Hi!
This is Vanessa writing this month. I love this opportunity to
connect with all of you and remind you how important you are in the
lives of everyone in our ministries and to us personally. Whether
you support us financially, pray for us, send out our mail, send us
teams, or raise funds on our behalf, we are so glad and grateful God
has put you where you are and that you are being obedient to our
Father. I know being obedient is not the easiest thing, I know it
can be very hard and at times feel wrong, so THANK YOU!
Some
things are new:
I know
this is last minute, but if you haven't already heard, today, Tuesday
April 16th,
our friends at at Crossroads Christian Church (our beloved home
church) are sponsoring a “Bolivia Benefit Night.” They are
having a dinner and have invited as a very special guest Mr. Joe
Castillo whom many of you know from the show “America’s Got
Talent.” We would like to extend the invitation to you, so if you
are in the area, please go and have fun and support our ministries!
Tickets can be purchased at the church itself or contact Jason
Newland via Facebook.
At the
transition house we have 3 new girls, one of them has a beautiful
baby called Matias. These three girls have come to us from three
very different backgrounds, yet all very painful and sad. Out of
respect and confidentiality, I cannot share more with you about these
girls, but I do ask you to pray for each one of them. Pray for their
salvation, that they will see Jesus in a powerful way that no one and
nothing can take away from them. Please also pray for their future,
for their jobs (for bosses with integrity), for their babies’
health and for their hearts to forgive and move on.
We also
have one other girl who is with us for the second time. I have seen
the change in this girl since the time a dear friend of mine prayed
with her and she saw Jesus coming to be with her, and then despite
all the sad memories and pain, she said: “it is going to be okay,
He is here!” Of course I know becoming new in Christ takes some
time. During her first stay with us she made some poor choices and
had to leave. This girl would not make eye contact, she didn’t
want to be hugged or even kissed on the cheek as we do here for a
greeting, she challenged us in everything we said and did. She was
gone for about eight months--she kept in touch for a while but then
kind of disappeared without telling us her new address. Finally, one
day she called our director saying she needed help to find a new home
for her baby. We were surprised, knowing how much they loved each
other and how attached she had been to her baby for 2 ½ years now.
When she came to us, we saw the misery and poverty in her clothes and
in her eyes. She and the baby were wearing rags again. As she told
her story we found out that the baby had become extremely sick and
had to be in the hospital for several days. Because she could not
show up for her shift, the mom had been fired from her job. They
lost or sold “everything” they owned and were practically living
on the street. She finally came back to “Ruth and Noemi”
desperate for another chance. Of course we took them back in with
open arms and shared a warm meal and gave them a bed.
She
stayed, and after a while she confessed to us all the terrible things
she had done to feed herself and the baby. When she told us, Dorcas
and I hugged her and cried with her. I was mad that she had been too
proud to call us when she first needed help, but in her mind those
appalling things she did were the only choices at the time. We spoke
truth about how there is always hope in Jesus, that the devil is a
liar who makes us feel desperate and choice-less at times, but we
need so seek until God opens a door. I am so very glad and grateful
that she did. She called!!
God is
so big. This second time the same dear pastor who prayed with her the
year before was in town again!!! She had even more amazing personal
time with Jesus again! These days she has a job in a nursery where
she is allowed to bring her little girl. She is preparing to take an
exam to become a certified nurse’s aid, also thanks to someone who
was here on a team and is a nurse and who encouraged this girl. And
she encourages the other girls by example on how to work, talk and
even dress.
Sometimes
we look at someone’s life and see no hope, but I try to remind
myself to “look with the eyes of God.” He changes hearts and He
changes circumstances. I have seen how He has done this for this
wonderful, beautiful girl and her baby. He has used you, my pastor
friend, my nurse friend, everyone who has painted and worked and
visited at the Transition House. Thank you for being a part of this
ministry. I am so blessed to be here and have the opportunity to
see the results from the seed you have sown.
Urgent
Prayer Request:
Last night, Maria, one of our girls at “Ruth and Noemi” had an
appendicitis attack. She was extremely sick with pain, fever, and
vomiting, so we took her to a public hospital emergency room at 11:00
PM. They did laboratory analysis and said she needed surgery
immediately but that they could not help us. We drove around the
city to five other hospitals before we found a doctor who could
perform the surgery. Thankfully, the doctor caught it in time. Pray
for a quick recovery for Maria. This “Bolivia Benefit” night in
Lexington could not be happening at a better time. Your generous
support will help us cover the costs of Maria's medical bills.
Blessings,
Vanessa
