A Whole New World

As mentioned in previous posts (The Plan, The Magic Touch) one of my goals for Floridays 1993- The Magic Tour was to make sure that the students experienced all that Walt Disney World had to offer, including the food at some wonderful restaurants.  We had meal tickets that allowed them to try an appetizer, entree, dessert and beverage and that also included tax and tip- so there was no need to worry about money.  They could just eat and enjoy!  One of the meals we planned was dinner at EPCOT.  I had the group sign-up ahead of time for the EPCOT restaurant of their choice and I got all the reservations for the same night.  I can't remember for sure all of the different places people ate that night, but I do know that groups dined at Mexico (The San Angel Inn), Italy (Alfredo's), Japan (Yakitori House) and The Living Seas (The Coral Reef).  All of those are very expensive and very wonderful, and I was excited for the kids to experience them and the cultures they represented.  And for the most part, they loved every minute of it.

I do not remember who all was in the group that went to Alfredo's, but I will never forget that Jill Gilbreth was with them (see message #27 on my Guestbook for more details from Jill!).  Alfredo's was (it has changed a lot since then...) a very authentic Italian restaurant, as opposed to say, Olive Garden.  The kids were unsure of many of the items on the menu.  Listening to Jill describe her food later was hilarious.  The salad, she informed us, was made up of leaves someone had gone outside and ripped off of a shrub.  It looked nothing like any salad she had ever seen before.  She also described eating "panarama ham," which we are still unsure about.  Whatever it actually was, she didn't care for it.  Still, as I remember, none of that mattered to the girls because their Italian waiter was hot and the service was great; plus there was a bit of a show with singers and some dancing.  Marilyn and I still refer to mystery meat as "panarama ham" on occasion...

I was with a group that visited the San Angel Inn.  This was a life changing experience for Marilyn and I thanks to a waitress who made a couple of wonderful suggestions.  First, she suggested that we try Queso Fundido, a melted cheese and chorizo sausage mixture on tortillas, as our appetizer.  OH MY GOODNESS!!!  I think almost everyone tried it, and all of us found it amazing.   We still look for it at every Mexican restaurant we eat at- but no one can match the San Angel Inn.  We tried a variety of entrees that were awesome.  After dinner, we again asked for suggestions from the dessert menu, and were told to try the Chocolate Mousse Kahlua Pie.  Again- OH MY GOODNESS!!!  In the years that followed Marilyn and I ate there many times with friends and family, and we never failed to order those two things.  Eventually they took the pie off the menu, and Marilyn and I had to have a word with the manager.  I don't know if it ever came back...

You may wonder why I thought these extravagant meals served any purpose for a youth ministry seeking to help students connect to Jesus.  Again, it was because we were seeking to minister to the WHOLE person, not just some special little spiritual box inside of them.  We wanted them to experience new things, to share new adventures and to create memories with one another as a part of understanding that "every good and perfect gift comes from God..."   I don't know if we succeeded or not, but that was our goal.  And trust me, Chocolate Mousse Kahlua Pie is a good and perfect gift!!!

Speaking of food...remember the leftover chicken from Hoop-de-doo?  Learn its' fate in Friday's edition.

Because of Jesus,