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Star Power (Thursday)

by Karyn Ross


One of the highlights of our trip has been our Reach for the Stars celebration on Thursday. We gathered along with members of the community, ninety guests in total, to celebrate our Avodah members and their guests. Avodah is a group of young adults with special abilities.  

We spent the days prior to the event practicing songs, trying on their formal clothes and walking the red carpet. On the day of the big event it was all hands on deck, with volunteers and the members themselves all pitching in to help move furniture, decorate the hall, set up tables, media equipment etc. We transformed a simple room with wooden tables and chairs into an enchanted fairy land! 





There was a velvet couch with sparkling lights and silver balloons as a backdrop for pictures. There were beautiful centerpieces and table settings and the entryway was flanked with the members’ pictures dressed in their new clothes. There were hundreds of sparkling silver stars and white fairy lights. Then there were the members themselves…they were the stars! They were all dressed in black and white with some pops of blue sprinkled in to represent the stars in the sky. 



The ladies had their nails done, makeup applied and silver glitter stars on their cheeks. The boys were dressed representing the same theme complete with spray cologne. To watch their faces as we showed them the finished results was nothing short of amazing. We told them this is how God sees them everyday! They are beautiful inside and out and this opportunity to celebrate them and their families was an incredible gift. 

We dined, we danced, we laughed and we cried tears of joy. The outpouring of love in that room was heaven on earth! They don’t see division, they aren’t capable of hate, their hearts are pure. It was our greatest joy to experience them shine like stars! I will carry those smiles, hugs and tremendous outpouring of unconditional love 8000 miles across the ocean and on days when I miss them, I will close my eyes, remember and smilešŸ„°

“He numbers the multitudes of stars and calls them each by name.” Psalm 147:4





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