol.

Somehow we tend to end up inside.

Kansas is another state with an especially beautiful state capitol. We didn’t give ourselves the luxury of a guided tour because of our tight schedule. Again we wandered around with a self-guided tour brochure in Ray’s hand.

One of my favorite views in many state capitols is the beautiful interior of the dome. The dome in Topeka is spectacular.

With only a short time to tour, we headed to the fourth floor to go inside the galleries of the senate and house legislative chambers. Those are always our must-sees.

As I recall, we took the elevator to the fourth floor, but the view from the top of the stairway was very pretty.

From that height, we could see across to the murals surrounding the dome, . . .

. . . and way down to the floor where we had just stood, looking up.

A sign outside the state library welcomed us in.

Many murals cover the walls of the Kansas statehouse. This is another view of two of the murals at the base of the dome.

Many tell the story of Kansas history. Spanish conquistadors and priests arrived in the 1500s.

American Colonel John C. Fremont explored Kansas territory in the mid-1800s. Here Fremont speaks with Native Americans living there.

Americans hunted buffalo in Kansas.

The horrible conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery Kansans resulted in the tragic situation known to history as Bleeding Kansas, illustrated here with abolitionist John Brown shown larger than life.

After the Civil War, Abilene, Kansas, became the destination for cattle drives that began in Texas.

Kansans prayed for rain and dug for water.

They endured harsh blizzards . . .

. . . and powerful storms.

Kansans sowed seed, . . .

. . . gathered crops, . . .

. . . raised livestock, . . .

. . . and reared families.

As Ray and I wandered around, we walked past the lieutenant governor’s office. An eager young Kansan in the lieutenant governor’s outer office invited us in.

Our unexpected guide couldn’t say enough wonderful things about Kansas Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D., who expects to step into the role of governor soon, assuming that the United States Senate confirms current Kansas Governor Sam Brownback for U.S. Ambassador at Large for Religious Liberty. This past July President Trump nominated Governor Brownback to become ambassador at large for international religious freedom. The U.S. Senate held confirmation hearings for Governor Brownback this week.

Our guide joyfully told us about Dr. Colyer’s work as a medical volunteer. Lieutenant Governor Colyer is part of International Medical Corps, a volunteer organization of doctors and nurses founded in 1984 in response to great humanitarian needs in Afghanistan. Corps members see themselves as first responders. Their motto is “First There, No Matter Where.” In addition to helping in emergencies around the world, they train local residents to be first responders themselves. Since 1984, they have served in 75 countries on six continents. Lieutenant Governor Colyer spends six weeks each year volunteering with the International Medical Corps.

His office contained several items he has collected in Kansas and in his overseas service.

After our tour of the lieutenant governor’s office, this nice young Kansan offered to take us to the governor’s ceremonial office. He also asked us, “Have you been to the prayer room?” Intrigued, we told him that we had not. When we arrived, he peeked in the window of the room and told us that it was being used. We were happier that the room was in use than we would have been to get to see inside. After noticing that the sign outside read “Meditation Room,” I told him that I was glad he said “prayer room,”

“It’s a prayer room,” he assured us.

He then took us to the governor’s ceremonial office.

He snapped photos of each of us, sitting in the governor’s chair.

Once outside the governor’s office, our guide answered a question I had been pondering. I had noticed how very young he seemed. In the hall before we parted, he told us that he is eighteen years old. Curious, I asked for more of his story. He became so interested in politics while taking a high school government course, that he stopped attending school and enrolled in online courses to complete his last semester of high school, began working on a political campaign, and is now taking online college courses, while working at the statehouse. Our visit to the statehouse was during the noon hour. Before supper that night, Ray had received a well-written email from this young Kansan.

When we walked into the wonderful Kansas statehouse, we found more wonderful things than we expected: a young and eager public servant, his story of another public servant who travels around the world to do volunteer surgeries, and the knowledge that people were praying there.

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers,
petitions and thanksgivings,
be made on behalf of all men,
for kings and all who are in authority,
so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life
in all godliness and dignity.
1 Timothy 2:1-2

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