You were made to shine!

I challenge you to find any female on the planet regardless of age, culture or economic status who doesn’t long to be beautiful.  I’ve watched it up front and personal from the beaches of Haiti to the mountains of El Salvador to the basin of the Amazon jungle, girls just want to be pretty!  We were made to shine and nothing makes us feel more like a princess than being all dolled up, primped and pampered to the tilt.

One might ask why we have over a hundred formal dresses safely stored at the Hope House.  Or why a team of women armed with hairspray, bobby pins, nail polish, glittery jewelry and high heels would travel from Northern Kentucky all the way to Sucúa, Ecuador.  I will tell you why, because forty-one young girls were meant to shine, and shine they did!

It was a week of haircuts, manicures, pedicures, and facials.  Seven women along with the Hope House staff and the Jungle Missionary Team worked tirelessly to give these precious daughters of the Lord an evening to remember.   

All the preparations led to one grand event, a formal ball.  Each girl, dressed in a formal gown of her choosing, with hair and make-up professionally done was announced and escorted in by one of our JMT guys.  Cameras were flashing left and right as each princess entered.  The entire event was MC’d by none other than our very own founding Lady, Leah Marbut. 

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*Blog post was written by Tammy Ogden.  Tammy and her husband John have been missionaries in Sucúa, Ecuador with the JMT (Jungle Missionary Team) since the fall of 2017.  Tammy serves as the on-site Nurse for the Ecuador Hope House.  You can sign up for their weekly updates Here 

It's the little things

I cannot remember the last time I saw such amazing, huge, out of this world smiles on these girls faces, all because of some.... pillows.

Yes, pillows!  You know what they are, those comfy, white, incredibly soft things you lay your precious little head on at night!  Something most of us take for granted, something most of us have never gone a night without.  If we need a new one we just run down to the corner superstore and pick one up, that simple!

But have you ever gone on a trip and struggled against that not so comfy pillow on that not so comfy bed in that not so comfy hotel room?  yeah, me too!

Last week we had an amazing group of ladies that came down for a great week of fun with the girls, food, candy, and all sorts of treats, as they were making up the beds with new sheets they brought for each one of the 42 girls, they felt led to purchase brand new pillows for each girl!
Pillows aren't the easiest thing in the world to get in the jungle, we had to go to the capital city, search in several stores and after a few days, we had all 42!

Today we brought them all in and I wish I could have captured up close expressions, it was amazing and so much fun watching them put them into their new pillowcases, hug them and throw them up in the air, PURE EXCITEMENT.

It's the little things!

Tonight when the girls lay their heads on their new pillows, I know they will think of the blessing in their lives, the gift of a home, a safe place, a loving family of people who care about the little things.  But as I lay my head on my pillow tonight, I will think of one thing, the amazing opportunity I have to be part of their life!

There are 42 amazing, beautiful, talented girls in the Ecuador Hope House, they are girls just like any other girl, like our daughters, sisters, and granddaughters.

Each one has a story, each one has a heart and each one has a future because of the gift of hope!

Want to be part of something big?  Give the gift that keeps on giving, GIVE HOPE!

CLICK TO GIVE HOPE NOW!

Thank you, ladies of Christ Chapel - Erlanger, KY for investing in these girls, putting a pillow under their head and putting a smile on their face!

-Leah

Visit our newly updated website for more info

www.ecuadorhopehouse.com

Leah Ash Marbut is the Director and founder of Ecuador Hope House
www.junglemissionary.com