Heart for Him...Living, Loving and Learning as I chase a story worth telling.

Not the end...

12/30/2015

As I sit here in a coffee shop here in Toronto, sipping on a cinnamon flavoured coffee, typing out this blog post, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for all I have seen, learned, felt, and been a part of for the past 18 months. A year ago at this time, I had returned from serving in Kibera, Kenya and was in the final preparation stages for Kingdom Journeys, the trip that took me to Guatemala, the Philippines and Thailand to work with women who were victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking. Not long after returning to Canada, I packed up my bags to travel to Gainesville, Georgia, where God opened up doors for me to be able to begin learning how to manage a non-profit and develop a ministry as I served with Beauty for Ashes. In addition, I spent time each week working in a safe house where women who had been trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation, were beginning their new lives.

It was my hope that I would be able to return to the States after Christmas to finish my time in Georgia with the Beauty for Ashes Department at Adventures in Missions. However, as easy as it is to pop down to the states to hit up the stores for a little bit of Black Friday shopping, it’s not quite as easy for a Canuck like me to stay down there for long periods of time. And so, as we begin this new year, I will be returning to my job as a kindergarten teacher, and seeking God for direction as I continue on my journey of being a part of the solution to end human trafficking. I have been forever changed by the things that I have seen, and as I dream of one day seeing a place where young girls rescued from trafficking are able to heal from damage done, I am eager to take appropriate next steps to get there.

And so today I say THANK - YOU !!!!!!!

Thanks for your prayers, encouragement, financial support and friendship. I truly could not have done it without you. I love that as a follower of Jesus, we are never in this alone. Your investment in the work that God let me be a part of this year has made a lasting impact on the Kingdom. Thank you.

I am also pleased to announce that the exact amount of support I needed to be able to stay in Georgia up until Christmas is in my support account. Praise God !

Because I have loved sharing this journey with you, I will continue to blog, and share stories of things I saw and learned this past fall. In addition, I will share with you involvement in ministry back here, specifically as it relates to the issue of human trafficking. I have, and am continuing to learn a lot, and so if you are interested in learning more about how you can get involved, please send me a message. I would love to connect with you.

Thanks again friends, I love you !!!

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Just a Canadian-born Southern Belle doing her best to help end sex-trafficking...

10/9/2015

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Soooo what's up in Georgia???

Hello everyone! Just wanted to give you a brief update of what is going on down here in Georgia!! It has been super busy but I am beyond excited about all that God has me being a part of. Check it out check it out!!!
Three Fun Facts about the Work God is Doing in Georgia!

1) Next week I get to start the process of training to work at Out of Darkness in Atlanta!! Out of Darkness serves women who have either been stuck in sexual exploitation, or are at risk. The organization provides a safe, loving environment in their safe homes, and they work hard to get the women placed in long-term care facilities suited to their needs. I will be working in their safe homes, and hopefully doing outreach as well. To learn more about what Out of Darkness does, click here.

2) I am learning the ins and outs of managing a business, specifically a non- profit ministry as I work at Adventures in Missions. In the Beauty for Ashes Department, I am involved with several projects. The vision of the department is to Equip women to be able to implement the retreats in their own ministry location, whether that be overseas or locally. Currently now I am helping to develop curriculum to be able to support this process. I will also be able involved in training missionaries going out onto the field, so that they can bring freedom to the women that they work with. To learn more about Beauty for Ashes, click here.

3) I am learning so many skills that will be useful to be able to one day open the rehabilitation centre for girls rescued from trafficking that I hope to open. Sharing vision, public speaking, fundraising, management, working with a Board of directors are all topics that I am learning about. I am even going to be developing a business plan for this ministry.
To be honest, I have learned more in the last two weeks than I even thought that I would. But in order to continue ...I need your support. Here are some ways that you can get involved.

-Prayer...This work and all future work are the Lord’s and His alone. If you would be willing to lift me up in prayer, I would be so grateful!

-Financial Partnership...You can make a donation to my account at Adventures in Missions. The total that I need to raise for this account is 3, 900 dollars. Click Here to make a donation/become a monthly donor. Please make sure that you choose Centre for Global Action (CGA) as the program. ( Please be reminded that Adventures is an American organization, and so Canadians will not recieve a tax receipt).

