the ninety-nine

Part two.

We started outreach on Monday night with the same prayer we ended Sunday with, “God please don’t let us see her…” – we really wanted her to leave the streets, we really wanted her to pursue the stirring in her heart, we really wanted her to encounter the fullness of God and the abundance He has for her. Seeing her meant she didn’t go to rehab.

From an outsiders perspective one may think this is a simple decision, if you want to get off the streets then you can leave at any time… but it is not like that, not in the slightest. Leaving the streets because you are arrested is easy because you are being forced. Leaving the streets because you are sick is easy because you have no other choice. Leaving the streets because you are choosing to get clean from drugs and because you believe in yourself is not easy. Drugs suck you in, manipulate your mind, control your thoughts, and take power of your will.

If drugs are not enough to keep you the chaos of life is. The streets suck you in and pull you into a whirlwind of self-damnation with a whisper of ‘this is all you are good enough for…’ The streets tell a girl she isn’t worthy and if the streets don’t kill her the drugs will.

We prayed with over forty people Monday night. Stopped at a few crack houses, prayed with drug lords, held hands with hopeless women, heard the desperate cries “I just want off the streets”….

As the sun went down over Detroit and the scarcity of street lights flickered… we hadn’t seen her yet. We drove to the crack house we found her at on Sunday and were greeted by the same man… he asked if we were looking for her again and we said we were…. He walked into the crack house, his voice echoed to the streets as he called her name… but there wasn’t a response… he came out of the house and said “I saw her earlier…. She looked so great, she was all dressed up, her hair was done, she said she was leaving and then she left….”

I love how God works because even in that moment as joyous as our hearts were we saw that the harvest was still plentiful and right in front of us. We asked our new friend what happened to his nose, which was so obviously in poor shape…. He shared he was in an altercation and his right nostril was ‘ripped’ off….. so we prayed over him and asked God to grow that back, to rebuild cartilage, to heal him. We told him we would be back on Monday again and expectantly looked forward to seeing a healed nose. She may have left but new relationships built from her exit. Even when the one sheep comes back… there is still 99 more to tend to…

As we drove off, Jaime and I put in our calendars “_________ left the streets today” with a yearly reminder. A yearly reminder that she is worthy, she is good enough, she has a plan… We have learned that God is stronger than any force of a drug addiction, any force of mind manipulation, any force of control –when He puts something in our hearts nothing can stop us. The one sheep returned, but we still have ninety-nine more...... ninety-nine more sheep that need to know about God's redemptive love... ninety-nine more that have a story to fulfill....

What we couldn’t do for ourselves Christ perfected.

the one

I think one of the sweetest things that AWOL has adopted from Donna’s leadership with 70x7 is that she always began ministry and ended ministry in prayer. Each week before we hit the streets our team unites in prayer with expectant hearts and each night we end outreach with filled hearts because God always goes above and beyond our expectations for the night. I love that His word says He prepares good works in advance for us. It’s so comforting to know that it is Him doing all of this…. Not me, not Jaime, not our team or those who serve alongside us… but HIM.

On Sunday we had plans to meet up with the girl I blogged about here. We showed up at 2pm like arranged and then we waited….and waited… truly the thought of her not showing up didn’t cross my mind. I knew we would see her and my mind was resolved on that. At 2:23pm I looked at Jaime and said that doubt had entered my mind and for the first time I thought we weren’t going to see her that day. So in normal Jaime fashion she said “well duh LF let’s just go find her”. We had no idea where she lived because any time that we had gone to her house it was dark out and after going to multiple houses in one night everything sort of bunches together. So we prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to tell us where she lived. Jaime got a word and so we followed through on it and went looking for her word… two streets later we saw a street sign with the word she got in the name of the street….so we went down it. Very quickly in we realized this street was familiar and we had been on it before…. Then we saw the house and we laughed because last time we knocked on the door to this house we were pretty sure we were going to die. But, we both thought that was the house so we went and knocked on the door. Sure enough, it was her house but she wasn’t home. The woman who answered the door told us to go back to the corner she usually is at and wait for her. So we did.. and nothing.

