Know The Truth And It Shall Set You Free

I'm physically tired. Been needing a night guard (bruxism guard) for a while as I grind my teeth while sleeping and I haven't changed my night guard for about 6 years and half of the acrylic has been eaten off by me and now, I'm feeling the consequences of that. My next appointment with the dentist is on Friday and I'm really praying he has it all ready for me because with excessive grinding, my TMJ tightens up and I end up with headaches throughout the day. And yes, that gets me tired, on top of the various things that's been happening.

One thing that really impacts me more and more is how the social economic classes here in Peru are so marked. Mentalities and ways of thinking are so extreme, it's absolutely crazy to me to try to comprehend how it's possible that one section of society can be so well educated and cultured and the other section completely the opposite. During sessions of counseling and discipling, I realized that the lower economic class had the erroneous thinking of what constitutes being a part of the higher economic class and one of them is that legal marriage is only for the rich. The poor co-habit. They don't even realize it's a sin. The other is, if you're born in the slums, you belong to the slums and you do not try to get out of there because you'd better not think that you are better than your family and your peers and you find someone to marry within the same social class. 

With the same erroneous thinking and habits handed down from generations to generations as well as accepting behaviours that are unacceptable, the lower economic class have formed a culture all of their own, creating their own truths and beliefs that can only be transformed by the constant washing of the Word of God and a lot of patience. We have found ourselves teaching parents how to parent, to not just hit out of anger and impatience but to discipline, instruct and educate their children with consistent correction, love and affirmation. We have had to teach the children and the parents that it's not acceptable to hit each other; the children their parents and vice versa; that it's not okay for children to get what they want all the time just because they have temper tantrums. We are constantly teaching the adults and children about the magic words. No one in the lower economic classes know what they are nor how to use them. 

One of the little girls whose mom we are teaching the Word of God to is learning how to use the magic words and her mom proudly tells me that she's using them quite a bit. I'm proud of her. We also tell her and her mom that they're beautiful and that they can achieve greater things than what they think they're limited to. Today, we counseled a young couple and we're doing discipling/marriage counseling with them. It somehow evolved that way. After listening to them today, I asked if they used the magic words while asking each other to do stuff. They both stopped in mid-sentence and stared at me, as if there truly were "magic" words. I had to explain that those words are "please" and "thank you". And they're learning, bit by bit, to ask for forgiveness, to affirm someone, to learn to take responsibility and admit fault. It's a huge step.

Parents learn from their parents who learned from their grandparents and even though each generation talks about abuse, lack of love, rejection, etc, and holding onto resentment that their parents did not treat them well, they themselves have never attempted to try to break the chain. And so it keeps going on. When we told one mother that if a child is left undisciplined and allowed to do whatever he/she pleased and never learned the consequences to his/her behaviour because the parents constantly cover up for him/her; when the child grows up, they will think they can break the law, cheat on their spouse, abandon their kids, do drugs, etc because every time they had done something unacceptable when young, it was allowed and they had never been taught it was wrong, she was absolutely shocked. She said she had no idea that there was a correlation between disciplining kids, teaching them to obey and be kind, loving and to share and not be selfish to how they would turn out eventually as adults. 

Lack of education. Ignorance. The Word says, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." It is so true. Generations after generations stagnate; live in cycles of pain, trauma and abuse, impeded by wrong mindsets and a lack of knowledge. We have to keep reminding them every time we see them of who they are in Christ. It is easy for them to spout off John 1:12 but it is another thing for them to believe it in their minds and hearts so that it becomes the pivotal point on which they think from. I recently used the real life story of Prince William marrying Kate Middleton, a commoner not of royal blood, to help one of our friends understand who she is. She had no idea who they are but she was absolutely amazed that a prince could marry a commoner. We constantly have to wash their mindsets with the truth of the Word of God. 

It takes patience. Even she said that to us, "You guys really have a lot of patience with me."  We tell her that we want her to realize that God is very patient with her and if we can show it a little through how we are with her, then it is our hope that she can understand how much more patient, understanding and loving He is towards her. We recently asked her who God is to her. Her answer showed us that she was taking heed, learning and absorbing the Word of God. We couldn't be happier. If it takes only one person to be completely transformed by the Word of God to be able to break the lies of the enemy in the mindsets of generations, 

It is worth it. 

