I'm a Sparkly Jewel....I'm Just Sayin'

So the past couple days have been super crazy busy awesome!!!!  We are having an amazing time. The past two days, I have been part of a retreat that 9 women from our team hosted for the staff of aftercare homes, foundations or organizations that help in the transition from trafficking to freedom.  These women are my HEROES!!!! They are super super sweet kind and drained from constantly pouring out into the lives of these girls and it was such an honor to be able to encourage them and love on them.  We had some great sessions and I was so honored to be able to teach and share in a few of them.  We also just had fun playing games and laughing as sisters in Christ.  We introduced them to fun foods like brownies, fudge, Texas Trash, Pop Rocks and Ring Pops.  What could be more fun than that?!?

It was humbling to hear their stories and hug their necks and just say thank you.  At the end of the second day, one of the organizations presented each of us with a piece of jewelry that had been made by the girls who are trained and given their freedom through fair trade.  The gift is extremely precious to me but even more so was a story they shared.  They said that there is a precious jewel made from taking 9 different precious stones and making them into one beautiful jewel.  It is called "Navaratan".  They told us that we were that precious jewel to them for taking the time to come and pour back into them so that they could continue in God's strength to do the work they are called to do here in Kolkata everyday.  What an honor and a privilege to be a part of a team of precious jewels!  

Rachael and 9 other women are also pretty amazing and special, who have been serving in the slum village school for the last three days.  I prayer walked there today but I also got to see them being Jesus with skin on to the most adorable little ones.  It was a joy to watch my daughter laughing and singing with the kids, to see one of my best friends weep over the plight of those kids and for her heart breaking as she had given a little piece of herself to each one of them, to see women from all walks of life and background leave their families and jobs to come all the way around the world to love on people-WHAT AN HONOR!!!  To hear the hearts of the servants that have a vision to change the world for this village, that toil day in and day out, and to build friendships with people that I would never have met if I hadn't answered God's call on my heart. 

Pray for the safety of these children, there are so many acts of evil we have seen firsthand, and they need our prayers.  Pray for our team as we press on.  We love you all!

Welcome Back!

As many of ya'll know, my oldest daughter and I are back in India.  Today is our 2nd day on the ground and it was an amazing day.  The day started after Ra went to bed at 5:45pm, last night, and I followed at 7:15pm.  We both slept well and were excited to start the day.  I had an amazing devotional this morning on Psalm 10.  Some verses that stood out were:

vs 2: In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue the afflicted; let them be caught in the schemes they have devised
vs 4: In all his scheming, the wicked arrogantly thinks: "There is no accountability, since God does not exist."
vs 7-8: Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth; trouble and malice are under his tongue. He waits in ambush near the villages; he kills the innocent in secret places. His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless; he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket. He lurks in order to seize the afflicted; he seizes the afflicted and drags him in his net.

This is what so many of the ladies have to deal with and what they are facing.  They are "beaten down and oppressed" because of the evil man's strength.

vs11: He says to himself, "God has forgotten; He hides His face and will never see."
vs 12: Rise up, Lord God! Lift up Your hand.  Do not forget the afflicted.
vs 14b: The helpless entrusts himself to You; You are a helper of the fatherless.

This makes me think of all these precious ladies that I knew I would be seeing and getting to love on.  They are crying out or questioning what purpose their life has.

vs15-18: Break the arm of the wicked and evil person; call his wickedness into account until nothing remains of it. The Lord is King forever and ever ; the nations will perish from His land. Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that men of the earth may terrify them no more.

God told me today, that as Lord and King forever, He hears them, He will strengthen their hearts.  He listens carefully and does just for the fatherless and the oppressed so that men of the earth may terrify them no more.  How?  How does He do that?  The answer in general-However He chooses.  Today, for me, that answer was through our team and through me.

Today, God allowed me to enter a major red light district and love on precious ladies who are tasting and experiencing freedom for the first time.  While one could say,"you're just doing mani/pedis" or "you're just telling stories", "how does that help"- God told me today, that it's His proof He is hearing them, He is strengthening their hearts.  He is calming them so that they the men of the earth cannot terrify them.

Ra sang the Superchick song "Beauty from Pain" and it was so precious as a mom to see her loving on women that the world ignores as special and beautiful.  The world is wrong.  These women made today amazing as I got to laugh and sing and just enjoy being women with them.  I'm so proud of our team as they did an amazing job and are such encouragement.  I love hearing their stories and getting to know them on a whole new level.  I'm so thankful for Jason and the kids back home and my Mom who are holding things together there so I can be a part of this.  As you wake and read this, know that I'm praying for you and I'm thankful for you being a part of this journey by praying for us.