Engaged

It was late at night, and while most of the house was in quiet slumber, she had been in her room alone--with Him.  I knocked on her door and she welcomed me in.  She was sitting happily in her chair, Bible and journal open before her.  Her eyes and face shone as she exclaimed, 

I'm engaged!  

My eyes wide-eyed in wonder, I wanted to know the story. With the passion of a madly in love school girl, Valentine shared how it had happened.  

It had started earlier that day when she'd gone on a run in the countryside.  She saw a gray, heart shaped stone, and passed it by.  Then, as if He wanted to make sure she got the hint, she saw another bigger, heart shaped stone--but this time with a reddish hue.  She then received what was like a personal text message from the One she was falling hard for:  

I LOVE YOU

Hours later, sun already long gone, she was moved to the mirror in her bedroom.  She looked intently.  Instead of shame, she saw beauty.  She saw herself the way He sees her, and she believed it--she believed Him.

She said,

It was like Jesus 
took me to the mirror,
and said,

"Look how beautiful you are!
 I love you!
 Will you marry Me?"

And I said, 

"Yes, of course!"

A fallen woman.
A dirty woman.

Now dressed in white,
in the splendor of His Glory.  

Once muddied, 
now fit to be married.

The Big Day will be on Easter Sunday.
Valentine's getting B A P T I Z E D ! 

"And until that day, 
 I want to prepare myself 
 to be His bride."

Glorious! 
and still every bit of 
A S T O U N D I N G 

...

"My heat is stirred 
  by a noble theme
  as I recite my verses for the King:

  At Your right hand is the royal bride--

  Listen, O daughter,
  consider and give ear:
  Forget your people
  and your father's house. 

  The King is enthralled by your beauty;
  honor Him, for He is your Lord.  

   All glorious
   is the princess within her chamber; 
   her gown is interwoven with gold. 
   In embroidered garments 
   she is led to the King."  

    --from Psalm 45: 1, 9, 10-11, 13-14

Astounded

The lyrics below keep running through my mind, and my soul is singing on behalf of what is taking place right now in our new guest Valentine.  I've changed the words a bit to fit her circumstance.  Click here if you'd like to listen to the song as well, and sing it on her behalf. 

Astounded, astounded 
That Your gospel beckoned me her
Surrounded, surrounded 
But I've she's never been so free
Determined, determined 
Now to live this life for You
You're so worthy 
My Her greatest gift 
Would be the least You're due

This will be my her story
This will be my her song
You'll always be my her Savior.
Jesus You will always have my her heart 
--Befriended by Matt Redman

ASTOUNDED

tr.v.  a·stound·ed

overwhelmed with amazement;

astonished greatly;

shocked with wonder or surprise

Valentine
has now been here for one week.  Only one word keeps coming to mind the past few days about what I'm getting to witness first hand take place in her life: a s t o u n d e d.  

I am completely, in every sense of the word, astounded.  I am overwhelmed with amazement, and shocked with wonder at the work of God in Valentine's life in just one short week.  Let me fill you in with a little background first, and then I will share why I am walking around filled with uncontainable JOY about what's going on in her life.  

I knew

that one day she would come.  I hoped she would come--but really, I knew in my heart, one day she would be here with us.  

  

I didn't expect 

that she would be our first guest, and that her heart would be so hungry for the Lord.  

I knew 
that in the process of her being here, that she would come to know Jesus, and that she would change as He healed her devastated heart.  I knew these things.  

I didn't expect 
it to happen so quickly, I guess...within the first days of her being here.  Or so dramatically, and radically.  

Valentine 
was the top money maker in the brothel that I used to visit once a week.  She was the prettiest, the sought after one.  

Valentine 
was the one that turned away clients when I visited her, because, well, she was the girl in the brothel that had the option to pick and choose her customers.  

Valentine 
was also her p!mp's prized girl (at that time, it would be more accurate to say she was his prized possession).  I knew she had power in the brothel.  I saw her take control of certain situations, and just knew--this girl rules the roost.  

