Update from last week's street outreach.....

So last week we went out to walk the streets of Boca Chica last night around 9:00.  Normally street outreach is in Juan Dolio and a group of ladies seek out women enslaved in sex trafficking and prostitution.  I think it was only my second time down on the strip at night.  They close off the street and restaurants put tables out in the street.  So we started walking and talked to a couple of girls standing outside of a restaurant with skimpy attire where we could find some girls.  They told us they are all around from here to the end of the street any girl you see is probably working.  There were a lot of girls, more than are in Juan Dolio where the Lily House usually does outreach.  So we walked and talked with some of the girls.  One girl in particular "D" was Haitian and she spoke English.  I woke up this morning with her on my mind.  I felt the Lord saying...."here is one for you and she even speaks English".  Right off the bat she was very blunt "I don't do this because I want to.  I do it for my baby girl.  I am Haitian and no one wants to give me a job.  So this is what I can do."  Partially true, there is a constant struggle between Haitians and Dominicans, they don't like each other....and it goes WAY back!  It is very sad!  I had some bags with travel size shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soaps that I had with a little card printed out with some qualities that could be had with a life in Christ.

I had probably 10 or so in my purse and I was quickly surrounded my many eager for their "free gift".  Even one Dominican guy wanted one "for his woman" he said.  We quickly realized that there were many, many girls out and they all wanted what we had to give out.  We met a woman they all call "Mom" who is a street cleaner.  She told Erica that "You should just gather up all the girls and take them somewhere" which is funny because Erica had said months ago, maybe we just need to have a gathering and invite them all to it during the day, it might be easier.  So we left thinking that might be best...to take them out of their element.  We then drove around to some other hot spots in town.  The Candy Shop where you can pretty much order a drink and then a girl.  The next place was the "Yellow House" which we think is pretty much a brothel.  We talked with a lady who was a cook there and she said that she could get us in.  We told her to talk to the boss and we would come back next week.  There was another club with a Playboy bunny on the front and we talked to 2 girls sitting outside eating.  We didn't get too far there.  It was a great night of gathering information and we are excited to see how God uses us in the future!!

In His Grip,

Jodi

To give them HOPE and show them LoVe!!

So since we have been in the DR (2 years on June 28th) I have had a heart for the women on this island.  Many are single moms fighting to feed and clothe there many children after the fathers leave them for another woman to start the cycle again.  Some are women who are beaten and have no where to go so they take the abuse for many years.  Then there are the ones that turn to prostitution as a way to make a living.  Some are even fooled into thinking they are moving to another part of the island thinking they are going to work at a chicken restaurant, but find themselves far from home with no money left working in a brothel.  Some have made choices, some have have been victims and some don't want to do it anymore, but where can they go?

There is a ministry here in Juan Dolio (about 15 minutes away from where we are in Boca Chica) called the Lily House and it goes out in search of these women, takes them in, shows them Jesus-like love and gives them alternative ways to make money.  My friend Erica Jude has a huge part in the Lily House.  She has allowed me to use my gifts of photography for special projects she is working on.  I have gone out on street outreach a couple of times when they walk the streets and seek out these women at bars and in brothels.

Tonight we come to my town, Boca Chica, where prostitution is more wide spread than Juan Dolio and where we really don't know a lot, except the prostitutes are out during the day lining the highway and in the water at the beach looking for clients.

Erica had asked me to take time today to specifically pray about tonight.  So I wrote in my journal and asked God for guidance on what I could do.  Then I went over to a facebook page to get more info on a ministry in Las Vegas called Hookers for Jesus and I saw this testimony from the founder.....

