A lot has happened during the past few days. Last Thursday we facilitated a game day for the girls at Transitions Global. It was so good to finally have an opportunity to spend time with them and get to know them. I have to admit, it really made me wish that we could have spent more time with them this month. They are absolutely beautiful inside and out. I had to stop myself a couple of times from getting emotional because it just broke my heart to look into their beautiful eyes and think of the horrors they have seen and experienced in their short 14 to 19 year old lives.
It was amazing to watch them during the games. As soon as we started introducing new games they transformed into a group of 12 smiling, giggling, excited little girls. These girls have had their innocence and their childhoods stolen from them, and it was just incredible to see them laugh and play like the children that they are. Some of them would just collapse in fits of laughter and it encouraged our team to know that by simply bringing 3 plastic balls, the rules to some new games, and ourselves, we could touch their hearts in a meaningful way.
The last game that we taught the girls was a trust walk. We set up obstacles in the room and instructed each girl to pair up with a partner. One girl was blindfolded and the other girl, using only her voice, had to lead her partner through the obstacle course. Talk about powerful. Some of the Transitions Global staff came down from the office to watch the game and when we had finished they helped us process with the girls how they were feeling. They were very insightful in the observations they shared and it seemed to impact them in a positive way. Forcing them to trust each other, even in the capacity of a short game, taught them something about themselves and the way that they personally react to situations in which they have to trust someone else.
What a beautiful picture of restoration. Are these girls ready to walk out into the world and be on their own? Not yet. But the beauty is that they have been given the opportunity to heal, to grow, and to learn how to love and how to give back to others. I praise the Lord for restoration in the lives of these girls, and for the opportunity that He has given my team to be a part of equipping them to give to others.