The Way of God

A few things are on my mind today. First, I should follow through with what I had mentioned in my FB post about the testimony of the women in prison. They're literally taking the Lord at His Word (the way God likes it!) and seeing Him come through with His promises. One woman who shows herself to be super tough told me that she had had a molar extracted the day before. And in her signature way of speaking, she said," And you know, I was so afraid of pain, I know I look tough and I'm big but I really don't like the pain, and so I told Jesus that He had to go with me to the dentist, He had to be there to take the pain away because I don't like the pain. And you know, He took our pain and sickness and sin on the cross 2000 years ago, so I knew He would take my pain on Himself. That's why I wanted Him to come with me. And you know what? I could hear them making horrible, horrible sounds in taking out my tooth and pushing and pulling and then it was over. And you know what, (she smiles really wide) there was no pain." Another huge smile. And me, being the doubting Thomas (because I've had all 4 wisdom teeth out and used to work in a dental office) asked, "So what happened after the anaesthetic wore off?" She smiled again. "No pain. There was no pain," she gestured widely with her hands. "There was no pain because Jesus was there and He took my pain from me and onto Himself." Then she looks at me like, so, which part of this didn't you get? No pain means no pain. Doubting Thomas reared up again, "So, what about today?" I asked. "Did it hurt today?" Again there was that look on her face of, so why are you in here teaching us the Word when you don't understand simple English?  "There is no pain. The hole is closed up. I'm just taking antibiotics because I have to for 5 days. But there is no pain. No hole."  Forgive me Jesus for doubting that You can take our pain upon Your shoulders. This same woman is awaiting amnesty from the President and she is at peace waiting. She was told recently by her embassy that the money for her flight ticket back to her native country is already there, anonymously donated and specifically for her. And her embassy will issue her a 24 hour passport the moment she is pardoned so she can just fly home. She just applied for amnesty last week and doesn't even know if they will grant her that. But God has already taken cared of the rest ahead of time. 

 The other woman who was with us is reflecting Jesus so much that she is constantly getting prayer requests from the other inmates in her cell and outside of it. Her love for Jesus is so evident
that the other inmates seek her out before they have to go for their hearings and sentencings and after prayer, they go with peace and joy in their hearts and when they get back to the prison, they still have that peace in their hearts and all they say to her is, "I have peace because you prayed for me." She is learning Spanish now so she can better pray and share Jesus with her cell mates. These women truly show faith in the Word of God. They know the Bible is true and so they believe it literally. And God is showing them that He too, holds His Word at its literal value and honors it. I just love going to the prison because these women really encourage me so much.

We are watching God's miracle unfold in the lives of JP's family members. Meanwhile, JP is resentful towards us and won't talk to us because he has the erroneous idea that love means you never discipline or tell someone off when they're making an idiot of themselves. The last time we saw him before he completely took off for the streets and lived there for a week, we drew attention to many things he didn't want to deal with in his life. He has since returned home, told his aunt and brother that he really seriously wants to change and last we heard, is now going to church and cell group meetings with an older brother who is a believer. Meanwhile, his mom is walking strong in the Lord and has risen up, taken on her role as the matriarch of the home and is using her authority along with the Word to get all her kids in line. When we were there last week to disciple her and the 3 youngest sons, we walked into the living room and were faced with 10 family members including JP, all waiting to hear the Word. That night, another one of JP's older brothers broke down weeping and repented of his drug addiction. We started discipling and counseling him and his live in girlfriend the very next day. I spoke to him today and he is clinging onto the Word and fighting to stay on the right track. Meanwhile, JP still won't talk to us. But it's ok as long as he is going to church and hearing the Word because that is what will transform his way of thinking and later, his habits. We will not stop loving him or praying for him, regardless.

We have moved on to new territory in terms of the street women. I believe we were in the old area for a purpose, to reach EM and she continues to be discipled on a weekly basis. She was telling me the last time I saw her that her spouse would like counseling too and would like to speak to my husband, Luchin. That's how God works, with families!!! Anyway, the women we had been bringing the Word to over there have totally closed us out and now we're in a different area with really tough women. Last week, being the first day in the new area was a little scary because I wasn't sure how we were going to even start talking to them. They made the other women we had been talking to before look like the Ingalls girls from Little House on the Prairie. But we prayed. And tonight, we managed to have a conversation with 2 of them. Coarse jokes, vulgarity, all of that. (Not on our part, we just listened politely) However, sprinkled softly in between the exterior of coarseness, toughness and vulgarity, like tiny petals softly floating down in the breeze through heavy smog and pollution were bits of softness, sadness, wistfulness and pain. It was a breakthrough. And so we will keep praying, for their hearts to be softened and yielded to listen to and receive the Word when we start to sow it. And for us to have God's wisdom, strategy and discernment on how to speak, what to speak and when to speak it.