So I got lots of inspiration from this video.  What I realized at the end is that these girls just need someone to reach out to them.  Someone to see them like Jesus sees them.  Someone who can look at them as a child of God, not someone who sinned and made poor choices.  Less judging and more loving.  They are living a lie that they have believed from the biggest liar of them all, satan.  They have been embraced by the devil and his false love.  Yes, he lured them away from their lives with the promise of money.  That they could be with their kids during the day, then lock them in the house at night and provide for them with the money they earn from turning tricks.  He can even use their husbands, who want them to sell their bodies and their souls.  Then he has them feeling so bad about themselves and so dirty and ashamed that they will never dig out of the pit and ashes and ever find Jesus.  I drive by them on the side of the road and I don't know what to do.  But doing nothing is....well doing nothing.  Satan even whispers doubts to me like "You can't even speak their language...what can you do?".  So I wave and say a prayer.  I stop and give them a Jesus Calling book in Spanish.  I don't judge.  I just love.  I don't know their story.  I don't know how broken their hearts are.  I don't know what kind of sexual abuse they have experienced that would get their precious little brains all mixed up to do this.  I don't know if they just figure they are already "used" and what God would ever want to love them.  I don't know how dead they are inside or how high they have to be to be with some of the men that go on sexcations to the Dominican.

There are so many unknowns, but I know this lady wouldn't be at the Lily House turning her life around if it wasn't for someone going out on the streets and looking for those who need to be rescued.  And if I can help in that....I will.  If I can make myself available for God to use me and my testimony, then I have to be available.  I have to!

If you want to help, the Lily House needs sponsors for their ladies. It takes a lot of money to provide a home, food, housing and school for their children, salaries and more for all these ladies. Currently the Lily House can only allow ONE MORE woman to come into the house at their current budget, so sponsorships are needed now!!

Visit SCORE's website and go to the donate section.

Praying God does big things tonight and plants seeds and allows a new arm of ministry to start in Boca Chica.  We are also headed to Spanish Language School for 7 weeks in June and July so my Spanish can be better!  Praise God!

In His Grip,
Jodi

REST

I did a Five Minute Friday a couple of weeks back.  It was fun...then I forgot, then I got busy, then I was a day late.  I feel I need a little bit of creative inspiration, so although a day late, here goes the word for yesterday REST

Uno...dos...tres

So I love REST.  Satan used to keep me up at night, wear me down and I got no rest.  During that time I used my sleepless nights to read my Bible.  I don't think he liked that.  Now he likes to keep me asleep and I think he feels that is a much more effective way to stop me from doing God's work. 

This past week a group from my husband's former school Wesleyan have been here in the Dominican for their Spring Break and they are on a mission trip.  They are building a house for a widow and her four children and they have been serving and loving the people of the DR.  

I have been cooking almost all their lunches and dinners this week and I need some rest.  Looking back if I had been resting I would have missed too many good things.  Because I was busy and not resting I got to see the excitement in a group that did a impromptu street evangelism walk through a poor area in the DR.  

As they returned back they shared how awesome it was when someone accepted Christ.  Their plan was to just walk around and pray, but God guided them to a man who was ready and waiting for the opportunity (on the right with the white hair).  

Their excitement, and even some tears were because they didn't rest when there was nothing to do on the construction site, but they took advantage of their time here in the DR and went out to love on some people.  If I had been resting this week I would have missed a bunch of students become friends over many games of dominoes.

 We wouldn't have taken almost 1,000 pictures (with help from Jessie) of them serving, building, loving.  

I would have missed nightly time talking about random things God like His Grace and reading chapters of Max Lucado's book Grace with Jessie Huff.  I wouldn't have been able to pray over food as I was preparing it.  I wouldn't have been able to work along side the leaders on the trip talking about life.  I wouldn't have been able to stay up too late visiting with Jessie and Drew Widner (former player of my husband).  I wouldn't have seen or experienced any of that because I would have been resting.  Rest is good, but being busy serving God is also beneficial.  I am thankful for a restful night last night and this morning, but anxious to squeeze in a little time before the group leaves tomorrow.  Then it is Sunday and that is the best day for rest.  

I am excited to rest, but love to be busy.  I know I can always rest in God's loving arms with my head resting on His shoulder.  For He will give me rest.

