PROMISE RING CEREMONY
The young people at the Home have completed an eight week course on sexual education. The course was taught by a Christian psychologist. The content of the course focused on how the male and female body works, sexually transmitted diseases, the emotional and physical results of having sex before marriage and of course what God’s Word says about sex.
After the youth completed the eight week course they had a Promise Ring Ceremony. The Ceremony consisted of a semi-formal dinner, signing a Purity Pledge and receiving a promise ring. The youth dressed up in their Sunday best clothes and had dinner at Mike and Diane Fietje’s house.
The room and tables were all decorated elegantly. The youth were all excited about dressing up and going out for dinner. Some were even nervous about what the evening would entail. The dinner consisted of roast chicken, rice and a vegetable salad with cake for dessert. After the dinner the Ceremony started. Mike spoke and high- lighted some key points that the youth learned in the course. Mike read the purity pledge and then the youth came up front when their name was called. They signed the pledge and had someone witness it for them. The youth then read the pledge with their name inserted out loud to everyone. Mike then gave them their promise ring. Once all the youth signed the purity pledge and received their rings we prayed for them and that their decision to stay pure before God and their future spouse would remain strong. The youth who were part of the course were Janeth, Flora, Kenny, Adrian, Pepe, Josue, Yessica, Fiorella, Marlon, Shirley, Karina, Steffany, Gaby and Julio.
Showing off their promise rings
“You’re Leaving?” by Karen Bartels
I have lived in Lima, Peru for a total of about nine years. I was privileged to be there when my parents founded the Lima Children’s Home in 1992, and I have loved welcoming each child into the home. Recently I was taking a walk to a nearby pond with some of the children. As we walked along and I listened to the children tell stories, I realized they did not know some of the stories from the home’s past. They did not know why one of the four palm trees in front of the house looked different than the others. They did not know why our jungle gym was called jungle Joe. They did not know that our food storage shed once sported gorgeous purple flowers growing on the roof. I interrupted their happy chatter and told them some stories. “Did you know my brother Jim and his friend Joe started a tree on fire on Christmas Eve?” I had their attention. “My sister came in screaming and told us to call the fire department, which we did. All the children who were there at the time stared wide-eyed at a blazing tree due to a bottle rocket that had missed its target. It reminded us of Moses and the burning bush. That was the most exciting Christmas Eve we ever had.” “Did you know that our jungle gym is called jungle Joe since the children decided that since Jim didn’t build it and Joe did, it should have Joe’s name!” “Did you know there were beautiful purple flowers on our food shed? But, we learned that rats were making nests in the flowers. So, we tore down the flowers while the children stood around with bats and other objects to kill as many fleeing rats as they could. The children each received a bit of money for every rat they killed.” The children and I continued on our walk enjoying a fine afternoon together exchanging stories and laughter. In the back of my mind I wrestled with sadness as I knew this was one of my last walks with the children. God has led me to leave Peru. I return to the United States with my heart and mind full of love for the children and many special memories. I am so thankful that God has given me the opportunity to know the children. I will miss them and wish I were not another “good-bye” in their lives. However, I find much comfort in the knowledge that God loves the children more deeply than I do and that He has a wonderful plan for their lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment