Girls' Group Weekend!

To end our first official term of Girls' Group we had the great privilege of taking our girls to the beach for the weekend. For most of them it was their first time ever to see the ocean even though they only live two hours away from it. Beyond opening up their world, the weekend was a special time for us to deepen our relationship with the girls outside of our normal, more formal structure. There were many good conversations and sharing moments nestled in all of the giddy laughter and high-pitched screams. It was a weekend packed full of first time adventures and bonding experiences. Girls, who before this trip, would not have considered the other a friend, now share inside jokes and countless wonderful memories. And what's even better, there's a whole other handful of girls who want to be a faithful part of Girls' Group when the new session starts up at the end of this month.

All of us getting ready to leave from the Tutoring Center: 6 girls, Erin Janzen, Giannina, Leah and myself.


First sight of the beach


Leah was plugging her ears the screams were so loud!


The house we stayed at had a pool, and I think the girls liked it almost as much as the beach.




After lunch we convinced them the beach really would be as much fun as the pool...


First steps in the ocean; they were not disappointed.


Catalina filled her swimsuit with shells, while repeatedly asking, "No one is going to get mad at me for taking all of these? Will more shells come?" She was baffled, overwhelmed, and so excited all at the same time.




Everyone had a buddy so no one got accidentally swept away by the waves. None of the girls actually know how to swim.




Maria wasn't too sure about the ocean water, but she loved collecting shells and walking along the beach.


Burying Estefani in the sand.


The girls love cooking together. It was a great experience to share in the meal preparation. We were a little worried the girls would miss their typical beans and rice, but they did well with peanut butter and jelly, spaghetti, and pancakes.


Every slumber party needs great pajamas, especially matching ones



Down below the bridge are giant crocodiles, another first for the girls


One last special treat: McDonalds. The girls got just a little excited when they learned about "free refills".



There's so many pictures and stories I could share from the weekend. If you want to see more you can check out the rest here, and if you want to hear more about our time, send me an email. Thank you to everyone for all of your encouraging words, thoughts, and prayers when we first stepped out and started Girls' Group. It has been an incredible blessing to be apart of these girls' lives and to be able see how setting aside a special time for them makes such an impact in their lives. Even though at times it is so challenging, I look forward to being able to continue to walk alongside them and pour into the new girls joining our group.