-Legally I am not able to receive a salary from Adventures. So, I am fundraising my own support to cover my basic living expenses. If you would like to make a financial donation to my personal account, you can send me money via e-transfer or cheque! K

[email protected] is the address you can find me at ! Feel free to message me for more details :)

Thanks so much friends !!

Thank so much for all of your support!! I love you all so dearly and am so thankful for all of the encouragement that you give me.

So lets do this team ! Lets do our part to END sex trafficking.

If you wanna chat, feel free to send me a message, I absolutely love connecting !!

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Sooo...Why are you going to Georgia?

9/2/2015

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A few of you have asked what exactly I will be doing when I head down to Georgia in a few short weeks. Soooo...I'll tell ya! Check it out...

My passion (or to use the fancy Christian word...my calling:)) is to be a protector of young girls, particularly those who are considered to be the most at risk. You know, those girls in our schools, neighbourhoods, communities, cities and countries that didn't get a "fair" start. No matter what the specific circumstances that surrounded their early years were, ( and there are many, ranging from physical/ sexual or emotional violence, drug abuse, fatherlessness...and on and on) I believe that God wants to restore His daughters. Even more specifically, I believe that in being a protector of the most at risk girls...God is gonna let me be a part of ENDING sex trafficking.

In my journal...this is what it looks like...

I am dreaming and praying about...

Aftercare and rehabilitation...

Starting a faith based, Christ centred rehabilitation centre for young girls rescued from trafficking...providing them with a chance to heal and become whole, all the while catching up on schooling they have missed, learning social skills and life skills, connecting them with a support system...and giving them a chance to thrive!!

Prevention

Starting a one- on one mentorship program for at-risk girls in our schools and communities, connecting them with women from churches in their own communities. (Kindda like Big Sisters, but where the difference is Jesus)

Connecting and Mobilizing

Providing support for other women and men who want to join the fight of freeing our daughters in our own communities, and around the world. Still working out the "how" of this ...but it is a start.

Soooo.... why am I going to Georgia again ???

One word.

Preparation.

I will be completing a leadership development program called the Fellowship...lots of cool opportunities, but basically while I am there I will...

Volunteer once a week with an anti-trafficking organization called "Out of Darkness" in Atlanta. ( A hub for Sex-trafficking in North America) It's time to go in as a learner and support their work in the meantime.

Learn the ins and outs of running a department within a non-profit organization (Adventures in Missions).

Be involved in Bringing Beauty for Ashes (Those awesome retreats that I did this past year ) to young girls and women locally in Georgia. ( Side note...if you are interested in learning how to facilitate a retreat in your community...let me know!)

Learn essential skills such as how to cast vision, fundraise, work with a marketing department, plan events..etc.

Support the next Kingdom Journeys team from this side of the world as they bring Beauty for Ashes to more women around the world.

I'm sure there is more learning that will be done...but that is a brief overview !

The thing is I can't to this alone.

Here are some ways that you can get involved...

1)Prayer Seriously guys, I believe passionately that this is God's mission, and I am just one blessed girl that gets to be on His team, but I need prayer warriors going at it along with me. Thanks in advance for partnering with me in this way !

2)Financial Support In order to be a part of the fellowship, I must raise my own support. I have about 8 900.00 dollars to raise, and I can't wait to see how God shows Himself faithful once again .

If you would like to be a part of it...please click here.

( Under the drop down menu for program, please click Centre for Global Action (CGA))

3) Connect, connect, connect ! I am currently trying to connect with as many people as possible who are either passionate about building into the lives of young girls, or more specifically, anti-trafficking. So if you know someone that I should know....please let me know ! Feel free to pass on my contact info or blog as well.

Thank you all for your support !! I could not do this without you :).

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Even there...

8/25/2015

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I have been home from Kingdom Journeys for a month, and I have wanted to share an update with what God has been teaching me, and where He is leading.

But to be honest, it's been a weird transition.

I met with the Missions Pastor from my church last week, to share some stories from the field. One of the questions that he asked me was "What are you struggling with?".

