Sunday, July 19, 2009

An Empty stage

Masha* came back last week. Masha ran away last week. Masha came back last week.

That is how some weeks go. This week is an emotional roller coaster. Every time I promise that if she runs away again, we won't take her back. But we do. She's desperate for help and doesn't know what to do.

Today another girl disappeared. We know where she is. She is with a friend. We spent about half hour at dusk trying to find her, visiting with neighbors of the friend, hoping to find her. She did not want to be found. We'll find her in the morning.

Rebecca G had been in Moldova working with the girls when Masha returned. When I wrote her that Masha had run away, this is what she wrote to me:

"I'm not surprised, but saddened over Masha. What a beautiful,
potential-filled young woman...but a fragmented result of her abuse. I
probably mentioned to you that during art time she painted the past so
graphically, but she could not picture the present or the future. In fact,
her future painting was like a mini-stage with grass on the bottom and a sun
in the corner and nothing on the stage. Like she knew it could/should be
good, but she could not even imagine what life might look like. The fact
that her brain could not fathom present or future, only what she knew that
had been imposed upon her".

This is where most of our girls are at, and this is why our days are filled with so many ups and downs. Most of them can picture the past so vividly, but cannot dream of a bright and beautiful future.

We often hear it said that "you can take the girl from the brothel, but you can't take the brothel from the girl". That is something only Jesus can do. Pray that God will deliver them from the bondage they still live in. Pray that they can see hope for a new future.

Will you please pray for our girls at the Home of Hope? We feel that right now we are in an intense battle for them. We know they are changing, but we need to see them truly be delivered and changed by God.

Please pray that God would take their brokenness and give them a hope for a bright new future. Please pray that they can see that God is making all things new.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Unto You

Rebecca has been teaching a dance to the girls from a song. The chorus is simple, "Unto You be all the glory! Unto You be all the glory! Unto You be all the glory! Unto You be all the glory!" That may seem repetitive, but needs to be the cry of our souls to God.

This morning we arrived at the Home of Hope and were greeted by amazing smiles. Masha* was not smiling, but she got up and hugged me. She stayed in my arms for several minutes.

When we first took her in the home when we opened last fall, she was a girl in need of help. She had been locked in a brothel and abused. Somehow she still had spirit and life, often acting like a small child full of joy.

Today I see a woman totally broken by the abuse of the past months--physical, emotional,and sexual abuse. She sits quietly, unsure of herself, unsure of all that she is, unsure of what the future has to hold.

Please continue to pray for Masha. Pray that God can come in and heal her completely. And pray for safety and distance from the man that held her. He knows where the home is, and we want her to stay safely away from him. She needs an incredible touch from God right now.

In contrast to her, the other girls, who are just baby Christians greeted me with smiles and laughter. They are seeing God at work. They see the answer to their prayers sitting among us. They are full of joy and hope.

So as they begin to dance to the choreographed moves of this song, the chorus rang out to me, "Unto YOU be all the glory!" Oh, our God is so good! His heart is for the broken and although Masha has been away from us, she has never been away from Him. He has heard her cry of pain, and He has come to meet her. Unto Jesus be the glory.

Monday, July 13, 2009

What a day to pray

Some days are just amazing.

I woke up looking forward to what God was going to do today, but a bit afraid of the day ahead. Started with an intense meeting with people who simply need Jesus to intervene in their lives.

Moved on to the Home of Hope. Rebecca, with Rescue Arts, has been here for the past week working with the women there. The first days were such a battle. Rebecca felt such an oppression even within the country, and it was so difficult to work with the girls. The girls didn't want to open up. When she tried to teach them dance, they simply sat down and refused to get up. It was a struggle to get everyone going on anything together. But today in her session the girls opened up in an amazing way, sharing the hurt from the past and the peace of the present.

Went from the Home of Hope to a meeting with an American man studying the issue of trafficking in Moldova. Here I was able to talk about being a faith-based Christian aftercare center, and that we believe fully that Christ is the only one who will bring change to a woman's broken life. As I told him of how many women in our home, saying one girl was not currently in the home, but we keep contact with her (believing she will return), my phone rang, It was this very girl, Masha*.

I immediately responded to Masha's call. She speaks Russian and so it is always difficult to communicate with her. She has my number and usually calls me, and I put Andy on the phone. But he was not with me. Through tears she said, "Doamne [Mrs] Nancy, (then in English) PLEASE HELP ME!" I told her I would call Andy immediately and we'd get to her.

But two hours later we still had not found her, realizing that he boyfriend (pimp) had found her. She'd escaped from the apartment where he keeps her locked and tried a desperate call for help. Before we could get to her, he had found her again and taken her back.

We begin to intercede for Masha. We drove back to the Home of Hope and prayed with the women and staff there. Amazingly, within an hour Masha had made her way to the Home of Hope.

Masha is free from the key that locked her in, but she is far from true freedom. She needs freedom for her soul. Please pray and intercede for her this week. Pray that the chains that hold her in darkness will be broken. Pray that the tie to this man will be broken completely. Pray that God will give us wisdom as we work with her this week.

Pray also for us. The work here has been intense. I feel like today was a day of walking how God wants us to walk. We were fighting for the souls of many and progressing. BUT this is emotionally exhausting. It is exhausting for Andy and me. It is exhausting for Rebecca, and it is exhausting for the staff. Please pray that daily God would renew us with His strength.

Pray also for our last day of Rescue Arts tomorrow. Pray that God would move again on the hearts of the women and that they would see that Christ will be their hope and peace for each new day.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Art Therapy

This week a friend is here to work with the women at the Home of Hope in areas of art therapy. Rebecca works in India with survivors of sexual exploitation and agreed to come to work with our girls for a week.

Today we had the first session, and we felt like it went to well. We see God moving in the lives of the women and that is always exciting.

Will you keep us in prayer this next week as Rebecca ministers to the hurts these women face? Pray that God will bringing healing to their scared lives. Pray that He will take the painful memories of the past and bring peace and healing. Pray that they begin to see who they are in Christ and understand their new identity as a believer.

Pray also for our staff. Three of the staff are doing the sessions also. Pray that they find healing for things they need. Pray that they make themselves open and are honest with themselves and, therefore, God. Pray that God teaches and uses them in this week.

Pray that God uses this time to knit the women and staff together.

Pray also for Rebecca, that God's anointing would be upon her and that she would speak "words of life" to the women as she teaches.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Praising God

I asked for prayer for one of the women the other day who is pregnant and had an infection in her uterus. We prayed and God answered!

Today she went for an ultra-sound, and they see nothing. The tests she's had have come back negative. God has healed. We are rejoicing that once again He is showing himself to her.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Healing needed

One of the women in the home is pregnant. She is 24 weeks pregnant and has an infection in her uterus. She has been on antibiotics for a few weeks but the infection continues to grow and she may need to be hospitalized for a few weeks of antibiotics. Please pray for a complete healing for her. The baby's life is in danger at this point. We are asking God to show himself to her in a miraculous way.

Last week the girls at the Home all went to a Christian camp for the week and all of of the girls accepted the Lord. There is still a lot of discipleship that needs to be done, but we are praising God for the work He is doing in their lives.

Also, Andy's eye is much improved and has not become infected. Thank you for praying for his eye.