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.