Instead of answering that question, I kind of just diverted our conversation back in the direction of the things that I had seen while I was away, sharing how I had grown. Talking about the ways in which I had seen God at work, or even the dreams that He has given me for the future, rather than try to sort through the right now, was much less daunting.

Because to be honest, the "right now" in my life is a little bit blurry.

I saw God work in incredible ways this past year. I saw Him on the move and experienced JOY like I never have before. Pure joy, though there were hardships.

Purpose. I was seeking freedom for beautiful sisters, and I saw God bring it time and time again.

I was living out my faith and experiencing the Power of God in ways that I never had before.

But now being home, I find myself asking the question...what did I really see? That power, that freedom, that joy, that sense of mission...where is it?

God has been kind enough to meet me where I am at.

I heard the song " Buried in the Grave" by All Sons and Daughters, not long after I got home and I became slightly obsessed with it. I would play it on repeat while I lay in bed falling asleep just MISSING the amazing people I had met overseas... missing the crazy intimacy I had felt with God.

" Grace was in the tension, of everything we'd lost. Standing empty handed, shattered by the cross. All we had, all we had, was a promise like a thread. Holding us, keeping us, oh from fraying at the edge. All we know, all we know is you said you'd come again. You rose up from the grave. "

It made me think about the disciples, and how they must have felt as they literally saw Jesus, the son of God crucified on the cross.

Think about it a bit...they had walked from town to town with Him, watching Him perform miracle after miracle, hearing Him teach things blew their minds. They saw Him love in radical ways that literally CHANGED LIVES.

They saw proof that He was in fact God...and then they watched him die.

I wonder what the disciples and followers of Jesus were thinking in that moment, and in the hours to come. I wonder how they felt over the next couple days?

All they had was the knowledge of what they had seen him do in the past, and the hope of what He said about the future.

But I'm guessing they felt a little bit of this same weird feeling that I am walking through right now. This certainty of what they had seen, combined with the broken heart of acknowledging that nothing would ever be the same again.

But the thing is...Grace WAS in the tension of all that they lost...it's in the tension of this weird in-between season that I am walking through right now, and it's in whatever you are walking through as well. Perhaps you have seen God work in your life in incredible ways in the past, but you are in a different sort of season now.

KNOW that He is there, and wants you to persevere. (check out James 1). Because the thing is, in the lives of the disciples, the ones who walked with Jesus, He really did rise again.

And because of that, you and I can be completely certain that He WILL rise again in our own circumstances.

I heard a great quote the other day that reminded me of this very concept: "Honour the space between no longer, and not yet" (Nancy Levin)

I am choosing to honour this season and embrace the tension, because His grace is found...even there.

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Natalya's Eyes

7/27/2015

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My outreach team and I walked into the bar, all smiles, waving hello to the waitresses, and to the girls on stage. Having learned the night before the power of JOY, we had made a decision to bring heaven with us wherever we went that night. No fear, no anger - not even the righteous kind. Just love, peace and JOY.

My Filipina friend Pam*, who only a year earlier had worked at this very bar, was leading our team as we wove through the tables towards an empty section right in front of the stage, where the girls danced in a line while scantily clad in blue and white sailors costumes. Pam is now a missionary in the very place that used to hold her captive, and she is determined that the girls who are still trapped there will have the opportunity to discover freedom, just as she has.

I caught her eye right away as we passed by her table. She sat on a stool, across from the man who had purchased her time. He was likely Japanese or Korean, in Angeles City on a trip with his buddies. He and his friends and were caught up in a game of pool, which pulled his attention away from her every few moments.

I smiled as we approached, and took advantage of the free window of time she had...I reached my hand towards her as we passed, and introduced myself. Hi, my name is Kimmy...what's yours?

She took my hand and hesitantly returned the smile. "I am Natalya" , she whispered back, before quickly turning in the direction of her customer, clearly nervous about his potential reaction.

