Newsletter December 2014

Here is a link to our December Newsletter!
http://eepurl.com/-zICv

This girl

These two have been living with us for a few months now.  We have really gotten used to them being part of the family.  O yells... Papi, Papi every time Lesther walks in the door and Angel plans playtime with him into his day every afternoon.  We love them :)  But we have always known it was a temporary solution.  She needed a safe place to be for awhile and I needed help around the house while being on pregnancy restrictions.

So yesterday brought many tears.

I can honestly say that I am really proud of this girl and I finally see some maturity happening.  She made a decision to look for a job that would provide for herself and her son and when she found one, she took it, even though it is less than ideal.  We talked a lot about saving as much money as possible to be able to soon move out and get her own place.  She is serious about continuing in her studies and made sure her new employer would give her the time she needs.  She made sure that I would provide pencils and notebooks for the new school year, and with all this in place, she was on her way.

Please pray for her transition and for little O.  K will be living with a family cleaning and cooking for them, but they won't let her bring O with her.  Her sister will take care of him while she is at work and he will only get to see his mom a few times a week.  This is going to be very hard on a little guy who has always been with his mama.  And I'm concerned about him and the situation he will be in, but I'm going to try to keep an eye on him when I can.  Truthfully, I am really thankful that K has taken this first step in moving towards independence.  But I do pray that she will save up quickly and be able to find a job that allows her to move into an apartment with her son very soon!

I was able to pray with her last night as she starts on a new page of her life... we talked about how God goes with her even when she feels like she never lives in one place for very long.  He is her only constant and she has to cling to Him!  She promised she would read a Bible if I get her one (she just got good enough at reading to be able to make that promise!), so I think that will be a good Christmas gift :)  Keep praying for her to know Jesus in a real and personal way and that He would be her anchor as she tries to figure out her future.

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Today I just wanted to share my favorite song for the season...

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee

Israel's strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of every longing heart

Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child and yet a king
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring

By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine own sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne

Last night I sat on the couch with my kids staring at the Christmas tree lights and praising the Lord for what a sweet gift of family that He has given to us.  As we celebrated advent together, decorated the tree, and read through verses and stories about Jesus coming, I just pray that my kids will know to cherish the gift of Jesus.  And I pray that for myself.  These past few months have been nothing if not distracting... worries and fears, sickness, changes of plans.  We have felt hard the burden of having kids with other birth moms and what it looks like to share time and the responsibility of raising children with others who don't necessarily agree with us.  I have been worried about our twins coming and for their health and well-being.  We have had sickness and what felt like endless days having to be laid up around the house.  It has made everyone just a little more irritable and impatient.

"From our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee"

I feel peace wash over me as I read that line.  Things are not how I would have planned them.  Things are still in upheaval with the government putting Puerta de Esperanza on hold.  I have had more ups and down health-wise with this pregnancy than I could have imagined and have spent more days laying in bed than I would have wanted.  I want to be up making Christmas ornaments with my kids, leading Bible study with the girls, playing with all the little ones, continuing relationships with those who have left.  

But HE is my rest.  From all my fears about inadequacy, potential baby health issues, failure... he has released me.  From all my sins of impatience, frustration, lack of faith... he has forgiven me.  Praise Him for that.

Today I pray for a longing heart... longing to know more and more of Jesus.

Christmas and End of the Year

These two :)  They make my heart happy!

C and her now three year old son W are moving out!  I can hardly believe it, but its been almost three years that they have lived with us.  They moved in February of 2012 and have been PDE staples ever since.  Its going to be so weird to not have them around all the time.  Although I'm pretty sure we're going to see a lot of them!

C is still working towards her forestry degree at the local university and working part-time at Pizza Hut.  She came to know the Lord at PDE, got involved in the local church, and became part of our family.  She is a sweet mom and loves her son fiercely.  We are so proud of her and how far she has come!

We have helped other girls after they move out and they all continue to be part of our family.  But Carolina is special because we consider her our first "graduate" who actually made it to the point that we are really excited to see her step out on her own.  We really think she is ready and we want to support her however we can as she makes this transition.

Over the last three years she has been saving up to have some money to get started, but we want to help with the security deposit on her apartment and some basic furnishings.

As you think about Christmas this year, would you consider putting one of these things on your list and send us money to help her get out on her own?  These are approximate costs.
Security Deposit ($100)
Bed ($150)
Stovetop ($60)
Dorm Size Fridge ($150)
Dresser or Closet ($100)
Kitchen needs ($100)
Linens ($30)

In the same way, please keep Puerta de Esperanza in mind for your year-end giving.  We still need monthly funding badly, but one-time gifts could help us to get through until I can make a support-raising trip next fall.  Here's all the information you need!

Give to account number #92413 Puerta de Esperanza.
Make checks out to Mission to the World with #92413 in the tagline and mail them to...

Mission to the World

P.O. Box 2589

Suwanee, GA 30024-0982

Or give online at... https://donations.mtw.org/donors/login.php

Slaves to the Red Tape

These past few weeks have been especially frustrating for me in regards to Puerta de Esperanza.  We continue to see the Lord doing great things in the lives of the girls involved and we have received lots of interest from new girls who would like to come and live in the home.  It seems like God really wants this ministry to continue and expand and we see the girls growing in Him.

And yet.

There is this thing called the government.  And its a mess.  Recently they disbanded the social services arm of the government and fired everyone associated with it.  That just doesn't sound like a very efficient way to get anything done?!?  They are opening a new area that will only have a central office in Tegucigalpa, the capital 7 hours away from here.  It appears that for the moment they are a bunch of politicians sitting in an office making decisions without a real sense of what life is like on the ground level for those of us really working with children-at-risk.  All that to say, its frustrating.  Everything is changing.  The requirements for our home, the way the girls enter, the services we are able to provide... it will all be different.  And yet... how different?  In what way?  What changes?  No one seems to know yet.

Where does that leave us?  A standstill.  We are currently stuck with our hands tied waiting for things to all get ironed out.  In the meantime we are not able to move in any new girls or put anything new into process.  We could optimistically assume this will happen quickly, but its not likely.  It looks like we'll be frozen this way for a few months at least.  It is so frustrating to know that there are needs that we are able to fill, but we cannot act because of this hold-up.  But we must submit to the authorities here and wait on them to tell us what and when and how.

So will you pray with us that God will show us what PDE's ministry needs to look like in the meantime?  We have two girls in the home right now, one who will soon be moving out.  We have four other former PDE girls in the area with whom we are still actively involved.  We are constantly making new contacts with young pregnant girls who fit the description of those to whom we feel God has called us to minister.  So... could it be new Bible studies?  Outreach?  Sunday lunches?  Rides to church?  I know that God has something in mind for these months when I feel like we are stuck.  Please pray that He will show us what it is!

Truth

Sometimes all I see are baby steps... one of the girls makes a simple decision to walk into her room instead of lashing out in anger, she chooses to patiently sit with her son while he finishes his lunch instead of yelling at him from across the room, she chooses to listen to advice instead of getting instantly defensive...

And then there are the breakthroughs... and they are few and far between.

Yesterday I think we had a breakthrough.  And I contribute it only to the work of the Holy Spirit because there is no way anything else brings such humility.  As I walked into the house yesterday, one of the girls was almost in tears as she looked up at me.  She was making lunch, but had sadness written all over her face.  She made eye contact long enough to tell me that she had something to tell me, but she was sure it would make me mad.

I've been lying to you.

Honestly, my first response was gratitude.  Thankfulness to the Lord that HE worked in her heart to bring her to a place of repentance and honesty.  You could see in her eyes that she was truly sorry.  And she knew there would be consequences, and there are, and we talked about them.  But I just kept telling her that I am so proud of who the Lord is the making her to be that she could be honest, even when it would be hard.

The truth is, I knew she'd been lying... although I hadn't known long.  And I'm so glad it came to light through her confession instead of through a confrontation that could have ended in anger and defensiveness.  Isn't the Lord good?  And she is willing to concede to the consequences and really take this opportunity seriously and try to take advantage of what the Lord is providing and fight for a better future.

Keep praying with me over these girls as we see the Lord grow and change them and mold them into the women that HE wants them to be.

A's Birthday

C has been working hard to save up money to be able to celebrate her son's third birthday.  Culturally, birthday parties are a big deal and involve a meal, cake, a piñata, and candy bags for each child... not a small affair.  It was a time for C to be able to invite her family and her mom's neighbors to celebrate with her her son's life.

We all gathered at her mom's house, where C lived up until coming to PDE.  One thing that really impacted me is that C invited Y and K who have never lived at PDE with her.  They still spend time with their PDE family and she has quickly come to realize that they are sisters because this is a family, whether she has ever lived with them or not.  And I love that :)

The kids all had a great time and A was terrified of the candle on his cake!

Welcome to the Family

For those of you who are part of God's family, you have a new sister!

Last week I got to hang out with C and take her shopping.  She had earned some extra money for clothes and we had a great time just spending time together and getting to talk about deep things for the first time since she moved in.  I have been so sad to not get as much one-on-one time with her as I wish that I could, but God has been gracious and provided others to speak His truth into her life.  Doña Oneyda has been talking with her about her salvation and Amy has been leading her through a Bible study on the basics of the Gospel.

I asked her what she has learned since coming to Puerta de Esperanza and her response encouraged me and blew me away at how quickly God can change a heart.

I have spent such a long time feeling pressure to live up to God's rules for my life.  I just knew that I had to be good for Him to love me and to be able to go to heaven.  It was so hard because I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I always did things wrong.  I have learned in Bible study and through all the  many Scriptures that Amy has shown me that God's love isn't like that.  He gives me His love as a free gift.  He sent me His son to make a bridge for me to get to Him.  I just have to trust in Him and He will give me forgiveness and grace.  I feel so free.

Thanks be to the Lord!  And a huge thank you to Amy who stepped in to help with PDE at the last minute and has been an amazing blessing.

This is why we do what we do.  The ultimate goal is not to give girls an education or job skills.  Its not to teach them how to be moms and budget and give them a solid family connection.  Those are all wonderful outcomes :)  But the real reason and purpose that God has called us to this ministry is this... to see them come to know the Lord in a real way and to trust in His grace.  I get giddy excited when I see them understand the Gospel really for the first time!

To that end, I want to make a push here... we still need monthly and one-time supporters.  I will not be able to travel to the states until next fall at the earliest to visit new churches and families to raise more support.  In the meantime, we desperately want to be able to keep accepting new girls into the home and praying that God will give more of them C's story of coming to faith in Him.  Please consider supporting us...  our support number is 92413 for Puerta de Esperanza.  This website tells you how to give online, set up monthly giving, or send a check.

http://www.mtw.org/Pages/GIVE_FAQ.aspx

Baby/Little Girl Dedication

Last night Doña Oneyda and I had the privilege of standing up with Yajaira as her family as she choose to dedicate her four year old daughter Juli to the Lord.  I got a chance to talk to Juli afterwards because she is smart as a whip for a four year old and I knew that she could understand the basics of what this meant...

Do you know that your mommy wanted to make an announcement to her church family about you?  She wants everyone to know that she wants you to learn about Jesus and to grow up to love Him with your whole heart.  She is telling everyone that she loves Jesus and its important to her that you learn everything you can about God from reading the Bible and going to church.  And she wants you to know that Jesus loves you more than anyone here on each could ever love you.  And we are making a promise to pray for you that you will learn more about Jesus every day!

It was a really sweet time, especially knowing the cost that it took for Yajaira to make this decision.  Coming from a very works-based church background, it has taken a long time for her to really recognize and understand God's grace towards her and her need for that in her life.  Dedicating Juli in this particular church meant admitting that she is also ready to follow Jesus with her whole heart and accept His love and grace.  And we were honored to be her family and stand beside her!

Could it be a family?

Just this one picture makes my heart so happy, you have no idea!  These are all girls who have left PDE of their own stubborn will.  They each went out frustrated in some way looking for a better life, something they were certain they would find beyond the 4 walls of the PDE house.  And yet, Sunday afternoon when the two girls who actually currently live at PDE weren't home, this is the family that filled up the living room and then all went to church together :)

B is moving back to La Ceiba in November, probably to live with C when she moves out and to help take care of W.  You can be praying for her daughter, G, who is going to turn 2 in January.  She has a pretty serious problem with her legs, they turn in from the knees down.  She has learned to stand and walk, but it is difficult and will definitely effect her in the future if she doesn't get treatment.  We are going to help her get to the orthopedic doctor this week and hopefully we can help some with treatment as necessary.  We are so glad she is going to be closeby again!

K and O are living with me during my pregnancy.  Since going on bed rest, K has taken over all the cooking and cleaning and laundry and is a huge blessing to me.  She had moved back in with her mom, but her step dad was kicking her out since he owns the house and she isn't his daughter.  Her birth father owns a house, but won't let her live there saying that only the children he has with his current woman have rights to his things.  It has been a difficult time for her, but I am so proud of her for pushing through, continuing to study, and giving up some of her pride and bitterness that she had when she first left PDE.  She still goes to school every night and we are able to help by watching O for her.  Now that I'm up some she and I work together to take car of the house and she is really enjoying being a part of our family for a little while.  She is still a bit of hardened mystery in relation to the things of the Lord, but she is going to church with us and we talk quite a bit about Jesus.  Please pray for her as well!

Y and J are still doing well, renting an apartment and Y is working constantly to be able to pay all of her living expenses.  These past couple months have been really low at work and she works for commission, so she has experienced some real sadness and depression feeling like she is working hard, but never able to get ahead.  She loves to spend weekends at our house or at PDE where she knows that she is with her family and is encouraged to keep moving forward.  We have been helping her some with medical needs because she had a bad rash break out all over her legs for months and just recently we have found a treatment that seems to be working.  Today she will present Juli in front of the church in a baby dedication.  This has been a long time coming and she is finally really decided that she wants to follow the Lord in a church that teaches God's grace and goodness and she wants Juli to grow up learning about Jesus.  So we are beyond excited for her and we will be there to love and support them tonight!

Intern

Puerta de Esperanza is in need of an intern!!!  With the addition of twins into our family early next year, and the new baby coming to PDE hopefully in November, things are going to be busy next year.  We still pray for a full house with four girls and every new girl that moves in needs special personal attention.  As is the case with being on bed rest, I will never be out of the picture, but we will definitely have a "maternity leave" of adjustment time for our family after the twins are born!

So, if you fit the mold or know someone who does, PLEASE let them know that there is an opportunity here in Honduras to love on these girls and babies and teach them about Jesus!

Requirements:
* Loves Jesus
* Spanish speaker
* 21 years old or older
* Able to make a 6 month commitment
* Desires to invest in the lives of young moms and tell them about Jesus

If you're interested, send me an email at ssinnes@gmail.com and I'll put you in touch with all the right people at MTW to start the process.

Who wouldn't want to hang out with these awesome girls and babies???

A Week Later

Its taken me a long time to get up the energy to write this post.  Mostly because I've just been sad and processing and reminding myself to trust God in the midst of all things.

One of the hardest things about being pregnant and on bed rest is being more removed from the every day life and ministry going on at PDE.  We moved in two new girls, as you know, and I was lucky to get to have a conversation with them once a week.  This is the extreme opposite of how life has been up to now at PDE where I was actively involved in their adjustment and processing that with them.

They all go through phases you know... the first month we don't allow them to have contact with their families or anyone from their past to give them time to adjust to the home.  This brings out lots of insecurities and fears, even if they have left a hard situation to get to us.  They all say they want to leave... some of them every day, some of them just once or twice when they are really having a hard time adjusting.  But most of them make it through the month just fine and by the end are happy to see their moms, but even more glad they decided to stick it out at the house.

Remember how I told you that things were tricky with K's paperwork and mom didn't sign right away?  Well... also social services in Honduras was disbanded and is now being reworked and everything is changing.  So two weeks went by and we still had no paperwork for her in the house.  What this means is that we had no recourse if she wanted to leave or if mom wanted to come and take her.

Last Sunday night I got a call from Oneyda that K wanted to leave and was threatening to just walk out the door if we didn't take her home.  Usually its me getting to have these conversations about leaving and processing and I make no decisions about a girl leaving until I am sure its what she really wants and that she really understands that it is HER choice.  I never want them to feel like they are being abandoned or kicked out, they have had enough of that in their lives.  But this time, it was out of my hands.  I had to trust my house moms that they knew where her heart was and that she was ready to leave.

Monday I got by long enough to talk to her for about an hour, but honestly, I wasn't fully convinced she was ready to leave... again hard because I haven't really gotten the chance to know her.  Monday afternoon I had to be at home in the bed when it all went down, and it wasn't pretty.  It wasn't handled well on many fronts and by the end everyone was frustrated and angry and she was home with her mom.  I am not at all blaming my house moms, I think that they were more gracious than I would have been in their place.  I didn't get to say goodbye and although I have spoken with her on the phone, I know she is angry.  It is ugly and sad and just discouraging when something that is supposed to be helpful ends up so frustrating.

I trust that God had a plan for bringing her to PDE for two weeks.  For two weeks she saw a different way to live, she was treated with respect and love instead of anger and frustration.  She saw people trying to love and serve one another.  And I just pray that it will stay with her, the good things.  That she won't just remember Monday afternoon, but that she will remember that heard the Good News of the Gospel and that it is good news indeed!

Please pray for K as she transitions back to being with her mom.  Pray for her heart to be softened to the Gospel.  Pray that she would not have such bitterness and anger towards those of us at PDE and the other missionaries who work in her community.  Pray for real transformation in her life and that God would save her... and not just her, but her baby girl as well.  She is out of our reach, but she is never out of God's hands.  For that, I am thankful.

Of Course

It is humbling how much I learn from my kids...

Over the past two weeks Nicolle has started a new, and quite lovely, habit.  Every time I ask her to do something she responds with "Of Course!".  Usually I have requested a "Yes mom", but "Of Course" sounds so much better!  I asked her where that came from and why she started saying it and I loved her response.  She told me that when my dad was here in June she remembers that whenever she asked him to do something he would say "sure" and she liked that because it sounded like he really wanted to do it for her.  She wanted to sound the same way, but just decided that she liked "of course" better.  What a dear sentiment.  She wants me to know that not only will she do what I asked, but she really wants to help  me.

So, on the hard lesson.  This week I got stuck in the shower with no towel (that may only happen in our house!) and has to ask her to bring me one.  She responded "of course" and brought me a towel right away with a smile on her face.  Two days later I was so frustrated and on the phone with the airline.  I've called them twice a day all week trying to get our tickets cancelled for next week due to medical reasons and no one seems to be able to help me.  I was so engrossed in the conversation and my own frustration that I barely heard Nicolle yell from the bathroom that she was now stuck in the shower with no towel.  I wish I could say that I excused myself from my conversation long enough to kindly take my daughter a towel, but I didn't, and I was less than gracious to her.  Ugh.  So humbling.

"Of course".  The most convicting words I've heard all week.  I'm thankful that God is giving her such a willing spirit to love and serve others.  I just pray that I can learn to love and serve my children in the same way.

Best friends in the world!

As you all know by now, we have babies on the way :)  There are days that I feel like the time will never pass fast enough because I just want to meet them...  This week was disappointing because I was not cleared to travel to our big MTW retreat where I would have gotten to reconnect with old friends and even my mom who is going to be there doing childcare!  Alas.  These little ones are worth it!  And God knows exactly what He is doing in His timing, so I trust Him!  We just continue to pray for health and a full-term delivery for our two babies!

Back to best friends in the world... since moving overseas, God has blessed me more than I could have imagined by dear friends and family back home.  My friend Amy is wonderful and since I will not be able to travel to be in the states for a baby shower before the twins are born, she offered to throw me a virtual baby shower!  If you would like to take part, you can join the baby shower by clicking on this link...  :)

God has quite a sense of humor.  I work with babies all the time and when I found out I was pregnant I was determined to be low-key about the whole baby thing.  Not buy much stuff, we don't really have room in our house for a nursery, baby can sleep in a pack and play, no need for a stroller, just strap the baby on and go... etc.  And then the humbling news of twins and the reminder that I only have two hands.  Goodness... all the sudden we needed two carseats, a stroller, a swing so that one could be happy while I tend to the other.  God is forever humbling me and making me eat my words...

Guess what mom said she would never put her 3 year old in preschool?  Guess where Andres is from 7-10:30 every morning?  You got it!  Preschool :)

All that to say.  I am a work in progress and learning so much about being a mom and even a good friend and I am so thankful for those who are examples for me and who love me so well!

Timing, Provision, and Goodness

Quite frankly, I'm amazed... amazed at the Lord's timing, His provision, and His goodness.

The last five weeks have been really hard on a personal level.  Bed rest was very hard for me and led to some days of real depression, thus making it a hard time for my whole family as well.  Tuesday we were thrilled to get the news that although the hematoma is still there, it is getting better and I can get up for short amounts of time.  I am still being really careful and only leaving the house for a few hours a day when I feel good.  But it has made a huge difference.  I am interacting with people, feeling a little more useful, and I have a new found thankfulness for any little thing that I am able to do.  The babies continue to grow well and this week we got to find out that we are having a girl and boy :)  The whole family was beyond excited!!!

As for the Lord's provision, let me just say that PDE has never run so smoothly in the nearly three years that it has been open.  I attribute that 100% to the Lord's goodness to us and the amount that He has allowed us to learn since we opened.  We changed a lot of our rules and guidelines and how we do things and the new girls have responded amazingly well.  For the first time on Wednesday I was able to go sit over there for a few hours and talk to the girls and get to know them and see them in the home.  I was so encouraged!!!  Here's a little update...

C and A - C is learning how to sew as our older C-girl hasn't been working this month and has been at home to teach her.  She is a good cook and has been really helpful around the house.  She is good mom and learning to be more consistent with her son.  She misses her mom and looks forward to finishing out her first month at PDE so that they can have a visit.  A is mal-nurished, so he was at clinic this week to figure out how we can change his diet to get him more of the vitamins and nutrients that he needs.  I am thankful for Dr. Roger and that he keeps me up to date even though I can't do to the clinic with the girls at the moment.  A is happy and loves playing, eats well, and was thrilled when we pulled down some sandals in his size out of the closet!

K - Honestly this is the more shocking to me.  We knew coming in that K was going to be more on the challenging side.  She comes from a harder background, is very honest, and not afraid of upsetting people or making you feel bad.  But she has done great!  She saw her mom once, a really difficult lady, and after the visit she said, "Well, I was missing her, but not anymore!"  She also told Ashley that she sometimes takes a shower, just because she has one.  She does not come from a home with running water!  She hasn't had any behavior problems and little by little we see her attitude changing to be less negative.

Please pray for both of these girls to know Jesus!

Lastly, I interviewed a new girl this week... 14 and pregnant, due with a little girl in November!  We met a few times to talk and its nearly certain that she will move in the first week of November and then the baby will be born at the end of the month.  We will soon be back to having a full house!

The pressure

I feel pressure to write a new blogpost.  Really, I feel like I should be doing just about anything useful at this point in time!  I was not made for bed rest.  Seriously... doing nothing should not be so exhausting.  But things are getting better, the little ones are growing, and every day is a good reminder to ask the Lord for their good health and safety and praise Him for the opportunity to parent two new little lives.

I have really had to step back from PDE during this time.  Its been hard to be honest.  In the last 2 1/2 years I have never been so uninvolved with what is going on or so out of touch with the lives of the girls who are living there.  And in the beginning I thought this was going to be a short-term thing, so I tried to still run things and manage from the safety of my bed.  But you know what?  That's stressful... to know every little thing that isn't running quite right and yet not be able to do anything about it.  So I gave up on micro-managing.  And I'm a control freak, so that was hard for me.  But guess what?  They are doing fine, great actually!

This week the girls started Bible study with Amy on a general overview of the truth of the Gospel and how it affects our lives.  They got a small gift of birthday money since the new girls have birthdays within 2 weeks of one another, and they were able to go get a new outfit.  Friday they will celebrate birthdays with chinese food and cake.  They aren't fighting or being rude and seem to be adjusting well.  C, our PDE veteran, is off work for the month following her surgery and is passing along her skills of sewing and jewelry-making to give them something to keep them busy.  They are getting involved in church and seeming to get along well with the house moms.  Honestly, I couldn't be happier!

Another reminder.  God doesn't need me.  And yet He lets me have a front seat view as He works and moves.  What a privledge.

Success!

There were some hiccups, there always are :)  Schedules didn't work out exactly as planned, but in the end our two new girls are settling in well at PDE today!  One prayer item is for K's mom.  She didn't come over to the house yesterday and when the lawyer went to meet her, she denied any knowledge of what her daughter was doing.  She is a pretty complicated and grudge-holding lady.  So although I have met her her no less than four times, and Lyssa has been over there constantly talking to them about PDE, she probably got mad at someone or was having a bad day, and therefore decides to make life complicated for everyone.  Since I can't be there, the lawyer is taking care of making sure everything gets worked out and the mom gets a good visit to the home and all the correct papers get signed.  But until that happens, things are still a little up in the air for K.  So please pray that everything gets worked out quickly!  And thank the Lord with me that He is providing all these loving souls to stand in for me while I can't be there to do my job.