Nevertheless, out of all of the girls in the brothel, she was the one with whom I had the most favor.  She was the one who welcome me into her room at night.  She would close her door, and stop working, so we could talk and pray.  

I knew that she truly believed in Jesus.  I knew that Jesus was changing her heart.  I could see it.  But then, out of nowhere, she was gone.  After a year of seeing her almost every week, she was trafficked to another city.  This is typical in this business--never anywhere for too long (I consider it only the grace of God that we even had an entire year together).  Her p!mp decided it was time to go, and she would do what he said.  No time for goodbyes.  

Not knowing yet that he had taken her, I showed up one night to celebrate her birthday.  I had made her a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting, as that was her request.  I came with a new Bible, and with a handmade book I had made for her.  I was so excited to celebrate this special occasion with her.  I approached Valentine's room and was met by new girls standing in her doorway, telling me with as much pity as they could muster, "Sorry, she's working in another city."  I fought tears as they streamed down my face.  I knew that I wouldn't see her for a long time.  

Thankfully, Valentine had my email.  Over the next two years, when she was desperate for help, she would write, and ask for prayer.  We stayed in touch.  

Jesus continued to pursue her.  I received an email one time from her, describing a very vivid dream that she had had, of seeing the face of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  She said she was filled with joy, and that in the dream that she saw me, and said, "Look in the sky, it's Jesus!" and I said, "Yes, He loves you."  I knew He was continuing the good work He had begun in her.   

Months later I received an email telling me that she had run away from her p!mp and that she was trying to start a new life. She had a regular job, but was struggling daily with flashbacks of all she had suffered--not just from the job itself, but of being beaten and brainwashed consistently by the man who said he loved her.  

You like what you do!

You are a stupid woman!

You will never be anything more than a ________!  

Finally, again, by the grace of God, she had had enough.  She escaped from him.  She ran as far away as she could, and was in hiding for months before she contacted me.  

After months of prayer, she, and we, knew it was the right timing.  She was ready to do whatever it took to have Jesus heal her of all she'd experienced.  We booked her flight, and on Valentine's Day she arrived. She had warned me before on the phone, "I'm very different now than I was before.  I don't think you'll recognize me.  I don't wear make-up anymore, and I've gained weight, and my hair is different..."  

When I picked her up at the airport, she DID look different.  I had to truly study her face to know that it was her, and almost force myself to walk up to her, because honestly, she looked like death.  That was 7 days ago.  Now, she has come to life.

Astounding.  

I don't even know where to start except at the Name of JESUS.  Jesus has prepared her for this time and place.  He truly went ahead of her and leveled every mountain that could be in her way.  He had wooed her over these past three years, and she was ready, totally ready for whatever it was she needed to do to have Him heal her.  She has given him her heart, and is falling in love with Him.  

Valentine 
is now
smiling
singing
glowing

She is 
reading God's Word and it's coming alive to her

She is 
praying passionately for her family to know Jesus

She is
beaming with light and life and joy

Valentine 
is now saying things like

I'm filled with the Holy Spirit!

I'm like a flower, opening, and coming to life!

The only man I want in my life is JESUS!

Praise the Lord!

Halleluja! 

I want to go upstairs and 
read my Bible right now, is that okay?

I can't wait to go to church! 

And I see her with my eyes
and I hear what she says with my ears,

and I get all big-eyed,
and put my hand over my mouth 
to cover the drop of my jaw,
and I smile ear to ear
as I shake my head
in a daze of utter wonder and bewilderment.  

Like
come on, 
this is not REALLY happening right now 
in front of my eyes, is it?!
Is this really 
Valentine?

The girl I once knew?
The girl I picked up just one week ago?
The girl that cried and cried and cried
the first day of being here, 
as she told me what she'd been endured
the past three years?

I am Astounded.  Shocked.  
Wonder. Fully. Surprised.  

At her
At His work in her
At Him
At His showing off of Himself
at what He can do in her
in such a short time.

And it's like He's saying,

You think this is BIG stuff?
You haven't seen nothin' yet.  

Tomorrow's VALENTINE

Tomorrow afternoon 
comes our long awaited VALENTINE.

Years of dreams will be answered 
the minute she walks through our doors.  The thought of the grandness of this moment brings me to humble tears.  It is monumental, for sure--for us, and for her, more importantly.  

Yes, we have had many guests in our home 
the past 2 years--but tomorrow marks the first time that the reason that this home and ministry was built comes to fruition:  for women escaping the lifestyle of prostitut!on to find healing, hope and a future--as they come to know JESUS.

What has not gone unnoticed 
is that she is arriving on Valentine's Day.  Interesting that this dear one has spent years giving her heart and soul and body to men who have not loved her--but rather have done the opposite.  Oh, how our sweet Savior must have wept for her, time and time again, for all that she experienced. 

Yet tomorrow begins 
a new day for her--to meet Jesus in a real and personal way. To get to KNOW Him for the first time in her life--and to fall in love with the only Man who deserves her full heart and soul and body, 100%.  A Man, and God at the same time, who will treat her with all the love and dignity and respect she's always deserved.  A Man who will redeem her, restore her, heal her, and call her Beloved.  

It is the deep desire of my heart 
that this dear one truly comes to know Him as the Savior of the world, and of her weary soul.  May she say YES to Him, and to the pure love He has to offer her.  

I heard this song today 
while in the car, and again, came to tears at the thought of her arrival, and how perfect the words fit: 

Weak and wounded sinner

Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

        --from a beautiful, beautiful 

         Untitled Hymn by Chris Rice

May this dear one, 
who I will now refer to as VALENTINE, 
become forever His.  

Never Say Never

Never
did he ever think
that she would one day leave.

Never 
did he even fathom
that his girlfriend,
his top money maker slave,
would one day have enough.

Never 
did he believe
that the one he'd beaten to the ground,
time and time again,
would one day get up off that ground
and walk right out the door. 

Never
did he even consider
that his brainwashing,
his cruel twisting of words,
telling lies of her worth,
would one day be held up
to the Truth that would set her free.

Never.

Never
did she ever think
that she would do such a thing for love.

Never
did she even fathom
what would become of her 
for loving him
and trying to provide for her family.

Never 
did she even consider
leaving him,
or stopping doing 
that which was killing her--
body, heart and soul. 

Never 
did she ever expect,
or believe she even deserved,
to be forgiven for what she'd done,
to be given a second chance,
to be offered new life, and pure love.
For yes, she had welcomed the part
and didn't fight the hands that held her.

Never.

Until she met Him.

With Him, 
it was ALWAYS.

It was always His plan to love her.
It was always His plan to redeem her.
It was always His plan to set her free.

It was always His plan 
to save her,
to forgive her,
to cleanse her, 
and to give her the gift of faith,
and the seed of h o p e in her heart,
that would one day grow big enough 
to grant her the wisdom and strength
to say GOODBYE to him
and HELLO to Him

Hello to 
new life
and hope
and healing
and to a whole new world 
of truth and love and beauty.

Never Say Never.

***Our guest is scheduled to arrive mid-February.  
      Rejoice with us, but for those who are so led, 
      please join us in fervent prayer for this dear one as well.  
      Thank you so much! 

Surprised by Joy

A few weeks ago it was our honor to be surprised by some big time JOY.

To set up the scene, you need to know a few things.  These amazing two homes of ours have been graciously given to us for our work, rent-free, by K.  K inherited the homes and property from his Jesus-loving parents, after his father died unexpectedly of a heart attack about three years ago.  The land and houses were too much work for K's mother alone, and thus, his early inheritance.  K's father built these two homes, which previously were part of our next door neighbor's farm, into what they are today.  Up until 1989, the small house was a pigsty, and the big house was the barn for the cows and horses. 

