Girls' Sleepover!

It was a warm, balmy, early February morning in Kampala; 19 teenage girls filed into our head office around 7:30 AM to begin their day with praise and worship. We invited our female students to gather as women to learn about feminine health care, what it means for their bodies to be temples of the Holy Spirit, and how to care for one’s spiritual well being. After 45 minutes of musical aroma lifted to the Lord, the girls settled in to hear from Nyiramategeko Brenda, a Hope Alive! alumni and Kevin Tabu, a former Hope Alive! mentor. (Both Brenda and Kevin are women; Kevin is a common name for girls in Uganda.)

To break the ice, the girls were invited to share their likes, dislikes, and fears relationally. Further, they discussed how they relate to their brothers and sisters in Christ and non-believing friends and family. They talked about what type of activities their peers engage in and about the relationships between boyfriends and girlfriends. This fed into a more structured teaching on how to care for the female body, what to be aware of, and how to protect against the pressures between men and women. Brenda, a nurse at a local hospital, shared in detail about the physical changes that come along with adolescence and about reproduction. Questions then led to practical application. In addition to hygiene inquiries, the students asked how one can deny someone trying to lure them into sexual sin, what advice they can give to someone involved in that sin, how they can help them know Christ, and how they should interact with the boys who approach them for affection, claiming they are in love with them. Praise God for their openness to discuss these important matters. 

Kevin gave godly wisdom that addressed how to be responsible as a lady, develop self-esteem, and live for the Lord. She read from Genesis 1 and Jeremiah 29. “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:27-28) “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11) “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.’” (Jeremiah 29:4-6) They discussed God’s design for relationships between men and women and how to honor God in all stages of life. 

Kevin also spoke about the importance of investing in their spiritual well being. The girls discussed how they would apply this in their daily lives. Kevin shared that having a mentor to speak truth into life situations was one way they could aid in their spiritual development. She was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful questions they asked: How does one choose a mentor? What qualities should be considered? What are the indicators of a good mentor?