Working with street women in Lima is not easy. Mostly being that the majority of the women standing at street corners all chose to be there. I haven't met a single woman who hasn't chosen to be there and I'm learning that the reason is not about them not being able to get a real job. It's because this profession is easy, with minimal work and most of them don't like the discipline and rules of a regular job. A few do it to support a drug habit. And also, for some of them, it has become an addiction in itself. Many of them have been at it for years and years and not one of them have any savings to show for it. They will say that they make oodles of money so it seems like that's why they're there but when you start talking with them, the truth starts to show and the truth is, they really don't make that much. EM earns more as a housekeeper now than when she worked at the streets. But it's hard for her to adjust to it because she doesn't like the discipline of working a real job with defined hours and having a boss. Granted, if the women let you dig deep enough, the psychological aspect of why they're there on the streets start to show. And I believe that for a majority of them, the psychological aspect is that they don't believe that they are capable of doing anything else. That is why they need the Word of God as it is the only thing that can transform lives. 

It renews the mind and way of thinking so that we start to see ourselves the way God sees us. And when we do, it frees us from the lies we believe of ourselves so that we actually realize that we have value, a purpose and that we are absolutely adored. And when someone realizes how much they are valued and loved, they can reach limits and heights they never thought was possible before.

JP

When God called me to do this ministry and I said yes, I didn't know how much of my heart I had to give away. I didn't know how much it would hurt. How a huge chunk of me grieves because one teenager decides to turn his back on everything and everyone to return to the garbage. It's not about all the time invested or money. I will never regret that. I would spend as much time and money needed just to have him come back home. But I know it's not the money or time or force that will bring him back home. I know he has to hit his rock bottom and realize that he desperately needs God to save him. He has to let go of his pride and not just admit that from his lips but from the depths of his heart. He has to let the God he invited into his life on May 1, 2012 become the only burning desire in his heart, nothing else. But he is not there yet.


So I, my husband, along with the rest of this teen's family can only stand aside and watch and grieve and pray like never before. Trusting that the God who loves us so much and who hurts even more than we do, will work in this teen's heart like nothing else can and that this encounter with ultimate love will break his heart and pride. Trusting that the Word sown into him will not return void.


Not by might, not by power, but by MY SPIRIT saith the Lord. So through tears and a broken heart that continues to hold onto and trusts in the power of my God and King, I claim this, I pray this as well as other verses for this one child of the living God. And we will not stop praying until he decides to return. 


Please help us pray for JP.

Old Faces

I had been praying for a long time to at least know what's happened to so many of the guys we hadn't seen for so long. Luis Enrique, Jose Luis, Luis Gustavo, Henry and his girlfriend Jessica, to name a few. Well, we ran into Jessica and Henry tonight with their 3 kids, all looking good. Henry's working at a cleaning company and Jessica has stopped hanging out on the streets. They gave us the lowdown on Luis Gustavo and Jose Luis. 


Jose Luis was the kid we had taken to the hospital to get his wrist set and then to a rehab centre in which he lasted only 5 days. The last time we saw him, months ago, he was back on the streets,  the cast on his wrist prematurely off. And the last time we heard about him, he was heavily drinking. He is now in a rehab centre again, voluntarily. Luchin found out the directions on how to get there so we can go visit him this week sometime. 


Luis Gustavo, Henry's brother, had checked himself into a rehab centre after the Word hit him hard. He spent some time in the centre but is out now and I'm not sure about the details but he now wants his mom to send him to a centre without an open door policy. I am praying that we get to talk to him before he convinces his mom to do that as the majority of private rehab centres here charge a lot of money and treat the patients horribly. In any case, the fact that Luis Gustavo is seeking help is really good. 


It was good to find out about these whom we hadn't seen for so long. I keep wondering about Luis Enrique, and praying that he has returned to the Lord and that he is working and is being a proud dad. It scares me to think of the alternative.


We need prayer for :


- provision. 
- JP who left home last week without telling anyone and is working as a bus conductor. He had been slipping into his old habits and we need lots of prayer for him please.
- EM who is walking with the Lord and needs provision as well as strength and faith to keep walking the narrow road; her kids and their dad to know the Lord and to learn to be a real dad.
-SP who just received the Lord an started her first discipling session with me last week. Pray for her to find a job and persevere in kicking old habits and addiction.
-Felicita, JP's mom who is hungry to know more about Jesus.
-Ytalo, Jean Paul and Arturo; JP's younger brothers who are all coming to church with us along with their mom to give their lives to the Lord and to follow Him.
-Luis Gustavo, Luis Enrique and Jose Luis.


The Word doesn't return void. Seeds of the Word have been sown into all of the ones mentioned above and for so long we saw nothing. The fact that we are hearing now that they want to change for the better and are seeking help to change makes me realize once again that it's not by might, nor by power but by His spirit that people's hearts are touched and changed.

