The Journey

Stigma 17 Nov 2008, 12:29 pm

Stigma. It is a short word with a lot of meaning. Every former prostitute feels it. Every trafficked woman knows what it is. When people know who these women are and what they have been, they suddenly have an invisible scarlet "A" covering them.

We'd like to think that as Christians we are above it, but the truth is, we are not really sure if we can love some people, their ideas or positions. We put a stigma on them.

So it is in the Home of Hope. Staff come in excited to minister for God, but that stigma exists. They are not sure if they can really love the women fully. Can they really deal with someone who has lived such an awful life even if it was not their choice?

And they in turn are stigmatized by other believers for working with such women. Shouldn't they just be left alone?

"Christ's love compels us" (2 Cor 5:14) Please pray for our staff at home of hope. As they are fighting through issues they thought they'd resolved. They are fighting through issues of stigma. They are fighting through issues of love.

Philippians 1:9 says, "This is my prayer for you, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight."

I'm praying for the staff at the Home of Hope that their love may abound. That Christ's love would compel them and give them a love for the women and children that they can not have within themselves.

This is tough work and we thought all the first difficulties would be with the women entering the home, but we now realize there is a lot for the staff to overcome. The staff is made up of some amazing and called women. God will use them. Please pray that God continues to fill them with His love and compel them to his service.

Source: The Journey | NancyR

Friends 9 Nov 2008, 12:36 pm

This week is emotional for our entire family. We have been blessed by great friendships in Moldova. In particular is a family, the Dommerholts, who are Dutch and have been in Moldova 4 years. This coming Friday, October 14, they leave Moldova for good. They have done the work they came to do and we are all sad to see them go.

They have 3 daughters, just the ages of our daughters. We connected when they first came to Moldova 4 years ago. Having 6 girls who all are paired has only made for wonderful fellowship. The girls play and adults visit. We have shared many meals, enjoyed cups of coffee, had times of prayer,and played numerous games together. They have called the same Moldovan church "home" as we have these past years and I can't count the number of times the girls have spent the night at our home. Our families have truly connected.

So this week one girl after another comes to us in tears, mourning the leaving of their friend. This morning in church as Fulco and Jeanine shared about their time in Moldova, the reality hit me that they leave this week.

This is a request of a more personal nature, but please pray that the peace of God would be over all of us and that the God of all comfort would comfort the girls, especially, this week as we say goodbye to the Dommerholt family.

Source: The Journey | NancyR

Adjusting 5 Nov 2008, 11:58 am

We are all adjusting to life and work at the Home of Hope. I still feel I'm so blessed with a great staff. They have stepped up to touch these women.

Today I ask you once again to pray for them. They are tired. Adjusting is never easy. We are learning to communicate with the girls and they do not always know how to communicate with us.

Ask God's continued blessing and renewal on their lives. They are working hard, but this work can be discouraging.

In the months before the home opened, we had different groups that walked through the home and one thing that was said many times is, "Today I prayed for peace over this house, over these beds."

Tonight I sat with one of the women in the home after a rough day. We talked about some pretty tough things and as we talked I felt such a peace in that room and I was grateful for all those who'd prayed for peace in the home. God does care for and love these women. His peace is resting upon the home.

Source: The Journey | NancyR

Where things are 3 Nov 2008, 12:28 pm

Thanks for your prayers as we've begun the real work at the Home of Hope. Please keep us in your prayers in the next few days, specifically tomorrow.

We have two women and three children in the home right now. One woman, who was supposed to come into the home this week, ended up in the hospital. We took her 2 children rather than them being put into an orphanage.

As I sat with the women today, they are so sad, so needy. And we have so much to do. Please pray for wisdom for us. Up to this point we've had a lot of theory. But now we have the practical and we need to figure out quickly how to begin to help these women.

There are a myriad of little details to work out, like getting the kids to their the kindergarten each day. And there are a lot of big details to work out.

Please just keep us in prayer this week as the home and staff come together. Please pray for wisdom for us in all we do.

Thanks.

Source: The Journey | NancyR

Listen to our hearts 28 Oct 2008, 12:05 pm

I drove to the short term shelter again today with Elena, our project manager. Today two women were ready to go with us. With little fanfare we met them and they loaded into the car with us to head home. For Elena and me it was an emotional time.

As we drove home we talked. One of the girls speaks only Russian, so Elena translated when they asked me questions. Mostly they talked together with Elena.

We took them to the home, showed them around, welcomed them to our home--their new home.

A song has been in my heart this afternoon and evening. It is a song I sang several times many years ago. It is early Steven Curtis Chapman.

"How do you explain? How do you describe?
A love that goes from east to west and runs as deep as it is wide
You know all our hopes Lord, you know all our fears
And words cannot express the love we feel
But we long for You to hear
So listen to our hearts.
Hear our spirits sing.
A song of praise that flows
from those you have redeemed.
We will use the words we know
to tell you what an awesome God you are,
but words are not enough
to tell you of our love
so listen to our hearts."

This sums up how I feel today and how so many who have prayed, feel. We don't have the words to express, but I'm so grateful to the Lord for leading us in this work. Yes, the work has only begun, but God is leading us.

Please pray for Aliona and her daughter Sabrina and pray for Irina as they settle into the home this week. Pray for Deanna who will join us with her daughters next week. And praise God for the work he has done.

Source: The Journey | NancyR