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When Hurt Runs Deep…

March 6, 2013 in Blog Swap, Faith, Friends, Guest Bloggers, Human Trafficking, Justice, Life Experience, Ministry, Missions, Moldova, Second Chances, Travel with 1 Comment

As many of you know, I just recently returned from a mission trip to Moldova. One of my awesome teammates, Michelle Carlson, is guest-posting about some next steps today.

I have some deep respect for Michelle. In the time I’ve spent with her, I found myself captivated more and more by her passion, determination and heart for the broken. I got to help her train the girls at the Restoration Home in self-defense (which is an absolutely new concept to them). She’s an unsung hero.

Please read her story here and how it birthed the plans of “Next Step” that are coming our way… Here’s Michelle!

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Growing up I had a fascination with bubbles. I absolutely loved them. One could say I was borderline obsessed. They seemed so carefree and light, buoyant in the breeze and captured by the sun’s radiance. Over time I enveloped my own bubble though…one that was not so light or carefree.

It is easy for each of us to live life in such a hurry that we miss the realities falling around us. We can grow angry with the store clerk that moves too slowly or scream at the guy that cuts us off in traffic. We rarely think about the person behind the action. Our thoughts focus mostly on ourselves, our families, our needs and our lives. That’s the bubble I was stuck in, until recently.

Two years ago I knew God wanted something more from me. I just had a feeling that I was supposed to have another child. Keep in mind my children were 10 and 12 years old at the time. My husband agreed that was God’s calling and BOOM, I was pregnant in no time. An excruciating first trimester, with reports of a fast growing and extremely healthy baby, was followed by even more excruciating news. At my 16 week check up there was no heart beat. There was no more healthy baby or dreams of hugs and kisses. I didn’t even get a parting gift from the doctor. What I did receive was massive amounts of confusion, which I washed away with wine and vodka.

I didn’t sleep for days after that. To say I was angry would be an understatement. I felt lost. I felt like all purpose had been sucked out of my life and God had just dropped me here to wallow until my death. Drama, party of one anybody? Pity followed soon after and I became a piñata of emotion. God was ever patient with me though and after I had wallowed in my tears, He reached down. I felt as though He lovingly cupped my chin in His hand, wiped the yuck from my face and gently said, “If you’re done being a baby, we can move forward together.” He speaks to us all in different ways people!

I realized that yes, He did call me to do more; however, I hadn’t truly waited on Him to guide me. I did what I always have and just took off in the direction which seemed best. Through a series of most fortunate events, I found myself smack in the middle of Chisinau, Moldova with a group of hard-to-forget girlfriends. It took God taking me out of my bubble completely for me to truly listen. I never would have thought of myself as a missionary, but when God says “GO!” it’s best not to question the process.

During my stay in Chisinau, I was able to develop a friendship and partnership with Beginning of Life ministries. The staff here works tirelessly to rebuild broken lives of sexual abuse and trafficking victims, as well as bring awareness to the community. Together, we are building a house. Well, we’re building a gym really. Beginning of Life had a dream to have a wellness center that would aide in rehabilitation and restoration. It will also be a safe place for the youth to socialize and it will open many new jobs. But, why should I tell you? Here are the reasons straight from Vladimir, my sweet friend in charge:

Prevention: Within the first 2 years the center is open, hundreds of girls will be trained in self defense. This will, for the first time, enable them to defend themselves from the abusers.
Rehabilitation: Sports and fitness provide a very positive impact on people’s lives. Many of the girls suffer from heart problems, and the fitness center will offer a unique opportunity for recreation.
Social Skills Development: This fitness center will serve as a safe place for the youth to spend time together, grow relationships and chat about future endeavors. It will be a place where they can dream and discuss making their dreams a reality.
Reintegration: The wellness and fitness center will provide a brand new set of skills and jobs for the girls who have graduated the rehabilitation program. This will help to provide them with stability and a larger sense of self worth.
Encouragement for staff: The staff of Beginning of Life works tirelessly to provide encouragement and safety to these girls along with education and awareness to an entire community. The fitness and wellness center will be a place for the staff to take care of themselves, just as we are instructed. It will provide stress relief, healthier and more energetic staff, team building and an opportunity to strengthen their shoulders for the load they choose to carry daily.

The pain that once ran deep through my veins has been restored to passion. A passion bent on making change and creating a difference. How can you participate in such a passion?

Pray for the people of Chisinau and all those involved in this project.
Spread the word! Share the site, share the story, encourage others to learn about what really is going on.
Give a gift. Hope chest has an easy-access donation page set up for this project. You can choose your donation and it’s 100% tax deductible! It’s a win/win for all. You will have played a HUGE part in the transformation of an entire nation,
Consider visiting I hope to have a team visit while I am staying in Chisinau. This team will be able to see what Beginning of Life does on a daily basis and be able to touch the lives of many. You’ll immerse yourself in the culture and even get to enjoy some seriously awesome food. Get your hands dirty for change and I promise YOU will be the one reaping the most benefit.

The link for the donation page is HERE.

The Girl Effect

January 25, 2013 in Current Affairs, Faith, Human Trafficking, Justice, Life Experience, Ministry, Missions, Travel with 0 Comments

Thoughts?

Moldova: Day 4

January 24, 2013 in Faith, Forgiveness, Justice, Life Experience, Ministry, Missions, Moldova, Prayer, Travel with 4 Comments

What a busy week it’s been.

My brain has not stopped to rest. My heart feels as if it’s about to break into a million pieces. And my body just wants to do MORE. I want to help MORE. All of us feel this way. My friends/teammates are all responding differently:

Prudence is having dreams in Russian, which is interesting since she doesn’t speak it.
Alise keeps crying out of love, anger and empathy, which just makes me love her more.
Makeda is making up stories about addictions she doesn’t have.
Michelle keeps beating me up to prove a point… and I love it.
I want to collect all these babies and their Mama’s and just take them home with me.
Idelette carries more and more bags everyday and keeps buying fruit from vendors.

That was right before Michelle took me down.

This evening, we spent some time in the Youth Center talking to teenagers. Maria talked about the hiring process for employees in the US. The kids are brilliant. They had some really great questions, and honestly… if I had a business and they were legally papered to work in the US, I would be the first to hire them.

One of the girls who was asking the most questions was sitting right next to me.

Meet Anastasia. She’s 21 and studying at the University. Isn’t she beautiful?

Her English is better than some Americans and her questions were filled with intelligence and hope. Then she said something that made my heart sink:

“I’m not so smart… but if I stay at a job and work hard, could I get an increase in pay?”

Not so smart??? This girl is BRILLIANT! You could see it in her eyes and in how she listened. But how could I say anything? I didn’t even know her.

In that moment, I prayed:

“Lord, speak Your truth into her heart. God whisper who You’ve created her to be into her ear and let it travel to her heart to stay. Block the lies of the world that have hurt her, and change her for Your glory. Let her know she matters. Help her believe!”

After the program, she turned towards me and we started chatting. She shared a little of her story and we talked about working hard for what you want but staying balanced. After a bit, she asked me a something along the lines of: “How do you stay balanced? I get home from school and work and I just feel empty!” I’m sure I said something brilliant (of course), but the only thing I remember specifically was that I thought she should write. Like how I blog, she should write and allow her feelings, ideas and discoveries to be spilled out onto the page. She seemed to cling to that idea.

In conversation

Photo by PrudyChick

Then I said: “Anastasia… when you said you were not so smart… you know, that’s absolutely NOT true. In talking to you and watching you, you are SO intelligent, smart and beautiful! You can’t say things like that to yourself.” She agreed and said, “I won’t say it again!” As we continued talking, I thanked God for that moment and hoped she heard the truth about herself.

As she asked more about why I blogged, I began to share Brian’s and my story of Restoration. Never did I see any judgment in her eyes. Just understanding. We are not who we were yesterday when we choose who we are tomorrow. We continued chatting, and the crowd around us grew. Before we knew it, the rest of my team was talking to Anastasia. 10 women, pouring into 1. Then she said something profound:

“I am going to change the world. I think that we are something special. We are not our parents. We will do something better!”

We found out later that 3 years ago, she was a very different girl. We weren’t told any details, only that she went thru a very dark and sad time… and that it’s a miracle she’s alive and here with us today.

Alise cried. Prudy commented that my words may not have come at a better time. I felt amazed. Honestly, just humbled that I got the opportunity to meet such a bright and wonderful young woman. I’m glad she wasn’t taken from this world 3 years ago because she blessed me tonight by letting me remember God’s grace for what it is… AMAZINGLY MIRACULOUS.

And today, He is just as real as He’s ever been. God is still in the business of miracles, and I believe we’re watching one in the works.

Anastasia’s gonna change the world, folks. The truth is… we ALL can. One day at a time, one choice at a time. I’m truly humbled and privileged to know her.

Moldova: Day 1

January 21, 2013 in Faith, Forgiveness, Human Trafficking, Justice, Life Experience, Ministry, Missions, Moldova, Travel with 10 Comments

We arrived safe and sound (well… partially sound) in Chisinau (pronounced Keesheenow) at around 1:30pm Chisinau time. From wheels up in Washington DC to wheels down in Chisinau (with a short layover in Munich, Germany), our travel time totalled about 14 hours. Not horrible… but none of us really slept in the plane. By the time we adopted Moldavian time and went to bed in the evening, most of us had been up for over 24 hours.

But a full nights sleep sure was a blessing.

As we were landing in Moldova, we saw an expansion of green frozenness. All the water masses were completely frozen over. Of course I thought of ice skating on them. You would have too.

Upon landing and receiving our first Chisinau stamp in our passport, we were quickly greeted by our host, Vladimir & Benjamin. Vladimir is the co-founder (alongside his beautiful wife) of Beginning of Life (BoL) here in Moldova. Benjamin is one of their valued staff. The two of them are the very few Moldavians who speak English.

Because of where Moldova is located and due to the confusing past of the Soviet Union, about 60% of the country claims Romanian as their home language and the other 40% claims Russian. However, about 70% speak both. Our shuttle driver, Michael (pronounced Meekhaal) is one of the 70% who know very little English. It was fun TRYING to communicate with him because you can tell he has the most amazing heart and spirit, but language made our conversation more interesting. My team members kept saying that if we got in an accident, it would be all my fault for distracting him. I say if we get in an accident, it’s because of how people drive here… IT IS NO JOKE!

Michael is married and has two children. His son is 23 and his daughter is 21. He and his family are one of the few here intact and “family-like”. In our orientation with Vladimir last night, we learned staggering and heart-breaking numbers. Allow me to share them with you:

The population in Moldova: 350,000,000 :: That’s the equivalent to some cities in the US, yet the most heavily human trafficked country on this continent.

300,000 Moldavians have been trafficked.

100,000 men leave the country and never come home. They have HAD to find work in surrounding countries. Moldova is the poorest European country so the job opportunities are few. In an effort to support their family, men seek out work (mostly construction) in surrounding countries so they can send money home. Unfortunately, “employers” of other countries know their desperation. On top of low pay, they are left penniless and without a way home after a project is finished. Many of these men who left home in search for a better life for their family end up never coming home and find themselves begging and stealing in order to survive.

30,000 women have vanished into thin air. VANISHED. This is not counting the girls that have been sold by their families. Vladimir told us a story about a girl (we will be working with) who was SOLD by her mother for a bottle of vodka. She was 8 at the time. When Vladimir and his team found her, she was 16. She is now 18. She was one of the lucky ones who are accounted for.

Many of the girls in rehab at BoL were stolen or orphaned. We learned that many orphanages here are a part of the Trafficking Mafia and serve as a draft of some sort. The “pimp” will come in to scout out the most desired 6-8 year olds. These chosen orphans are fed a better diet and groomed in prep to work at one of the brothels here or in other surrounding countries. Despite prostitution being illegal here, there are 250 brothels just in this cities capital. Can you imagine your 8 year old going “off to work”?

My oldest son, Chance, is 7.

Every family in Moldova is affected by human trafficking. EVERY.SINGLE.ONE. Not one family escapes wondering where a daughter/niece/cousin/friend has disappeared to. That breaks my heart in ways words can never describe.

Today… our work begins.

This morning, we are going to meet and spend time with families who have been affected by human trafficking. These are either families who have recovered their daughters or they are women who have successfully “graduated” out of BoL’s Restoration program. Then, this afternoon, we are headed back to the Restoration Home (where the rehabilitation and reintegration takes place). Our team is going to teach the girls how to cook, craft & art journal. Just looking at some of the art and dolls they’ve handmade makes me wonder if we can offer them anything at all.

I’ll be honest. My heart is broken. This crap SHOULDN’T happen. Especially not to children. We have strict instructions of what we can and can not do while we’re at the Restoration Home. My job is to hear God and extend that to girls who ask “WHERE WAS GOD WHEN I WAS RAPED?”

I am totally out of my league here… but I’m willing to anything for them at this point.

Stay tuned. My goal is to post something here every day. You can also read what the rest of my team is writing too. You can find them HERE. And please… pray for our team. What the world has made evil, God can restore. We are here to be a part of the solution.

Moldova: The Challenge

January 17, 2013 in Faith, Human Trafficking, Life Experience, Ministry, Missions, Moldova, Prayer, Travel with 1 Comment

As many of you know, I’m leaving for Moldova in 3 days. I thought I’d take some time to share some words from HopeChest. I’m hoping this gives you more understanding and details to pray over.

Going to a country where 30,000 women have literally disappeared is hard to describe. There are over 250 brothels in the capital city of Chisinau and one of the greatest targets for sex trafficking are girls who leave the orphanages.

Yet, this is a country filled with secrecy. You don’t see hundreds of young women walking on the street offering themselves to passersby like in Bangkok. Technically, prostitution is illegal in this country under the new government but for years this was the center of women you were shipped into and out of here to various places in the world. It was a clearing-house of sorts where they would receive passports and paperwork.

One of the main ways girls get trapped is attempting to escape from the country for a better life abroad. 90% of the population wants to migrate out of Moldova because this is the poorest country in Europe. The opportunities are few and women long for a better life. This is the perfect environment for a trafficker. Young boys and girls are “promised” opportunities that offer, “great salaries” in England, America, Germany, etc. They sign up, get on a plane, and that’s when the nightmare begins.

• Moldova is the poorest country in Europe.
• More than 50% of the labor force left the country in last 10 years to find work abroad, most of them illegally.
• More than 100,000 people are victims of human trafficking.
• More than 30,000 girls and women have disappeared without a trace.
• More than 30% of the nation’s children are “social orphans” (parents leave their children with extended family, orphanages, or neighbors for years at a time to work abroad).
• Lack of a future brought a ‘new national idea’ among youth – to leave the country at any price.

THE HOPECHEST SOLUTION

HopeChest provides funding to support two “safe homes” for survivors of sex trafficking. These homes are not clinics. Like HopeChest’s ministry in Russia and Africa, these partnering organizations provide for the holistic and long-term needs of girls terrorized by systematic sexual abuse and slavery. Home of Hope and The “safe homes” provide the critical “after care” services needed to support these courageous young women who have been rescued from the horrors of sex trafficking. These restorative programs provide young women with a safe place to live and round-the-clock care in their homes. Through these programs, many young women have experienced a complete metamorphosis and are now experiencing life in Christ for the first time.

For over 16 years, Children’s HopeChest has been at the forefront of providing the support orphans need to thrive. These programs have a proven track record of dramatically reducing the likelihood that these children fall into sex trafficking, crime, prostitution, alcoholism, unemployment, and suicide. They are HopeChest’s most effective programs for positive long-term outcomes. All HopeChest programs are designed to help these children beat the odds, to become productive citizens and mature Christian adults with healthy families of their own.

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Thanks again, for all of you who have supported me with your prayers and your finances. You are making this mission possible for me and you are serving these girls in ways that only HOPE can. Thank you, thank you… a million times… THANK YOU!

For the list of ladies traveling with me, CLICK HERE. We covet your prayers.

For those of you waiting to hear the winners of the Beyond Ordinary books, I will choose those tonight and post the winners tomorrow! Good luck to all!