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Dear Friends,
I have been listening to influential voices today tell our girls that they do not have the power to make good decisions. A good example of this confusion is the fact that we are telling girls that it is best to remain abstinent before marriage. Then we are telling them that they will be unable to make this decision, so we are supplying them with birth control. This and other false information is proving to be detrimental, and the philosophy of the day is turning out unfulfilled lives. Our girls are sent mixed messages and pulled in many different directions. In the middle of this confusion, how can they find the truth and make good decisions?
I have worked with youth of all ages for 17 years and been a director of women's ministry for 8 years. I have watched teens make impetuous even destructive decisions and seen the pain that it brings to their futures. I have listened as women pour out their hearts about the effects of decisions made in youth. So many people are living the rest of their lives dealing with the wounds and results of poor thinking and decisions from childhood.
While I have always been a work in progress and Christ is continually teaching me and revealing areas I need to grow, I am one of the few that was actually given the correct tools in life to successfully navigate my teen years. I am forever humbled and thankful to have had parents who gave me an example of Christ-like character and taught me how to think well and make good decisions. That training and start in life has given me an advantage and the ability to deal successfully with anything that life brings.
I am so grateful for my life and for my wonderful husband Greg of 15 years and our 2 children: Chase 9 years old and Ele 2 1/2 years old. Because of their precious lives and futures and my sincere gratitude and devotion to God, I cannot stay silent.
This year our staff is launching a camp called EquipGirl. The purpose of this camp is to give other girls the tools that were given to me and to start passing this on. I want to scream that we have answers and have seen these answers change so many lives.
EquipGirl is a mix of a girls summer camp, a finishing school, and a Christian leadership conference. Our staff will show the girls how their thoughts become their belief system which in turn become who they are. We will teach them how to process information and opportunities correctly, how to make good decisions, how to find authentic self-worth, and how to prepare for life. We will also teach them how to have REAL fun, to build life-long friendships, to appropriately interact with other people, to have confidence to be themselves, and to successfully handle many other specific issues facing youth today.
After camp, it is our intention to keep in contact with camp alumni and be continually available for advice and support to campers. We will also encourage the girls to build lasting and genuine friendships and create a positive "peer pressure."
EquipGirl is a non-denomination camp and our teaching centers on Christ-like character. We are here to support your family and church and leave the denominational differences up to your discretion to teach.
Our staff is professional and experienced and each has a heart to minister. The medical staff is dedicated to teaching the girls how to be healthy and explaining female health issues. We have a team of professionals that will teach the girls how to look their best. They will have color consultations and makeovers, be trained to carry themselves with confidence and poise, learn how to choose clothing that is modest, in good taste, and flattering to body types while staying on trend. The leadership staff at EquipGirl is made up of qualified, experienced Christian women who are personally dedicated to this mission and take the responsibility seriously. They are all sincerely committed to women's ministry.
Most importantly, our mission is to encourage the girls to make the decision to become an "EquipGirl" because no matter how much they know- each girl must make the decision to live it!
Give us this week with your daughter. We truly believe that we can make a positive difference. It is our goal that our staff can support you in preparing her for a great future.
May God bless you and your family.
Sincerely,
Tricia Parker
EquipGirl Founder and Director
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