C is settling in well with her son and seems excited about the opportunity.  I know that saying goodbye to her mom was probably sad for her as they have been living together for awhile now.  So pray for all of that adjustment.

Also, Lyssa is leaving tomorrow for the states and I know she wishes she was going to be here longer to get to follow through more with these girls.  So pray for her heart as she leaves and sweet goodbyes, not just with these girls, but with all the many relationships she has made over her time here.

K and Lyssa... K's baby is due in December

Little A playing with toys and adjusting to his new home

William SOOO excited to have a friend again!

C enjoying the breeze in the back and getting a taste of life at PDE

Doña Oneyda going through all the rules and expectations one more time

Thanks to Ashley for taking pictures for me :)

Almost time for move in day...

Tomorrow is a big day at PDE!

Lyssa and Ashley are picking up our new girls early afternoon and they will get signed in before dinner :)  I hope to get send my camera and get some great pictures to share with you.  I know the girls are excited, but there are always nerves that go along with it.  Tomorrow they will say goodbye to their old life and with it their families.  We have a mandatory month period where they can't talk to their families to give them time to adjust, so its always emotional.  Please be praying tomorrow for C and her son A and for K and her unborn daughter.  Pray for a smooth transition, wisdom for the house moms, lots of patience all around, and more than anything that these girls would know Jesus!

I am still on bedrest and won't be able to be there, which is very sad to me.  Its hard to know that it will be awhile before I can spend time with these girls and really get to know them, but it is a good exercise in faith and trusting that they are in God's hands!  Our team's awesome intern Amy is lending some of her time to lead weekly Bible studies and do some one-on-one discipleship with the girls and I am so thankful for her!  Ashley and Lyssa have been awesome in getting paperwork together and preparing the girls.  Lyssa has been to lots of doctors appointments and gotten to really dig in deeper in her friendship with K during this time.  So God is providing in many ways even when I cannot be physically present.

For those of you praying for my health, thank you!  Three weeks ago the ultrasound found a rather large hematoma and I am on day 20 of bed rest (but who's counting?) :)  Yesterday we got good news that the hematoma is HALF the size that it was before and we are moving in the right direction.  I will continue on strict bed rest until it completely goes away, so we're not sure how much longer that will be.  But please keep praying!  The twins are growing well and its been fun to have ultrasounds often so that we get to see them every step of the way!  I will be considered a high risk pregnancy until they are born and probably not get back to my normal schedule for awhile, but I look forward to the day that I can go and sit over at PDE and spend time with the newest members of our family.

Thank you for all of your prayers!

You Hold Everything Together

The past week or so I have been waking up really early, hours before my family is awake.  It is so quite in the house and I feel that I am so easily gripped by fear when there are no distractions.  I fear all the things that are out of my control, which at this point are many.  So I have taken to praying often at hours of the morning when no one should have to be awake :)  As I have been praying, this song keeps running through my mind...

Worthy of Affection - Shane and Shane

Deliverer you brought us out of the miry clay
You set our feet upon a rock and you made us say
Holy is the Lord
We would declare your thoughts about us one by one
It'd be too many to count so we simply come
And sing of your great love

So we sing..We lift our hands and sing!

You are worthy of affection
Your the radiance of all of His glory
Let adoration fill this place
You hold everything together
By the word of your immovable power
We sing a song of praise!

We are the broken down and we are the beaten up
But what could stop us from a song of unending love?
Holy is the lord
You are a treasure, the hope, the bright and morning star
You are the lover of our soul and you've won our hearts
We sing of your great love
So we sing
We lift our hands and sing!

Worthy are you Lord
Worthy are you Lord
O worthy are you Lord
Of all Praise
All Glory to you Lord
All Glory to you Lord
All Glory to you Lord
Forever More
Forever More

What great hope... "You hold everything together by the word of your immovable power"!  And He does and I can trust that... and sometimes I even go back to sleep :)

Introducing C and A

C just had her 18th birthday over the weekend!  She has a little boy who is 2 1/2 and she is eager to go to school and start working.  We have already been able to meet several times and talk extensively about PDE.  She is beyond excited for this opportunity!  This afternoon Lyssa is taking her to see the house and meet our house moms.

C and her son A come from the neighborhood where the Troxells and Lyssa work and I love to see our ministries overlapping so much.  Ashley has been able to get to know her, especially because of some serious health needs that her son has had.  Since he was born she has basically been on her own trying desperately to make ends meet.  From the age of 15 she left home and just recently moved back in with her mom.  She definitely comes from a hard past, as do all of the girls, but she seems to have a maturity that comes from having had to try to make it on her own.  She knows that life is hard and you have to fight for your education and your job.  I hope that she will continue to show that kind of drive and that we will be able to help her to provide a different kind of future for her son.

My favorite story so far about C has to do with her telling me her life story.  When she was 15 she left home and started working, but she never mentioned where she worked.  Meanwhile she is telling me that she lived in one city, no another city, and this thing happened here, oh no, when she was living there.  Honestly, she sounded a little crazy... she couldn't seem to keep the details straight and she had me worried.  The following week I went by to talk to her again to try to get the story straight with her mom there.  Turns out the job she had was working for the traveling carnival!  Now that makes WAY more sense!

C goes to church every week, but seems to think that being a Christian has to do with pleasing God with her actions.  Please pray with me that she will come to know the grace of God and that salvation is a gift.  I so badly want to see her live in freedom from having to rely on her actions, but relying on the Lord to make her more like Jesus everyday.

Oh the joys

The joys of being on bedrest... some sarcastic and some very real joys!
* Listening to the kids run around like crazy in the morning and knowing that they are going to be late to school, but being unable to help or do anything about it.
* Having to ask for help... I really hate that one.  I would much rather be the helper than the helpee :)
* Watching 2 seasons on 24 in a span of 4 days... don't judge.  There isn't much to do around here!
* Having more power outages in our neighborhood this past week than we have had in the last year.  Good timing power company!
* Looking forward to a daily shower b/c its the longest I get to be out of bed!
* More time to do homework and start the school year off well with my kids
* Church at home with the family and sweet prayers with the kids
* Resting, a lot.
* Listening to lots of sermons
* Being reminded that God is in charge and not me!

