If you have not read the introduction to this months theme I would encourage you to do so.  The intro was written by Heidi and it is such an amazing post and a beautiful story to be heard. 

I work for Camp Barnabas specifically as the director of Barnabas Prep. Barnabas Prep is a live-in teaching program for young adults with special needs, and with this there is a lot of work everyday.  Class time, work time and so much social teaching and learning that we as a whole are constantly working on.

In all of this work we are sure to make time for some fun things that not only provide a great time together but also truly celebrate are students abilities and personalities. There are two recent events that we have attended and both give a great example of what some of the real beauties there are to behold in this world.  I will be sharing on both of these events in two separate post because they each have their own story to be told.

Anna receiving her crown… She had not really smiled much due to being nervous until that crown was placed on her head. Then she was glowing for the rest of the evening.

The Missouri Ms. Amazing pageant was an event that myself, the students and staff in my program attended in mid- March in St. Louis MO and it truly stood up to it’s name… it was absolutely amazing.

The Ms. Amazing pageant is a pageant that is specifically for ladies of all ages with special needs and give them the opportunity to experience the excitement of a pageant.   It is a true “Beauty Pageant” in which all of the ladies learn how to walk on stage, they go to interviews with the judges, and then they are escorted onto stage by great guys ( who this year many of the guys not only were very attractive but had hunky European accents… which was a lovely bonus of all of us who were chaperons to all of the ladies).

Sara being escorted by one of the attractive European boys… she was rather taken by him as you can see with the hand holding opposed to the arm holding, many of us were… who could blame the girl really… a good looking guy, all dressed up to escort her and man that accent… I’m just saying… =-)

The difference however about this pageant is the way that all of the girls are not only treated but the lessons they learn. They are treated incredible all day with people pampering them doing makeup and hair.

 One can see as the day goes on that the participants  begin to see in of themselves more and more that they are confident and special women and by the end of the night when they walk across the stage they are truly walking in that new found identity.

They are treated like princess and they learn that they ARE princesses. 

Each girl walks away with a trophy and a crown on their head.

Did we all hear that?…. Each one is crowned and has their moment to shine simply because they were created to do so!  They were created beautiful. 

Carley receiving her crown and trophy.

 Along with the awards they receive and being escorted by guys they get professionals to do their hair and makeup, they get a girl buddy to be with them all day and become their new bestie and then they get to wear fancy evening gowns when they do the stage portion.  In the interviews they are asked about things in their lives that actually matter to them such as; “Do you have a pet, and why do you love your pet?  What is your favorite color?  If you could go anywhere where would it be?”

Each one of our girls were so encouraged not only in feeling beautiful but they were encouraged in the fact that they matter.  This is the element that made this pageant different from all the rest.

This is what not only sets this pageant apart but is what sets the girls apart… that they alone matter because of what is inside of their hearts and those things are the very things that make them beautiful. 

They saw something that all of us who are with them each day and those who love them already know.

They are worth not only knowing but celebrating.  

This is Kelly and Nick and while Nick was supposed to be escorting Kelly as your can see in this photo we had to ask… Who was really escorting who here? hahaha

Our boys also escorted the girls onto the stage and were recognized for their chivalry and value as men.  Often in the world men with special needs are not seen as grown men, they are seen as men with special needs, which can set them apart as not real men.   At this pageant the guys with special needs were seen as men who could valiantly escort lovely ladies onto the stage and help them feel as beautiful as they truly are. 

While this pageant had all of the elements of a typical outward beauty pageant there was so much more.  The beauty of the girls faces and confidences as the day went on was only something that could shine because of something that was happening from within.

These were five of our girls afterwards with their awards. Kelly won runner up in her division and Quinn actually won her entire division which is a really big deal and we are all so proud.

I loved everything about this pageant for so many reason but the main reason was that this pageant not only saw the beauty of the girls physical person as being women but they looked past that in every element of the pageant and every part of it and looked into who each girl was inside.  They looked beyond the beauty on the outside and searched for the beauty on the inside of these lovely ladies. 

Those who began this program saw that all girls have a longing to know that they were created beautifully and in light of that each women desires so much to feel beautiful inside and out.

What we saw as we watched this pageant was that these girls were made by the God of beauty and that it wasn’t enough to simply tell them about their beauty but that it was vitally important to show them and help them believe it as solid truth within all their hearts.  

This is the mission that God has called me and so many others to in this life, helping these truths become real truths to those who may struggle finding them or holding on to them when they do. 

This pageant was a reminder to this mission and to this truth and I am so grateful for it, not that I had forgotten it but simply a reminder of how important of a calling it truly is in this world.