Not Too Short

It says in the bible that God's arm is not too short to save. I used to gloss over that verse wondering why in the world would the Lord use the allegory of an arm. I knew it meant that God is able to save anyone. I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake but I finally saw the arm allegory as an arm extended to rescue someone in dire straits; like a drowning person or a person half falling off a bridge or building. An arm, strong and with a hugely tight grip holding with surety onto the arm that we extend to Him. His arm is not too short (will extend as much as is needed) to save (rescue us from death). I claim this verse for the ones I work with and their families.

Learned to let go a bit. Had to trust the Lord that He loves His kids more than any one of us could and stepped back a little.

JP had been slipping back, lying to everyone and mostly himself. Scared us all so many times not returning home some nights. But what the enemy intends for evil God will turn around for good and in this case, the situation brought us closer to his mom. And she ended up going to church with us...and loved it....and decided on the way home that night that she wanted Jesus in her life and so she asked Him into her life. We got her a bible, and she asked if she could take JP's younger brothers to church too. They all went to church with us last Sunday. I believe this week the whole family's going to go to church again. Perhaps, God had us know JP so that He could reach his family. But I also know God loves JP so much and that He won't give up on Him. All we can do is pray and love him and be there for him. God's arm is not too short to save.

EM has had some pretty hard stuff thrown at her lately but she's persevering and going forward. The Word keeps her strong and as long as she stays in it, she is fine and unafraid. She needs prayer to keep her focus on the Lord and His Word and to trust that He is her provider. We keep walking with her, teaching her, loving her and praying for her. God will never leave her nor abandon her.

Out on the streets this week, two women told me they needed to find jobs to get out from what they're doing on the streets. One of them, not because she wants to change but because her boyfriend gave her an ultimatum. But all the same, we are helping her in that area. The other has seen the change in EM and told me she wants to change and get a job. We talked about change and the only real change is through Jesus. She decided she wanted to know Him and asked Him into her heart. We start discipling on Wednesday and she also wants to go to church with us. God's arm is not too short to save.

The foreign women at the prison really balance it all out for me. They make the sometimes 2 hour line up wait to get into the prison and the humiliation of the body search every week worth it. They love the Lord, and they hold on to Him and have their hope in Him. Some more than others but they do encourage each other and as it is, they are pretty honest with each other and hold each other accountable. It's also cool to see that some of them have giftings that God is cultivating and God is already using them to reach out to the other women in the prison.

God is faithful. We are seeing Him move in ways we never thought of, seeing Him touch people we didn't know we were supposed to share the Word with, showing us that this ministry He has called us to is not just about street guys and women but their families as well and beyond. We are amazed at how He has opened doors for us to be involved with the families of these dear ones whom we are walking with.

I am just privileged and honored that He would consider me for this work. And so grateful that He gave me an awesome husband who loves people so much. The harvest is white, the people out there are searching, seeking to fill empty spaces in their hearts and they're filling it with everything but Jesus.

Will you believe that God's arm is not too short to save and share His story and who He is with the people around you? You only need to show up. God will give you words and wisdom  and do the rest Himself.

Will you?

Not By Might, Not By Power But By His Spirit

One soul is worth it all. And if we hit the streets just so one life can be transformed by the Lord Jesus Christ, then it's worth it. However, I know I want more than one. I want them all to be transformed, to be freed from the chains that bind them, to live a life in abundance. I want more than one. And Ephesians 3:20 says that He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us. And John 14:14 says that I may ask Him for anything in His name and He will do it. My God doesn't lie. I will ask and I expect to receive more than I have asked for. 


What seems impossible to man is not to my God. El Gibhor. Mighty God. With Him, all things are possible. More than one. I believe that they will return to their Father, all the prodigals, all their hearts will be turned back to their Father. We will keep building them in the Word, we will not stop, we will sow the Word and He will do the impossible. He is El Gibhor.


I met up with EM on Saturday. I pray that one day she will travel the world to share her testimony of how her God got her out of the muck and mire and placed her feet on His solid rock. She struggles, struggles to go to work because it takes her away from her children and there is no one for her to talk to there. Yet every time when she wakes up and doesn't feel like going and sees her two kids, and all she wants is to stay home and be with them, she decides to go because she recognizes that this is what will help her get ahead. The tears poured down her cheeks as she shared this. She gets calls from the other women on the street asking her to go and join them. Yet, she keeps holding onto the Word of God and praying for strength to be able to go to her regular work every day. She has rejected the other women's invitation to go back to the streets to work even though she hasn't any money as she hasn't completed her month of employment yet and hasn't been paid. I asked her how she has been feeding her kids if she hadn't any money and she said, "Funny how when I don't go to the streets, the money comes somehow. My mom decided to give me money as she said I had been the one supporting her before, so now, she will help me out." Another time she decided against going to the streets to work and her kids' godparent showed up to visit and took them all out to eat. 