As I have laid in bed for a full week now it has been hard not to feel like I am letting people down.  But listen, life goes on, and God's timing is still perfect.  This week while I did nothing, God put it on one of my supporters' hearts to up their support by $100/month!  Wow.  This is a huge answer to prayer because I am overwhelmed by two infants and what that will mean for a support trip any time in the near future.  I talked to the lawyer earlier this week who has made contact with a possible psychologist.  She will meet with her tomorrow and if it looks promising, set me up for a phone interview with her.  And I got a call this morning about a potential girl for PDE who is coming out a children's home near Tegucigalpa.  Since she isn't here, I wouldn't have met with her in person anyway, but am setting up phone interviews.  So God keeps opening doors and reminding me once again that He has got it all under control!!!

Who in your family has twins?

I knew I was in trouble when I went in for an ultrasound at 8 weeks and the tech started chuckling... I just don't know that that's a very good sign!  She follows with, "Who in your family has twins?"  I'm sorry... why are you asking me that?  Are you kidding?  What in the world?!?

I must say I spent a good week in shock, but once I finally got my head wrapped around the news I could not be more excited that we are having TWINS!  My mind still races sometimes keeping me up at night thinking through the details... but that's the curse of being type A.

I wrote this post a few days after finding out about the twins and I will say it again... God is good at giving us more than we can handle.  I was set to have a baby.  I take care of babies all the time, what's one more?  I wasn't even going to worry about buying much stuff... give me a moby wrap to strap that baby on and we'll be good to go.  You think God sensed that I was being a little over-confident?  Now I'm researching double strollers and trying to figure out how we're going to survive without a mini-van!  Thankfully God gave me a very low-key husband who has been excited from the first moment he heard and keeps me from freaking out too much.  And I just keep reminding myself that God knew before he sent us twins where we live, what the hospitals are like, what car we drive... He's got it under control. :)  So thankful to be able to trust so completely in a God who knows our every need.

This week we had a new adventure with some pregnancy complications.  All I can say is... please don't make me stay on bedrest until February... there are not enough seasons of TV shows.  But really, on Wednesday we had a little scare, but were so thankful to find out that both babies have strong heartbeats and are growing well!  I just have to be on bedrest for a few weeks until a follow-up ultrasound can show how things are going.  I am doing my best to obey doctor's orders and do... nothing.  And its actually been fine, except for the 17 hour power outage.  If we could avoid being without fans or AC again while I'm laying in my stuffy bedroom, that would be nice!

Teammates are being great helping out with PDE stuff and Lesther and his family and other friends are taking good care of us, so I cannot complain.  So thankful for people who love us and who are praying!  Please praise the Lord with us for these two little lives and pray for no more complications and that they will join our family healthy and well in February!

A first for PDE

Today Lyssa is taking a girl from La Fe to visit PDE and meet the house moms!  When K moves in the second week in September, she will be the FIRST girl to come into PDE pregnant!  Its a new adventure :)  Who doesn't need new adventures?!?

K is 15 years old and about 5 months pregnant.  I was privileged to meet her the same day that Dr. Greg gave her her first ultrasound and she got to see her healthy baby girl!  She is really excited and was glad to see it wasn't twins after having just talked to me :)

The family situation that K comes from is really tough.  Two of her brothers are involved in Peter Project with Kate and Mandy and they have seen firsthand how difficult of a home life it is.  There is often not enough food to eat and mom is pretty explosive and unpredictable.  When I first sat down and talked to K about life and her future, I asked her what kind of mom she wants to be.  Her first response was, "not like my mom."  Kind of tough when that's the example that you've had.  So I asked her if she knows anyone who is the kind of mom that she wants to be and she could not think of one example of loving mom that she would want to follow.  I feel the weight of that as I will be living out my life as a mom in front of her... it is not always pretty, sometimes we are a mess.  But I pray that in the midst of my motherhood she would see Jesus and grace and lots of forgiveness and love and maybe learn something.

Pray for K as she prepares to move in with us.  She is rough around the edges, to say the least, but I really believe that God has big plans for this girl.  She is honest and tough and believes the world has wronged her.  She believes God exists, but it doesn't go much further than that.  So pray for her to know Jesus and the freedom that comes with that!!!!!!

God gives us Connections!

In June of this year we had one of the biggest scares of my time in Honduras.  My parents were visiting for a few weeks and my mom ended up in the hospital for two days following a bad car accident.  Lesther's car was totaled and mom was pretty banged up with some broken bones, lots of stitches, and lots of bruises.  We were so thankful that God spared her life and protected the driver and two other passengers.  As a result we learned a lot about the justice system here, or lack thereof.  The other driver who was at fault was charged, but just decided to disappear and never pay and the police don't do anything.  The only other option is to hire an expensive lawyer, but the guy is potentially dangerous and you just don't want your name mixed up with people like that because they don't hesitate to use violence.  All in all, it was a pretty traumatic ordeal for all of us.

But God knows what He is doing, doesn't he?  One of mom's doctors was a really kind trauma surgeon who also does laparoscopic surgery.  We got to talking and found out that he is a believer and he asked lots of questions about why I'm here and what I do.  As I shared about PDE he offered his services in any way possible.  He works in private practice, but has rights at the public hospital as well, so he was willing to see any patients I brought him in that setting which is much less expensive.

Hmm... well, this sweet girl, C, who has lived with us for over two years now has had a hernia since she was 8 years old.  We haven't had the resources to do anything about it for her and neither did her family.  So, I took the nice doctor up on his word and took her to see him.

Two private office visits later he charged us a total of $10 and scheduled her surgery for next Wednesday when he will operate at the public hospital and charge us $15!!!!!!!!!!  You read that right... $15 for hernia surgery.  Wow.  Things work a little differently here and we have to go buy all the surgical needs, gloves, netting, masks, pint of blood, etc.  But still should be under $50 for everything.

C is nervous about surgery, but so excited to not have to live with this pain anymore!  Please pray for her that everything goes well and that she recovers quickly!  And thank the Lord with us that He works in the midst of every situation, as bad as it may seem.

Oppression

Imagine growing up in a home where you lost your dad at a young age.  Your mom remarries and chooses her new husband over you, her only child at the time.  You slowly feel more and more edged out as she has other children who are more well-loved.  And then it starts... around age 9... your step dad making advances and eventually it leads to more than that.  No one knows and you don't trust anyone enough to tell them.  Years later you muster the courage to tell you mom and she doesn't believe you or do anything to stop it.

What do you do?  What are your choices?  There is no way out.

