Gloria Walker has always dreamed of seeing the great pyramids in Giza. It was her hope to one day see these wonders of the ancient world. She often spoke to her family about her dream. She could have gone alone, but her dream included taking her whole family… a costly trip to say the least. Gloria dreamed of leaving Philadelphia and taking an adventure to Egypt.
Sadly, the cost of the trip was not the only thing that kept Gloria from seeing the pyramids. Recently, Gloria was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The cost of treatment, the cost of travel, and the struggles that her cancer caused were enough to make her dream of seeing Egypt seem like something that would never happen.
Gloria’s son, Dustin, was not going to let her dream disappear. Dustin was focused on getting Gloria and the family to Giza. Dustin, a high school history teacher, worked to turn his passion into money. Besides teaching history, Dustin loves Philly Cheesesteaks. He has his own recipe and even bakes his bread from scratch. Dustin and his family began working to sell their sandwiches. Waking each morning at 4 a.m., they would spend every available moment making meals to sell. It would not take long for word to spread about the delicious food and the reason they were working.
Soon, a famous chef in the Philadelphia area, Michael Solomonov, heard about Dustin’s amazing cheesesteaks and his devotion to his mother. Michael used his social media popularity to get the word out. Within a week, Dustin and his family were forced to borrow a food truck with a more substantial kitchen to keep up with demand. It took about six weeks to raise just over $18,000 – more than enough for the trip.
Our lives are marked by our hopes and dreams. We work and sacrifice to see those dreams come true. The truth is, we are not always able to make our dreams come true. We especially struggle when we try on our own. Gloria’s family reminds us that if we want to experience the fulness of life, we must do it together. When we use our strengths and our gifts to help one another, we make it possible for all our lives to find joy and fulfillment.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
