In March we celebrated Shelby’s Quinceañera, or fifteenth birthday. In the Latino culture the Quinceañera is an important rite of passage, marking the transition from childhood to womanhood. Shelby’s celebration included a church ceremony, where she made a public commitment to follow God and to a life of purity. After this, we had an outdoor dinner reception. Shelby also chose to include the “Tree of Life” ritual in her celebration. This was a special moment for her to present candles to fifteen people that she believes impacted her most during her first fifteen years of life.
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Since the beginning of March visitors have been streaming into Love & Hope to prepare for this special event and we feel blessed by all those who dedicated their time to making this a memorable day for our sweet Shelby. Heartfelt thank yous go to Mandy Sidorski, Brittany Waickman, Nathan Migal, Jason Nehez, Philip Miller, Karen Vana, Anita Pauley, Kathy Sanson, the Reyes family and The Union Church of San Salvador for making this an unforgettable and beautiful occasion.
