Adored.

Adored: to regard with the utmost esteem, love, and respect; honor

Monday we had the opportunity to visit the bars here in Puerto Barrios.  We had spent the morning preparing little goody bags for the girls, praying and worshiping. The little bags contained baby wipes, wafer cookies, candy, and prayerfully thought out notes with words of encouragement and scripture. We prayed over the bags and then left to go visit the girls many have disregarded. We visited five different bars that day and blessed 29 girls with the bags, genuine conversation, and prayer. At the last bar we met this young, beautiful, sweet chica. She had dark wavy hair, her eyes hadn't been hardened by her profession yet, and her face was fresh, unlike other girls we had met she hadn't layered on the make up that morning. She was wearing a black shirt with the word adored on it. I asked, through the help of our translator, if she knew the meaning of the word. Kevin, our translator, told her the word in Spanish, and I was able to explain to her that she was adored by her Heavenly Father. We asked her if she went to church and she said that she used to, but that she didn't go anymore because she wasn't good enough. This broke my heart. I attempted to explain that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No one is perfect. In an effort to redeem herself to us, she said that she hated her job, but that she could not find another one. We prayed over her, right there in the bar, that she would be able to find another job and then we invited her to come to church with us. She didn't have a phone but we got her friend's phone number so that we could remind her and send her directions to the church. She then asked us a question that had been laying heavily on heart, "if someone repents of their sin on their death bed, are the in Heaven?" We told her that we believed that they did and shared with her from Luke the story of the repentant criminal:

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

She had asked the question because her dad had recently passed, and right before He died He had asked forgiveness for his sins. As we shared with her what we believed about her father's salvation, we could see peace come over her. The Lord is so merciful. 

Please be praying for my dear friend Zee. That she would trust in the Lord to provide for her, and that she would be able to find another job. That the Lord will protect her from all sorts of evil. She claims to be a Christian, pray that the Lord would increase her faith in Him. 

Thank you!

 

Sorpresa!

One thing that I have learned over the years in working overseas with different ministries is to be flexible. Plans and schedules change, as the Lord reminded Isaiah, so has He reminded us, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." So it did not come to my surprise that what we thought was going to happen on Friday, actually did not go as planned. The original schedule for Friday was Team Time in the morning, orphanage in the afternoon, and Family Time (team time with the volunteers at Casa Verde) in the evening.

Our Team Time turned into practice time of rehearsing our different skits, and learning dance choreography to kids songs.Which was very necessary because Thursday night we were told that we would be presenting the gospel through dramas and testimonies at our friend, Andrea's, church on Friday night.(Sorpresa number 1) 

Sorpresa number 2 came along when one of the ministry's vans pulled up full of donated clothes. We were asked to separate the clothes into two piles one for children and one for adults. We then stuffed the clothes into black trash bags.  Which we joyfully did for the next 30 minutes or so.

 After lunch we headed to the orphanage where I was told that our contact was not able to confirm with the nuns at the orphanage that we would be coming, and that if we were unable to go to the orphanage we would go to a poor community and give out some of the kids clothes. 

Well, I'm sure that you're not surprised that sorpresa number 3 was that we were not able to go to the orphanage. We drove around for a little while and got out of a van and walked up to a Pastor's home/church. We asked if we could do a program for the neighboring children. They agreed. So we went door to door inviting children and parents to our little program (in our broken Spanish of course).

Sorpresa number 4- Well, we were inviting children to our program, but we hadn't really planned one, or had music for one. So we made it up as we went along. Improvising music and singing songs that we had learned in the order that I could remember any of their names. It was so fun! It seemed like it would have been so stressful, but it wasn't at all. We were then able to surprise (Sorpresa #5) the kids with some clothing! Three girls were just standing around the clothing but they weren't looking for anything. I assumed that they were just shy, and I searched for them. I would find a shirt and then ask them if they wanted it. They seemed thankful. Even though we were all initially disappointed that we weren't able to go to the orphanage it was truly a blessing to love on the children from this neighborhood and not only bless them with songs about the joy of the Lord, but with new clothing as well. 

New Clothes!

 Then, that night while on the way to church, SORPRESA, one of the tires went flat. And when I say flat, I mean, deflated. It was the worst flat tire I have ever seen.

our flat tire :(

As we are piled out of the van one of my team mates, Belle, remarked, "Wow, Satan must really not want us to go to church tonight." I had been so focused on going by a "schedule" that I kinda had forgotten why we were here to begin with. We are here to proclaim the glory of God to the nation of Guatemala, not to mark good deeds off of our Christian-to-do-list. We started praying that whatever happened that night, that God would be glorified. Whether that meant going to church or going back to Casa Verde and having Family Time. Our contacts were able to get in touch with our friend and she arranged for us to get picked up in an (sorpresa)  AIR CONDITIONED bus! We arrived at the church and were absolutely blessed by the people we met. They were so welcoming and loving. Andrea had arranged translators for us which was a very nice sorpresa.

