Who doesn’t remember their first sleepover? A sleepless night, endless conversations, a whole bunch of food, and, of course, a good movie. We had our very first girls’ sleepover in Shiyaz this past weekend!

Over 30 girls gathered on Friday evening for a wonderful time of fellowship. We began the night with live worship led by one of our wonderful volunteers. It set the intention for the evening: inviting the presence of the Lord. As the girls trickled in, you could see the excitement all over their faces. They dropped off their things, looked around the decorated church, and went straight to drawing on the wall that was covered in newspaper.

Once everyone arrived, we began making jewelry! God works things out in such amazing ways. Two weeks before the sleepover, we had been shopping at a secondhand store when we saw some bead sets for sale. We weren’t sure how or when we would use them, but we knew we needed to have them. And look, they were perfect for our sleepover! The girls made colorful bracelets, necklaces, and rings that gave us a glimpse of their individual styles.

We also had a supply of nail polish, which gave us time to sit together, talk, and paint each other’s nails. It was a bit of a challenge, though. The church does not have electricity, so we had two battery-operated lights and two phone lights to light up the room. Let’s just say, the painting was done in love, not like a professional! They also got to make some sleeping masks.

Throughout the evening, we had music blasting, and the girls were singing at the top of their lungs. They showed us their dance moves, and there were even a couple of dance-offs. These girls are so talented! They were having so much fun that they did not want to stop. We had to be the bad guys and put the music on hold so they could enjoy dinner.

After some good hot dogs, chips, salad, and snacks, we were ready for a movie. But before we played it, we had the opportunity to share something that was at the heart of the entire sleepover: the girls’ identity in Christ. Our hope was that, through every activity, conversation, and moment of laughter, the girls would experience a glimpse of the love and belonging they have in Him.

The girls heard a powerful testimony about finding our identity in God. They heard about what can happen when we place our identity in men or in the things of this world, and how we can learn to love who God created us to be. We focused our time on Psalm 139:14, reminding the girls that they are fearfully and wonderfully made.

We chose to watch Redeeming Love, a movie the shows God’s pursuing, redeeming love and how He can take brokenness, bring healing, and do more than we could ever think or imagine. The movie was an encouragement, but I think the girls’ favorite part of the night was the talking, messing around, and the pillow fight that followed. They did eventually go to sleep, but they woke up bright and early Saturday morning, ready for more fellowship with each other.

The girls had a very “healthy” breakfast: cakes, cupcakes, and cappuccino bread. Then Zamo led us in a time of prayer and worship. We had the opportunity to pray for each other and give thanks to the Lord for our time together. The girls did not want to leave at all. They helped us clean and lingered as long as they could, but eventually, we all said our goodbyes.

This sleepover was more than just a fun night. It was an opportunity to build deeper relationships, create a space where the girls could feel safe and loved, and remind them that their identity is not found in the things of this world, but in Christ. We believe this was just the kickoff to what God has in store for the future. Our hope is to continue building on these relationships, ministering to the girls, discipling them, and creating more opportunities for them to experience the love of Jesus.

Please pray that the seeds planted in their hearts will remain and grow. Pray for protection from the enemy and the pressures of this world, and that God would place a deep desire in their hearts to know Him more.

Thank you for your prayers and for being a part of what God is doing in Shiyaz!