We had driven around and then driven some more and each time we got to this one specific street I turned right. So on the 4^th or 5^th time down this street Jaime says “LF go straight” so I did, passing my right turn. Then Jaime said “wait…. Didn’t we go to a house on this street once before and she was at a house on the corner down here…. Remember the house that you got out of the van and totally bit it and fell on your butt”…. Yeah I remembered, I also remembered Jaime laughing hysterically at me. We pulled up to the house on the corner and thought we would go knock on the door. A man across the street hollered at us and asked if we were looking for _______ and we said yes and he said she was inside that house. So we knocked on the door, someone answered, opened the door, and then walked away… it was eerie. So the guy said “you want me to go in and get her…. You her family” we said “yeah” so he did… and sure enough she came out. She hugged me and said she loved us so much and was so sorry, but she couldn’t have lunch… She told us she was still planning on leaving the streets for rehab the next day.

We drove off and we had a great peace… I think the day was more about her knowing she was worth going after, worth pursuing, worth looking for. People need to know that they are worthy of love. People need to know that someone cares enough about them to seek them out. People need to know that when they don’t show up that they are missed. People need to know that they are worth the extra mile. Just as God lead us to where she was – He is also leading her to where she is going….

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? Matthew 18:12

We left the neighborhood and our prayer was “God – please don’t let us see her tomorrow night….” because then it would mean she did what she was going to do… it would mean she left the streets, she went to rehab, and she was entering a journey of restoration…

So Monday happened…. Check back tomorrow ;)

54 and 12

Guest Post -- Written by AWOL President, Jaime

“He was the 54th person I knew that has died in 12 years. I’m not talking Facebook friends, I am talking 54 close - inner circle - friends of mine that have died in the last 12 years.”

My heart broke as one of the girls on the streets shared this story with us. Most of us will probably never see 54 close friends die, let alone have the opportunity to have 54 close friends. In a world where you see another friend die due to overdoses or murders as fast as you change your nailpolish, you have nothing left to do but find a new friend and wait for them to die. At least that is how it seems.

She continued on to talk about her 12 year old daughter and how if she died her daughter would never see her again. Her words, “if I die, I’m a nobody, Detroit isn’t going to contact my family, I’m just another dead girl” and as they came out of her mouth my heart sank even further. I come from the background where my brother was a nobody and Detroit couldn’t even tell my family he was dead until 2 weeks after the fact. The only person to see my brother again was my dad when a Detroit morgue vehicle pulled in our driveway and showed my dad his dead face for identification.

We never saw him again. No open casket. We literally never saw him again. And everyone deserves that.

And I told her that. I told her I never got to see my brother again and he died alone In a field in Detroit and nobody cared. And her daughter deserves to see her again. And she cried.

This was the first time ever she has expressed interest in leaving the streets. And for that we are hopeful because if we don’t have hope we have nothing. We will never lose hope for these girls. What we see seems impossible but we belong to a God who is the God of Impossible.

she was the impossibility...

God can answer a prayer in an instant. Last night we asked God to put two specific women in our path and immediately after those prayers we saw both women. God can answer a prayer in an instant but the word tells us to pray without ceasing – that means when the answer doesn’t happen immediately you keep knocking, seeking, and asking. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. – Habakkuk 2:3.

We see a lot of girls on the streets every week, most we see repeatedly, some once or twice and never again. Some girls we can see every week for a year and still not form a deep relationship with them and some we see continuously for a year and build a connection that is deeper than the one I share with my own neighbor. Some girls grip your heart the second you meet them, their face follows you home, and you find yourself praying for them all the time. There is one girl I met a year ago that I instantly loved the second I first met her. T’was love at first sight if you will. Something about her captivated me and I’ve seen God use her to speak into my life countless times. She is one of the faces we see every week that I take with me off the streets. The whole team loves her. She is the girl that you think will never leave the streets – she is the impossibility.

Last night while driving during outreach I said “Jesusssssss….. it would be SO COOL if you could just put ______ in our path!!!!” one block later… boom. “okay… now you are just showing off”. I jumped out of the car and gave her a big hug and told her how much I missed her and she kept telling us how much she loved us and wouldn’t let go. I think we must’ve hugged for a solid five minutes. As she gripped my arm with her hand and reached her other arm around my neck resting on my shoulder, she began sharing with our team how she tracked down her birth mom and left the streets for the first time on her own terms; she wasn’t arrested, wasn’t in jail, not sick…but wanted to leave. She was clean for four days and the happiest any of us have ever seen her.

