Taking the Land Part Two

There is an adage in church work that sometimes you have to lose some to gain more. I believe that has been true at Freedom Home. I'm learning that as we take the land, sometimes we have to let some things go.

I'd like to believe that every woman who comes to us will be changed, but this doesn't happen. Some cannot break the chains holding them in bondage. A few weeks ago one woman had planned and worked for weeks to leave the home. She was getting a "job" with those that formerly trafficked her. She did everything she needed to do. And then they wouldn't take her.

We practiced intervention in her life for four hours a few days after she had been told that she couldn't go work at this restaurant (which fronts the trafficking). All that we said that day fell to deaf ears and late in the afternoon we had to force her to leave the home.

That may be shocking to some reading this, but she was so unstable. Workers have already quit because of the abuse she threw on them daily. She could be totally up and then fall to the lowest depths. The depths brought a meanness of character that hurt all around her. So finally she was told she must either live within the rules of the home or leave.

She left.

Since the day she left we have taken in three women. Two last week. One this week. We are nearly to capacity. One had been in the works for the past two or three months, but one thing after another delayed her entrance to the home.

I really believe the home wasn't safe for these very vulnerable ones who have come these past two weeks. The departure of the one, has made the home safe again and filled with peace.

This is a hard thing.

Please pray for the new women. Pray for the one we took a few days ago who is extremely vulnerable. She needs healing in body, mind and spirit.

One resident who came to us a few months ago, came from a good family. Her perpetrator was caught and put in prison. Her parents thought that it would be safe for her to come home a few weeks ago, and she went. This week the man bought himself out of jail and the safety of her home is crushed. She comes back to us today.

Now more than ever, I ask you to pray for safety for the home, the workers, the residents, the staff and their families. It is a time when God is going to do good things in the lives of these women. We ask God's hand of protection, healing and safety on us in these days.

We know that God has gone before us in every step of the way in establishing this ministry to Victims of Trafficking. Please pray that God continues to guide us as we take the land.

One other prayer request today is that our counselor became our director last September, and we desperately need a Christian counselor. We have two wonderful young Christian women who have been doing part-time volunteer work at the home this summer as counselors. We'd love if one of them would feel God's calling to commit to the work full-time.