We sat down at a tall round table nearby, and within minutes we had about seven or eight bar girls gathered around. Ordering pretty blue drinks for each of us so that the bar management would let us chat with the girls, we told them about Wipe Every Tear, and the opportunity to go to college. They were overwhelmed and excited about the thought of potentially dreaming for their futures...something that they had not done in a long time. They started speaking into one another's dreams...a group of friends each telling eachother what they thought their strengths were...nursing, teaching, business, hotel and restaurant management were all discussed. We talked about their families, their siblings and their babies, and we laughed together, just enjoying the moment.

Every so often, I would glance over towards Natalya's table, and as I did, my heart would start to pound. Every time her customer turned his back to her, either to take a shot at the pool table or to chat it up with his buddies, Natalya would turn her whole body to face our group, grip the edge of her stool seat tightly, and lean over to try and catch what we were saying.

Ever since that night, even now typing these words on my computer, sitting in the safety of Starbucks in downtown Oakville, Ontario, I am still haunted by her eyes.

Her stare was glued to our group, as if she was trying desperately to be a part of our conversation. Her eyes were wide and she seemed to be willing herself not to blink, for fear of missing a moment of our conversation.

She was desperate.

Suddenly, without really thinking it through, my feet started moving, carrying me in her direction, in spite of the fact that she had a customer. For the moment anyway, his back was to us. I reached into my purse, and slid fingers into the side pocket, feeling around until I touched the business cards that I carried on outreach nights.

Is I got closer we locked eyes. Her body tensed up ...but as I reached her and gently grabbed her hand, the tension began melting away. I placed the business card in her hand, and gave it a squeeze.

Her eyes remained connected to mine, I could feel the driving emotion behind them.

Trapped.

I smiled, and in a low voice, I quickly told her what I had come to say.

"Natalya...my friends and I ... We help girls who work in the bars get out. We help them go to school and start a new life...we can help you.

Her hand still was still in mine, and her grip tightened. She glanced down at the card and then quickly over at her customer who was now approaching us. One final time we locked eyes...

Thank-you she whispered. I squeezed her fingers and smiled one last time before turning back to my table as she returned her attention to the man now standing beside her.

While we were in the Philippines, we saw many girls choose freedom....they chose to trust us and chose a new life. Those stories are incredible, and I could tell them all night long.

But as I think about the future, about my next step, there is one thing that keeps driving me forward.

Natalya's eyes.

I am not sure what has happened to Natalya, not sure if she has chosen freedom in the weeks since I left the Philippines. When we went back to the same bar a couple nights later she was not there.

But countless times, when Im walking down the street, or laying in bed at night, or telling a friend about some of the things I saw on Kingdom Journeys, I remember Natalya's eyes.

Afraid. Desperate. Alone. Trapped.

Natalya's eyes represent the driving force behind my next step. Because of Natalya, and so many other girls, I am continuing this journey.

At the end of September, I will be packing up my car, and moving to Gainesville Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, for a period of at least six months. I will continue the work of bringing freedom to young girls, because that is what God is calling me to.

At the head office of Adventures in Missions, I will be participating in a leadership development program called the Fellowship. This internship will help make my future dream of opening a rehabilitation home for young teenage girls rescued from human trafficking a reality. I will have the opportunity to work alongside incredible inspiring people in the field, learning about what is currently being done, and taking steps towards what God has called me to...being a part of the END of Sex Trafficking.

I will also continue to spread vision of Beauty for Ashes as I support the development of this movement from North America, working to support both local and global organizations that wish to implement Beauty for Ashes. One of our goals is to take Beauty for Ashes to young girls in here in North America, and I couldn't be more excited! I have a deep desire for young girls to understand their true worth and value as daughters of the King, and I am so excited that God is letting me be a part of tis important work.

And so once again, I would like to invite you to be a part of what God is doing ! In order to make this move to Georgia possible, I am raising my own support. The total that I need to raise is 10 000 USD. If you would like to partner with me in this way, I would be so so so grateful ! Send me a message if you would like more information about becoming a monthly or one time donor, or click the "support me" link at the top of this page.

Thanks again for all of your support ! None of this would be possible without you :) I love you all and am so thankful that we are on this journey together.

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Becoming A Girl who Dreams...