You go to church, but it is just rules after rules... you decided to accept the God they speak about, but eventually being in the same church building with your mom and step-dad week after week knowing what goes on at home... its just too much.  So you leave.

And you do everything you can to try to forget.

And then there was a boy and he offered you a way out... a new life.  So you took it.  Its not the dream you thought, or maybe you really didn't dream at all, or think it through.  Maybe you took the only out you thought you may ever get.  But now you're not sure its better... life is like a prison because he is jealous and possessive and doesn't trust you to even go for a walk through the neighborhood.  And sometimes there is food, and sometimes there isn't.

And now there is going to be a baby.  Do you even know how to be a good mom?  And do you stay where you are?  If you leave where do you go?

In the back of your mind you also know that you know God, you met Him that time long ago in that legalistic church.  You feel far away from Him, but you know He is loving and you don't feel like he is judging you for your life and decisions.  But how to know more about Him when you can't leave the house to even go to church?

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I have said it before and I will say it again.  I know there are people in the States who feel oppressed, but it is not anything that I had experience with before moving here.  And as I meet people and hear their stories it makes me so desperate to fight for them.  I want them to know that there are options, that they don't have to live in fear and feeling like prisoners in their own homes.  I want them to know Jesus and be able to freely learn about and worship Him.  I want them to know that He is loving and full of forgiveness and grace.

But there are so many obstacles.  I want to tell them that they are options, but it is not always true.  What are their choices?  Where would they go?  Who would help them?  There are no food stamps or homeless shelters... if you don't have money, you just don't eat.  Is being a hungry pregnant woman living on the street worth leaving the man who mistreats you?

A girl I met last week shared her story with me.  She doesn't live with us at PDE and I may never have a chance to love on her again, her life is a mess.  But for a moment I got to sit with her and tell her that her baby is precious and a gift that God has given her.  That Jesus loves her and doesn't judge her for the things that she has done.  That she should fight for the freedom to go to church and know more of the Lord.

PDE gives us a chance to reach girls that have stories like these.  But not all of them.  There are so many that cannot come for one reason or another.  There are those that don't even feel the freedom to make the choice to leave the oppression they are living under to come.  There are those that don't even know what living in a healthy environment would even look like because they have never done it.

But some do come.  They come hurt and broken, rebellious and oh so difficult.  But we want them to have hope!

Do you see why this ministry is important?  I'll be honest... sometimes I'm overwhelmed and I feel like its too much, its too hard.  They have so many issues before they even come.  (see why a psychologist is so important?)

I listened to a sermon this morning that spoke directly to the discouragement that it is so easy to feel in the light of such an overwhelming Spiritual battle.  And I was so encouraged to focus on God's faithfulness.  HE has put this ministry in place.  HE has enabled us to work here.  And HE has already shown us fruit from what He wants to accomplish.  So I look at that faithfulness in the past and remember His promise that He never changes and I trust that He is so much bigger than physical and Spiritual oppression.  His is the victory!

God's People, the Church

As the people of God, the bride of Christ, we are far from perfect.  A few weeks ago I challenged the girls in Bible study to have to come up with an answer to a non-Christian who asks them why the church is so full of sin if these are supposedly God's people.  They really struggled with the answer, and I don't blame them.  Its hard to wrap your head around until you realize that the goal of Christianity is not being perfect and following all of God's rules.  The Lord is so much more concerned with our humility, recognizing our sin, fighting to know more and more of Him, and allowing the Holy Spirit to change us.  And change is hard, and sometimes slow.  And sometimes our sin nature fights awfully hard to hold on to us... but we have hope since we know that Jesus always wins!

But regardless, I love the church.  In spite of all of its imperfection, flawed leadership, and struggles.  I have learned more about Jesus through His people than anywhere else.  Through the teaching of His Word first and foremost, but also through fellow believers.  I have learned so much about grace, patience, hospitality, forgiveness, and and and...

I tell you all of this to say that I think the local church is a huge part of our ministry at Puerta de Esperanza... not because its perfect, but because we need the teaching of the Word and the fellowship with God's people.  And the truth is, its hard to find a good church around here and sometimes I get worried when the girls are off on their own and looking for a church.  But I trust this... God's Word never goes out void, so if they are studying His Word, He will speak to them.

Why am I writing this today?  Well... I am taking one of our new potential girls to church with us tonight to try it and see what she thinks.  She will commit to attend church regularly if she comes to live at the home, so its important for her to see if she will be able to do that.  I hope she falls in love with Jesus, and also with learning about Him in that setting.  AND I talked to M last night, the one who moved back to Tegucigalpa with a chip on her shoulder towards the Lord and told me she was done with Him.  Well, she just can't get Jesus out of her mind and she's been watching pastors on TV and reading her Bible and is going to start looking for a church tomorrow.

So I pray that they will love the church the way I do... in all its imperfections.  That they will love Jesus first and then want to be part of His people worshiping together.

Possibilities

Today I am meeting with two girls who are interested in PDE.  One is about 5 months pregnant and the other has a baby around 1 1/2 or 2 years old.  They are both from the area here in La Ceiba and both have expressed real interest in coming.  I am really asking the Lord for wisdom to know if they are a good fit to come and live with us!  I always enjoy this part of meeting new girls for the first time and starting the process of getting to know them.  But its also hard b/c they tend to say a lot of what they think I want to hear instead of really what is on their hearts.

I also am really burdened about moving them into the home before we have a psychologist to work with us.  I have two leads on potential psychologists, but as of now still haven't gotten to speak to either one of them yet.  Can you please pray with me that God will provide there perfect person to come alongside us in this way?  The need is so great...

Also last week we did a two day training with our house moms and Lyssa and Amy were both able to join us for that time.  It was very Gospel-centered, encouraging us to show the same love, mercy, and grace that we have received from the Lord to these girls as they enter the home.  There are so many situations with them where patience and compassion are so very hard.  But we know that it is worth it to fight to love them well and show them Jesus as much as we can.  I would love to share more later on about what we've learned and how we are going to try to put it into practice.  We also are starting a new chores sheet / budget chart this week with C to see how its going to work out before we get new girls in the house.  Basically we're growing and changing and trying to use what the Lord has taught us over the last few years to make this home even more successful.

Thanks for reading, for caring about this ministry, for your prayers and your partnership!

Money Money Money

One of the hardest parts for me about being a missionary is finances.  Keeping good records of how we spend money, being good stewards of the money that is given to us, raising support, and always the giant step of faith that it takes to not freak out when I look at our account and there just isn't quite enough there.  I think that God has been trying to teach me for four years now that I don't have to stress about money, that freaking out doesn't really help anything :)  Its a hard lesson for me to learn.

