It’s hard to believe that our three-month journey is coming to an end. Time really does seem to be passing so fast. My heart is filled with many different emotions as this chapter starts to close; sadness at how much I will miss this place and these girls, happiness over all the incredible things God did, excitement for the future, appreciation for the life I am so privileged to lead.
These 8 girls have completely captivated my heart. They have each woven their way so deeply into my affections, and I have no idea how I will let them go in just 10 days. I am honored and so grateful that God entrusted them to me for this season. It is one I will cherish for the rest of my life. Being able to play a part in a young person’s life is not something to be taken lightly. God entrusts His children to leadership and that comes with a great responsibility to value them as He does. And let me tell you, EACH and every one of these precious girls is a jewel. Each one of them have taught me something new about God and each one of them reflects a beautiful facet of His heart. I couldn’t be more blessed or honored to be their leader.
Leading isn’t always easy or fun. Sometimes you have to be the “mom”, which my girls call me “Mama Tiff” most of the time. You are reminding them to do their chores, turn out the lights, be nice to each other and show up where they are supposed to be. Sometimes you have to be the one to have the hard conversations and confront issues. You have to give up on the illusion that they will always like you and think you’re cool. NOT gonna happen. But nonetheless, leading is an honor and an opportunity to invest in the life of another. And then there are days like last Sunday…a moment I will surely never forget.
About 2 months ago, one of my girls, Sadee, was talking to me about wanting to get baptized. She’s never been baptized before and really wanted to make that outward symbol of the inward work Jesus had done in her life. I was so happy for her and we began discussing what it means to be baptized and whatnot. She then went on to say how she wanted the person that baptized her to be someone who she respected and had a special relationship with. Then she asked ME. ME! My heart immediately filled with humble joy and my eyes were fighting back tears. What an incredible honor! Of course I said yes. Then I told her to pray about it some more and let me know when she was ready to take the plunge.
So last Sunday was the day. The very special day that Sadee and I will remember forever. We made our way out to this river in the jungle – side note: how amazing that she can say she was baptized in the amazon jungle. Anyway, she asked me to pray with her prior to the baptism. We took a walk and I asked her what things she wanted to leave in the water. Baptism is a picture of being buried with Christ and being raised to new life with Christ. It symbolizes one’s union with Christ by the action of the Holy Spirit. This is the new life that was available for her, I explained. We then prayed over her and all the things she was committing to give up to Jesus. As I prayed for her, tears streamed down my face. I have so much love in my heart for this special girl. And that doesn’t even come close to the amount of love her Father has for her. Oh how pleased He was with her!
We finished praying, I wiped my face and into the water we went! While we were in the water, I looked up at the crowd that had come to witness this special day. I then asked Sadee if she confessed that Jesus Christ was the Lord of her life, and with great excitement she said “heck yes”! Then, with the greatest amount of pleasure possible, I baptized her in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! The joy that filled that river was so tangible! My face was glowing with pride. Being able to watch this girl for months and see how God has been changing her and then to be able to play a part in this vital moment of her story! AH! I couldn’t stop smiling for days!
This is only a small picture of what God has been doing down here in the jungle. Jesus is moving in these women and I am more blessed each day by them. There is nowhere else I would rather be than down here being a mom to these beauties. I am so grateful that God chose me. I truly consider it the greatest honor to be able to invest in their lives and this is a season I will never forget.
