Girls’ Day in the Jungle

Week 2 continued; Chuquibambilla.

We were told at Launch that we would be taking a duffle and a half of reusable feminine products to the jungle from an organization called Days For Girls. They provide reusable products, education, and resources for girls in areas where the subject is taboo, considered unclean and the girls are missing school or work every month.

Another side note: I am the Beauty for Ashes Coordinator on my team. 

What does that mean? Beauty for Ashes is the women’s ministry at Adventures in Missions/the World Race and it means the other B4A coordinators and I are given the opportunity to “host retreats” or meetings where we minister to the women in the communities we’re in and lots of incredible growth, healing and God-moments happen at these events.

Well, I knew after our briefing with Belen that I was supposed to take the 2 of these incredible things and find a way to mesh them.

Fast forward to getting to the jungle. The first night of service, as the kids were crowding into the big gazebo where Pablo and Belen have church 3 times a week; I looked around at the girls in the place and so clearly heard the Spirit say “worth.” I knew then that something more important than menstrual education needed to happen for these young women.

Belen was so excited and took the time to explain why this “girls’ only party” was so important to her.

And it completely broke me.

The reality of what the community goes through regarding relationships, marriage, and sex  eye-opening and heartbreaking.

In that moment, I got just a taste of how the Father feels about the injustice, poverty, social and political issues that happen all over the nations. How His heart breaks for the people of the world!!

I felt helpless. “There is no way I can fix years worth of culture norms in one week; let alone one night!!”

God reminded me that He has the power to take what we say and give these girls and use it to change the future of Chuquibambilla for His Kingdom.

These girls needed so much to know that they are loved, valued and cherished by God. The natives of the community are embarrassed by their language, their culture and their traditional attire (called a Cushma; which we all got and wore) and that embarrassment is evident when visitors come.

We had an opportunity to learn part of their language, get Cushmas to wear, and love on them as hard as we could but I am so thankful to be able to pour into the girls as Daughters of the King.

We got pink candy and invited girls ages 8-18 with special invitations that we hand made for each of them (shoutout to Adrianna for helping me make them extra special!), set out the kits sorted by sizes, and ended up with about 13 girls, including Delsey; she’s 20, married, and a mom!

Belen, Sam and I all sat around the table with the girls and explained how beautiful and special it is to be a woman, making it interactive and very intentional. Delsey was a God-send! She was answering the questions without shame, giving us input and making the girls more comfortable with the conversations. We then told them how much God sees them, loves and values them, and how much they mean to Him.

Their faces lit up when I told them about the kits we had! They were so very excited to get to pick out their own kit and learn how to use it!

A few weeks later, a month 11 team (that we overlapped with and love so very much!) had the opportunity to host another girls’ night and had a great turn out with different girls getting a gift that will change their foreseeable futures.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

And He is doing that everyday in Chuquibambilla.