Close your eyes and imagine a circle. Now pick a point as zero on your circle (that is, your starting point) and draw a line from there to the farthest point opposite there, it is 180 degrees of the circle. Using an analogy of the circle to talk about change, 180 degrees indicates the greatest possible change. In other words, to go 180 degrees is to go as far as possible opposite your starting point.
I can use this analogy to sum up month 3 in Nicaragua thus far…
Here is my STARTING POINT on my circle:
I look around and find myself in the midst of darkness…strolling the streets of a major market in Nicaragua looking for innocent girls and women who have been caught in the chains of prostitution, sex trafficking, and sexual abuse.
With a huge lump in my throat, I am immediately overwhelmed and saddened as I look into the eyes of these girls on the streets. I’m not exactly sure what to say or do to these girls who are told on a daily basis that they are worth nothing more than a dollar amount.
I think to myself, “How can I possibly get through to these women that they are worth MORE, that they are worth IT ALL, that they are even worth DYING FOR?”
Hesitantly, I approach a girl and begin to use what little conversational Spanish I know. My intimidation lessens as I remember that ultimately LOVE knows no language barriers. I use gestures such as a hug, kiss on the check, and smiles to show these girls a love they may have never known or seen otherwise. Each girl I encounter receives an invitation to a “Princesa Party” we will be helping to host in a few days.
After handing out numerous invitations throughout the next few days…it’s time for the BIG DAY! The PRINCESSA PARTY! For many of the woman…it is the first day of the rest of their lives. In all, there was a group of 132 people: 84 kids, 48 adults. It was awe-inspiring to see this day come together. The ministry I am working with is called Breaking Chains Ministry and they worked very hard to make this day the complete success that it was.
Now, here is my 180 degree point of my circle indicating just how far these women have come from the day I meet them on the streets…
Only three weeks into the program, it is amazing to see the beautiful transformation occurring in these girls hearts, minds and souls. They are now attending classes Monday-Friday to learn more about God’s healing grace. While the women are in classes, my team and I get to entertain their kids by playing games, reading stories, and loving on them.
As stated in Breaking Chains mission statement, the goal of this ministry is “to give these victims hope through the saving grace of Jesus Christ in safe, loving homes and outpatient programs that provide a holistic solution that includes Christian counseling, training, independent living and work skills, as well as the education necessary to enable them to live productive lives.”
I am witnessing these women walk through the front doors taller and more confident today than they were yesterday. They are truly starting to believe & understand their worth as daughters of Christ.
A few of the women even blessed my team with a SPA DAY complete with manicures, pedicures, and hair cuts/styles all while wearing a SMILE from ear to ear.
It was beautiful to see the pure joy on their faces as they selflessly served US. One of the woman even said these words while washing my teammates feet before her pedicure, “I am washing your feet just like Jesus washed the disciples feet.” Upon hearing those words, tears began to stream down my face and it was at that moment God revealed how this spa day meant just as much to them as it did to my team and I. Maybe just maybe it was the first time their “work” has been genuinely appreciated for more than just what they can give with their bodies. Before, that was all they knew…but this work was different. It was reformed prostitutes using their God-given talents and abilities to emphasize the beauty in each one of us. To say it was humbling is an understatement. It was beautiful in every sense of the word. God brought light into a world they had only known as darkness and He is continuing to work in their hearts each and every day. I was able to experience a tangible definition of A COMPLETE 180.
Now I challenge you to reflect on an aspect of your life that could use a complete 180. What is something you could work on to become a better version of yourself…to become the person God called you to be all along. Remember God meets us wherever we are in life…whether we are just off the streets from prostitution like the girls I am working with this month, or we have hit a brick wall in our Christian walk…He is always there to pick us back up, bringing us to a place where we can begin a COMPLETE 180 degree change from our starting point.
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:16-18
XXX