She told us she had dreams and couldn’t live like this anymore. She told us she had a story, she had a testimony, that she was a human being and not just a prostitute….. she told us she was worthy of love.

We stood on that street corner for twenty minutes listening to her tell us about God’s restoration in her life. If ever I heard the gospel preached it was in that moment. We listened to her tell us that one day she would be riding around with us praying for the girls. We listened to her tell us that God had a plan for her life. She said she was saying good bye to the streets and hello to a new life. It was hands down one of the best moments of my entire life. Before she left Jaime grabbed her hand and looked her right in the eye and told her that God did have a purpose for her life, that she does have a plan and how much he loves her. She is the impossibility God made possible.

She walked away and I started to laugh and then I started to cry… an hour later our team was still in shock. It always blows my mind to see the Sovereignty of our God. How majestic and wondrous His ways are and how beautiful His plans unfold. God doesn’t see a prostitute or a drug addict, He sees His beloved. A whole year I’ve been praying for her….. for this moment, for last night…. To walk in the freedom God has for her. Glory.

I knew I saw her..

I was sitting in Church a few weeks ago and saw the most beautiful red head walk in with her husband. I looked at her three times and was certain that she was who I thought she was… she was one of our girls off the streets. She looked so healthy. Her face was beaming with joy and her husband looked at her adoringly. It took everything in me to not run up to her and wrap my arms around her but I stared from a distance. It was almost as if I was looking at her from a Mothers perspective and seeing the fruit of our labor, I was proud.

It wasn’t who I thought it was. But I do believe it was an indication of who she will be. I texted Jaime and said “you will never believe who is in Church today…. it is ______ in the future and she is fully restored, free from drugs, healthy, and married”. We resolved that this happened because we needed to pray for her. We know that she is very ill and is in need of a critical surgery. The next day on outreach I thought for certain we would run into her and when we didn’t I was really bummed. Again, the next week, we didn’t see her.

Last night we were driving around with Donna, leader of 70x7, in new neighborhoods that Jaime and I have not been to… we were scooping out new possible neighborhoods that All Worthy of Love would begin to do outreach in. While we were driving around my heart ached to be in our regular neighborhood so much that I asked Donna if we could leave and go to our normal route to see our girls.

The second girl we pulled up to was her…. The girl I had been waiting for… it had been weeks and there she was. I got out of the car and hugged her and told her how much we missed her and she shared she had been in the hospital. The time had come where her surgery was life or death and it needed to be done quickly. I had a sweet opportunity to release God’s healing over her and ask him to grow new valves to her heart. There were tears and smiles exchanged but the most constant image I had while looking her in the eyes was the woman I saw in Church a few weeks ago…. Her in the future.

Please join our team in prayer that she would be completely healed either by way of instantaneous healing or through surgery. If surgery, would you please pray for everything relating to health insurance and that the details with the hospital would be divinely worked out?

“When a lion roars, who can keep from being afraid? When the Sovereign Lord Speaks, who can keep from proclaiming his message” – Amos 3:8

My call to the abolitionists:

This week Jaime and I were in Kansas City representing All Worthy of Love at the Exodus Cry Abolition Summit. It was a remarkable conference and as cliche as it sounds it was life changing. It is humbling to sit amongst the pioneer abolitionists of our time and have the opportunity to learn from them and pray with them. I truly felt that we sat in the presence of warriors who have unwaveringly accepted the call to end slavery and without hesitation committed to bridge the gap of injustice and to fight for freedom. I truly felt that we sat in the presence of the next Moses', the next Abraham Lincoln's, the next William Wilberforce's, and in each seat I saw the eyes of leaders who have committed their lives to seeing justice. We, like those, are unwavering and irrevocably committed to this movement. During the summit Jaime and I were able to speak with Ohad from the Nefarious film one on one and share about All Worthy of Love and our hearts -- We will never forget Ohad's parting commissioning to us, he looked us dead in our eyes and told us "Never give up. Don't you ever give up on those girls". That is exactly what we intend to do, we will not give up.

