Jeremiah 19:12-14 We are claiming this promise for the men, women and children who are coming to our church service at Casa Ágape every other Sunday. There are a lot of hearts being turned toward Jesus & seeking God, this is one of them... please pray for him.
Last week Carlos and I planned a soccer game for the male prostitutes and some of the guys from our YWAM base. It was incredible. These boys see men as people who take, who abuse, who use, and who see them as objects. The soccer game was powerful because the guys were able to be around and enjoy time with people who wanted to take nothing but give friendship. The guys we minister to were so impacted... they actually looked people in the eyes... and if for a brief few hours got to live like and to relate to others as 'normal people'. And they knew without a doubt, that there was something different about these men they were playing soccer with... something they had never seen before. For a while, they were able to relax and enjoy the freedom in playing. For a while they were able to feel on the same level as everyone else; not as a slave. They want to continue to have soccer games, they absolutely LOVED it! Pray that we can find a cheaper place to continue building trust and discipling these guys! They have called Carlos throughout this week to talk to him about another game! Some of the guys who showed up for the soccer game are guys that we never dreamed would actually come!
We have been pouring into one lady, Laura*, from the streets for some time now. We have a very strong relationship with her and she accepted Christ alongside the girls from our ministry. She comes to church each Sunday, brings her niece and nephew, and she sometimes knows our ministry schedule better than I do! :) She is a sweet girl who deeply desires a different life but who has had a horrible and terrific life. For the last 2 weeks, Carlos and I have been driving around taking her to doctor appointments for her teeth. At the first appointment, she sat holding my hand as I talked to the doctor. She just looked from me to the doctor, then back to me. She is older than I am, but acted like my daughter. The insecurities in her were so obvious even in this little situation. Laura acted like a 14 year old. I felt like her mother. And then I realized that she was first abused as a child... and from that moment forward she stopped growing emotionally. She feels so unworthy; it was evident in her eyes and her trembling voice. But what a privilege it is for us to disciple this girl in a process to get her off of the streets and to declare the truth of God over her life. We listened as the doctor told her that every one of her teeth had to be pulled out as soon as possible.... she has literally never even valued herself enough to practice any 'self-care'. The ministry is paying for these emergency needs of hers. Please keep her in your prayers in this hard time.
*Name changed for protection.
Next week we will be having meetings with some government officials about the 'Safe House'. Excited to see what God does. These victims, these children, need a home and need love and need a savior.
No comments:
Post a Comment