The Stuff That Dreams are Made of
Blog written by Jenni Ramsey, Director, His Hands His Feet
Sometimes life can be incredibly hard. Other times we encounter unexpected moments of pure joy. Last month our team threw a quinceanera (a traditional fifteenth birthday party for a Latin American girl) for 120 young women living in orphanages throughout El Salvador in partnership with Sus Hijos. We had no idea that this party would be the fairy tale moment that one sweet, young girl had always dreamed of... her reunion with her mom! We never even imagined that such a reunion was possible. But God! Unbeknownst to us, this amazing mother had journeyed far to find her daughter. She had finally been granted custody of her baby girl on the week that our team arrived in El Salvador. Hundreds of people had been planning and preparing for this celebration for almost one year. We had no idea what God had in store! This week I have been in contact with the mom via email. For her protection, I can not share the details of their story. But their reunion is the stuff that dreams are made of.
Our team members were separated into groups at the hotel on the day of the party. Each team had a specific job to do in order to prepare the girls. I was able to take this photo of this precious, young woman after she put on her dress. She was absolutely glowing, still unaware that her deepest longing was about to come true.
Once the girls were dressed, they entered another room where they had their hair and make up done. Our team members prayed over each girl. The joy and anticipation was indescribable! When the party began, one of the young men on our team escorted this sweet girl into the ballroom as her name was announced. To her shock, she was led right into the arms of her mother, who was standing at the end of the dance floor. Words can not describe the emotions that we all experienced as they held one another, drenched in tears of joy. They had been separated when the baby was just 6 months old due to tremendous tragedies and heartbreak. We never would have dreamed that a reunion like this would even have been possible. They are now living together, getting to know one another and rebuilding their lives. Please pray for them in this season of transition. They have been through a lot these past few weeks but are overjoyed to finally be together.
Next week our team will be throwing our seventh quinceanera. There are so many unforgettable moments from each party that will always remain in my heart. But this one, by far, was the most unexpected and the most emotional. I am so grateful to be able to be part of these life changing celebrations! Please pray for our July team. We have 16 volunteers from TX and CA. Pray for the girls that we will be celebrating. They come from very difficult backgrounds. For security reasons, they will not be told about the party until the day of the event. Pray that their hearts will be completely transformed as they understand their beauty, value and worth. We can’t wait to celebrate them. And if you’re wondering why we make so much fuss over quinceaneras, there’s one simple answer. Because they’re worth it!
The cost of the quinceanera next week will be $3,000. If you would like to contribute, please click on "donate" on the top of this page.
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you." - Joel 2:25-26