K has a sister, who is very excited about and supportive of our work here in her parents' former home, and she came to visit us last fall with her then fourteen year old daughter, who I will call Lovely.  We spent the day making jam together, and by the end of the day I had invited Lovely to come and stay with us for a week if she'd ever want to.  Months later she said yes, and about a month ago in July, she came.  She had just turned fifteen.  

Lovely's main reason to come and stay with us was so that she could better her English.  

She, and we all, were surprised 
at what the Lord had in mind instead.

Funny, but weeks before Lovely's arrival, different people began to ask me the same question, at different times:  

So when are you expecting your next guest?

My answer:

We have no idea.  The Lord has been faithful to bring us the guests we've already had, and I know He will bring our next guest at the perfect time.  I mean, we have a teenager coming at the end of July for a week to better her English, but other than that, really, we have no idea when our next guest will come...

Little did any of us know or even expect 
what He had in store for her, and for us all.

Because I did not see Lovely as a guest the Lord was truly bringing to our home, but rather saw her visit through a different lens,  I did not plan to talk with her purposely about Jesus, or to read the Bible daily with her, as I have done with our previous guests.  I just figured we would spend a lot of time together at the local lake with the children, swimming and enjoying summer days.  Which we did, by the way.  

But there was more.  
I think with Jesus, there is always, more.  

On the third day of her visit, she came to sit with me on a bench that overlooks our garden.  It was twilight, and the children were playing on the grass before us.  A perfect summer day was coming to its end.  Then she gave me a gift, a surprise.  She said something like,

I was just up in my bedroom, and I had a special experience.  I was looking out the window, and I began to pray.  I was thanking God for this home, this place, this land, and this beauty.  And I began to cry.  And I told Jesus that I wanted to give Him my whole heart, not just part of it.

I sat there dumbstruck.  That was not what I was expecting to hear, at all.   She proceeded to tell me later that night, while we sat in our pajamas on her bed, about her life.  She told me about how meaningful this home is to her--this home that her grandfather's hands had built.  She told me of the summers she had spent here, and how it was still too painful for her older sister to return to see it, as the last time she had been here was her grandfather's funeral.  Lovely told me how much she had loved her grandfather, and how she had cried for months after his (seemingly) untimely death.  

Lovely told me that although she'd believed in God since she was a child, it had never been more than that.  She had had no desire to know Him more.  She thought the Bible was a boring book, and that praying at meals was a waste of time.  

Then The God of This Place surprised her.  

Seemingly out of nowhere, she met Him in her room while praying and overlooking the fields.  She didn't expect this to happen--it just happened, and she welcomed it, and Him, into her whole heart.  Astounding.  After shedding tears while sharing about her grandfather, she said something to me like,

I wish he could be here now, to see what you are using this home for.  I think he'd be so happy with what you are doing here, and I think he'd be so happy that I have given my heart to Jesus.  

She ended with,

I'm just SO HAPPY.  

The thought of how the angels,  
and her grandfather,  in heaven 
must have been rejoicing at that moment 
still brings me to tears.  

K told us the first day that we met him and saw these homes, that it was always his father's dream to use these homes for God's work and for His people.  Little did anyone ever guess that the hands that built these homes would one day be used years later to bring a certain granddaughter of his to salvation.  

It was more than interesting to me that Lovely gave her heart to Jesus on that July summer night.  Earlier that day, I'd had the impression that I should ask Lovely if she would be willing to begin to read the Bible with me each day, reading the Gospel of John (remember, reading the Bible with her during her stay was not in my previous plans).  She answered with an enthusiastic yes.  She said she'd brought her Bible with her--that she'd never read--and that she was excited to give it a try.  

Prepare yourself for another surprise.

On the third day of our reading together, after reading John Chapter 3 (remember, it's where Nicodemus asks Jesus how and why a man must be born again, and Jesus replies how you must be born of water and the Spirit?), Lovely asked,

Is there any way that I can 
get baptized 
before I go home?  

