A Dream Come True - March 27, 2015

March 27, 2015

A Dream Come True

For years I have wanted to go to Kennedy Space Center. I was not sure we could go on this trip as it would be very expensive for our family. It is $50 for adults to go. Wow!!! When you multiply that times 10, it gets very expensive. I was kind of bummed as it has been a dream of mine and my family for years go here.

I did not think I was going to be able to go. I did tell Carl that I at least wanted to go to the entrance and take a picture. He surprised me that morning by telling me that we were actually going. It was a very emotional time for me as I had just talked to my mom and she said that my dad was not doing well at all. I was very upset. Last night I had passed a place that I did not think I would ever see again.

When I was 14 I went on a mission trip with Teen Missions International. I went to England and it did not turn out exactly like it was planned. I ended up with two leaders that had some weird doctrines and they ended up being brainwashed. It took me about 4 years to get over the bitterness resulting from the experience. I never saw the leaders again so the forgiveness process was difficult.

Last night while we were driving to the campground I mentioned to Carl that the place where I had boot camp for the mission trip was in Merritt Island, FL. We were in Merritt Island so I was trying to remember where it was. The words were no sooner out of my mouth when we passed their headquarters. I was stunned. I knew that I could see it again but when it actually happened I was thrown for a loop.

The fact that my father was not doing well mixed with the memories of Teen Missions International caused me to be in a very emotional state. That morning I was not in a good mood and when Carl told me that we were going to Kennedy I went off the deep end. I went on the war path with everybody. You figure I would be happy but I was mad at Carl since the decision was made late in the morning and I felt that we would not have enough time to go. We had not prepared the night before so kids were still in pj’s, the camper was a mess, and lunches were not made yet. I was angry that Carl did not make the decision until late.
There was a lot of confessing on my part. I went around and had to humble myself and ask forgiveness from my husband and my children. I almost ruined the entire day. I had to battle with my emotions all day long. It was a rough day.

We arrived at Kennedy and I almost lost it when we went in. I had to work really hard at keeping my emotions under control. Everywhere I looked I saw my father. I was overwhelmed at every turn. We walked through the rocket garden which took you on a journey through the history of space exploration. These were not replicas but actual rockets that were left over from the space race. It was incredible. The kids could actually sit inside the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules.

We headed over to the Atlantis building. The kids were amazed at the rocket boosters that were on display in front of the building. We entered the building and watched the video. As the video ended I was already in tears. As they lifted up the screen and we saw the space shuttle for the first time I was overcome with emotions. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It truly is a modern marvel and evidence of the amazing minds that God has given us. The kids had a great time exploring the Atlantis building. There was even a huge slide the kids could go down.

We then ate lunch and headed over to the shuttle bus to head over to the Saturn building. We had an excellent tour guide. He was so funny and even stopped so we could see alligators in the water. He drove us all through the space center. We got to see the two launch sites where they actually launched the mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and shuttle miss1ions. It was so neat to see the huge crawler that carried the space shuttle to its launch pad. We also got to see the air strip where the shuttle landed.

We ended up at the Saturn building where we were able to see the actual mission control and see the actual Saturn rocket. The kids had a great time seeing all of the cool historical items from the missions. They actually got the touch a moon rock and see gloves and uniforms that were actually worn in space. They even had a manual from Apollo 13. We were running short on time so we did not get to spend as much time as we wanted here. We boarded the bus to return to the visitor’s center.

Our bus driver this time was not as interesting so it was a quiet ride back. We got off the bus and rushed over to get in line at the IMAX theatre to see the last showing of the day. It was okay but I wish we had spent more time in the other building. The movie was really about the future of space travel. The movie was over after the center closed but the gift shops stayed open an hour afterwards. I spent a lot of time choosing what to get my dad. It again was an emotional time for me. I finally picked out a t shirt, magnet, and bag for him. The center was closed but I took my time leaving taking a last few pictures. I cried as we left hoping and praying that one day my dad can come in person. It was a great day but one with lots of tears.

My dad is a great man and it pains me to see him suffer in pain. There are things that he wishes he could do but he cannot. He is a strong man who raised his kids to love the Lord and made sure we understood that our faith is our own and not based on what he does. My mom and dad made us three girls who we are. They loved us but loved the Lord so much more. They have been an example of how to have strong faith in the Lord despite difficult circumstances. I love you Dad and I am still praying that we can get to Kennedy one day – together. I’ll push your wheelchair.