Hello everyone... I'm back. :) Thank you to sweet Danielle for giving me a night of rest. She is such a blessing to all of us on the team, the girls in particular. She never hesitates in an opportunity to serve... what a beautiful heart! I'm so glad she's here with us.
Anyway, tonight I am praying that God will give me the words for what I need to say. This was our first day on site at Diana Davis Orphanage and THINK (home for sexually abused children), and everyone came back with handfuls of stories to tell. It would be impossible to overstate the impact that the events of today have had on our team... I just hope I can convey some part of that to you all.
I'll say first that the Diana Davies crew came back with only good things to say--their faces are just glowing tonight with the joy of what they got to take part in today. I am so thankful for their victorious report. To know more about what happened with Lindi, Brent, Kayla, Jeremiah, and Dave at the orphanage, go to Lindi's blog at www.crazymissionsinliberia.blogspot.com.
Danielle, Amy, Jesse, Dimitri and I traveled to THINK today to do VBS and hang out with the kids there, and I can certainly say that we could never have prepared ourselves for what we felt and saw. Most of the children there are girls from the ages of a few months to 19 years, with the exception of two boys who didn't talk much at all, but seemed to be about 8 or 9 years old. The THINK girls usually live in a safe-house at a confidential location, and so we met them instead at the Juvenile Transit Center just down the road from our compound. Now, if you're wondering what on earth that means, don't think you're the only one. It took a good amount of explanation before we really understood what the Center does, but eventually we came to understand that it is a temporary home for juvenile delinquents, runaways, and abandoned children. About half of the 30 kids were residents of the JTC and the other half came from the safe-house. Try to imagine that kind of an audience... the abused and the abandoned, welcoming us with songs and smiles into their temporary home.
I will be honest and say that the effect was heartbreaking from the very first, and I found myself fighting tears within moments of our arrival. As a result of that, though, I also found myself feeling very dependent on strength that I knew could only come from God. It was subtle and subconscious, but I remember feeling that if I leaned on Him for survival through the saddest of stories, maybe I would still be able to minister to these girls in spite of my struggle. I think that is what happened. We sang songs and danced and ran barefoot in the dirt together; they became so affectionate with us within such a short period of time that it just felt miraculous. How could a group of such wounded young women so quickly open their hearts to a group of strangers, especially strangers who look and sound totally different from them? I don't know the answer, exactly, but I thank God for their openness and welcoming spirit.
The program that we had organized for the day was centered around the story of Joshua and the wall of Jericho, and every step of the way the girls managed to blow my mind somehow. When we sang songs, they belted out melodies we had never heard, unafraid and beautiful in their boldness. When we had them act out the story together, even the older girls were involved and they didn't balk at doing "little kid things" like pretending to blow trumpets while marching around an imaginary wall. During the game, they loved letting me have my turn at kicking, cheering and clapping with the same ferocity they have in their singing. My heart ached to hear that some of these girls had never held a crayon before, never drawn or colored anything in their life. Is that even possible? We pressed crayons into their palms and wrapped our hands around their own, tracing out simple shapes on the paper in front of them. And these are 14 year old girls, not toddlers. It was sweet to watch them grow in confidence at simple tasks like cutting and drawing, meanwhile hoping that the change transfers to the more vital parts of their lives as well. Each of the older girls that Jesse and I worked with said she wanted to be a doctor, a lawyer, a journalist, a minister... they have real dreams and affinities, but how will they ever grow to such heights from where they are now? Pray that God would gird them up in confidence and strength of character, and that opportunities and resources would find them. Liberia needs these women to become all that they already desire to be.
During our time with the older girls, Jesse and I heard more honest and difficult expressions of faith than we had even hoped, I think. Many of them expressed times when they had felt God was or was not with them—experiences that I could not even imagine living through. I am so grateful to God for already making open connections between us and those girls. We’ll be there with the same group every day until we leave, so pray that the connection between us only deepens and becomes more powerful.
Pray also for increased faith among all of us as we beg God to drastically redeem the lives of the children we meet. Pray that we would see the world with as it is filtered through the loving heart of God—so many people are spiritually feeling orphaned and hungry, and may our hearts be beautifully softened to their needs.
There are more things we saw at the Center that we are all still processing, carefully and with our hearts turned to the Father, because of the sadness before our eyes. There were disabled children there who were not well cared for, and who should be loved full time by people who can recognize their unique needs. Pray that God heals them in surprising ways, and provides strength for our spirits to intercede even while we are in the midst of devastation. He can do anything through us with Christ as our center and our strength.
Your prayers are working. We are so covered and so well-protected—thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and for going before God on our behalf.
I’ll end by saying that tonight we got to make dinner for and serve the staff here at the compound who are usually so graciously giving themselves away to serve us. As payment for many delicious Liberian meals, we gave them a taste of America with freshly grilled cheeseburgers and home-cooked fries. For dessert, there were enormous cookies and a whole plate of candy bars. Life is good when you’re living in the best of both worlds!
Love to you all... I’m sure I’ve forgotten many things, but I’m exhausted and we have another full day of THINK and Diana Davies tomorrow. Kayla and Amy are switching places, I think, but other than that the teams for both locations are the same. Pray for each of us by name. The heaviness of ministry lies thick over these places sometimes, but the joy of the Lord can easily overcome.
Goodnight all!
Anyway, tonight I am praying that God will give me the words for what I need to say. This was our first day on site at Diana Davis Orphanage and THINK (home for sexually abused children), and everyone came back with handfuls of stories to tell. It would be impossible to overstate the impact that the events of today have had on our team... I just hope I can convey some part of that to you all.
I'll say first that the Diana Davies crew came back with only good things to say--their faces are just glowing tonight with the joy of what they got to take part in today. I am so thankful for their victorious report. To know more about what happened with Lindi, Brent, Kayla, Jeremiah, and Dave at the orphanage, go to Lindi's blog at www.crazymissionsinliberia.blogspot.com.
Danielle, Amy, Jesse, Dimitri and I traveled to THINK today to do VBS and hang out with the kids there, and I can certainly say that we could never have prepared ourselves for what we felt and saw. Most of the children there are girls from the ages of a few months to 19 years, with the exception of two boys who didn't talk much at all, but seemed to be about 8 or 9 years old. The THINK girls usually live in a safe-house at a confidential location, and so we met them instead at the Juvenile Transit Center just down the road from our compound. Now, if you're wondering what on earth that means, don't think you're the only one. It took a good amount of explanation before we really understood what the Center does, but eventually we came to understand that it is a temporary home for juvenile delinquents, runaways, and abandoned children. About half of the 30 kids were residents of the JTC and the other half came from the safe-house. Try to imagine that kind of an audience... the abused and the abandoned, welcoming us with songs and smiles into their temporary home.
I will be honest and say that the effect was heartbreaking from the very first, and I found myself fighting tears within moments of our arrival. As a result of that, though, I also found myself feeling very dependent on strength that I knew could only come from God. It was subtle and subconscious, but I remember feeling that if I leaned on Him for survival through the saddest of stories, maybe I would still be able to minister to these girls in spite of my struggle. I think that is what happened. We sang songs and danced and ran barefoot in the dirt together; they became so affectionate with us within such a short period of time that it just felt miraculous. How could a group of such wounded young women so quickly open their hearts to a group of strangers, especially strangers who look and sound totally different from them? I don't know the answer, exactly, but I thank God for their openness and welcoming spirit.
The program that we had organized for the day was centered around the story of Joshua and the wall of Jericho, and every step of the way the girls managed to blow my mind somehow. When we sang songs, they belted out melodies we had never heard, unafraid and beautiful in their boldness. When we had them act out the story together, even the older girls were involved and they didn't balk at doing "little kid things" like pretending to blow trumpets while marching around an imaginary wall. During the game, they loved letting me have my turn at kicking, cheering and clapping with the same ferocity they have in their singing. My heart ached to hear that some of these girls had never held a crayon before, never drawn or colored anything in their life. Is that even possible? We pressed crayons into their palms and wrapped our hands around their own, tracing out simple shapes on the paper in front of them. And these are 14 year old girls, not toddlers. It was sweet to watch them grow in confidence at simple tasks like cutting and drawing, meanwhile hoping that the change transfers to the more vital parts of their lives as well. Each of the older girls that Jesse and I worked with said she wanted to be a doctor, a lawyer, a journalist, a minister... they have real dreams and affinities, but how will they ever grow to such heights from where they are now? Pray that God would gird them up in confidence and strength of character, and that opportunities and resources would find them. Liberia needs these women to become all that they already desire to be.
During our time with the older girls, Jesse and I heard more honest and difficult expressions of faith than we had even hoped, I think. Many of them expressed times when they had felt God was or was not with them—experiences that I could not even imagine living through. I am so grateful to God for already making open connections between us and those girls. We’ll be there with the same group every day until we leave, so pray that the connection between us only deepens and becomes more powerful.
Pray also for increased faith among all of us as we beg God to drastically redeem the lives of the children we meet. Pray that we would see the world with as it is filtered through the loving heart of God—so many people are spiritually feeling orphaned and hungry, and may our hearts be beautifully softened to their needs.
There are more things we saw at the Center that we are all still processing, carefully and with our hearts turned to the Father, because of the sadness before our eyes. There were disabled children there who were not well cared for, and who should be loved full time by people who can recognize their unique needs. Pray that God heals them in surprising ways, and provides strength for our spirits to intercede even while we are in the midst of devastation. He can do anything through us with Christ as our center and our strength.
Your prayers are working. We are so covered and so well-protected—thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and for going before God on our behalf.
I’ll end by saying that tonight we got to make dinner for and serve the staff here at the compound who are usually so graciously giving themselves away to serve us. As payment for many delicious Liberian meals, we gave them a taste of America with freshly grilled cheeseburgers and home-cooked fries. For dessert, there were enormous cookies and a whole plate of candy bars. Life is good when you’re living in the best of both worlds!
Love to you all... I’m sure I’ve forgotten many things, but I’m exhausted and we have another full day of THINK and Diana Davies tomorrow. Kayla and Amy are switching places, I think, but other than that the teams for both locations are the same. Pray for each of us by name. The heaviness of ministry lies thick over these places sometimes, but the joy of the Lord can easily overcome.
Goodnight all!
12 comments:
Wow. I will pray for you all by name. What you are seeing, experiencing, and the people you are ministering to sounds so loaded. But look at you! They all seem to have a place in their hearts for you all already! I will pray pray pray!
Love and miss you AMo!
Thank you Annie for your amazing way of painting a picture for us through your words. I know that you are all being used in a powerful way as you touch the lives of these children and young women. My heart is so touched each time I read one of the blogs and this watery stuff starts seeping out of my eyes. Go figure! They are happy tears, and sad tears, and joyful tears because I know that you all are shaping hearts and putting stars in these children's eyes for maybe the first time...and hope...and God is indeed working miracles.
rest well, Annie. I am so proud of you. God will give you the strength you and your team need. You guys are all making such an impact on so many lives. I am reminded of this verse when after your day at THINK.
"Praise be to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God". 2 Corinthians 1:4
May you be comforted and then share the comfort He gives you.
I love you so much and pray for you always.
Psalm 121. Yes.
You make me want to be there! What a blessed opportunity the Lord has given all of you. How can you witness the things you have seen and not be moved to act? The human spirit never ceases to amaze me, and the grace of the Holy Spirit amazes me even more. Peace and power to all of you. may He use you in ways you have never imagined!
Love- Aunt Kathy
I cannot tell you how your words move me. I can almost see these precious children and I feel love for them through you. Yes, yes, yes we are praying for all of you that God will accomplish His purpose through your efforts and your love. Thanks to all of you for your willingness,even eagerness to serve. I love you much. Grandma Mary
I am left in awe and wonderment. I don't know how to put in words the feelings I get from reading this, but I can say I have not read many things in my life that have truly made me stop and think about what it is really like outside of my easy-going life. Although I may not be there with you all, you have helped change me through the sharing of your experiences. Thank you and as always my thoughts and prayers go out to the team.
As you see the ugliness of sin revealed in ways that overwhelm the heart and mind, remember that there is "no pit so deep that God is not deeper still". Father, where there is despair bring deliverance, where there is hopelessness bring hope, where there is hate bring your unconditional love. We are praying for all of you!
Nanette
Those kids at THINK will never forget you (and the other places too!)!!! For those who have so little, they must be joyous to know that the team came all the way from the the USA to spend time with them. I pray that as your week continues with them, that the Holy Spirit would move and stir them deeply within. That you all would have the continued/renewed strength of the Holy Spirit to help you keep pushing through the sadness of their stories of why they are there and that you may help them break through barriers that they never thought was possible. God is so good and He is so there with you! Isaiah 41:10 Love you's!! Keep up the awesome jobs you're doing! We are all so proud of you!
Hello Everyone!! Kayla this is Kelli!! I just want you all to know that I am praying for all of you! You guys are doing so many amazing things and should be so proud of yourselves!! I enjoy reading all of the blogs about your daily events and I am so JEALOUS!! You all are truly amazing!! I will continue to pray for everyone in Liberia! Love and miss you Kayla! Love you!
Hello everyone from Gerogia! And Kayla its Olivia!! I am so proud of you all! the updates from the blog are amazing! So a special thanks to Danielle and Annie! I am praying and thinking of you all often daily. May the Lord keep giving you comfort and strength on your days hard at work for all the people in Liberia. Love and miss you kayla soo much, merr ;)
<3 Olivia
Please thank Dave and Lindi for their entries on their blogs as well! The extra writings and pictures are awesome. (I haven't quite figured out how to leave comments. It doesn't appear as though anyone else has either.) I am sure I can say that everyone is enjoying your blogs immensely as well. I just read Lindi's entry that included a bit about her dad, the self sacrificing Dave Bearchell in the front seat, all nice and cozy, on the way to the orphanage. :-) You know...you guys could have a "I hate Dave Bearchell" day. Everybody you talk to LOVES Dave Bearchell. He could use a day of hatred like...was it Chuck? lol Never!
Annie, I read each day the blog updates and see how the team is going ninety miles an hour! I know you must be exhausted so I want to thank you again for your updates. They are the highlight of my day and you have given to this mission trip an opportunity for those who are home praying the closest experience to being there that I can imagine. Thank you for using your God given talent for writing to do this update because I know how tired you must be when you begin to write each night. Thank you so very, very much. Love, Ginny
Post a Comment