7/2/2015

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Becoming A Girl who Dreams

Almost two years ago, I drove across the United States to Oklahoma City, to participate in a week long missions trip, helping to clean up after tornadoes that had caused unspeakable damage to lives of people living just outside the city. I can't fully put into words what got me to go, except that it was a God thing. And like most God things it was a total adventure. I drove 20 hours with a girl who started out as a stranger, slept on a cot with people I had never met, in a giant gymnasium. During the day I tore down drywall, drove a u-haul truck (for real!!) , hammered things, drilled things, heard stories of God's power and provision, laughed, and had a ridiculously great time.

And late at night, when the silence of the gymnasium was interrupted by only the odd cough or the echoes of a creaking cot, something else began to happen. Something that hadn't happened to me in a long time.

I began to dream again.

And I began to pray in a whole new way.

I specifically remember two books I was reading at the time. One was called "Anything" by Jennie Allen, and the other was "Kisses from Katie". Maybe not the most theological reads, but both books gave me real life stories of women living in surrender.

And so, I decided that that’s what I was gonna do.

I was done trying to set up my life to look like what I thought a Christian life should look like. No more trying to prove to God that I was deserving of the Grace that He had shown me, because the truth is, I don't deserve His grace. That is exactly what makes it amazing.

I decided I was going tell God I was up for anything, and see what dreams He brought to my heart.

And guess what? He showed up.

I became passionate. For the young girls in my youth group at church, for the broken hearted women around me, and perhaps most of all, for those women who desperately need freedom from the worst type of slavery.

He made me passionate to see women like me, women in our late twenties and early thirties to quit waiting for life to happen, and instead to begin building things that matter with the God of the universe as our helper. I began to care about using the gifts He has given us to actually DO something. I became passionate about words and stories, about being a disciple who actually made disciples.

I got excited about life.

Eventually that attitude of "anything" prayer and a heart that wants to dream has brought me here, typing these words at a dining room table in the middle of a house in Chiang Mai Thailand.

And so I come before you so thankful. Thankful that you believe in me, that you pray for me, tell your friends about the work my team and I are up to, that you are giving my doggy a home, and that you supported me financially through this time.

I am happy to announce that I am fully funded for Kingdom Journeys.

Thank you, thank you, thank- you! I really could not have travelled to Africa, Guatemala, the Philippines and Thailand to bring freedom to women and girls without your obedience.

I have just over three weeks left of living here in Thailand, and I can't wait to see how God works in the short time that we have left. I'll be sure to share....

But in the mean time, please know that those dreams that were birthed in the hot sticky sun while I was learning to tear down drywall, have come to fruition because of your faithfulness.

I tried my best to be faithful to the dreams that God gave me, and God's word says that when we are faithful with a little, He entrusts us with lots.

I am so excited to share the dreams that He is entrusting me with next. Stay tuned for more posts in the days to come !

I love you and I’m so thankful for you !!!

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Searching for...

6/28/2015

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I'm so sorry that I have been slow with my updates on the deal here in Thailand. To be honest, I'm still wrapping my head around some of the differences between this culture and that of the Philippines, and I'm just now beginning to understand even a teeny tiny bit about what God might be up to here.
So, here goes.

We are looking for our Esther. We know she is here, and we are trusting that in His timing, His perfect timing He will lead us to her.

Let me explain.

My team and I are working with the same organization that we worked with in the Philippines, Wipe Every Tear. They now have a safe house here in Chiang Mai, a city in the Northern part of the country, and let me tell you, it is beautiful. There are three floors worth of bedrooms ready to filled with girls and women who want to go to college and leave their old lives behind.

My team and I have the opportunity to be a part of laying the groundwork, building friendships and relationships with girls that work in the bars, allowing them to trust us and begin to consider what it might look like to make a different choice for the rest of their lives.

While in the Philippines, it felt like we were caught up in a whirlwind of God's work, here in Thailand, it feels more like a steady plod.

Then two nights ago, I felt God prompting me to stay home from outreach, and pray, because He had something that He wanted to show me.

To be honest, I was kind of annoyed. I wanted to be out there, chatting with girls and making friends. I would much rather be His hands and feet rather than be stuck at home praying.

