La Luz Ha Resplandecido (The Light Has Dawned)

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning and Resplandecer has come to a close. All of the decorating and prom dresses has left us saturated in glitter and quite ready for a nap – though it was completely worth it. I can’t help but laugh when I think of the past two weeks, especially Chocolate Night. When we opened the table to the girls, I expected two orderly lines on each side where each girl can carefully and calmly serve herself. Needless to say, I thought I was going to die when 40 girls rushed the table like a stampede, pushing and shoving their way to the elaborate spread of chocolate we had prepared. I was completely surrounded by hungry teenage girls, overly eager to grab the last piece of cake (and to grab 3 more pieces for their mother, friend and second cousin). Fortunately, I escaped with my life but covered in chocolate (attempting to serve hot chocolate during this time was also a foolish idea.) Chocolate Night was the best. J

We threw a pajama party on Thursday and watched Princess Diaries 2 in Spanish. Each girl also got a white t-shirt to decorate on her own, so we each now have a nice keepsake with all of the girls’ signatures. And, we all know that no pajama party is complete without a pillow fight, and oh, did we have a big one.

We decorated and prepared for the ball all day on Friday and Saturday. We woke up early Saturday morning praying for the Lord to stop time – and He did. J Several church members came to help and we finished decorating the church in half the time we had expected. We even had time to go by the pastor’s house for his daughter’s sixth birthday party (where it was absolutely necessary for Joni and I to jump around in the inflatable side. Oh, the trying days of missions!)

The ball was the perfect end to a fantastic two weeks. It was a pleasure to watch all of the girls who have become so dear to us walking in looking and feeling beautiful – many of them so for the first time. We finished reading the book of Esther, talked about Jesus, the source of beauty and how it’s important to be bold about our faith in Christ. Because Christians are in such a minority here, they are exposed to much ridicule, so it is difficult and takes much time for someone to make a public decision to follow Christ. Most of these girls are the only Christ-followers in their families, which only adds to the pressure. Several girls have expressed interest in making public decisions to follow Christ, but it will probably take them much time to step forward and do so. But when they do – it’s genuine.

Still, there have been incredible transformations in many of the girls in the past two weeks. Please pray for Nazarena, a young woman who is currently in this in between stage of whether to make her decision public or not. Please also pray for Sofia, who has come under a deep conviction and is powerfully struggling with a decision to follow Jesus. Also pray for Annie, a beautiful young woman who came the first day under the watchful eye of her boyfriend (who is involved in some rather shady activities here). She has returned every day with a bigger smile on her face and is considering a relationship with Jesus.

Each girl got a door prize and a goodie bag (thanks to everyone for your donations of cd’s, makeup and purses – the girls loved them)! We ended the evening with a shower of confetti and several of the girls stayed afterwards to help us clean up. While we were cleaning, some of the girls began to sing with me:

Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest!

I believe this is the perfect prayer to end our study on Esther, as it is a cry for deliverance and restoration from Jesus, our Messiah. As we have each been called to this royal position of following Jesus for such a time as this, we must also continue to cry for deliverance for those who have been entrusted to us. Rejoice, Uruguay – no longer must you live in darkness, for now a light has dawned. His name is Jesus, and He is the hope of this nation!

“El pueblo que andaba en la oscuridad ha visto una gran luz; sobre los que vivian en densas tinieblas la luz ha resplandecido. Tu has hecho que la nacion crezca, has aumentado su alegria. Y se alegran ellos en tu presencia como cuando recogen la cosecha.”

(Isaiah 9:2-3)