Sweet Dinner 09

So, before we started one of the craziest days of our Honduran lives, Heather and I decided that we were not going to expect any return on our investment. We knew that this sweet dinner was first an expression of our first Love and second an expression of our love for these girls - neither of which required something in return. This is a heart investment...

But, the Lord is so gracious! After the careful thought, planning, and YES even a creatively-spun parody to the tune "all you single ladies" by Beyonce, we were so blessed by the night!

Here are some pictures of the preparations... of which there were many! And, yes, I almost started crying when I randomly found heart-shaped tins at a local grocery (one of my mom's dear traditions!).

We played games ... one of them was a challenge to write a valentine's poem with the words we gave them in an envelope. Then we had a poetry reading:)




Then, the girls took over - or rather their fondness for the microphone - and we had KARAOKE time! It definitely gave me some great ideas for the future!

Then came the (cheaply) candlelit meal of vegetable and beef lasagna, baguettes, and a plush salad. Oh, don't worry mom, we started out with sparkling grape juice and made a little toast:)

Then, toward the end of the night Heather and I performed our adapted version of Beyonce's ridiculous song, single ladies (I would attach the video, but it would take all night to load). We dedicated it to our 10th grade girls and then we had a Bible study where we talked about How Much God Loves Us and How Should We Respond?

After all the Bible study we split up into groups and tried to open things up to let the girls share their hearts. We love them so much... I almost think they are bored of us saying it, but it's so true!

God provided an amazing way to bless the girls while blessing another ministry as well... We gave the girls all earrings that we purchased from our dear friend Macayla, who has recently started a jewelry ministry for the teen girls at the feeding center (see her blog). Because she has only met with them three times, she is still trying to get the right materials she needs. But, in the mean time the girls have done a wonderful job already making many things. So, we decided to buy the jewelry she had, which happened to be pretty close to what we needed, and bless our girls. Isn't God amazing??

PS. I wholeheartedly recommend your own version of a sweet dinner. Make it your tradition to celebrate the Love of Christ - the first and best love!