At the same time this week a thousand miles away there were 60,000 people who gathered as a united generation to seek God. I prayed for every single one of you and that your hearts would break and move you to action. For some, this conference was the first they heard that slavery still exists. For some this was a confirmation of what your heart is already breaking for and to you I say stand firm your army is coming. For others this was a reminder of an evil that will only be defeated by an Army of believers. Here is my message to the 60,000 who attended Passion: Sex slavery is real. Human trafficking is real. It is in my opinion the greatest evil our generation knows. The enslaved are people, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, all made in the image of God. Each one of you are in a position to move forward with all you learned or to put the reality away in your journal for another year. Each one of you are being presented with an opportunity to do something about slavery. Each one of you are a voice for the voiceless. Now that you know, you are responsible. Do not let the last 4 days be an experience, but rather let it be an encounter. Let the reality of this injustice change your lives for good. Rise up. You, every one of you are needed in the fight to set the captives free, to loose the chains of injustice, and to be the light in the darkness. You, every one of you are integral. If you are in Christ Jesus you are the answer to injustice. You are needed.

But hear this, the enslaved need more than a casual prayer every now and then, the enslaved need believers to get on their faces day after day after day and to storm the gates of Heaven on their behalf. The enslaved need more than sympathy. They need more than apathy. Fighting sex slavery is war. Anytime you mess with a man's money you better be prepared for war. Prepare yourself. It will get ugly, it will be dark, it will be hard, and not every case will be successful in your eyes, but it will be worth it. Do not judge your own effectiveness. You have been delivered and now you are called to be deliverers. Do not give up on them. Never give up. Pray that God would cast out laborers into the harvest of sex slavery. Push the agendas of Heaven over the agendas of Hell. You do not play defense. You are a warrior. He that is in you is greater than he that is in this world. The darkness does not overcome the light. Jesus is the author of Justice and He came to destroy the work of the devil. Understand this, prayer is your first priority. Continue to educate yourself and understand the in's and out's of this catastrophic evil. The leading forms of sex slavery are pornography and prostitution. Silence is not mercy, it is the corruption of justice. Do not let your compassion for the task exceed your passion for Jesus.

Never forget that not long ago you were in captivity, you were in chains, you were in bondage, you were enslaved. Do not forget where you come from. Do not forget that it was a Sovereign, Holy God who picked you out of your captivity, your chains, your bondage, your enslavement and said 'Follow Me'. As Dan Allender put it, you will remain faithful to the degree in which you are in touch with brokenness. Rise up. This is your generation.

Also, pray for Benji Nolan and his wife Lauren as well as the entire team at Exodus Cry. This year they will be filming for Nefarious II and after hearing the vision I know for a fact this will change everything. They need your prayers.

We are back in Detroit empowered, encouraged, and equipped.
A warrior for Freedom,
LF

If you want more information about Human Trafficking or what we do in Detroit, email me at lindsey@allworthyoflove.org or Jaime at jaime@allworthyoflove.org - We are scheduling through June for informative teachings. 

opened doors

This week has been such an exciting week of revelations. God is just so good. This morning a dear friend texted me “Today doors are going to open, not close”. I thought about it for a moment and I was like yeah of course doors will be opened. God does not lead us through a desert and abandon us. He does not leave us thirsty. I began thinking of the Israelites in the book of Exodus (my favorite book) and how they were in bondage for over 400 years. God sent Moses to rescue and redeem them. Moses only had the voice of God to depend on and when God told Moses to take the Israelites far away to the Red Sea Moses trusted Him. During their journey the Israelites lost faith….several times. They would have rather been back in bondage than walk through the desert toward a destination that was unknown. They continually questioned Moses and where they were headed. But, Moses, in faith trusted that God had a bigger plan. See, God was leading the Israelites toward an opened door… but the Israelites could not see that door. God doesn’t lead us through deserts to abandon us or shut us down with a closed door. God opens doors for us. He is the ultimate gentleman. Sometimes we cannot see the opened door. Sometimes we don’t even think the door exists.