The Lord had one very special sorpresa in store for me. He taught me about my pride. I thought we'd be going to church and do our little presentation and offer them what WE had to give THEM. But that's not at all how it went down. Yes, the team did our drama and it was beautiful and even though I had seen them practice it several times, it moved me to tears when I saw them do it on Sunday night. Yes, Jill did a wonderful job sharing her testimony. Yes, leading them in worship was glorifying to the Lord. But the Lord spoke through Andrea, as she retold the story of Joseph, the dreamer. How the Lord has given us dreams. How we are to trust Him with them and to seek Him. He has given us these dreams for a reason, for His glory. He wants to use us to fulfill His purposes on earth.

After the service we still had one question, "how were we going to get home?" Andrea asked Beverly and her brother to take us home, the same two people who had been translating for us. Not only did they want to take us home but to show us around the city and to take us to the stadium for the ceremonies for Dia de Independencia.While we were driving around town I noticed them- the bars and the ones being prostituted. I could only imagine what was going on inside of Bar Diana and Bar California. It was not a coincidence that Andrea and just spoken about dreams. Seeing those bars reminded me of my own, and how the Lord brought me to Guatemala to prepare me for what He has in store for my future in Thailand. As we drove around it started to rain. A reminder of how God makes everything new. It was decided to not go to the stadium and we headed home.

Runner carrying the touch to the Stadium for ceremony.

In conclusion, the Lord reminded me again, that my ways, or the schedule's ways aren't necessarily always His ways. His ways are always better than mine could ever be. And nothing, could ever or will ever take Him by surprise.

Innocence Restored

While driving to Georgia for training camp a short 2 months ago, my mother asked me, "What do you want to get out of this trip?" My only response was restoration. I wanted to see restoration in my girls and in Thailand. 

One of my favorite songs that we sing during worship is a song called "Zerubbabel"  by Rick Pino. The lyrics are pretty simple, and repetitive, but oh so deep and prophetic. The words, "When I'm with my Daddy, my innocence is restored" are repeated throughout the song. Little did I know just how prophetic that song would be as it would be the theme for the next few nights of bar ministry.

While walking down Bangla I saw a father walking through the street with his two daughters. One of the girls was bawling. I can only assume it was because of what she was seeing on Bangla. It would be very overwhelming and frightening to a young child. It's very loud and there are so many people. Instead of getting angry at her father, I prayed that she would feel her Heavenly Father's arms around her, protecting her.

Then when we walked back to the mall and waited for the other teams to get back, a young girl approached us. She was probably around 7 or 8 and came up to me and put this flower necklace around my neck and kissed my cheeks and then asked for 100 baht. I told her that I couldn't buy her flowers and tried to put them around her neck. She took them back and angrily walked away.  My heart instantly broke for her. She has to work and sell these flowers before she can go home. But the profits do not go to her, they go to either her parents or her owner. As she walked away I heard the Lord whisper to me, " I am going to restore her innocence." Her childhood has been taken away from her, and she is growing up way to fast. All I could do was pray that He would protect her.

The next night that I went out, we went to visit one of my friends. We played jenga and had so much fun. I noticed that several people had written on the jenga pieces. Words like "Beautiful Creation" "Jesus is real" and "Jesus Loves You" as well as various names had been written on the jenga pieces. I knew the Lord was prompting me to write something on a jenga piece. I had no idea what to write until it hit me, "Innocence Restored" so that exactly what I did. I asked my friend if I could write on the jenga piece and she handed me a marker.




The Lord has been so faithful. I have seen Him restore the innocence in my team and He is restoring the innocence of all those on Bangla Road.

Nightmares in Istanbul

I have read and researched human trafficking, I have walked and ministered in red light districts, but nothing has made me more aware of the tragedy more than what I am about to tell you. 

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to have lunch with a very dear friend, who had just gotten back from Europe. She had been traveling all over the EU because of her career. Her first stop was in Istanbul, Turkey. We talked a lot about all of her adventures, especially the very insane ones that occurred in that city. My ears perked up when she began to tell me that her hotel was right next to a BROTHEL. She told me that one night she heard someone screaming. She ran to peek at what was going on. All she saw was a girl wearing an itty bitty tube top and high heels. She called one of her guy friends to help, to do something. They decided to call security at the front desk. Security was very hesitant to get involved, but because of their insistency security came to investigate. All the while, my friend hears this rustling going on in the room next to her. She overhears the conversation security has with the "gentleman" next door. He tells security that he bought the girl from the brothel next door, that she was "BOUGHT and PAID FOR". That when she screamed, he started CHOKING her. What did security do? They dragged her away.