Sure enough, on her last Sunday at our home (really, it's HIS home), Lovely was baptized.  Here to join in her special day were both of her parents, her sister, K, her uncle, and her grandmother. 

After singing some worship, my husband asked Lovely to share with everyone why she wanted to get baptized.  She simply told a dead-quiet room her story--her experience of how she gave her heart to Jesus in the room upstairs, and how for the first time in her life the Bible had come alive to her, and...

Her sharing was interrupted by K bursting into a sob, who was filled with so much emotion he could no longer contain it.  All eyes went to him.  He excused himself and said, "I'm sorry, I need to get a tissue."  Lovely's father added, "Then bring the whole box back with you," and as we looked 'round the room, there was not a dry eye in sight. 

Who would have ever thought?

That from heartbreaking death, there would one day be life.
From ashes, beauty.  
That JOY would most assuredly come in the morning,
in the most surprising of ways. 

MORE

"God can do anything,

 you know--

far MORE

 than you could ever imagine

 or guess or request

 in your wildest dreams!" 

ephesians 3:20, the Message

as some of you may remember from my post Expecting, in january we welcomed our second long term guest.  she stayed with us for almost two months, and left for home the other day.  i've been antsy to write this post, because i'm so excited to share with you what the Lord did in her life that i'm about to jump out of my skin! can you tell?!?

to remind you, this dear one came broken, yet expecting. 

she came here expecting God to do great things in her life.

she even told her friends back home,

just you wait and see.

when i come home,

i will come back changed. 

i will  be a completely different person. 

i tear up as i write this. i can't help but cry at the goodness of our God.  He answered her prayers--her wild expectations--BIG time!  she DID go home a completely different person!  He gave her exceedingly MORE than all she expected, hoped for or could even imagine.  and we had the honor of watching it all happen, right in front of our eyes.  a-maz-ing!!!

"Now to Him

who is able

to do immeasurably MORE

than all we ask or imagine...

to Him be the glory..." 

ephesians 3:20, NIV

let's take a look at what a few of her expectations were...

She was expecting... HIM

to meet her
to heal her
to speak to her

to redeem her
to change her

okay...so...

• HE met her.   just where she was. He knew exactly where and how to find her, and how exactly to relate just to her.  He lavished her with His love, and melted her heart.  and better yet, she met Him!  she came to know the truth of who He is, and who she is in Him!  she said, He's the best man I've ever given my heart to.  can you even stand it?!

• HE healed her. oh, how He healed her!  He healed her and set her free from years and years of pain and shame.  she had no idea how He would do it, but He did it! and He went deep, and did a thorough excavation of her heart of hearts.  she told us, filled with such peace and joy, and with a huge smile on her face,  I'm going home, well and whole.  does it get any better than that?!

• HE spoke to her.  for the first time in her life, she heard His voice.  she read His Word and said it was like a love letter written just for her.  like a sheep knows its shepherd's voice, she came to know His sweet, sweet voice.  (i am trying not to start crying again at His goodness)

• HE redeemed her.  Jesus truly saved this dear one.  He saved her!  He rescued her from the pit and set her firmly upon the Rock, Himself!  He gave her new life, filled with more love than she ever thought possible.  filled with LOVE!

• HE changed her.  yes, He totally, undeniably did.  the girl that we once knew left here a completely different person.  she came broken--she left whole.  she came fearful--she left full of peace and joy.  she came ashamed--she left assured, of God's total and complete forgiveness and love and amazing grace.  when she would talk about Jesus, her face would light up a room.  her eyes sparkled, her skin radiated, her smile captivated.  this girl was brought back from death to life--but not just life--abundant life!!!

and what's MORE...