 In this case, the door did not exist as far as human understanding. God had a bigger plan. He was not leading the Israelites in vain. God lead them to the Red Sea, a massive body of water. Once they got there the Israelites faith really began to deplete. But, God in His amazing power told Moses to lift his staff to the Red Sea and with that the Sea began to part. God made a door. He parted a sea and made a way for the Israelites to walk through. On each side was a wall of water and between the two was a walk way. God makes paths for us. Let’s live our lives in faith that God is a God who parts seas for us and makes a way even when we cannot see it. God opens doors that do not even exist. He is the God of impossibility because with Him all things are possible. Whatever you are facing, wherever you are wondering…. Listen to the small still voice behind you saying “This is the way; walk in it” (Is. 30:21). God will open doors for you in its appointed time. Do not waver like the Israelites…. Be firm. Have faith and trust Him. He is on your side. Walk toward open doors even when you don’t see them.

In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.

In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. – Exodus 15:13

the cost is your life

When I traveled to Bangkok and walked the streets of one of the most notorious red light districts in the world the verse that continually resounded in my mind was John 1:5. “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it”. Outreach this week started with three gunshots… about a street away. It was an interesting tone to start the night off. The next place we went to was a crack house, which is not unusual for us but the gentleman that walked out was an unfamiliar face… I had a moment where I thought “okay this is it… I’m probably going to die” which then followed by praying for this man and looking him into the eyes and telling him that Jesus loves him…..and not dying. The next stop we heard from a sister that her son was gunned down two weeks prior on the street we were standing on. It was a heavy start to the night. It is interesting how we can get lost in focusing on the good that comes with Christ, the easy, the peace, the joy… but there is also a cost to following Jesus and carrying the Cross daily. The cost is your life. Doing outreach can be dark. You truly never know what each outing will bring or what will happen. What I do know is that no matter what comes our way God is on our side, God is our protector, and if I die of anything I pray that it is while I am bringing others closer to Him. As believers we are not called into this cushiony life that is easy and safe… we are called to make disciples, no matter the cost. We are called to give until it hurts like Jesus did. We get the cushiony life and the easy safe life once we are in Heaven for all of eternity. But I can say this; the darkness never overcomes the light. As heavy as this night was we did end up at a house filled with beautiful children who All Worthy of Love was able to bless with an abundance of Christmas presents and the joy that beamed from this home overcame all the darkness we had just encountered. This one home shined so brightly. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. If you are in Christ Jesus and believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead and is now alive in Heaven seated at the right hand of the Father and is coming back again….. then YOU are this light we found in this home. You are the light that is not overcome by the darkness. You are. We are. But only because He is.

revitilization

Last night I was hanging with my sweet roommate and we were discussing how wild this last year has been. As December creeps in on us (tomorrow) as does the close of the year. 2012 has been such a huge blessing! I have continually seen the goodness of the Lord prevail in all circumstances and I have witnessed His love and His beauty in so many different areas, situations, and events. Over the last year or so my feet have touched ground in Orlando, Vegas, Haiti, Miami, Japan, Thailand, New Jersey, New York, Washington DC, Amsterdam, Florence, Rome, and most importantly, Detroit City. I have been so blessed to travel and see so many things and meet so many different people. Everywhere I go I see the Lord’s beauty. I see the Lord’s goodness. I see the Lord’s faithfulness…in the good, the trials, the lows, and the unknown…He has been so faithful. I have learned that God truly does bring all things to completion. I have watched a City sprout into a re-birth and I’ve been a part of a Community that is hungry and eager to be a part of that revitalization and restoration. I have laughed, cried, loved, hurt, and experienced life. What a joy it is to feel. I cannot express the gratitude I have for my Church community and just how loving and supportive of a family they have been. I have watched a ministry (All Worthy of Love) grow and I’ve witnessed miracles and growth on the streets. The last 12-18 months have been so abundant but truly they have all lead me back to right where I am… in the City of Detroit. Loving out my faith. Dreaming to reality. Not just seeking to witness revitalization, to desire revitalization, but to deeply be saturated in being a part of revitalization…. In Detroit and in my community of friends. I eagerly anticipate the goodness of December and the next year. May it be His will and His Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven in my life, your life, and in this City.

Come

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.  – Isaiah 1:18

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” – Isaiah 55:1

 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” – Matthew 14:29

 “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come! “And let the one who hears say, “Come!“ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. – Revelation 22:17

God presents us with an invitation.

He is saying ..come..

Rambled heart strings.