I told her that's how God is. He's in the business of providing for His kids. When we walk right with Him, the blessings come. 


On the other hand, with JM, God keeps reminding me that it's not by might, not by power but by His spirit that levels mountains into plains. JM has been working as a motortaxi driver, driving his family's motortaxi with their permission. The unfortunate thing is that he has been in contact with his old friends through working the motortaxi route and he's sinking back into his old lifestyle. He's in denial, trying to convince all that he is in control. We can only pray and trust God for him and keep being there for him, knowing that God loves him more than we do and that His Word doesn't return void. It's not easy watching JM sink, but he has to want to surrender completely to God because in his own strength, he won't be able to change his own life. 


The women in the prison are so hungry for the Word of God. What amazes me is that they don't even care about what I bring in for them, the cookies or the muffins and fruit. They have me sit down and then they just talk about and want me to talk about God. They can't wait to share about what God has been doing all week long, what they've learned, etc. I come out of there so encouraged and blessed by these women. 


Your continued prayers, support and encouragement are very much appreciated. EM, JM, the women in prison and the guys and women on the streets really need us to pray for them even if they don't realize it. Thank you so much for caring and standing alongside us.

Faithful God

I am thankful that God is in control and loves us more than we could love each other. Honestly, if I didn't have that knowledge, I would be constantly in a state every time I didn't hear from one of two we're discipling. Funny how when you walk with someone so closely through all their ups and downs, help them get up and go on and cheer with them when they take steps of victory, they get into your heart somehow. And the first time you don't hear from them, especially since they've just come off the streets, your heart hits the floor and you start to pray like crazy for God's protection over them and everything else. That's when you know they're not just people you're teaching the Word to. That's when you know they've become people you care and love so much that you're willing to hit the streets to look for them should they not return home. That's when you know you would do anything to help them get back up and keep fighting, even fend off a bear. That's when you know they've gotten into your heart. 


I remember the first time JP left home after he had gotten off the streets. Luchin and I went to look for him and Luchin even disguised himself should JP try to run and hide from us. I remember once when we saw him on the streets at night and we followed him and how my heart just took a nosedive to the ground wondering if he had returned to old habits. Through it all, we've prayed hard for him, kept telling him how proud we are of him, reminded him of and highlighted every tiny accomplishment in the face of great temptations and a few stumbles, told him we love him and we never think badly of him, and generally been a thorn at his side. And through it all, I would have been a complete basket case had not my so amazing God kept reminding me that He loves JP more than Luchin and I ever could. That has sustained us and helped us release him into the Lord. We pray constantly for him knowing that God will work all things out for good for JP as he asks the Lord every day to help him overcome. We are seeing how this young man is starting to think in a different way. Starting to learn responsibility, integrity and patience. We are seeing how he really wants to change his life around and struggles against temptation. We see how he perseveres and fights against his emotions to do what is right. We are very proud of him. But we know that even as we are proud of him, his heavenly Father is prouder still. 


EM is also making us so proud of her. She has struggled with erroneous thoughts and beliefs, but with the Word of God, she is learning to overcome. I wasn't able to contact her at all all last week and wondered what had happened. She has a new job that she had said yes to when she saw it as an opportunity to get off the streets and I knew we couldn't meet as often as we had before but not hearing from her scared me. But she called and we got to meet and listening to her just made me want to cry. She said she almost quit her new job twice because it called for regular hours and it was kinda boring as she works as a domestic help. But then she talked to her sister who encouraged her to stay and she got a hold of the Word because she knew that she had to overcome her feelings as this job is a blessing from God and she needed His reassurance and strength to stay. I was so proud of her when she said that. It showed that she was now not just acting by impulse and emotions. She is also learning new things as her employer teaches her and instead of saying, "I can't", she keeps declaring Phillipians 4:13 over and over while she learns. At the end of our meeting, she told me her hours and how much she earns which are excellent. Aside from that, her employer is going to add her on a medical insurance plan. No one does that for domestic help here! God is so blessing EM's socks off!


God is so good and faithful. I have also started to go to the Women's Prison to minister to a small group of foreign women and it is a joy to be with them as they are truly a fun group. It is a huge blessing for me to be able to minister the Word in English after such a long while. 


We appreciate your prayers more than you know. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. May the Lord guard and keep you, may He shine His face upon you.