Rachel's Modeling Debut

Last Sunday was our 2nd annual Hope 4 women international tea and dress a girl around the world style show at the Arrowhead Country Club in Glendale, AZ.

Women from around the country sent in their most creatively made dresses--they had to submit twin dresses because after our fashion show we entered the dresses into our Buy a Dress--Give a Dress program--the purchaser takes one dress home and its matching dress goes to a little girl in Uganda.

It was a great day! Over 200 guests arrived for high tea and our models were the cutest! We were blessed to have our Mid-India partner, Sheila with us. She spoke and MC'd the style show! My friend Angie MC'd the event and friend Lisa spoke about women sponsorship.

My speech was "Follow Your Dreams". Here is a portion of that speech.

How many of you dreamed of doing great things as a child? Think about the dreams you had—do you have those same dreams today?

We have a lot of young women here today who dream of being doctors, lawyers and princesses. When I was a young girl in rural Iowa I dreamed of being a famous writer and although I had no idea where New York was I dreamed of moving there and becoming a model.

As a writer I'm famous to about five people:)

The model dream? Well. . . unless there is a call for a 57-year-old overweight—never been botoxed or tucked or lifted woman—I think we can set that aside.

The wonderful thing about knowing our Lord is He will give you dreams you could never dream on your own.

(I then talked about the dreams that brought Hope 4 Women & Dress a Girl to where we are today and ended with the following)

What are your dreams? What has God put within your heart? Sometimes the dream may seem crazy—like having a tea party with the Pygmy women from the Congo—but if you ask God to be in it—that tea party can change lives—yours and theirs.

For me--being honored by women who have been pulled from the ashes and kneeling before little girls who never dreamed of owning a new dress. . . well, it’s a far cry from being a famous author or a model in New York. . . but I wouldn’t trade the life God has given me for all the glamour and glory of this world.

Every day I am in awe that God would use me and whenever I receive news of a woman transformed or a little girl receiving her first new dress I fall to my knees and thank God for using me.

Don’t let your dreams be something you do someday. If you don’t act –then you are just dreaming—start today to act upon what God has put in you!"

With that I handed my microphone to Robert and jumped up onto the runway--"strutting" back and forth to claps, whistles and laughter. When the crowd stopped laughing I "modeled" while Robert read:

"Rachel Eggum Cinader--NOT from New York is modeling this ruffled dress--chosen by our granddaughter Jordan--From JC Penny.

Rachel is wearing a black shrug and black leggings to cover her 57-year-old arms and legs.

Candies heeled shoes--black of course--complete the outfit!

Rachel knows that in God's eyes every women and girl is beautiful--just the way you are!"