I opened my eyes yesteday morning and the first thing I saw was my computer screen saver, it read “Reach the lost – No matter the cost”

My heart is heavy as I write this…. Someone needs to share her story. There is no obituary. There is no funeral that we know of. There is no certainty as to how it happened. The only certainty I can wrap my mind around and the brokenness I feel in my heart is that the last encounter we had with her she knew that Jesus loved her and as we wrapped our arms around her and prayed over her chains were broken.

I met her one of my first times out on the streets with 70x7… she was so hesitant to come near our van, she didn’t want prayer and she didn’t want to talk. Each week that we saw her she would come a little closer toward the van, soon she would let us pray over her, and sometimes she would let us in to a little of her world. I remember seeing her for the first time and saying “that girl is hard” and Jaime responded “No, she is broken.”  I’ve written about her on this blog numerous times…. She is the girl I wanted to take home with me. She is the girl that kept me awake at night…. often. Each week she looked a little rougher, a little more broken, a little more hurt… the streets were killing her slowly. As time progressed so did her trust in us. She started to come to the window of the van and would share some prayer requests…most always for safety. She then let us get out of the van and hug her. We were there when she was scared. We were there when she got out of jail. We were there after she was beat up and raped. We were there when she got out of rehab and was clean from heroine. We were there when she wanted prayer and we were there when she needed a comforting hug. We were there.

Words fail me…they don’t do justice. Our team loved her. It is easy to recall the last six months of the moments we met with her… but the last two encounters are embedded on my heart. The second to last time we saw her we were on the streets praying with a group of six or seven people and she came running around the corner “can I have one.. Can I have one!!”… Every one of us in the van just started smiling. She was happy to see us; she had been waiting for us. That night she welcomed me out to hug her and pray over her. This was a huge breakthrough. The following week we were out and we ran into our beloved… she had been drinking and was the most talkative we ever saw her. Jeana got out of the van and had a 20 minute conversation with her and she began to pour out her heart. She wasn’t using heroine. She just got out of rehab. She hated being on the streets. She wanted out. She felt trapped. She applied for a job at K-Mart. She didn’t know how things got to this point. She was scared. She wanted to be freed. She wanted to be clean. She passed up a friend who was waiting on her because she WANTED prayer. She had plans. She shared she wanted to get married and have kids one day. She wanted a better life. She also shared she felt hopeless and felt like death was her only option…she didn’t want to live anymore if this was all life had for her. She shared how she got on the streets and about the days before. She opened her heart and we offered her Jesus. Jeana wrapped her arms around her and prayed over her.

Last night we were stopped at the spot she usually is at. We prayed with a few people and then he came over…we asked him where she was and he said “She is no longer with us”…. He went on to share that she died from an overdose. My heart sank. I was numb. I couldn’t move. It seemed like so many people were coming to the van, more than ever in this spot and I felt like I was stuck in time and just couldn’t focus. Even one of the girls on the streets asked if we were okay. As everyone left the van and we rolled up our window our van was silent. I just broke down in a deep cry. The pain was unreal. It was like someone just told me my relative died. I buried my head in my arms and said “Donna you’re gonna have to coach me through this… I don’t know how I get my head back in the game after this”… she said “you don’t….”.

I felt like last night was God saying “do you really know what you are saying yes to” and then showed us a glimpse… the cost is worth it and her death is a reminder of the importance that these girls need to know they are loved and that Jesus Christ died for them. Jaime and I drove home together, a rather quiet drive… we sat in the car in silence and listened to ‘Finish what you started’ by Sean Feucht. “Oh my God, You can do anything…and oh my God, nothing is too hard for you… You’re faithful to the end.. You will finish what You started…” God is faithful until the end. He finishes what He starts. He loved her so much that He sent our team to pray with her every week. As much as it grieves my heart to know that I won’t see her any longer… It encourages me to know that we were used to show her Jesus. Our days are fleeting.. Tomorrow is not promised.. and knowing Jesus is the ONLY thing that matters.

I am so blessed to work with such an amazing team and be a small part in such an incredible outreach. I love our team. Our leader, Donna is like a Mom to us… she called last night to check on us and make sure we were okay… The streets aren’t just an outreach; it’s a part of our lives relationally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. As much as it pains me to see her go, I am blessed beyond words that we were able to know her. I can’t imagine not being on these streets. Not building these relationships. Not offering hope. I can’t imagine not having these amazing relationships with these girls. I’m so thankful for our team and that we have the privilege to reach God’s children and offer them hope. I’m thankful that the feet that deliver the good news are beautiful and that we were able to offer her hope, love, and Jesus.  I can’t imagine doing anything different. Reach the lost – no matter the cost.

