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"Our God of Grace often gives us a second chance, but there is no second chance to harvest a ripe crop"
- Kurt von Schleicher |
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Hello from Braila, Romania, where a ripe crop has been brought right before our very eyes! What an incredible opportunity the Father has given us to
share His love with a group of young people that the world seems to have deemed as disposable.
dis·pos·able (di spozə bəl)
adjective:
that can be or is intended to be thrown away after use
that can be disposed of
available to use without restriction noun:
something that can be or is intended to be disposed of, or thrown away, after use
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This group consists of people from the ages of 18-32 years old who never knew mother and father or home. They grew up in the horrors of communist and post-communist state orphanages. Now they live in the horror of homelessness and hopelessness. They are considered, by most, disposable and fit the definitions above: intended to be thrown away after use. They have been used in ways that many of us could never even fathom. They are used in the sex industry, both boys and girls. They are used as cheap labor. They are used as objects
of hatred, often incurring violence even as they walk down the streets or reside in the city homeless shelter. If you ask them, they will tell you that no one cares about them. But how wrong they are!
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This group of "kids" has captured the Father's heart, and their brokenness has broken our hearts. Soon after meeting these kids, after spending some time with them and watching how they responded to the Truth, we knew  that a new mission field had been opened to us. Their openness to love and encouragement, their willingness to learn about Jesus, was proof to us that they are the ripe harvest that we would not want to miss! |
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After much prayer and discussion, we feel that the Lord has instructed us to choose four girls that are open to instruction, and bring them into the first safe home they have ever known. We want to teach these girls the things they should have learned in a loving family. We want to help them develop a network that will prevent them from "falling through the cracks" of society and continuing to be used and abused until they are destroyed at the hands of others or by their own doing. God loves each of them so much, and we believe that He is ready and able to prove this to these young women. In January, we will find a suitable home for these women and, along with the team that the Lord provides, begin the process of rebuilding.
The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace-
a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies-
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness"
planted by God to display his glory.
They'll rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They'll start over on the ruined cities,
take the rubble left behind and make it new.
Isaiah 61:1-4 Message
Though we do not know all of the details of the task ahead of us, we do know that the rebuilding process, as in any remodeling project, will involve patience, endurance, attention to detail, financial investment, and commitment to seeing the task completed. Remodeling is always more difficult than building from the ground up, but God is in the remodeling business. Our lives are evidence of this, and the lives of these girls will be, too. In the end, we want to see young women who are capable of healthy relationships, confident in the God who loves them, and ready to share this same hope with others like them.
We ask that you would please join us in praying for God to open every door necessary for these girls to have a home in January. Miracles will be required, but God is in the miracle business!
Going for Him,
Stephanie and Leslie
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