All sorts of new adventures

It has been a busy three weeks back here in Lesotho! Shortly after I arrived, we took in a new resident and her 7 month-old son for a brief period while we helped her get settled back with her family and begin counseling. She came to know the Lord at church one Sunday, and I just got a call from her today letting me know that she wants to continue to attend Victory Maseru and pursue a personal relationship with God. I am so excited for her and for this new journey of healing that she has had the courage to begin! Here is a note that she wrote to me, Sonya, and Cristen before she headed home:

Another exciting development involves a new partnership with Beautiful Dream Society. We have to keep the name of our partnering organization confidential in order to protect their ministry/work, but they have an amazing street ministry that goes out at night and ministers and serves women sold into prostitution in South Africa. BDS just finalized our memorandum of understanding so we can start taking some of the Basotho (Lesotho citizens) girls into our care. Many of them have become addicted to drugs as a result of working on the streets, so our other psychologist, Miriam, and I are heading to a rehab center this afternoon to see how we can join forces with them to help these girls break their addictions and begin to heal from the trauma they have endured. First, the girls will have to make the difficult decision to get off of the streets- often times the pimps brainwash them, threaten them, and feed their addictions, making them scared and hesitant to leave and get help. However, the organization we are working with has already built rapport with many of the girls and they are optimistic about the scope of help and care we will be able to offer them. We are looking forward to this opportunity to serve more victims of human trafficking and sexual trauma; please pray for these girls as they make the terrifying decision to break the chains of their oppressors and reclaim their freedom! 

My final new adventure is a more personal one. Some of you know that when I first came to Lesotho in 2010 I met several missionaries from around the world and became good friends with a few of them. One of them was an Australian named Justin, and we began dating while we were both living here last year. He has since returned to Australia after a 4 year stint here setting up his own NGO- Farming Futures, which is an agricultural initiative to fight hunger and increase work skills amongst local villagers. While I was home for Christmas, I worked like crazy and saved up and now I will hopefully be going to Oz for three weeks at the end of this month to see Justin and meet his family! Please pray for safe travel, cheap flights, and that I will be able to live within my very tight budget until I come home :o) Speaking of which, I am planning on coming home at the end of May to work for the summer (nannying for the twins!) and then I will possibly be moving back here to Lesotho, moving to Oklahoma to help BDS start a shelter there, or staying put in Chicago- I will be praying about it and will be open to going wherever God sends me. (And, yes, Justin is planning on visiting the States this summer, so many of you will probably get to meet him in person ;o) ) Thank you all for your prayers, your financial support, and your words of encouragement- they are much appreciated!

"However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him' but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."

~1 Corinthians 2: 9-10