But if I have learned one thing about God, it's that it is always best to be obedient when He tells you to do something. So I sucked it up, said good-bye to my teammates as they headed out, and started to pray.

As I was praying comfortably under the stars and enjoying the gentle breeze on our third floor balcony, I felt this undeniable urge to pick up the Bible, like there was something in it he wanted me to pray through.

OK.

He took me to Esther, and told me that He wanted to literally pray that book over the bars. He told me that there are so many similarities between the Persian culture that the book of Esther is set in, and the culture of the bars in Thailand.

Check it out.

The book of Esther is set in a kingdom where everyone is consumed with appearances, all is for show, and it's all about viewing women as something to consume all the while discounting their hearts.

Within this culture, God places a woman named Esther, who is stunningly beautiful, and also very very smart. Best of all she is a woman who seeks God. She calls on her community to support her as she risks her life to save the Jewish race from destruction.

And although God's name is actually not written anywhere in the book of Esther, His fingerprints are literally all over the story, all over the people, all over the rescue.

The same is true in this country of Thailand, and specifically within the bars. In the bars where the women are adored for physical appearance and consumed by men for their own pleasure, I believe that there is an Esther. She was not placed there by accident, after all we serve a God that knows EXACTLY what He is doing.

She is there because in His perfect timing, she will be the one to set her sisters free, to bring them to a place of safety. I believe our Esther will leave the bars, and behind her there will be a stream of women choosing a new life. And just like the story of Esther who saved her race from destruction, I believe that that God's fingerprints will be all over her story of leading her people to safety.

But here is the thing. Esther didn't go at it alone. If you check it out, she had everyone gather around and pray. And she fasted. And so did they. She knew that she needed other people. She knew that she needed God.

And so I am coming before you, my faithful friends, with an "Esther like prayer".

My team needs your prayers...our "Esther" needs your prayers. Will you partner with us in this way? Will you pray that God will lead us to the one that He has set apart? Will you pray for her rescue, and for the ones that she will lead into freedom? Will you pray with urgency? Will you pray with faith ?

It would mean so much to me. And to her. And her. And her, and her, and her.

It would mean so much to the Kingdom.

Thank you for your ongoing support this year ! You have been amazing ! Stay tuned over the next few weeks as I have some updates and announcements to share with you.

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The best two months of my life...

6/9/2015

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The past two months have been a life highlight. I have never felt so alive, so blessed, so full of hope and joy as I did working alongside the beautiful girls who had been rescues from the bars of Angeles City.

And now I know for certain, without a doubt, that light has the power to penetrate the darkest places.

Before arriving in the Philippines, I knew it was gonna be good. I knew I would get to see God work in incredible ways because I knew I was going to be a part of a ministry that had seen him on the move, rescuing His daughters.

I also knew I would hear first hand many stories of heartbreak beyond that which I could have ever imagined.

What I didn't know, was how greatly my life would be transformed and changed by what I saw. I didn't expect the deepening of my faith that came with being in desperate need to see God show up.

I didn't expect to be leaving with a heart so full , as well as a heart ready for action, refusing to remain silent, and ready to be a part of the solution to this generations brokenness.

Arriving in the Philippines and getting to know the girls who are living at the safe houses, was like getting a glimpse of what the word sisterhood meant. These girls and young women are FOR each other. They want more than anything to have lives of purity, fun, and Jesus.

We had the opportunity to participate in outreach several times, where we would worship and pray with our team, a mix of Americans ( and me...the token Canadian ) along with our Filipino sisters before hitting the streets and the bars sharing about the opportunity to come live at Wipe Every Tear and go to school.

One night as we worshiped, we had the best interruption ever...one of the girls that had been trying to make a decision about leaving her old life literally showed up partway through worship, joined us is singing songs of praise.

Holy moment.

Another girl who I met on a different stage in Angeles City literally gripped my hands and told me she had been praying for a way out so she could worship God, because it was all she wanted to do.

Divine intervention.

I expected darkness and sadness, and though that was there...bringing JOY was infinitely more powerful.

