The Feast of Joy in Sweden

On the 5^th of September, 2010, thirteen families of Rugutė tentatively gathered at the International Airport of Vilnius. From here, wearing scarves colored like the Lithuanian flag, all of them were picked up by the special Skyways airplane that soon took off for The Feast of Joy in Sweden.

 

Though most of the participants are first-time flyers, their good mood scatters all the fears away. Our successful take-off is followed by applause. For about an hour and a half we all look down from the sky and wonder how the clouds that are usually above us, can be below us. Soon the friendly pilots invite our curious children into their cockpit to watch them pilot the plane. We are all amazed at the pilots’ ability to know where they are flying when there is no road ahead to follow.

 

As soon as our plane lands at the airport of the Swedish town Kristianstad, we are welcomed by a huge crowd of people, ice cream treats and greetings of Tomas Grabauskas, the First Secretary of the Embassy of Lithuania in the Kingdom of Sweden. We are very happy to be able to embrace our greatly missed friends – the organizer Bengt Nilsson, our loyal buddy Stefan, the policeman Mike and Jonė who loves our children so much...

 

As soon as another airplane arrives from Poland, the whole delegation moves towards the main venue escorted by the police. Children feel really special, knowing that the police of Sweden normally escorts only the King.

 

As we arrive at the venue, the orchestra welcomes us. We climb into carriages pulled by tractors and make a circle around the grounds. We stop at one spot and watch a performance. Children can’t hide their smiles seeing the real fire truck hurry to distinguish the simulated fire. A real ambulance truck, a real police car and even a real helicopter comes to help at the fire scene. Children laugh, watching one of the performance’s characters, the Cow, get soaked by the water stream coming from the fire truck.

 

As we return to the main venue, the organizer Bengt Nilsson welcomes the participants. We all have a snack and then the children start running from one fun spot to another. Having already learned to play volleyball, we go take a look at the ambulance, fire cars and the helicopters, where we all have lots of fun. Children are allowed to sit in each of the vehicles and also receive gifts.

 

A chance to have a ride in a sports car driven by a real racer impresses children and their parents even more. As the motors roar on a special track, each of our little Fighters puts the helmet on and goes for a ride

 

The next fun spot is a concert with lots of singing and dancing. Right after the concert we hurry up to see the motorcyclists. Children and their parents put the helmets on again and make circles around the grounds on their favorite motorcycle.

 

After the ride we go to kick some ball together with football players. The children are happy to know that they can each bring a ball home with autographs on it.

 

As the feast gets closer to the end, the children gather in the spot they have been eyeing up all day – a meadow with lots of balloons tied together. We soon figure out what these balloons are for: the children write their secret wishes on the paper and put them inside the balloons.

 

However, the day spent in the fields of Sweden is nearing its end, and all the participants group together for the closing ceremony and a speech by Mr. Bengt Nilsson. We all receive blessings from the priest. We thank Mr. Bengt Nilsson for the special friendship and tell him that he is like a guardian angel for Rugutė, and give him a hand-made glass angel. This unusual and warm moment brings tears to our eyes…

 

Finally, lots of balloons rise to the sky carrying the children’s wishes. The participants receive various gifts, Stefan promises to visit Lithuania before Christmas, and our little Vikutė kindly shares the candy she brought from Lithuania with the orchestra members…

 

Even though it is very sad to say good-byes, we have to get ready for the airplane that will take the whole Lithuanian team home… Escorted by the police, we manage to reach the airplane in time. We say our last good-byes and, this time, bravely board the plane.

 

The flight home does not take long. We share our impressions of how good it feels to bring a jar of Lithuanian honey and some chocolate to a dearly missed friend, how little it takes to make children smile, and what a wonderful feeling it is to spend such an incredible day together.

 

 

 

 

Photo gallery – The Feast of Joy in Sweden