Princesses

I'm reading this book called "When Helping Hurts". The author talks about poverty and how it effects our world view and view of self.

After Aristides died Adams, Arelis and I were talking about what the people in Hato del Yaque need to change their lives. One of the things they said, which surprised me, is that people need to change how they view themselves. That they have a low self-esteem which prevents them believing that God has a better life for them.

This book I'm reading has excersices at the end of every chapter. In one of the excercises it asked that I write key words that come to mind when I think of poverty. Some of the words I wrote were...

Dark-optionless-unknowing-scarce-inventive-hopeful-hopeless-scary

Then it shared some of the answers that thousands of people living in poverty across the globe.

Some of their key words were...

garbage-ashamed-depressed-low self esteem-inferior-powerless-never-destiny-always.

I was surprised to note that while my words weren't positive, theirs seemed grim and boxed in.

Last september I started working with girls ages 10-14. For the first three months all we talked about was how they were God's princesses if they chose to recieve his salvation and with that comes destiny and responsibility. We call it "the princess project"

Last week we started reading the book "The battle of every young woman"

A large percentage of girls in Hato del Yaque are pregnant before the age of fifteen. The father of the baby are often much older and sooner or later move on. At 25 it is likely that they will have several children with different Fathers. They will be without work, without education and without the maturity to raise the children they have.

It is a cycle that will never end. Unless... unless these girls realize that they are worth more than a passing fling. That if they stay in school and work hard their dreams really can come true. That they are an important part of society. And that each one of them is the apple of God's eye regardless of what the world says of them.

So, we started reading "the battle of every young woman". The cover discribes it as "Guarding your mind, heart, and body in a sex saturated world"

So before getting started we talked about our dreams that God has placed on our hearts. We talked about how God has a purpose for each of us. These dreams are worth the fight. Each girl is worth the fight.

Some of them want to be good mothers. Some teachers and doctors and lawyers.

One girl said that her goal was to be sexy. I thought "Oh my! we have our work cut out for us" and its true.

But like Arelis says, it will be worth it. Each week there are more girls. I have to keep ordering more books. They are so hungery for a different option than following what society has laid before them.

Each one of these girls is a jewel. Please pray for us. Pray for each girl to step into the beautiful destiny that God has for them and for me and the other leaders to have wisdom and patience.

"You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God." ~Isaiah 62:3

So, I didn't know what the word diadem meant. I looked it up and the definition was simply "crown". Synonyms...coronet, tiara, halo, dignity.

Being a princess means you have dignity and power and responsibility.

May we all learn what that means and live like we are God's crown.

This link is really on the topic of HIV in young girls, but it does a great job of communicating what it is like for young girls in poverty. Please check it out. http://www.girleffect.org/