I remember one moment, coming into a bar, jumping on stage, and rocking out to T- Swift with the girls(my fave as all of ya know !).... and then looking around the bar a few moments later after we had left the stage, offering to buy many of them drinks...a requirement to be able to spend time with them. I saw that not only were there several girls surrounding me, but there was the entire bar was filled with teams chatting with other girls. There were no more left on the stage!

Overall, we saw around 30 girls come to Wipe Every Tear while we were there. Amazing.

During our Beauty for Ashes retreats, the girls poured into one another as they shared their hearts and their stories, some taking steps towards healing for the very first time. We saw them light up when they came to understand more of who they were as The bride of Christ, who He was as their Father, and their friend.

These past two months I didn't see trickles of goodness....I saw waterfalls of it.

And I am addicted. I am addicted to the mission.

I believe that God is calling me to be a protector of young girls.... for now and forever. He has given me hints of what this will look like, and as they emerge, I am so excited to share them with you.

For now, please continue to pray.

Pray for His beautiful daughters in Chiang Mai Thailand...that He will lead us to the specific ones that will be the first to live in the new safe house here. Pray for endurance for my team that we may finish this journey well.

And let me know how you are doing...how can I pray for you ?

What is God calling you to? In what ways has serving Him brought you joy ?

Love you all ...and I am so thankful for all of your support !

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Being Brave

5/9/2015

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She sat across from us at the tall round bar table, bare shoulders hunched over slightly, as she twirled the plastic straw from her coke around her mouth. The base from the music pounded loudly in our ears, and glancing back up at the girls scantily clad in bikinis on the stage, I felt the darkness that seemed to consume the small bar.

In front of me sat Milly, a young girl with long eyelashes and an innocent, pretty smile. She quietly whispered that she was nineteen, before dropping her eyes to the ground. Eighteen is the legal age to be able to work in the bars in Angeles City, the strip frequented by foreign tourists. Many girls are forced to lie about their age, and in reality Milly could very well have been 15 or 16. Around us sat men men from every life stage, some in their twenties to early thirties, through middle age, and the oldest looked like he might very be in his late sixties. They sat around in groups or on their own, staring at the girls with empty eyes. Milly seemed relieved that we had invited her over to talk.

For a few minutes, she was safe.

Together the five of us, my team of four and our new friend, talked about our families, our hobbies and our favourite music. Milly thought it was funny that I loved country music, and she giggled even harder when my friends told her that they had seen real live cowboys and cowgirls back in Texas.

I locked eyes with her, and asked her simply, if she liked her job. She tried to blink back the tears that overflowed down her cheeks.

No.

Her answer was short, but heavy.

"It's just they have no money for food...my family has no money to eat. I don't know how else to help them."

I let the moment carry its weight, nodding my head slowly and letting a few moments of heavy silence ensue.

Then, I smiled at her, inched closer, and with the excitement of sharing a secret with a dear friend, I asked her what her dreams were...what she wanted to do more than anything in the world.

"Business! I want to be a businesswoman!" Bursting with a excitement, she told me that she was good at math, really good.

As I told her all about Wipe Every Tear, the opportunity to go to college, and the big beach vacation that the organization is hosting for women who worked in Angeles City, tears returned to her eyes. "You're so kind, she said. No one is ever this nice to me."

As I left the bar that night, my heart was a little more broken, which I think is exactly the condition God wants my heart to be in. It causes me to "seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with my God". ( Micah 6:8).

Two days after meeting Milly, I sat on a bus filled with 38 women and girls who wanted to come tour the safe houses.

Women and girls willing to take a chance at a better life.

They are willing to take a chance.

And so, I have been asking myself....if I want the girls around me to be brave, shouldn't I be doing the same thing ? Leaving for a new life takes courage, especially when life experiences make it next to impossible to trust. But if God can make them brave, can't He do the same for me?

When I was younger, I was obsessed with books about every type of injustice. I devoured books about the slave trade, passionately frustrated that some people were treated as less than human. I couldn't read enough literature about the Holocaust , and Anne Frank was my hero. I remember thinking to myself that if I had have lived during the times of slavery or injustice, I would stand up for what was right.

And so just as I thought historical slavery was wrong and am inspired by those who have fought against it, I must be in the fight now. And because the God of the universe actually lives in me, because His Holy Spirit is alive and active in me, and I cannot remain silent.