is that she left for home, not just saved and totally changed, but baptized!  in her daily reading (we read the Gospel of John), she came to the conclusion that she needed to be baptized.  it just so happens that my husband is a pastor, so baptizing her was no problem!  we actually did it here at our home.  we invited all of her new friends from our church and women's bible study.  we had a big slumber party on a saturday night, and sunday morning at 9am, she was baptized!  since it's still winter here with snow on the ground, we actually baptized her in a blow up pool, right in our living room.  it was beautiful!!! i wish i could show you a picture of her face when she came up out of the water, because her smile says it all.  (as you may have noticed, for our guests' and family's safety and privacy, i don't post pictures of faces). 

here she is, all robed in pure white,
right after she was dunked!
we were praying for her at this moment.
notice her ring, that was our gift to her,
inscribed with 2 Corinthians 5:17,
 "...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 
The old has gone, the new has come!"



and what's even MORE...

is that she became family to us.

we cooked and baked and cleaned together.

we sat in front of the fire at night,

and told stories, and laughed hard.

we took the kids sledding in the snow.

we did life together for two months,

and it was a joy.

it was better, more wonderful...

it was MORE!

than any of us thought that it would be.

isn't that just like our Jesus?

she came expecting Him to do great things, and He did.  but He did so much MORE than she, or i, i must admit, could have ever hoped for.  many times we were both in awe at the wonders He was doing in her life, every day she was here.  we'd just look at each other, smile, and shake our heads in unbelief.  and what's awesome, is that it was all HIM.  i can't take any credit for any it--all i and we did was open our home, and do our small part.  all she did was come, expecting. and HE, He did it all.  all for His glory, and all because of His great, extravagant love for her--His princess bride.

* * *

let's believe Him for MORE,

dear friends!

M O R E!

than all we could ever hope for our imagine!

even in our wildest dreams...

Appleina

Appleina, as I have nicknamed her, is part of our church.  She is new to Jesus and is passionate about coming to know Him better.  We invited her out to our home a few months ago to get to know her better, and she has returned again and again--and we expect more visits to come. 

We love this girl.  As I told her a few weeks ago, "You're easy for me."  She said, "What do you mean?" I said, "I mean, you're just easy for me--to get along with, to be with.  I like you.  You make me laugh and smile.  You're easy."  She thanked me and smiled.  Appleina.

I gave her her cheery nickname because we have a grove of apple trees, and during each of her visits she has climbed the trees, with joy, and has gathered apples, apples and more apples.  Then she methodically cuts them into small pieces, simmers them in water and cinnamon, and fills the house with a wondrous smell as she makes apple sauce.  The climbing and gathering, cutting and creating--she says it's like therapy for her.   

Since Appleina is new to Jesus, she's full of questions, and we always have good, deep conversation.  When she's here with us, we read a chapter of the Bible together each day and share our thoughts.  She is intelligent and has taken her commitment to Him seriously.  She has counted the cost and has thrown herself at His feet, and it's such a privilege to be part of her life right now--to be able to watch it all happen before our eyes.  She is struggling with everything in her to leave the habits of her old lifestyle behind--and is trusting that the ways of Jesus are far better than any high of this world.  But it's not easy. 

During her last visit, she asked me if I could help her find some Bible verses that mention how God sees her--who He says she is--as she wants to fill herself with such truth.  I was immediately reminded of a Bible verse that had come to my mind earlier that day to share with her, and so I did:

God's Word says that you are...

The Apple of His Eye

...which means that you are at the very center of His affection.  Like the pupil is at the center of the eye, you are at the very center of His love, and His desire is for you. 

Please pray for Appleina, and for her to continue to follow hard after her new Savior.  Her old life that was destructive to others and to herself is fighting hard to keep her...but we know that He who has called her by name is full of love, and is faithful.

"Show the wonder of Your great love,
   You who save by Your right hand
   those who take refuge in You from their foes.

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; 

  hide me in the shadow of Your wings
  from the wicked who assail me,
  from my mortal enemies who surround me." 

                                --Psalm 17: 7-9

***And yes, the apples above were handpicked
       by you know who :)

Preparation

We are most definitely in a season of preparation here.  The Lord is paving the way for the women He will bring one day, and He's doing it in the most amazing of ways.


