We just finished our five ministry days at Dunamis and it feels like the hardest goodbye to have to leave those girls. Even though we were only there for a short period of time, we built such strong connections. While there we took turns between working with the tomato plants in the greenhouse and going inside the house to help with the girls. It’s so hard to think of what some of the girls have been through. There’s one girl who’s only eight years old, which is so sad and scary to think about how the people around her didn’t protect her from human trafficking. If you saw her though you wouldn’t even be able to tell that she’s been through something so hard because she has a smile and a laugh that lights up the entire room. When we first met her she wasn’t shy at all, she was asking all of our names and ages and trying to make us laugh. Even when a few of us worked with the girls to sort tomatoes she was so happy and she was braiding my hair while we worked. When we were first going outside with the girls, they saw my purple hair and all started looking at it and playing with it.
It was really hard though because not all the girls were like her, some of the older girls you could tell how hurt they were by the past and it was harder for them to laugh and open up. However, when we were able to be with the girls we worked with them and were also able to play games with them. When we went outside we played tag and it was so fun running around and seeing the girls laughing and smiling. Then we all went on the trampoline that’s in the field and played popcorn with the girls. It’s amazing that God is able to provide joy in their lives. Our last night we went over to have dinner with the girls and we put on a bunch of different songs to dance to. We did dances like the Macarena and the Chacha Slide and they taught us some new dances. It was just so wonderful to see all the girls having fun. I guess that’s what made it harder to leave. I know though that God is watching out for those girls and will be with them so even though we aren’t there anymore, He’s there to comfort them. It’s sometimes difficult to let God take care of the people you care for when you can’t. I think I’m learning that it’s okay to leave part of my heart there with them, but I also need to understand that God has them in His hands and that He loves them so much more than any of us ever could.
