I hesitate to write this blog. Not because it has been hard for me to write blogs, but because I don’t want readers to read this, and the message they get is this: That is so good what TJ is doing in the lives of those girls.
There are so many things wrong with that statement above, and I hope I succeed in not conveying that message at all. And here are some explanations as to why that statement is completely inaccurate:
1.) God was definitely moving in mine and my teammates’ hearts for that ministry and the girls that were there. It was completely the Lord’s love flowing through me. I say that, because I did not even want to be in El Alto, Bolivia due to the extremely cold temperatures and altitude sickness. I had only been a couple days into the ministry when already I was feeling overwhelmed with no idea how I was going to make it through these next four weeks. But The Lord had other ideas. He completely changed my heart and my mind and my attitude about it. That was a game changer.
And
2.) Those girls at Talita Cumi ministered to me. Their beautiful hearts opened up mine. They are the ones that need to be celebrated as well as Jesus. They have come such a long way, and I am so incredibly proud of them.
Now, let me tell you a little about the ministry I had the privilege of getting to be a part of this month in Bolivia. Me and another team worked with a ministry called Adulam. They helped find people living on the streets of the La Paz/El Alto area, and they offered them a home, a place to stay. There were three houses: a couples’ house, a boys’ house, and a girls’ house.
Me and three other girls from Y squad worked in Talita Cumi, which was the name of the girl’s house. We sanded and varnished lots of doors and helped the girls do chores around the house. But beyond the work assigned, we just hung out with the girls. And that was the most rewarding. We played a lot of Phase 10 or hangmen with them, because of the language barrier. But then we began doing other things like sing (us in English and them in Spanish). Mostly worship songs, but we would throw in some sound of music as well! Eventually, we learned Eres Todopoderoso which is a Spanish worship song that the girls liked to sing. Then we were all able to sing at least one song together. We also played soccer, cooked, laughed, and danced. Yes! Danced! All the girls wanted us to teach them a dance for the talent show, so we did! My heart could not have been happier! Benita and I taught them a dance we had choreographed from a song created by our good friend Danny Bobe. (Remember that CD he graciously gave to all of us at the end of month one in Puerto Rico? Well thank you Danny Bobe! Blog out to you!)
We also treated these precious girls to a spa day. We gave facials and hand massages to them. We painted their nails and braided their hair. And another day, we prepared a coronation for them . We crowned them and prayed for them. The ceremony was a representation of how Christ sees them. He sees them as princesses. Our God is a King, and we are adopted into His kingdom. We are heirs and therefore princesses. As it says in Romans 8: 16-17:
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”
Spa day!
This whole month was spent showering these girls with the love that their Heavenly Father has for them. But in doing that a strong bond was created. One that can’t be broken. Those girls are my sisters, and I love each and every one so deeply. They taught me how to serve one another and serve well. They taught me how to open up and love even if it hurts. They taught me how to be real and honest. They taught me how to not judge someone only by their actions, but to see them as God sees them. And He sees someone special. They taught me how to fight and be strong and overcome despite everything. They are special and beautiful daughters of the Lord.
All of us that worked in the ministry did our absolute best to ask the Lord to fill us up and shower these girls with the love He has for them and to help encourage them. Of course language was a bit of a barrier, but love speaks all languages. When I hugged those girls, I truly felt my arms were not mine, but that they were the Lord’s hugging them and showing them how much He loved them.
We need not speak alike to love alike.
Until the next adventure,
Teej
