Picture This

Picture this:

13 girls, ranging in ages from 13-17, with blank mirrors, endless amounts of glitter, paint, glue, and gems. Free range to decorate and create whatever is in their heart. Watching this unfold is an incredible sight, seeing them in all of their glory, enjoying being kids and expressing themselves. Now what you don't realize when watching this is that all 13 of these girls have experienced more than most of us can even imagine; victims of sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and violence. These are the types of girls Miracle's Outreach focuses on everyday. 

Today we had the opportunity to work all day with this incredible program with an incredible backstory. They are a shelter for girls under 18 who have been in situations of sexual abuse and trafficking and was founded by Michelle and her husband. He owned a barber shop and started out with one girl, no where to go, staying there at night. This progressed into her and a friend and so on, until they decided they needed to do something. After years of hard work, dedication, and compassion, they now have 5 houses to shelter and nurture these girls. 

Our morning started out at one of these locations with plans to garden at one of the five houses and provide help with whatever needed. We ended up cranking out some plants to spice up the outside of the house, since most of the time there are not hands or funds to accomplish that. We ended up finishing quickly, so we offered to help out with something else. They decided to have us go to another house that is getting prepared to be used soon and spruce up the outside as well! We planted flowers and plants outside to make it feel welcoming to whoever comes through the door. In the midst of our day with Miracle's we had a break and took a trip into downtown Tampa to explore and grab some lunch. 

This evening we did a special program with these 13 girls from Miracle's called the Magic Mirror. It is what I described in the first paragraph, and so much more. This program is done with girls to express their true self, despite what their 'inner critic' (something we all have) might tell them what they can/can't do, what they are/are not. It gives them a chance, no matter what age, race, or background they come from, to express themselves and remember who they truly are. There are no mistakes, no mirror's that are not perfect, and definitely no inner critics. Every time these girls look in the mirror, they can see themselves: every thing they love about themselves, what makes them unique, and special. It is to serve as a constant reminder to stay true to yourself and your true colors. We got to learn about their dreams and hopes that they have, which are similar to any other girls their age. To see these girls get to be fun and silly, acting like they should get to, is just incredible. From an outsiders view, it was just a bunch of young girls, having a great time, sharing laughs and pizza. But once you know who they truly are it is much more beautiful. These girls are survivors, inspirations, and are living proof that no matter what happens, we all have to remember our true selves. It was an experience that we will hold in our hearts and remember forever. We might have given these girls a fun night and important lesson, but I believe they impacted us in more ways then they can ever imagine. 

So much love from FL,

BethAnn