IMPACT Sentence Snapshots - PRINCESSES

This is Ruby and Jacqueline (sisters). On the 3rd day of VBS (Wednesday), as we walked in to the church at Jesus Carranza and discovered in these beautiful dresses. They were running in circles screaming and laughing. On the previous two days, both girls had been very timid and reserved. Something had drastically changed!

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On Sunday, June 15, I woke up and the reality set in. When we were planning this trip, I realized that it was over Father's Day. My 1st Father's Day. I didn't think it would be a big deal. Yet, as I woke up ON Father's Day, it became a huge deal. I felt like a horrible dad. I missed my little girl. For the first time ever on an IMPACT trip, I wanted to quit and go home.

I did battle during that service. They had a time where they opened the mic for people to come up and gives thanks to God for being a Father or for their Father. As I sat and listened (Rosita translated for us), tears welled up in my eyes. It was awesome to hear of the power and influence of a caring father, and heartbreaking to hear of the damage of an absent father.

At the close, Janelle and I were invited up to introduce our team. I had chickened out during the open mic time, but knew I needed to share with everyone what was going on in me.

It was almost like I was having a conversation with God while everyone watched. I shared of God's faithfulness in giving us our beautiful daughter. I shared how tough it was to be in Mexico on this Father's Day verses at home with her. And, as if in a moment of clarity, I shared that I knew, because of the way God had done such amazing things for Janelle and I, we must continue to serve Him, and that was why we knew we were where we supposed to be that Sunday morning.
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On that Wednesday of VBS, as I looked at Jacqueline and Ruby, something clicked. Through 3 days of loving on these two girls and showing them how precious they are in God's sight, they had decided that they were princesses. It clicked even deeper in me... there are girls everywhere, little babies, children, and teenagers, who need to know what a treasured part of God's Kingdom they are. They need to see that...

15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, ^[i] Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Heirs of God... PRINCESSES.

I want the girls of El Millon, Jesus Carranza, and Riberas to understand that they are the King's kids... PRINCESSES.

I want the preteen, Jr. High, and High School girls of NMC to understand that they are PRINCESSES in His Kingdom.

I want a little girl who's been adopted into the Prenkert family to always know that she's Daddy's little PRINCESS.

Even more, I want her to know that she belongs to the KING OF KINGS, and as his PRINCESS, he's worthy of our time, our devotion, and our honor.

My Heavenly Father is worthy of giving up my Father's Day to have it be His Father's Day!