Today I sat with Ali* who has had some tough weeks. When she has tough weeks, everyone has tough weeks--staff, residents and her children. She struggles so badly with seeing who she is in Christ. She struggles with seeing the change in her life and believing that God really can renew and remake her.

Please pray specially for her this week. She's a tired, single mom. She is ashamed that her children have to grow up with a single mom, afraid of what they will think of her. There is so much going on within her. Please pray that God will minister His rest to her today.

Please pray also for Leah*. Her baby is not due until the first week of May, but wanting to come now. She is in the hospital on bed rest. Pray that the baby comes at the right time, strong and healthy.

God is making something beautiful of these women.

Fighters and Flighters

One thing we've come to realize with the ministry at the home is that people come into the home with two basic emotional reactions. These are known as fight or flight. Because of all the things that have happened in their lives, they have either learned to cope through fighting or by running away.

The fighters can be mean. They are mean to the staff, mean to other girls, mean to their children. It is tough to see, tough to live with. It effects us personally.

The fighters are easy to deal with--until they run away.

I've decided I'll take a fighter any day. Although she fights and gets angry and jealous, she stays. This allows us to slowly chip away at the rough exterior and get to the heart.

But the flighters are difficult. When the emotions come to a point they can't deal with them, they simply run from us. And then there is no way to help them.

Ginny*, Ina* and Anika* are all filled with flight. Ginny* packed her things and left this week. Ina* left us last fall for good. Anika* left last summer,and now wants to come back, but we have the legal issues worked out first (she is underage).

Please pray that God would show us how to break through early to those that want to run. They live with a lot of shame, fear, and despair. It is easy to recognize those emotions.

Pray that God would show us how to break through these emotions, help them to stay so that they can find a path to healing and freedom.

a Prodigal's Return

Today is International Women's Day, which I'm sure is celebrated in every country in the world except America! We had a great celebration, taking all the women out for pizza and salad. After pizza we went back to the home for ice cream and M&M cookies, which my daughter and I made last evening. (The cookies, not the ice cream).

I received tons of homemade presents. That's what is done on International Women's Day...you give presents to all the women you love. All the women worked to do something and give of themselves.

Andy is in the states. We put him on Skype, and he was able to wish everyone a happy celebration.

What a day! But the best of the day was holding our small one, Anika*, in my arms and crying with her. Last summer she chose to leave the home. She decided to walk away from all of it. The past Friday our Social Worker (bless Oxana!) took one of the other girls and they went to visit Anika in her village. They asked her if she'd want to come for the party today. Today they went to get her.

I'm not sure she said a word all day, but she took in the love. When I first saw her at the restaurant, I hugged her, but there was no response in the hug. It wasn't rejection, just inability to feel. Later at the home I again took her in my arms and told her how much I love her, how I've never stopped loving her. She hugged me back and together we cried.

We all sat for a bit and talked. The girls told Anika that every day, morning and night they have prayed for her return. They loved on her and welcomed her.

I love what God is doing there in all the hearts. It is so amazing to see.

Please continue to pray for Anika. She is the youngest girl we've had in the home. She so wants love. Pray that God really works in her life at this time. She hasn't said she will stay, but I'd be surprised if she doesn't.

Even when we chose to walk away, God never does. He has never left Anika.

In all the celebration and gifts today, seeing her again was by far the best thing.

The rewards

This morning I was in church, struggling to be there. Some days are like that. Some visitors (brothers) where there sharing. All of it was in Russian. I wondered why I continued to sit there. And then as church was ending....

Ali* got up and gave a testimony, complete with tears (she is always telling me not to cry!) She just shared how her life has been so changed. She said how she'd lived so many years in the unfinished basement of local block apartments. She shared about how God had just changed her. She thanked the pastor, the church and me. After the service finally ended I went to her and hugged her and said, "I love you so much". I do. I knew it was huge for her to get up in front of the church today and cry in front of them. She had lived so many years without showing anyone any weakness. She would see tears as weakness.

And then Nelly hugged me. She is a new girl that came to us 2 weeks ago. She had sat in a prison in Dubai for 2 years! She said, "Nancy, I don't know where I'd be without you. I don't know where I'd be." And then she went on to say how thankful she was and how she can see that her life will be different, her life will be changed. And we cried together.

I had sat in church and said, "Lord, what am I doing here? Why am I in this church this morning? I'm only here because I feel I have to be." And then the Lord gave me His kiss through these beautiful girls.

My life is incredibly blessed by loving these girls who the world threw away and gave up on.

Thanks to all of you who pray for them and for this ministry. Thank you for giving and caring.

To us, this ministry isn't about statistics. It isn't about the sad stories you see in movies or read in a magazine. It is about real women who are needy. It is about women who need their life changed.

Please continue to pray for Ginny*. A week ago she went to court to face her traffickers. They did not show up. New court dates have been set for this month. Please keep her in prayer. It is incredibly frightening for her to do this, but she is willing to testify.

Pray also for workers. Our cook quit and we need to find another.

Thanks for your prayers and for your part in this work. It is so important.