Last week I had the incredible opportunity to take 23 teen girls from the slums to camp. For some of the girls, it was the first time they had ever left their homes except for to go to school or work. It was certainly the first time they’d been out in nature and experienced things like campfires! The girls were so grateful that they praised the comfortable beds (which were just simple cots) and camp food and said it was the best food they had ever eaten and at home they’re not able to eat like that. The whole experience was incredibly humbling for me and I kept imagining how different the experience would have been with a group of teens from the U.S.
During the 2 day retreat, the theme was “Discovering your Real Beauty”. We spoke to the girls about how what makes you truly beautiful is what’s on the inside, not on the outside. I talked about the Fruits of the Spirit and how we should all strive to develop them. A coworker gave a great talk on Sex and Sexuality, and most of the girls said it was the first time that anyone had had a conversation with them about it. I also talked about overcoming Guilt & Shame to start our lives with a clean slate. After myself and another volunteer shared our testimonies, many girls came forward to talk about being sexually abused by rickshaw drivers or relatives, and other things in their lives that had weighed heavily on their shoulders.
I truly felt God at work during the camp, as everything went perfectly, despite only having a couple weeks to plan the event. Several girls accepted Christ as their savior for the first time and overall, I think the retreat was one of the best experiences of each of our lives!
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