“Finally,” I had thought as I boarded the plane. I had been awaiting this mission trip for months and the moment had arrived for me to go.
The next day, we took our tour of the Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Florida. It was only about a ten-minute drive from the house my church group and I were staying at, and every second of that ride was filled with so much excitement to see the village.
We pulled into a parking spot, and I leaped out of the van, eager to see what awaited me. I walked into the village, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the pink, candy-coated building. Walking past the butterfly statue in front of the magical building, I headed in.
To the right was a cafe for the families to grab all their meals, and there was a giant, teal mixer—for decoration—that made me smile. On the left door of the main hallway is the room they use for the parties.
Each night is a different party: Halloween, Christmas, Pirates and Princesses, etc. Because it is uncertain if the child who is sick will get to experience these holidays when they happen again, GKTW puts on these parties so every child can participate in the holiday.
We walked through other parts of the village and saw places we would be working at throughout the week, but, by far, my favorite experience was in the Castle of Miracles.
The castle door swung open as we walked across the bridge, bright blue water flowing under us. Rose vines covered the sides as we ventured in, and all across the ceiling were numerous, golden stars. A little bit further into the caste, there was an entrance into a tunnel. What awaited me at the end was the most entrancing and breathtaking spot of the entire village.
As I walk through, I eagerly anticipate just how wonderful they will be. I am awestruck by the beauty. Not only by its appearance but by what it means. To families, staff, volunteers, and the world. As I looked up and around the tower, I took in the sight of thousands and thousands, of beautiful, golden stars filling almost every inch of that tower. Each star represents a make-a-wish child who visited.
I will never be able to fully explain how breathtaking and wonderful it is to see all those stars; it’s something someone has to experience in person to fully capture the beauty.
I had such an astonishing week there; I feel that the work we are doing is making a difference in these families’ trips here. I’m grateful I took a break from my busy, hectic life back at home and took a week to focus on these kids and bring a smile to their faces, no matter what they are going through. They are there to have fun, and fun is what I’ll give them.
Though my trip isn’t over yet, the experiences and moments I’ve had with the others on this trip and with the kids there are enough to last me till next year when I get to go again.
“No matter how your heart is grieving, If you keep on believing, The dream that you wish will come true”
– “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella
