The girls here at Abba House have just blown me away! Today marks a full 2 weeks here. I would have to say I do feel like part of the family here already. The girls have been very welcoming and even though it’s more difficult to talk with them we have still been able to get to know each other. The language of smiles is ‘same same’! J
The thing that I love most about these girls is how they worship. They know that God hears them. Every time we worship their voices bring tears to my eyes. The first Sunday we were here they sang, ‘I Could Sing of Your Love Forever’ and when the chorus came they were just shouting out these words to God.
“I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever”
To see them worship in this way encourages me. Seeing young girls lifting up words of praise to the King of Kings is so beautiful. The girls range from about age 8-22. Many were at risk to the sex slave industry of Asia. Some are orphaned, daughters of working prostitutes, raped, abandoned or unwanted. Some were at risk to falling into a life of forced prostitution but they are now safely in the care of Abba House. These children have seen what it’s like to be in some of the darkest places in life. They know the feeling of being alone and like no one cares. But now they have hope and life. They have been shown through the love of Jesus that they are worthy and they can be confident in knowing who they are in Christ.
I know I have a lot to learn from them but I hope that we can be here to love on these princesses. They have such great hearts and it’s so precious to see each and every one of them come from a place of brokenness into a place of hope. I feel like they really get it. I am excited to be able to grow with them, do life with them, and praise Jesus with them every day!
These are all pictures from the Agape Home we visted. I thought they captured the girls' joy very well.
The whole group with a bunch of the kids from Agape.
I also have been teaching 6 girls for this past week with my teammate Rachel. Neither of us have done something like this, but it has been a great time so far. For the most part the girls are eager to learn and it’s so great to hear them trying and to see them write down what they are learning. They loved to sing songs and play games. We have been able to teach them declarations in English and help them in declaring who they are and the things they are capable of doing. We also teach them memory verses. Our goal is to just have them get to the point where they are comfortable and confident in speaking English.
We taught them Philippians 4:13 so this is them working on
memorizing it. Grace and Sophia (bottom picture) finished
first in our verse scramble game!
One prayer request I do have is that you would pray for these girls and their health. Some of them have been getting this really bad cough going around. This weekend we are going to a hill tribe in the mountains to experience their lives and to share Jesus with the people of this tribe. All of the girls are coming with us (along with the boys too) so we need them to be healthy. I just ask you to keep their health and ours in your prayers. Pray that we can glorify God this weekend and that we can add to God’s Kingdom through our dramas, sermons, games, laughter, and love. We want to teach them why we sing of His love FOREVER!
Thanks so much for your constant encouragement and love!
Dear God,
Please give the children and workers safety as they travel this weekend also good health. Thank you for giving Becca and the rest of the team this experience. We love you and praise your Holy name.
Amen
Becca,
I agree with you–watching children really hear and feel the love of Jesus and sing praises to him is a great experience.
Love you,
Mrs. McD
Great post, Bekah! I feel like we have a better idea of what you are doing in Thailand. Either way it is evident that you are where God wants you to be this year. Love all the pictures. Miss you terribly!
Love,
Mom
What a great post this is. I love finding out what you are doing with every minute of your day (truly, I do). Do you think the joy these girls have is related to the wonderful weather? No snow, no tornadoes, no hurricanes.
Have fun on your hill tribe visit. There are loads of different tribes, each with its own customs, clothing styles, jewelry, etc. It should be wonderful experience. The traditional clothes are amazingly crafted and sometimes handed down for generations.
I’m so glad we got to Skype with you on Thanksgiving day. Well, at least it was still Thanksgiving in our hemisphere. I know Grandma and Grandpa were thrilled, too. When Shannon was in Indonesia for that year, we either made extremely expensive phone calls or waited weeks for a letter or a photograph. Skype is so much better. Thanks for the tour of your room and the introductions to your roommates. What fun.
Bekah, I have tears in my eyes from reading this. I’m so happy you and your team are loving it so much! I’m proud of you guys and thankful for the way you’re touching the lives of these children. They will never be the same because of you.
Bekah!
Your blog is touching – it is amazing how people coming out of a dark circumstance reflect the light of the Lord so brightly.
We are praying for all of you to be healthy. And we’re praying for the girls you’re tutoring to absorb the language easily.
We are also praying for you to stay encouraged throughout your stay.
In the shell of a nut, we are praying over all you are doing and all of those whose lives you are influencing!
We are so proud of you!!!!!!!!!!!
Psalm 143:8-11
Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.
Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;In You I take shelter.Teach me to do Your will,For You are my God; Your Spirit is good.Lead me in the land of uprightness. Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
Oh – You are just too wonderful. Just trying to picture you so far away and helping by doing the Lord’s work with these folks, strangers to you, gives me the shivers. Please be careful and I will pray for your good health and the the girls’ also. Feel my hugs all the way from here.