Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Out There with the Beams -- April 2013



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