But this is me, not freaking out :)  This is me asking you to consider if you can partner with us at this time financially.  We still need 32 supporters at $100/month in order to be fully funded.  This is daunting, but I know that its possible.  And it happens through people like you who give $200/month if you have it, or $20/month if that's what you have.

Would you please consider if this may be the way that God is calling you to answer the Great Commission?  I cannot tell you how thankful we are for our financial partners.  I am so aware that C, Y, G, M, K, B, and M would not have had the chance to hear the Gospel faithfully on a daily basis, study, learn how to be moms, eat healthy, and see the examples of the house moms following Jesus... without your help and support.

Being currently underfunded, every month eats away at the surplus that we had in our account at the beginning of the year.  That will not last us much longer and then we will be in the red if we don't have the monthly support coming in that we need.

If you would like to give you can contact me at ssinnes@gmail.com.  Or use one of the following methods... with our account number 92413

http://www.mtw.org/Pages/GIVE_FAQ.aspx

 or mail a check to

Mission to the World

P.O. Box 2589

Suwanee, GA 30024-0982

Also if you think your church would like to support us or be interested, please send me the missions committee contact and I will gladly be in touch with them!

Good conversation

It was just supposed to be a time for her to learn my name...

Lyssa has had her eye on this girl for a few weeks.  15 years old and 4 months pregnant... she lives with her family, but its rough situation.  Others on our team have had their eyes on this family because of malnutrition, suspected abuse, drug use, and other issues.  You can tell that K is a tough act from the first time you meet her.  I met her about a year ago one day when she was just hanging out with Lyssa, but we didn't know that she would remember me.

I sat down next to her this morning while she waited for her ultrasound.  I made some small talk, asked her about her baby, work, life, her family... and we chatted.  You can tell she wants someone to listen.  Her friendship with Lyssa has been off and on because of her off and on personality, but you can tell that she respects her a great deal.  As we got to talking I shared about Puerta de Esperanza.  I wasn't going to... Lyssa was going to bring it up in a few weeks whenever it seemed natural because she was pretty sure the conversation wouldn't go well.  But as I shared about where I work and what we do, I didn't make it about her, but she said, "I would like to live in a place like that".  Really?  Would you?  

She brought her mom over, we chatted and we'll continue to chat some more.

Please pray for K as she potentially could be our next girl at PDE.  Pray that she has wisdom and really makes a clear-headed decision.  I know that she is a hard personality, both from stories, and because she told me this morning :)  But honestly, I love that up-front honesty so much more than someone who misbehaves when no one is looking.  These are the girls that steal my heart and I want so badly to see God work in them.  After she told me that she can be terrible to her mom and gets angry really quickly I was able to share with her that I believe that God changes us from the inside out and that she needs Jesus before she will be able to stop her anger.  She listened.  I would love for her to one day know Jesus! :)

More than we can Handle

These past few days I've been thinking about that phrase that floats around often in Christian circles... "God will never give you more than you can handle".  I think that it comes, mistakenly, from 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."  This actually doesn't ever say that you will not be given more than you can handle... it just speaks to temptation and that God, through His Holy Spirit, has provided you with the strength that you need to not give in to temptation.  Being a new creation in Christ, you now have the strength to stand up under temptation and endure!  You are no longer a slave to your sin and the temptations that Satan throws your way.There are, however, many other situations in which we will find ourselves overwhelmed and feeling exceptionally unprepared.  The first of which in my life is my very salvation.  As we have been studying through Romans with the girls we have talked a lot about the law and that the very law that would bring life, if you could possibly follow it, really brought death because it showed us how deep our sin really runs and how little we can actually do to try to earn our way to God.  These words from Shane and Shane's song, "Beg" have been running through my head.

I'm haunted by my God
Who has the right to ask me
What by the nature
Of my rebellion I cannot give

From the beginning of our walk with the Lord he gives us something that we cannot handle.  To be in His presence, He demands perfection, holiness... and I, by the nature of my sinful rebellion, will never be able to give that to Him.  So I needed help, a rescuer, and He sent me Jesus.  The first of many things that I could not handle.

How about moving to the mission field and feeling the call to start a girls' home for young single moms when I didn't even speak Spanish?  God gave me something I could not handle and then provided the help that I needed at just the point when I needed it.  He was reminding me that this ministry belonged to Him and not to me, that He is the one that is building it and sustaining it.


How about when my girls, or as I like to call them my emotionally unstable adult children, end up in a shouting match or a punching match or making death threats to each other.  I would like to go on record as saying that I am unprepared to handle discipline with these girls.  I do it every day.  But how do you gracefully, yet lovingly, yet firmly, figure out how to discipline girls who have never had rules in their lives and don't even know the first thing about what is looks like to love and respect someone?  I swear that there are moments where the Holy Spirit just speaks because I go into a situation having no idea what I'm going to say and then its handled by the time I leave.  Another thing on the long list of things I can't handle.


And in my family?  Marrying into being a mom of three children was not something that was on my radar just a few short years ago.  Dealing with their backgrounds and teaching them English and trying to lovingly point them to Jesus day after day.  I obviously can't handle it because there are days that I don't do a very good job.  And yet the Lord is right there reminding me that they are HIS and it is His job to handle it.


So... lets just dispel the myth that we will never have more on our plate than we can handle.  And instead lets embrace the truth that we are never alone to walk through these things on our own strength.  This ministry, my family, my salvation........  these things belong to the Lord.


I will leave you with one of my favorite verses of all time..."He is before ALL things and in HIM all things hold together."  Colossians 1:17

answered prayers

Yesterday I called around checking in on all of our now former PDE girls.  Before M left the home I reminded her that she was taking a Bible with her and although I knew she wasn't interested in the Lord, I was going to pray EVERY DAY that she would see her Bible and God would give her the desire to open it.  Well, when I called her yesterday I talked to her mom for awhile first.  When I asked how she was behaving her mom answered, "I don't know what's in that Bible she brought back with her, but she reads it every day and writes down all kinds of stuff in her notebook."  WHAT?!?  Awesome.  M confirmed that she has been reading verses and writing them down in her notebook to remember them. 

I am so thankful that God is not limited to places and times, but goes with these girls and keeps prompting them towards Himself.  Please pray that M will come to know Jesus.