Hello All!
February and March just flew by! Working as a full-time missionary is an incredibly busy job, but starting a Civil Association (charity) is a whole new ballgame. That's it. I only have the one sports metaphor to go with my title.... But seriously, it's been a job in and of itself to just catch our breath! Let me update everyone:
-School is going great. We are doing a week of Debate, discussing online gaming, and the kiddos are having fun with it. I thankfully have a wonderful guest speaker doing debate, so my responsibilities this week were lessened a bit. Psychology class is having fun discussing methods of therapy, the pros and cons, and the students are asking some excellent questions about Psychological Disorders. They keep me on my toes. Starting next week: Shakespeare! I pour a ton of energy into engaging the students in our poetry and Shakespeare sections, since they enter class those days with a slightly pessimistic outlook on their Old English capabilities (which they totally have). The school year feels like it is almost done, so keeping high energy and staying excited is a bit difficult...for everyone.
- Youth Group is so amazing. We just came back from Missionary Kid camp, and that was a huge success. It was really encouraging to see our guest staff members be so in tune with the mission of that camp. God moved in big ways, and we are seeing the ripple effect of that now at Youth Group. MK Camp was incredibly impactful in my own life as a teen, and watching the new generation of MKs connect, grow, and be completely comfortable (something that is rare with this particular group of kiddos) is a whole new type of impact. I am incredibly grateful for the people that work so hard to make it happen; I know from experience that it is not forgotten.
- And, Women's Project!! I cannot express how blessed I feel to be a part of this ministry. Time and time again I see God's hand and guidance, and time and time again I am in awe. We have grown by leaps and bounds this month. Ever since we rented the place downtown, so many people have reached out to help and support the project. The name we have selected is "Proyecto Girasol." Girasol means sunflower, but a more direct translation is "spinning towards the sun." We love the imagery of that; we want to point these women to the true source of light, the Son. Our paperwork is unfortunately not finalized yet since we had to wait on some international paperwork to come through. That being said, everything else has moved at lightning speed. The "local" itself was completely remodeled. The walls that were falling apart were redone. The roofing that was rotting was replaced. We removed a small and inconveniently placed bathroom stall. We evened out the tile. We got new lighting. The people that worked on the remodel are from my church, and they were so excited to help out. They worked late every night (I mean 3AM late) to get all the work done in February. March was for dedication and decoration. We spent a lot of time writing verses on the walls and praying over the local. Then we painted. It was a bonding experience for the team, and we even had awesome people come help us.
Finally, on Saturday, March 23rd, we opened our doors for the first time. The colorful walls, the yummy sunflower-decorated cookies, the fun decor, everything, was all in place. The girls had so many questions about WHY we were opening a local. They were confused as to why a group of people would open a place just to eat more comfortably with them; to paint their nails; to teach them classes; to be their friends. Some came in for refreshments. Some only made it to the window to talk to us and receive cookies. One lady, a lady we've been inviting to come eat with us for over a year and who has never accepted our invitation, came in! She shared about her kid, her busy life, her name... Maybe we didn't have insane numbers of women rushing our new local, but that one lady...it was so worth it. Another young girl is seven months pregnant. After chatting with us for a while, she mentioned that she's never had a baby shower. So, we're throwing her one in May. Worth it to see her smile. Another woman asked us multiple times why we were trying to befriend her. Her interest in what we want to share with her is worth it. Sharing God's love with women who so often feel unloved is incredibly worth it. Always.
To those of you who have been praying, keep it up! And thank you. We are so excited to start giving classes, making medical care available, and continuing to pursue friendships with women in need. To those of you who have helped us financially, thank you. You helped us open our doors so quickly, and you were honestly the push we needed to start moving more quickly. To those of you who would like to help us from here on out, thank you. You can donate by clicking the "Donate" button at the top of the page. We need supplies, for everything from crafts and nail polish to educational books and medical supplies. You keep our doors open. Let me know if you have any questions, I love talking about this ministry and what God is doing here.
Please enjoy the lovely pictures!
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Gracias and God Bless,
-Ruth