Story Time

Today, like every other day in stitching class, was supposed to start with a story. I really wasn't sure what story to tell though I have been going chronologically through the Book and was on the prophecies of Isaiah. How in the world was I supposed to do that story? Time to brush up on some of the OT.

So all of the girls gathered in the stitching classroom and I asked what I thought was a silly question: "Okay, who wants to tell the story today?"

I didn't think I would get much, if any, response. But it was through the coaxing of the translator that the girls started to tell not just any story, but their stories.

Most of them began like this, "When I was young, I went to school. But after 7th/3rd/5th standard [grade] I stopped going." Many of the girls were then forced to get married. Some to uncles, others to men closely related to the family, and one girl was married at a young 9 months [I repeat months] old. Their stories weaved in and out of first learning how to cook in their new husbands' houses to struggling with the fact that their husband had a mistress. 


But a common thread that ran through them all was a feeling of desperation and feeling unloved by those closest to them. The girls who hadn't married yet were required to stay home and cook or work for their families because noone else was caring for them. Too many times I heard, "my family is not good. Noone in my family is good. They are not caring for me."


Today was a surprise to me. The different girls' stories confirmed a lot of suspicions I had about how much sorrow is in these girls' lives. Since I came to work with these girls, many of them have been too shy to share their family woes with me. Today was a breakthrough day with their trust. They are not only trusting me more, but each other.


I prayed for each girl silently as they shared. Even Cami and I got to join in on the action of sharing our stories and the victory and freedom we have had since truly trustin the Big Man with our troubles. Not a whole lot of stitching was accomplished today, but it's a day that will go down in my books as memorable.