I had the idea to do a formal event for the girls in a few of our ministry sites and call it “Princess Night” to communicate identity to our girls.
A princess is the daughter of a monarch. These girls have experienced being the daughters of uninvolved dads, parents who struggle with addiction and abuse, incarceration and more. Collectively, they have experienced abandonment, rejection, betrayal, bullying, sex trafficking, and other ways of being exploited, domestic violence, addiction and incarceration. They certainly do not see themselves as royalty.
I wanted to give them the opportunity to get dressed up and feel beautiful on the outside, but my real ulterior motive was to invite them to be adopted by the King of all Kings because of what Jesus did for them. The theme “Princess Night” had less to do with the dresses and the linen tablecloths, glass plates and tri-tip dinner. Instead, everything about this event was to point to this most important invitation into a Royal family and showing them they are worthy of that no matter where they have come from.
When the girls arrived they walked down a soft red carpet and were formally announced like guests to a royal ball. We had a photo area set up to make sure we got pictures of everyone as they entered. They were fed a delicious meal with tri-tip, rice pilaf, green salad and fruit salad, then we had cake for dessert. Pastor Lorraina came to share her powerful testimony of coming from a similar background as these girls and meeting Jesus. Then we invited them to come for prayer if they wanted it. We had a few girls come for prayer and one decision for Christ that night! We ended the evening with a big hang out and a dance party together. The girls had a great time!
Big thanks to the community that came together for these girls:
- The dresses were a donation from Assistance League’s Dream Dresses. The dress rack was loaned to us by Maria Duran (Pastor Ray Duran’s wife of University Vineyard).
- Jennifer McCord donated the salads and fruit salads.
- Toni Talmage donated the rice pilaf and her time that night to serve and get dinner to everyone.
- My husband Todd cooked all eight tri tip at home.
- City Without Orphans donated a bunch of delicious cakes for our dessert.
- Patient coordinated the use of the red carpet from a local business.
- Brandon Jackson was the photographer.
– Sherri, YFC Staff