Needless to say, I could not bear to finish my lunch. My heart was broken in so many ways. I can only imagine this girl's story. She was probably trafficked to this brothel. Her life is a living Hell. If she was not abused by the hotel security for causing them "trouble with the Americans" she was most definitely beaten and abused by the brothel owners, for screaming; if not murdered.

So many emotions ran through me, but the strongest one was anger. Who does this western "John" think he is, to buy a person, for his own sick pleasure to abuse as he wants? To choke her for not submitting to him? This was not how people were intended to be.

In Genesis, it says that God created male and female. He created us differently, but equally. Scripture states that a wife is to submit to her husband. This does NOT mean that all women need to submit to all men. I feel like, a lot of times men have this mindset to rule over women, and this has been testified to be true by men in the book "The Johns" which explores "why men who buy sex, do what they do.' Sin and Satan, are at work in distorting God's word in the minds of millions of men all over the world.

The more I encounter the "John's" the more I am drawn to pray for them. My anger at them does no good. They don't know me, they can't feel my anger. However, my God hears my prayers, and He wants to work in these guys. In His timing they will feel my prayers. They will come to know the God who sent His one and only Son so that their sins can be BOUGHT and PAID FOR.

When the men stop buying sex, women will stop being sold for sex. Please join with me and praying for the sex tourists all over the world. That they will be see the depravity of their sins and turn from it. Pray for their REDEMPTION that instead of buying sex they will become abolitionists!

Freedom Will Rain

President's Day 2012, will be a day that I will not soon forget, if ever. It was just an ordinary Monday, at first. I slept in, checked all my emails, ate lunch and then left the house to go do ministry with the WellHouse. I spent the time in the car praying and worshiping, listening to my "ministry" playlist, which are songs that are about freedom and being a light in the darkness. One of my favorite songs is "Freedom Reigns" by Jason Upton. The lyrics are pretty simple:

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom/Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom / If you're tired and you are, there is freedom /If you're tired and you are, there is freedom

Freedom Reigns in this place/ Showers of mercy and grace /Falling on every face /There is freedom

Jesus reigns in this place/ Showers of mercy and grace/ Falling on every face /There is freedom

Freedom Reigns in this place/ Showers of mercy and grace/ Falling on every face/There is freedom

Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom/ Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom /So we lift our eyes to Jesus, there is freedom /So we lift our eyes to Jesus, there is freedom


Simple, but so powerful, so profound, so prophetic. It's one of my favorite songs to sing while on ministry sites, and I found myself singing this song and proclaiming it at the truck stop where we were led to go on Monday. While I was singing, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something that caught my attention. I saw a girl and two guys, in between two trucks, talking to one of the truckers. I asked one of my friends if she would walk with me to talk to them; she grabbed one of the men from our group and off we went. We approached the group and asked if we could pray for them. We prayed for the trucker. One of the guys was trying to sell DVD's and we told him what we were doing and gave him a flyer. He told us he was going to make lots of copies of the flyer and pass it to all the girls he knew. I really want to believe that he will. We offered the other guy a Bible, and he said that he didn't want it; he never touched the Bible. Why? I wondered. I started to talk to the girl and asked her name because I wanted to pray for her. She didn't have a specific request so I told her that I would pray that the Lord would guide her and I told her that she was in His hand. She was all "smiley" and I feel like she was encouraged by our conversation. Encouraged because someone wanted to talk to her, and get to know her, for who she is, and not what she can do. While the ministry group gathered together to pray before leaving, my heart went out to this girl. I don't know her life's circumstances that led to her to this current situation with this boyfriend/pimp. I wish she could see herself, like the Lord does, someone valuable and worth dying for. While we were leaving I had such an urgency in my heart to do something, anything. I got some of the flyers and my friend and I went to the bathroom to see if we could tape them on the walls in the bathroom stalls. There was only one problem - I didn't have any tape. But the Lord provided, there were remnants of tape already on the doors! My prayer was that if only she could break free, and have to go to the bathroom, she could be rescued!

It wasn't until I got in my car to head to accountability that the weight of what I saw hit me; and the tears formed and fell. I have been around the world and have seen pimps, have seen girls in bars and clubs, but I had never really seen the two together. How fallen is man?  How fallen that we would abuse another human being for personal monetary gain?

It wasn't until I got to accountability that I realized how my sin, my lack of obedience affects other people. The past few weeks I had been so busy with work and social events that I had neglected spending quality in the Word, with my Lord. I couldn't help but wonder if only I had spent more time in prayer, and more time in the Word, I would have had a deeper conversation with this young girl. You better believe this realization has spurned me on to be in His Word. I write all this to urge you to be in the Word. To realize that we just read for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of anyone the Lord places in our paths. His Word is good, and in it is the power to transform lives. How can we do that if we aren't consumed in it?