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Maybe I should take that nap now, because I just set my timer and wrote for 15 minutes instead of 5....oops!!

In His Grip,

Jodi 

Beloved

So I came across this through another facebook/blogger friend/fellow missionary momma/wife and I loved reading hers.  I found it over here at Five Minute Friday.  So each Friday you get a word, and you have 5 minutes to write, no editing, just write to write, to spill your heart.  To get out the creativity.  I am scared.  Not sure if it is because of the word BELOVED or if it is the no editing part...because I like to fix my mistakes, I like to perfect things...just right.  So do I change the word, and just do my own thing?  What does it mean to be the BELOVED one?  What does that do to my soul when I hear someone call me that?

Go

Beloved.
Dearly loved.

I didn't always know this word.  No because I wasn't loved.  My Mom loved me well, really well.  She showed me and told me often,  My Dad although we weren't close when I was growing up, he told me when we would see each other.  I don't know what it was, but one day about 8 or 10 years ago, I got to hear about God's love.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  I couldn't really comprehend it.  I just bawled my eyes out in that church with all those women I didn't know.  It was a Women's Conference.  Kathy Trocolli was sharing God's love.  That God loved me so much, that He sent his Only Son Jesus to earth, then Jesus hung on a cross for my sins, so that I could have everlasting life in Heaven.  I don't know if I just didn't feel worthy of such love.  Or if it was because I finally realized that God wasn't just some finger pointer up in the sky telling me all I did wrong.  But that God was a loving presence that used the finger to motion to me to come closer....because I was his Beloved.

Stop

Wow that was quick!!

His Beloved,
Jodi

Oh how He loves us!!

When I hear this song, I weep.  I remember singing it with thousands a few years back in Atlanta, GA during Passion's Good Friday Service.  I weep because I am so blessed that He loves me so much, even when I continue to disappoint Him each day.  When I choose other things over Him.  When I want to check facebook in the morning before opening His love story to me, the Bible.  When he waits patiently for me to meet Him for intimate conversation, but I find something more important.  When I struggle with being worthy of His love.  But I am.  WORTHY.  I remember back to the day in Cumming, GA when I heard how much he loved me.  I couldn't even fathom it.  I wept all by myself in that church.  That was the day that I prayed to change my life and walk with Him.  I don't remember exactly how it went, but I remember realizing that God loved me although I didn't get that message through "religion".  I got the rules and I saw God as a disciplinarian.  I grew up not really going to church except on Christmas and Easter or when my Grammie would take me and it was boring sitting there as a child.  I am glad that I went to that Women's Conference at a different type of church.  Although I wasn't a hand raiser, I saw the way those ladies worshiped, eyes closed hands raised in praise and I embraced the difference.  Although not my style, it was theirs and it was beautiful.  That day was many years ago and I have regrets that it took me many more years before I really got that it is more than religion and attending church on Sunday.  It is about a relationship with Jesus.  About reading His love story to us, The Bible, praying and for me journaling my thoughts so I can focus and be able to look back on where I was and where I am now.

This morning as I was reading my Bible Reading Plan (read the whole Bible in 6 months) on You Version I read these words in Mark and I began to think about my faith walk.

Mark 4:14-20 The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.

I had no roots.  I heard the Word with Joy but I kept reverting back to the world and was quickly snatched back up in it.  There were times where I was on fire again, after a Women of Faith Conference or something, but that too fizzled out and my seed burned up as it wasn't in good soil.  It took many years and many spiritual mulligans and I am glad God didn't give up on me.

Today I sit here still feeling like a seedling fighting to get enough water and sunlight to not get burned up and slip back into a worldly life.  There is something different.  I know I need a personal relationship with Jesus, every day.  I need His Word from His Book because the world and even religion will lead me astray.  I am reading and learning more than I have ever learned and learning to crave His Word and relationship.  I see when Satan comes and tries to take it away, but I can recognize it and cling more tightly to Him and His promises.

In His Grip,

Jodi