“Jubilee”, according to dictionary.com (my only available resource), is a noun that refers to “any season or occasion of rejoicing or festivity”. The book of Leviticus speaks clearly about the “Year of Jubilee”- a period occurring every 50 years in which slaves would be freed, alienated lands would be restored to their original owner, and the land would enjoy a period of rest. When I hear the word “jubilee”, my mind conjures up ideas of unhindered singing, dancing, and joyful praise.
For the last month, the girls of Team Umoja (along with teams Cheetah and Koinonia) have been spending time with the girls at the “Jubilee House”. Hearing the life stories of many of these girls, though, I’m reminded that many of them have not experienced much “jubilee” in their lives. During my first meeting with these girls, I could see it in their faces- bitterness, heaviness, rejection, anger. These are girls whose reality has been loneliness and dejection.
Each of the girls living at “Jubilee House” grew up an orphan, and then was made to leave the orphanage at age 18 (the legal age limit for living in the orphanage). Unfortunately, many of them have physical, mental, or emotional handicaps which have prohibited them from living independently. Because of their handicaps, most of these girls ended up living on the streets for some period of time before being taken in to the refuge that “Jubilee House” provides. Despite the safe place that they live in now, these girls have incurred mental and emotional wounds stemming from a life of feeling unwanted and unwelcome. They have put up walls that make it difficult to connect with them on anything but a superficial level.
Of the 15 to 20 girls that we met with each week at Jubilee, there were a couple that I felt most connected with. One of these was Deneesa- a 26 year old woman with a rough exterior and a “tough girl” attitude. After spending a couple of weeks with Deneesa, I learned her heartbreaking story. Deneesa’s mother was raped at a very young age by her own father- an act unfathomable in and of itself. The result of that rape was pregnancy- with twins- Deneesa and her twin brother. Deneesa’s mother decided to keep her brother, while sending Deneesa to live in the orphanage. To this day, Deneesa feels the heartbreak and rejection of being sent away from her own home. While, from an outsiders perespective, I can see that Deneesa’s mother may have been trying to protect her from the abuse that she had known, all Deneesa can see is rejection- she sees that she was unwanted by her own mother.
Many of the girls at Jubilee have similar stories- they have been disdained and unwanted, often because of physical and mental handicaps beyond their control. All they have ever experienced is the idea that they are somehow unworthy of love, the idea that they must go on living their lives in the shadows. It strikes me that the same God that created such things as sunlight, beauty, springtime, love, and redemption created these beautiful girls. However, they go on unaware of the beauty that is inside of them and that they have been created to live in. It has been stripped away from them after years of abuse and neglect.
After spending a few weeks playing games with the girls and having one-on-one time with them, I finally had a chance to speak to the whole group. I only had this simple thing to tell them: although their experiences may have told them that they are unwanted, the reality is that they are loved beyond what they can fathom. There is no need for them to go on living in emptiness when there is everlasting love awaiting them. I pray that each of these girls steps into the reality of love that is available to them. I pray that they would experience what is meant for them, a time of jubilee. A time in which slaves are freed and alienated lands are returned to their original owners and purposes. I pray over these girls a life of joy and full redemption of the heartaches that they have experienced.
“You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11). May this be the shout that resonates from the voices and hearts at Jubilee House.
Me and my new friend Deneesa
