On Monday, after ministry, the women of gap T came home to a heart-warming surprise. At 1:30 that afternoon the Band of Brothers (aka what the 8 men on our squad call themselves) decided that they wanted to actively reciprocate the love and kindness that some of the girls had shown them.
So, when my team got back to the base we were greeted by the well-dressed men. They told us we had to dress up for dinner and were absolutely not allowed to go into the dinning room (lol they even draped their hammocks over the windows so we couldn’t peak in). So we all put on our nicest clothes, took turns using the straightener, and broke open our make-up bags for the first time since landing in Guatemala.
We lined up in our teams outside the mysterious doors (mine was last because Camille wanted the “last rose” lol). When we finally got inside, the giant room was illuminated by lamps, our boring tables were covered in fresh flowers, and a handwritten note address to a specific woman sat before each seat. The men of our squad welcomed us into the room with smiles and had each of us sit before a bucket of water. They then washed our feet (shout out to Ethan for doing mine). We then took our places at our table and the men came around and served us a spaghetti dinner.
The majority of my team was in tears. Partially, because of the joy we felt from the kindness of the men, but also in sadness. Sadness, that this was exactly how God wanted women to be treated, but rarely were. Our society does not treat women like the treasures they are. God made us to be loved and valued. Society teaches men that women are sex-symbols, and made to only serve their needs. And for a lot of us women, that’s exactly how the boys in our lives have viewed us. Whether that be through unhealthy relationships or cat-calls on the street, we have all experienced the hurt that comes from the treatment of boys who buy into this view.
That night was a reminder of the truth. It was a moment of redemption for the way we see men and the way we should be treated by men. Because of that night, I now have a clear depiction of what Godly men look like and what its like to be loved by them. I am so thankful for the kindness and love that my brothers treat me with, and of course the swing dancing lessons I got after dinner.
