Ellie and Enrique Goolkasian Lugo: Empowering Young Women

Between sex trafficking and teen pregnancies, I feel an urgency to protect every young woman in my path. As with many health problems, there will be more success with prevention than rescue.

So, I responded gladly when our psychologist, Carlos, asked me to talk to the girls at our teen retreat. My husband, Enrique, would talk to the boys about addictions during the same slot of time.

The ladies sat outside in the shade on a gorgeous day. The girls ranged in age from twelve to eighteen plus some grown women who wanted tips on instructing their daughters and granddaughters.

“Many women spend more time picking out their clothes than their husbands!” I began. “Some of you are too young to date, but you’re not too young to learn this: each of you is magnificent! A reflection of God’s beauty, a masterpiece! You will have men who want you, but you have the right to choose the best! It hurts me to see so many young women throw themselves at the first fool who shows them some attention!”

They snuggled up to each other and giggled, knowing exactly what I was talking about.

“Your life is an open book. The decisions you make are the pen you will use to write the story! Make good decisions and you’ll have a good story. Make bad decisions and you’ll have a story you don’t want people to read! Most importantly, you don’t want to harm the heroine!”

I used visual tools and demonstrations to help them discern how a respectful, loving man would act and how a guy who only wants one thing would act.

Then we talked about how following Jesus can really help you in the relationship area. (from sermon by Andy Stanley on YouTube.)

 “Hang out with Jesus and you’ll become more like Him!

We ended with 1 Corinthians 13, the “Love” chapter.

 I challenged them to substitute their boyfriend’s name anywhere in the chapter they found the word “love.”

“For example, I can do it with my husband. ‘Enrique is patient, Enrique is kind…etc.’ If your future boyfriend doesn’t line up with these characteristics of love, that’s a huge red flag! Does he anger easily? Red flag! Is he patient or is he pressuring you to have sex? Red flag! Does he honor you, protect you, believe you? Or is he self-seeking, remembering things you did a year ago and throwing them in your face? This chapter is your boyfriend guide! Use it! But put your own name in there first! You need to give the kind of love you want to receive! How? Let Jesus make you the kind of person the person you’re looking for is looking for!”

Please pray for young people everywhere! It’s a dangerous world to navigate without wisdom! May God protect them and bless them with huge measures of faith, patience, and self-control!

Wow! I sound like a parent!

Written by TAP Partner, Ellie Goolkasian Lugo

https://www.theantiochpartners.org/lugo