"You can be proud of your kids. They're living out their faith."
That's the message that always comes back, said Rev. Terry Dittmer as he talked about the National LCMS Youth Gathering, July 24-28 in Orlando, Fla.... read more from LCMS.org
Thank you to our church family!
A big thank you is sent your way for sponsoring our trip to the National Youth Gathering in Orlando, Florida in July. We are planning a special service presentation in the future. Until the presentation however, we wanted you know how grateful we are for your prayers and financial support and would like to share a few of our experiences with you.
Matthew, Dee, Heather, Casey, and Wayne
After arriving in Orlando, our first "eye popping" experience was seeing our hotel for the first time? It was the Marriott World Center, one of the biggest (if not the biggest) hotels in the country! 2,000 rooms in an attached multi-tower complex. Two huge outdoor swimming pools in a beautiful tropical setting complete with waterfalls and and indoor pool. 1,300 rooms were reserved for the LCMS Gathering with over 5,000 of the 35,000 attendees staying in our hotel! That's almost the size of Paola in our hotel! It was an experience.
Our first meal together in Orlando was at the Hard Rock Cafe. Some of us had been to a Hard Rock Cafe before. For others, it was the first time. Matthew's highlight was DESSERT!
We had the extra treat of two free days before the Gathering started to enjoy the sights around Orlando. Our first day took us to the Daytona International Speedway at Daytona Beach. Several of our group are huge NASCAR fans so this stop was a big thrill for them!
A trip to Florida would not be complete without time spent at the beach! It was the first time for several to see the Atlantic Ocean. The weather was beautiful for a day at the beach.
Our free day was also an educational experience. We drove through the Canaveral National Seashore and stopped to see a group of manatees in their natural environment. This was a day truly filled with the miracles of God.
Our first free dayended with more time at the beach and then a dinner and show at Capone's. We all had a great time due to the delicious Italian/American buffet and the humorous musical show.
Our last free day before the Gathering was spent in several locations. Matthew and Wayne headed for Kennedy Space Center with the Kansas District buses while Casey, Heather, and Dee went to Universal Orlando. Later, we reunited and had supper, shopped for our Servant Event Donations, and did some souvenir shopping.
The Gathering theme was BEYOND IMAGINATION based on Ephesians 3:20-21. The first day of the Gathering finally arrives! We go to check out the huge Orange County Convention Center before the first concert and mass event. Kids everywhere! Orange backpacks everywhere! The Teen Club alone was 15,000 square feet of space to meet, hang, and generally take in the lighter side of the Gathering. The Outer Limits was designed to inspire imagination in 550,000 square feet of space. The LCMS Gathering was the largest user of space in the convention center history!