He has allowed me to see parts of this world that have lit a fire in my heart that will not be blown out.

And because of the tears in Milly's eyes, I am staying in the fight.

It's scary to type these words, committing myself to a mission that will likely last a lifetime.

But because of Milly, and so many other girls I've met....being brave, and trusting God with the rest is all that I can do.

Thank you so much for your continued support through prayer, friendship and financial donations ! I am incredibly thankful.

In order to be fully funded, I need an additional 1200 USD in my account. To help out, please click here.

For more info, or just to connect with me, please fill out the contact form on this page! Looking forward to hearing from you !

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Hope...

4/6/2015

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Cool tile floors beneath my bare feet, fan blowing a breeze upon my face giving my body a break from the thick humidity pressing in upon my skin, I take a deep breathe and enjoy the feelings of peace that cut through the heaviness and pain caused by the sin present in this world. Voices of a couple dozen girls and young women rise up around me, singing about Jesus and the hope that He has for them. Wearing comfy PJ pants and T-shirts, we sway back and forth together, enjoying a peace that transcends all understanding, a peace that comes straight from heaven.

HOPE.

That's the word that God is currently bringing alive to me as I hang out with the girls of Wipe Every Tear, girls that have recently been freed from sex trafficking, girls that are now high school and college students being given the opportunity to dream for the future. The past week has been one of changes, a week of learning for my team and I.

We have had the opportunity to spend time with the girls; chatting, having dance parties, playing never ending games of Uno, and hanging out at a downtown park enjoying the sights and sounds of Quezon City. One of my favourite parts of our ministry is having the opportunity to lead devotions before bed time with the girls. I love it...because it reminds me that I actually have more in common with these girls than I initially thought possible.

As a teenager, sitting on the floor with my friends, my sisters, in a little cabin and hearing about God stories from girls who were just a bit older than me, is how I first learned about Jesus. Growing up going to a Christian camp, Medeba, I have memories of giggling in the dark with my friends, praying, and asking questions about who this guy named Jesus was. I remember feeling nervousness mixed with anticipation, and a strange certainty that I was learning something that really mattered during those late night discussions. It was years before I was able to make sense of what it all meant, but those nights where I would worship with my friends before curling up in my bunk bed were the moments when life changing seeds were being planted. They were also the moments when I felt completely free to be me. My summers at camp were glimpses into the Kingdom, where I was given the opportunity to be seen by my leaders and new friends in a way that reflected how God saw me.

I truly believe that by the grace of God, I have now been given the opportunity to see these girls as He sees them.

He does not see them the way that the world sees them. He has not written them off as pieces of property to be purchased for the purposes of sin. He does not see them as tainted, or impure, or unworthy. He does not see their past lives, the ones where they were trafficked or driven in desperation to work in the bars. He sees them as His daughters, and He loves them so much.

And he is allowing me to see these beautiful girls as far greater than me, the most precious gifts in the Kingdom. ( Philippians 2:3 ) When Jesus looks upon these women, He sees them as daughters worth dying on the cross for. He sees their potential, and calls them to greatness, while still allowing them to be exactly where they are at. Good Friday is about death, and Easter Sunday is about the resurrection power of Jesus, it is about becoming new. This Easter I have been given the gift of witnessing that first hand. I get to cry tears and giggle, mourn and celebrate, listen and share alongside these beautiful precious gifts from God. And I have never been more certain of the Hope for which I choose to live. " Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see". (Hebrews 11:1)

What about you ?
Where have you seen proof of the death and resurrection power of Jesus in your own life ?
Who around you can you continue to see those around you as greater than you ?

Thanks so much for reading! If you would like to get involved financially in the work that I am doing here through Kingdom Journeys please click here. I am praying another 1500 dollars in order to be fully funded. I would be so thankful for your support !

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Not the end...

Just a Canadian-born Southern Belle doing her best to help end sex-trafficking...

Sooo...Why are you going to Georgia?

Even there...

Natalya's Eyes

Becoming A Girl who Dreams...

Searching for...

The best two months of my life...

Being Brave

Hope...

Kim.Kimmy. Kimberley.

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