Wow. Where to start with my week at Give Kids the World. God put together the perfect team. Our job was to be joyful and I learned that through being happy it gave them hope. It was the most draining trip emotionally and physically. At first I thought the trip was going to be emotionally draining because of hearing the stories and of what I saw but it wasnt that at all. I feel like I gave all of myself, everything was about the families and the kids. Completley had to take yourself out of the picture. I realized that is what Jesus did for us, He gave His all so we could have joy and have a hope of spending eternity with Him.
The first morning I was nervous and I didnt know what to expect. My job was working in the gingerbread house which is the place where the families eat. I had the job of carrying their trays to the table. Let me tell you they didnt expect it and their faces lit up when you served them. I had the best job, I was able to talk with the families and just get to know them. Many of the kids didnt look sick in fact it was hard to even tell who the sick child was in the family, but then there were many who looked very sick and it was hard but I tried my best to look at them through God's eyes. While serving donuts later on in the morning a mom asked Mckenna and I come over to her table and all she wanted was to tell us the story of her son. Her son was diagnosed with lymphoma disease. The doctors told them that he had two weeks to live and they had the choice of letting him go or try to do an aggressive treatment and had the possibility of dying in the process. They choose the aggressive treatment and it worked, he was healed. It has been a year and a half and he is doing great.
I have many stories and memories I can tell. I could talk for hours on how magical this place is. In one of my previous posts I talked about how we werent allowed to talk about God publicly. I am certain that God's voice was heard this week and it was loud. In the chapel there are journals where families, volunteers and staff could pray and write. I went through both of the journals and read every entry. It was hard to read them but at the same time it was very uplifting. Many parents expressed that they had lost all faith in God when their child became sick but they said that being able to go to Give Kids the World seeing their child happy and being able to relax restored their faith. Give Kids the World Village is God's place. One prayer that touched me was written by a 10 year old girl named Olivia and she wrote how thankful she was for God healing her. She said "thanks to you Jesus Im fine now, im more than fine, Im great. I cant wait to spend eternity with you."
One of my favorite moments was the last night when I was working the big splash bash I meet a 10 year old boy named Brody from Austrailia. Im not sure what his illness was but that didnt matter. All he wanted to do was dance. He grabbed my hands and we started dancing. He even taught me some new dance moves. He had the biggest smile that melted my heart.
Writing this was hard but also easy at the same time. It was hard because I long to be with those kids and the families. It was easy because it was the best week and I feel in love with that place. If its God's will, I hope to return many times there.
"Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." -Nehemiah 9:5b-6