We, as a family, have settled into our new home and surroundings, and absoultely LOVE this new life out in the countryside that the Lord has given us.  We have to pinch ourselves sometimes that this dream really became a reality, and that this beautiful home is ours.  It is crazy.  Crazy good.


We have spent the last weeks unpacking and organizing, sanding and painting, weeding and pruning.  We are getting ready for our girls.  Preparing for their arrival. 


Little did we know that He was going to prepare us in a different way--with our first long term guest.


Faith, I will call her, is the daugther of one my dearest friends.  She is 23 and is from the States.  Faith had heard about the house the Lord had given us, and emailed to ask if she could come and help us get settled in.  She said "I just want to help you in any way I can. I'll cook, I'll clean, I'll paint, help with the kids, anything!"  She was supposed to be here for two weeks.  She will now be here for two months.  About a week after she was here, we all felt like she was supposed to stay longer--until the work was done.  Not the work we're doing on the house...but a Greater Work that He has been doing in her heart. 

You see, Faith came here without faith or hope in our Living God.  Although she grew up in a Christian family, she never accepted Him as her own.  Rather, she rebelled, and wanted nothing to do with Jesus.  Coming here, she still knew that she wanted nothing to do with Jesus--she simply wanted to help us.  However, God had other plans for her. 

The first night she was here, I asked her if she'd be open to reading a chapter of the Bible every day.  We would read one chapter, write in our journals about it, and then come together each morning to discuss it. I felt very strongly that we should read Romans.  She said yes.  Not only did we read all of Romans; we have now read 1 Corinthians and are now reading Ephesians.  This is HUGE, because up until her arrival here, Faith had never read God's Word; she'd had no desire for it.   Now (to her surprise!) she loves it.  These morning times have become dear to us, and the Lord has used His Word to challenge both of us and move us in ways we never imagined.

For the first time in her life,

Faith has HOPE.

Faith is not the same woman she was one month ago.  It has been our honor to watch the Lord speak tenderly to her and to watch Him show her how big and good He is.  She has come alive in front of our eyes, and we are simply grateful to be part of what He's doing in her. 

But there's more to it.  The Lord is using Faith to prepare our family for what it will be like to have a young woman living with us, 24/7.  Will it really work to have a young woman live with us?  Yes. Yes. Yes!  It  is all I'd imagined it would be and more.    Faith and I are doing what I'd always envisioned I'd do with the women who come. 

Here's an example of our typical weekday:

• After the kids are off to school, we start our day by going for an hour walk / jog in the countryside. 

• We come home and study His Word for about an hour privately, then we get together and share our thoughts and pray together.

• Then we work on certain projects in the house until the kids come home from school--painting, gardening, cleaning, organizing (right now our main focus has been painting the girls' rooms).  What I find especially poignant is that Faith has shared that as she/we do our work, it's like therapy for her.  There's something about working hard, with purpose, that is healing to the soul.

• The rest of the afternoon we spend having fun with the kids, whether we play outside or bake cookies.  Often one of us will take the kids while the other one continues to work and get something done for the house (there is much to be done around here!)

• My husband comes home around 5pm, and we have dinner together as a family.  This is a special time for us, an important time of family fun and bonding. 

• After the kids go to bed, at 7pm, it's alone time for my husband and I, while Faith goes and has some time to herself.

• Later Faith joins us and the three of us spend time together, talking about the ways God has been working in us...sharing our joys and struggles.  There is much laughter.  It is always a rich, good time.

Having Faith here is nothing short of wonderful.  She has become part of our family.  God has used our home and our  family to help and bless her, and she, in turn, has been used by God to help and bless us. 

This was my dream: this home, our family, and having a young woman be part of our family as she heals, comes to know Jesus, and comes to learn His purpose for her life.  It's a dream come true already to have Faith here with us...

and this is just the beginning. 


***Above photo was taken by Faith
      on one of her "God Walks"