The Precious Girls…

I really wanted to title this post ‘my precious girls’  - I know they are not mine, I don’t even work with them now and will probably never see them again….but they will never be forgotten by me.

They have impacted my life so much, I feel they are my little children that God gave me (and Beckie) the privilege to work with, to nurture like baby seeds to help them grow into the people God as called them to be.

I hope, even in my short time I have taught these girls something about who they are in Christ, or help them develop their self esteem or image, or with their creativity abilities, or teaching them more about swimming and other sports. Just something – but I believe I have planted seeds – so it is all up to God to water them and let them grow and blossom.

I have loved working with these girls; they are each so precious in their own ways. Each with their own story of brokenness or hardship, which just makes me love them more. They inspire me with how they live and keep going, with so many odds against them from the beginning. They have experienced so much of the world that an average 10 year old should never – but yet at the same time locked up in their somewhere in still their inner child and innocence that comes out when they feel safe and have the opportunity to really just be themselves.

These girls will be mentioned a lot when I speak about my time in Brazil – they are such an important part. They taught me more about life in the slum, and their perspective on life and how to preserve, keep going.  They taught me about me too, my passion for people to know who they are in Christ, to see change and development in people’s lives. To know that showing them unconditional love makes such a difference and I can do that without talking!

With these girls we (I say we as in me and Beckie - but you would have to check with her too but I have certainly experienced all this with the girls) have laughed and cried together, we have learnt new things, we have been tested, we have been loved back by them, we have had fun,  we have had to encourage and I have been encouraged (Thank you Lord for the girls patience with my Portuguese!).  we have been sad when we cannot help them, we have rejoiced with them over their success’.

I could go on and on about my times with the girls…but I will end here, with tears in my eyes of joy and sadness – getting to know and love them and being part of each others lives, and now not being there.

But I will continue to pray for these precious girls, who are so embedded in my heart.