Give Kids the World

And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them. Mark 10:13-16 NASB

Some friends and I went down to south Orlando one day to volunteer at a remarkable charity known as Give Kids the World. It's almost impossible to describe, but I'll try: a residential amusement park for terminally-ill children. GKTW was founded in 1986 by Henri Landwirth, a concentration camp survivor and hotel entrepreneur who devoted much of his life to helping children, particularly the mentally disabled.

Landwirth saw that many terminally-ill children came to central Florida to visit the resort parks here during their last days. Caring for such kids under the adverse conditions of travel and transportation was a great strain on families, so he built a facility for them. GKTW is a 51-acre facility designed in intricate detail to resemble a child's fantasy world. It has numerous rides and attractions on-site, as well as 92 small houses where families come to spend a week a time for free. They also have free access to the resort parks of the area, such as Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios. As a consequence, GKTW takes much of the hassle and financial strain of such a trip away from families struggling with severe medical problems.

I simply cannot describe the facility adequately. It is breathtaking. Think of The Village from The Prisoner, only without the torture chambers or giant white rubber balls trying to kill you. Or like stepping inside The Wizard of Oz. That is the level of detail given to the visiting child's imagination.

But the people there are even more amazing. There is only a tiny paid staff. The whole operation is essentially run by an army of dedicated volunteers, many of whom have been there for years. Some, for a decade or more. They have a love for the children that surpasses understanding, and one worthy of Christ.

Jeff, for example, works in the cafeteria. He is a sailor and works only a few ships a year, saving his money so that he can spend half of the year working at GKTW. Jeff is typical of the dedication of these people.

So if you're ever in Orlando, take a day off from the crowds at Disney and spend some time volunteering at Give Kids the World. You'll be richly blessed, and a blessing to others.