I am His

Desperate for Your glory to shine

You gave Your life to save mine

Knitted me deep in my innermost being

I feel my heart move and my Spirit agreeing

Laying down all that I am to be all that You are

It should be my hands claimed by a scar

Death couldn’t hold you down

You are the most high deserving the crown

You call me lovely and see the best in me

I am the one you’ve called, I am she

I will rise to fulfill all you have planned

and seek the beauty of the one seated at the right-hand

Plans that will prosper and a life that brings joy

Satan has no hold, nothing in me he can destroy

Use this life for all you will

My joy heightens as you abundantly fill

My worth is found in you alone

Lover of my soul seated on the throne

-LF

comfort

Comfort me here as I lay at Your feet

Speak to my heart, I am Yours to keep

When this life seems to spin so fast

Fix my eyes on You and not the past

Meditate Your truths upon my heart

I’m anxious Lord for a new start

Take my brokenness and my shame

Breathe within me Your blood of fame

Surrendering all I am to be all You are

Jesus, You are my shining star

Cleanse my mind and make me whole

In You alone is peace for my soul

Remind me Lord when I grow faint

That You hold me without restraint

-LF

beautiful feet.

Every week before I hit the streets I jam to this song…

Carlos was born in killa cali/ was walking down an alley/ he caught a bullet in his head that left him bleeding badly. He lost everything at that moment except his life/ he lost his hearing, lost his movement and he lost his sight/ he laid there in a coma/ but man nobody cared/ the Gospel preached in his neighborhood? Nobody dared/ But los got up out the coma got and was able to hear/ a missionary shared the gospel to his open ears/ He got saved got trained got discipled/ back to the hood/ you could find em preaching the bible/ He led a homie to Christ from his same hood/ part of Church plant/ come on now aint his name good/ This is blessing but I'm stressing that this is not the norm/ we need leaders and believers to help carry it on/ but who would minister in a sinister part of town/ I pray if Jesus is calling you that you would be found/Eric used to go to bible study as a kid/ he got older and started doing what the hood did/ a rival gang caught him slippin tried to take his life/ but then the gun jammed up so them beat him nice/ he woke up in the hospital singing bible songs/ praise God he had a place to learn the bible from/ but then he gets saved and wanna preach Christ they make him change his whole culture and whole way of life/ he gotta get him a bachelors wear a suit and tie/ go to seminary/ by then all of his boys will die/ Jesus came to invade culture outta Nazareth and used a couple fisherman who people saw as hazardous/ the feet are beautiful if only they'd go/ if nobody in the hood preaching how will they know?/ Eric is better used taught trues in his context/ somebody please plant a church in his projects./ In Luke 4:16 on down to 21 Jesus says he's messiah says he's the chosen one But more than that he quotes Isaiah/ that shows our savior targets oppressed captive blind and the broke I'm saying/ He had a heart for the poor had a heart for the low/ and 1st John 2:6 is way we should go/ In Deuteronomy even tho they under the law/ the tithes every third year the poor got em all/ I ain't sayin you wrong if you live in burbs/ Im sayin turn your attention to the hood cause we hurting/ man if you ain't burdened please pick up your word an/ tho this world is going down while we here we can serve him/ we bring this to the streets because we knew the streets/ I pray that more would be burdened to have beautiful feet/ you never knew the streets but truth is what you preach/ I pray to God you'd be burdened for beautiful feet. Go, go, go (run with those beautiful feet) Go, go, go You hold the truth that saves so run and shout it to the world They can't believe in something they ain't never heard Go, go, go and run with those beautiful feet - Lecrae "Beautiful Feet"

Part 2 of Reunite

Stop here if you have not read the previous post “Reunite – Guest Post” – go read that first and then come back…. This is a LONG post, but you should read it... I mean it... read the whole thing!

