Disclaimer: This blog discusses a very sensitive topic. I want to warn you that this blog may come off as blunt and may not include appropriate content for children. I was blunt on purpose because in comparison to reality, this is nothing.
This is Aida
This is Lorena
This is Jaime
In this area of Panama, there is a 98.5% chance that a girl will be raped by the time she turns 12.
Go back to the beginning of this post and read through that again. Look at Aida, Lorena, and Jaime, then read that statistic.
That is the brokenness of this world.
In the Ngäbe Tribe (the group of indigenous peoples that I have been working with) women are only good for their bodies. Marriage is a concept that exists here, but it has been so manipulated and perversed that it has become far from the norm.
Here, the norm is for girls to be “taken” by older men. Some are sold by their parents for a pack of beer. Some are stolen on their walk home from school.
It’s a curse to be pretty. I have often heard my host say, “Oh no. She’s too pretty,” about a girl we will be working with. There is an understanding here that the prettier you are, the quicker you’ll be snatched up.
You can notice a difference in the girls after they have been assaulted. One day they are spunky, confident, and sassy. The next day they are quiet, reserved, and will slump over. The common story is that they will visit family members, be abused by a cousin or uncle, will tell their families, and then will get completely shut down. Their family members won’t believe them. They refuse to go to the police because they already know that the police won’t do anything about it and it will just make things worse back home.
So what do you do?
You love them. You go counter culture and you tell them that they are worth so much more than their bodies. You read them the story of the woman at the well (John 4), and how despite everything going against her, Jesus used her to spread the Gospel in her village. You let them know that their feelings are valid. That it is okay to feel hurt when you father hits you. That it is wrong for your cousin to touch you. That Jesus values you because of your heart, not because of your body. That despite everything, Jesus still looks at you and sees a clean, wholesome, and LOVED daughter. And maybe it’s their first time hearing that.
You let them teach you their favorite dance to their favorite song. You laugh and dance along with them, no matter how horrible you are. You listen, I mean really listen, and you cry alongside them.
This month I was able to plan and host a women’s Bible study group where we got together to study John 4 and talk about how our worth is rooted in Jesus. There was laughter, snacks, and tears. There were stories told of atrocities happening to these girls. It was an extremely impactful afternoon that I won’t forget for a long time.
It’s so easy to love these girls.
But what about the boys?
If your first response is anger, your feelings would match my initial ones.
At the youth group, how do you play games with guys who you know have sexually harassed their female classmates? Who make crude comments toward you that you don’t understand? When you catch them glancing at your teammates and the girls that you are loving?
How do you love the young boys who are still so innocent, but will likely end up sexually harassing the girl they are currently playing soccer with? They ones they are currently lying next to and sharing a coloring book with?
How do I love someone who I know will cause harm to girls I have absolutely fallen in love with?
How does Jesus love mewhen He knows that I will cause harm to those whom He loves, whether it be with my words or my actions?
Jesus is slowly teaching me that when He sees me, He doesn’t see my faults in the past or my mistakes in the future. He sees my heart for Him. He has already paid the price for all of my sins so those are long gone. Jesus still looks at me and sees a clean, wholesome, and LOVED daughter.
Jesus looks at them and sees a clean, wholesome, and LOVED son.
And one of my main goals was to be a representative of Jesus’ love.
So with these boys, I will continue to love them. I will continue to ask Jesus to give me His eyes and to look at these boys as He does. Precious sons who are lost in a culture that displeases God. They are searching, I can tell. They have a ways to go, so I’ll help them. But I guess I am the same way too.
Through this, the Lord is teaching me that some people are hard to love. I mean, really hard to love. But when I look at them I see their wrongful actions because we are both human. As a follower of Jesus, it’s my job to look at them and see them as my brothers and sisters.
So I will continue to love these boys. And I will continue to love these girls. I will try my best to be an example to them, to show them that it’s okay to say no when boys try to touch you. That it’s okay to be smart and to want to read and do math problems and learn how to code. Being smart and independent is not a characteristic that belongs to a specific gender. Girls can be smart and independent too.
More than anything, I will trust the Holy Spirit to continue moving in these children and changing the culture. These girls are worth SO much more than they have been taught. I am praying every single day that the Lord continues to move here, both in the boys’ and the girls’ hearts. Will you join me in praying for this?
Hey you! Thank you SO much for reading this blog! Would you consider joining me on this mission around the world? There are two main ways I am asking for partnership in this:
1. PRAYER. I firmly believe that prayer is the most powerful way to make change happen. Will you pray for my team and I as we continue on this crazy journey in search of Jesus? That He will provide the funding? And that the Holy Spirit will begin working in those we will encounter while on the Race?
2. FUNDING. This one is 100% up to you. In order to go on the Race, I need to fundraise about $18,100 which is a pretty lofty goal. So any help counts, whether it’s $5 or $500!
It’s biblical that you take care of yourself so if you don’t feel comfortable giving, that is totally fine! I would love for you to still follow along on this journey by some of the methods listed below!
– Subscribe to this blog!
– Follow along on the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hannahsrace/
– Instagram: hannahnn_
