This blog post is actually from a day in September of 2011 and was already posted on our Brazilian blog in Portuguese. I thought it was a beautiful post to translate and share here in our new blog in English as well! This day was a very extraordinary day here at the Lighthouse during 2011. Enjoy the beauty of Princess Day!
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Sunday, September 23, 2011 was a very special day for a group of girls and also for us missionaries here at the Lighthouse Community Center.
Two missionaries from our team, Isaac and Sergio, organized a special weekend for the girls who participate in the volleyball group that they lead. They prepared various activities with the help of Lisa and Vanessa, also missionaries of the Lighthouse Community Center.
During this weekend everything that was done to bless and to minister to the girls, who are between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, except for a little one who is 7 years old (she needed to come along with her two sisters because there was no one to take care of her at home).
I am not even sure how to get in touch with the 40 some people who came here on Sunday to bless this group of girls. There is only one explaination - GOD! The people who were here helping were from different churches that united to bless the people of a poor community with their gifts, resources and time.
They gave us a lesson of love, commitment and effort, as many of them work hard during the week and then they spent their day off here, with us, working hard so that these girls could have an extremely special day. Everyone who participated, thank you very much! You impacted our lives!
We began the day with a delicious breakfast, brought and prepared by the team. Soon after, Joyce, a missionary with L'Abri, (who has spent 15 years serving in a poor community of Curitiba) spoke to the girls, sharing a little of her testimony and how she has made choices in her life. She also showed the girls how they too have choices in life and they can choose to be different. The things that Joyce shared impacted the girls so deeply that the girls were very quiet and listening intently the whole time. One of the girls even began to cry. Her life is not easy, but as Joyce shared, she can make the choice to be different.
After this special time, the girls could not handle waiting anymore. They were ready to begin their Princess Day!
We divided the girls up into different classrooms where they got their hair, make-up, and nails done. In one classroom a mini photography studio was set-up and the girls received new clothes also got their photo taken here. The girls will always be able to look at their photos and remember their special Princess Day.
For lunch we ate tasty pasta dish, made by the team that worked hard in the kitchen, always smiling! And for dessert we had fruit salad.
At the end of the day, one of the girls from the team,
Nickolle, did a presentation of rhythmic gymnastics, which added even more to the special day. As a grand finale the girls received a beauty kit with products for them to continue taking better care of their skin, hair, etc., along with a booklet of tips on how to better take care of themselves.
For us as missionaries, it is so good to know that we do not walk alone, but we have so many good Christians willing to share and work together with us. It is great to see how there are many people, even though they are not called to be in missions full-time, but they do not sit back and do nothing. Instead they are willing to use what is in their hands to bless the Kingdom of God.
After this special time, the girls could not handle waiting anymore. They were ready to begin their Princess Day!
We divided the girls up into different classrooms where they got their hair, make-up, and nails done. In one classroom a mini photography studio was set-up and the girls received new clothes also got their photo taken here. The girls will always be able to look at their photos and remember their special Princess Day.
For lunch we ate tasty pasta dish, made by the team that worked hard in the kitchen, always smiling! And for dessert we had fruit salad.
At the end of the day, one of the girls from the team,
Nickolle, did a presentation of rhythmic gymnastics, which added even more to the special day. As a grand finale the girls received a beauty kit with products for them to continue taking better care of their skin, hair, etc., along with a booklet of tips on how to better take care of themselves.For us as missionaries, it is so good to know that we do not walk alone, but we have so many good Christians willing to share and work together with us. It is great to see how there are many people, even though they are not called to be in missions full-time, but they do not sit back and do nothing. Instead they are willing to use what is in their hands to bless the Kingdom of God.
If you also want to volunteer or get involved with the work of the Lighthouse, please contact us or read here how you can be a part of this work.
Any help is very welcome! And those who came, once again, thank you, on behalf of the entire Lighthouse staff. We are quite certain that the girls will NEVER forget this day because of the very practical way they were reminded that God cares about them.
"Love is the most powerful force there is." Mother Teresa
To see even more photos of this glorious day click here!
