GIVE KIDS THE WORLD After SLU on Thursday, I got to go with a youth group to the Missions Section of SLU 101. SLU brings multiple groups to the Give Kids the World Village in FL. Kids with terminal illnesses can come with their families to the Village for 7 days. All expenses are paid while at the Give Kids the World experience. During the day, families can go to any park in FL and then they come home to the Village to free meals, carousel rides and parties!
Each Thursday is Christmas. These families aren't sure they'll all be together by next Christmas, so Santa comes to give gifts, take photos, and of course... there's a parade. Our group got to dress up in Christmas parade costumes, parade around the Village with Christmas music following us. Jodi (the youth minister's wife) and I got to wear Christmas aprons- the least involved costume of them all (!) and hand out warm cookies and FL lemonade.
I got to meet an awesome family during the meet-and-greet part of the Christmas party. April was the mom and Jaden was the Give Kids the World guest! Jaden is battling cancer. I got to ask April what I could pray for them about; she was intrigued why anyone would pray for them. She was excited to talk; she wanted prayer for Jaden to be free of cancer and for her family to get out of addiction. Her other 4 kids and her steady boyfriend were all with her this week. She expressed the fact that she was anxious and dreading leaving and going home- back to reality, back to hospitals. I told her I'd pray for her, and said my goodbyes. Later that night, she found me again, asked if we could take a picture together and wanted to talk a bit more. It was neat to watch her be open to me. Each time I passed them during the party, Jaden would call out my name and point me out to his mom! As God would have it, April, Jaden and their family were on my Southwest flight this morning. I got to talk to them more and loved getting to know their sweet family. I'm praying for Jaden's healing, April's strength and stability for her kids, for a father to come into these kids' lives and love them like our heavenly father, and for God's love to surround this family. Most importantly, I've asked God to give them a huge encounter with Him. I want them to know Christ, His resurrection and His power!
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