Mom's Day

Two Saturdays a month are set aside as days for the girls moms, sisters, or aunts to visit. Their moms can come one of the two Saturdays. Some of the girls moms have passed away, some have chosen to cut all communication with their daughters, but the others try to come. I don’t think I had true appreciation for the strength these girls have until I saw the way they interacted with their moms. The girls are all at Ashasthan because their homes and moms situations have put them at high risk to be victims of trafficking and abuse. The girls know this and their moms know this but when they meet for a short time once a month it is to show love and acceptance and not to express disappointment or failure.

The girls are so founded in the truth of God’s words which speak to them about His love for them and their worth in Him. They do not shy away from who they are with their moms but show it even more in these beautiful times of honest joy. They sit and they pray with their moms. They hug their moms. They do everything they can to make it such a happy time.

I have to say that while it gave me such joy to watch the event it also made me long to see my own mom, who I am missing beyond words! It made me so grateful for the gift I have in my two wonderful parents and how much I have to thank God for in who they are. Love you, Mom and Dad!

The moms come with all sorts of little gifts hoping to use the time to soak up all of what it feels like to be mom. I think my favorite thing to watch was Mona with her mom. Her mom had brought little tastes of about 15 different dishes, which she hand fed to Mona the whole time. Even when you could tell Mona was full she kept smiling and eating more and her mom just beamed. The feeding could not even take a pause for a quick photo!



The thing that struck me most was this; I had given each of the girls a journal and small bag of candy as a gift when I got here. Some of the girls had chosen to miss out on the treat and save it for their moms. Watching as they pulled the wrinkled bags out of pockets and handed them to their moms was one of the most sincere things I have ever gotten to watch.

With every new day and every new occasion I am finding more to respect in the character of these girls and how they walk out their lives.


Sony and Naina decided that they wanted to come and be apart of the time even though neither of their moms are still alive. I spent most of the time sitting with them.