The first girls came to the Pearl House on a Saturday night in July. After church that next day the older girls helped Tina and Rita in the kitchen preparing lunch. That left 3 Americans with 7 Ghanaian girls that speak no English. After several attempts at learning one other's names, we spent a few minutes just staring at one another. It did not take long to realize that we had to figure out something to do. I went to get paper and crayons and set them on the floor. The staring was then transferred to the paper and the crayons.
So I picked up a crayon and drew a rainbow. The girls picked up a crayon and did the same. We continued on like this for a while. For weeks the girls would only color or draw if they were copying Clara or I's artwork. If given a coloring sheet, the whole page would end up one color.
Recently one of the girls brought this piece of artwork to show me. It stopped me in my tracks and brought me to tears. In July this child did not speak English. She did not know how to write her letters. She had never picked up a crayon and colored before. And now it is eight months later. Now she is writing full sentences, expressing gratitude, and creating beautiful artwork all on her own.
Day by day I am in awe as I witness the transformation of 20 beautiful girls as they are nurtured in a safe Christ-centered environment. May God be praised!
