This week, the first Beautiful Dream baby was born! A healthy baby boy :o) His mother is 16 years old, and his father is a man who sexually assaulted her while she was trafficked in South Africa. This amazing young woman has pulled through extreme trauma, and as a result of her courage and strength we have a little miracle living at the BDS shelter. This little man is a living example of redemption; the 'rising from the ashes'/'overcoming the odds'/'redeeming love' type redemption. This 16 year old survivor fought against severe suffering, and in the end she is blessed with a beautiful child. Praise the Lord for being in control and for showing us that even out of suffering comes blessing and favor.
In addition to the arrival of our little bundle of joy, one of my best friends from home, Lindsey Harrell, joined myself and the BDS team here in Lesotho this week! She is here for three weeks to discern if the Lord is calling her here longer term. I am so excited to have her here, and I pray that the Lord will grow her and lead her during her time in Lesotho. It has been a big week, and I feel so blessed to be a part of it- thank you all for your prayers and support! I could not be here without you.
"He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever- holy and awesome is His name."
~Psalm 111: 9
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A Love adventure.
In light of Valentine's Day (we had a wonderful outing to the cinema with the girls, and then threw a party complete with pink-frosted cupcakes!) I wanted to write a little something about what the Lord is teaching me about love:
Here in Lesotho, our beautiful residents have nicknamed the shelter 'the Love House'. I think that it speaks to the dream that Jennifer Crow had when she first founded the Beautiful Dream Society; over the past year, the team here has created an environment where survivors can come to heal. A place where they feel safe, empowered, and most importantly, loved. It is amazing to me that every morning when I arrive at the shelter, the girls greet me with hugs, smiles and 'I love you's'. And each evening when I leave, I get to wrap them up in a big hug and tell them each that I love them. I could not think of anywhere else that I would rather work.
They say that time heals all wounds. I would beg to differ- I think that it is Love that heals all. Each day, I am thanking God that He has given me this opportunity to love each one of these amazing girls, and each of our wonderful house moms. I pray that through love, in our Love House, He will heal us all :o)
"...and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is Love."
~1 Corinthians 13:13
Here in Lesotho, our beautiful residents have nicknamed the shelter 'the Love House'. I think that it speaks to the dream that Jennifer Crow had when she first founded the Beautiful Dream Society; over the past year, the team here has created an environment where survivors can come to heal. A place where they feel safe, empowered, and most importantly, loved. It is amazing to me that every morning when I arrive at the shelter, the girls greet me with hugs, smiles and 'I love you's'. And each evening when I leave, I get to wrap them up in a big hug and tell them each that I love them. I could not think of anywhere else that I would rather work.
They say that time heals all wounds. I would beg to differ- I think that it is Love that heals all. Each day, I am thanking God that He has given me this opportunity to love each one of these amazing girls, and each of our wonderful house moms. I pray that through love, in our Love House, He will heal us all :o)
"...and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is Love."
~1 Corinthians 13:13
Thursday, February 9, 2012
I got hit by a taxi on this adventure...
While I was driving home from the gym the other morning, I tried to be nice and let one of the taxi-vans here pull out in front of me... the driver cut the wheel too hard and ended up hitting the front corner of my car. He then proceeded to wave 'thanks' to me and drove off. A bit of a traumatic morning, but lesson learned- the locals here drive like crazy people!
In Africa, you have to learn to do many things backwards. In Chicago, you have to drive defensively. In Africa, you have to get aggressive on the road. Back home, the taxis may be crazy, but they are skilled drivers- when in doubt, hit your breaks and the taxi driver will find a way out of whatever situation you have found yourself in. Here, you have to hit the gas, assuming that the taxi driver has no idea what he is doing and you just need to get out of there ASAP.
Unfortunately, I had to learn this little lesson the hard way. Fortunately, the car had barely any damage- just a scrape on the front bumper, and the headlight is now just a bit crooked. I am proud to say I managed the big roundabout in town during rush hour last night, cutting off taxis and maneuvering around pedestrians like a pro ;o) On to more (hopefully less impactful) adventures this weekend!
In other news, the girls at the shelter are doing well, and we are in the process of looking for a transition home... Please pray that we find a home for our wonderful residents who have completed the crisis care program and are ready to move on into transition care!
"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you."
~Psalm 5:11
In Africa, you have to learn to do many things backwards. In Chicago, you have to drive defensively. In Africa, you have to get aggressive on the road. Back home, the taxis may be crazy, but they are skilled drivers- when in doubt, hit your breaks and the taxi driver will find a way out of whatever situation you have found yourself in. Here, you have to hit the gas, assuming that the taxi driver has no idea what he is doing and you just need to get out of there ASAP.
Unfortunately, I had to learn this little lesson the hard way. Fortunately, the car had barely any damage- just a scrape on the front bumper, and the headlight is now just a bit crooked. I am proud to say I managed the big roundabout in town during rush hour last night, cutting off taxis and maneuvering around pedestrians like a pro ;o) On to more (hopefully less impactful) adventures this weekend!
In other news, the girls at the shelter are doing well, and we are in the process of looking for a transition home... Please pray that we find a home for our wonderful residents who have completed the crisis care program and are ready to move on into transition care!
"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you."
~Psalm 5:11
Thursday, February 2, 2012
a CGPU adventure...
Over the past week or so, the need for trained mental health professionals here in Lesotho has become more and more clear. I was pretty aware of it after my first trip here, and once again requests for counseling services and training's are mounting! It all serves as an affirmation that I am serving where God wants me, and I am so excited to be able to help.
This week's adventure involves the CGPU (Child and Gender Protection Unit), which is a part of Lesotho's law enforcement. I met with them this morning; apparently they have 4 minors in their custody that are victims of trauma and/or sexual abuse. They would like me to work with these children, to assess them, counsel them, and testify on their behalf when their cases go to trial. I never thought that part of my job description here would involve helping the police investigate child abuse cases! While I am a little apprehensive about taking the stand, I just have to trust that my education, training, and experience has prepared me for this. I also keep reminding myself that my testimony might be able to give these precious children a voice and help them see justice done. Well worth a little fear and discomfort on my end!
I will see the first two children tomorrow morning, and the others on Saturday. Please pray that I am able to cross cultural and language barriers (I will have a translator present) and build trust with these little lambs. Also, pray that I am able to quickly get licensed here. Because I am already licensed in the U.S., I should only have to fill out a form and pay a fee. However, my new license did not arrive before I left, so I do not have any original documentation. Please pray that they will accept either a faxed copy or an internet license look-up.
Other than those things, please continue to pray for my beloved residents here; there is some spiritual warfare going on with my 16 year old. Also, several cases go to trial in the next two weeks, so pray for justice!
"However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived'- the things that God has prepared for those who love Him."
~1 Corinthians 2:9
This week's adventure involves the CGPU (Child and Gender Protection Unit), which is a part of Lesotho's law enforcement. I met with them this morning; apparently they have 4 minors in their custody that are victims of trauma and/or sexual abuse. They would like me to work with these children, to assess them, counsel them, and testify on their behalf when their cases go to trial. I never thought that part of my job description here would involve helping the police investigate child abuse cases! While I am a little apprehensive about taking the stand, I just have to trust that my education, training, and experience has prepared me for this. I also keep reminding myself that my testimony might be able to give these precious children a voice and help them see justice done. Well worth a little fear and discomfort on my end!
I will see the first two children tomorrow morning, and the others on Saturday. Please pray that I am able to cross cultural and language barriers (I will have a translator present) and build trust with these little lambs. Also, pray that I am able to quickly get licensed here. Because I am already licensed in the U.S., I should only have to fill out a form and pay a fee. However, my new license did not arrive before I left, so I do not have any original documentation. Please pray that they will accept either a faxed copy or an internet license look-up.
Other than those things, please continue to pray for my beloved residents here; there is some spiritual warfare going on with my 16 year old. Also, several cases go to trial in the next two weeks, so pray for justice!
"However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived'- the things that God has prepared for those who love Him."
~1 Corinthians 2:9
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