“I didn’t ask for this testimony, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone….but I have it and I will use it for the Glory of God” –Jeana Johnson

Sitting here in preparation to capture what took place on Monday night (October 8, 2012) sends chills up my spine and tears in my eyes just thinking about it… Jaime is my best friend and she has an incredible testimony. Jaime’s brother passed away almost two years ago from a heroin overdose. It is a life event that I so desperately want to be able to walk through and offer words of encouragement for her but it is also a life event that I thankfully cannot relate to. As the friendship between Jaime and I continued to grow I began praying that the Lord would send someone into her life that would be able to talk and relate to losing a sibling and be a friend to Jaime in a way I could not. As you read in the post Jaime wrote, the first night we ran into the familiar face was also the same night Jeana shared about her brother, Jonathon. Sitting in the 70x7 van as I overheard Jeana and Donna talking about Jonathan I was shocked, saddened, and over-joyed at the same time. Jeana’s brother passed away around the same time Jaime’s brother passed away. Mark and Jonathan were the same age and the cause of death was the same. I stared at Jaime and I knew this was a direct answer to a prayer I had prayed. Jaime remained silent and made no mention of Mark. Shocked and with mixed emotions she was speechless. In the coming weeks I was very adamant about praying the two would talk. I nudged Jaime to contact Jeana. I nudged Jeana to contact Jaime. I trusted when they did talk it would be in His perfect timing.

I begin with stating the above as an interlude into how the stories of Jaime and Jeana’s testimonies played such a huge role in part two of running into the girl Jaime mentions in her post.

We met at our usual spot on Monday evening, October 8^th and gathered in a circle united by hands and prayed that the Lord would have His way as we ventured out to love on our sweet sisters on the streets. I had prayed and shared with the team that I was really hoping not to run into the girl that Jaime and I had prayed with the Monday before…. I was really hoping she would have got on a plane to South Dakota for rehab. I didn’t want to see her, seeing her meant she was still on the streets and heroin was still flowing through her veins. I didn’t want to see her, seeing her meant a whole week had gone by that she was still living day to day, or hit by hit. But, if she had not got on that airplane I prayed the Lord would put her in my path. About an hour into our night we saw two young people walking on the opposite side of the road… Jeana pointed them out and we both thought it was someone it wasn’t. We turned around and pulled up to the two of them… my heart sank as I rolled down the window, it was her. I literally got out of that van like my pants were on fire and wrapped my arms around her and hugged her. I met her friend and we talked and talked. We don’t give out personal cell phone numbers on the streets, D has a ministry phone number for the girls to contact…. But, I gave her my number, which is not something I would normally do. I told her that Jaime and I were grabbing dinner later that night and to contact me if she and her friend wanted to come. Her friend seemed interested, she didn’t. I think she was embarrassed to see me and ashamed that she was not at rehab.

We went on with our night and prayed with other amazing women on the streets and shared the love of Christ in each encounter. The night came to a close and Jaime met up with Jeana and I. The girl texted me and said “Hey! Wanted you to have my number! Thanks for the invite, we will let you know”. Momma D shared solid wisdom with us about the potential dinner date. She also prepared us to not be disappointed if things didn’t work out and encouraged us. We purchased two hot ciders and headed out to the neighborhood to drive up and down the main drag. Jeana and Jaime finally talked. The testimonies of Mark and Jonathan filled our car. Their legacies were tangible. The two connected on such a deep hurt but both with such a beautiful hope that the Lord would turn their hurt into beauty…He already has. I just sat there in the front seat, silent. I was praying like a mad woman. Persistent that she would text me again. I was so thankful the two were sharing with each other and I knew God was answering specific prayers I had prayed……but I really wanted my phone to buzz with a text message. I began to think 35 minutes into driving that she was not going to text me for dinner. I began to think all that everything taking place was so that Jaime and Jeana could talk and it was not even about going to dinner with the two girls. I thought maybe when they were finished sharing then I would receive a text message.

We ended up heading back to our meeting spot, no text message. I sort of lost hope. The conversation between Jaime and Jeana came to a close and there were a few moments of awkward silence and waiting and then it happened…. “Hey! Is it too late to grab a bite to eat”…she texted. My heart nearly leaped out of my body. God is so good and His timing is so perfect. Not only was the night about the two connecting and sharing their stories, but it was also about dinner! Double portions! We headed out to pick up the two girls and as we sat in the car awaiting their arrival I prayed with Jeana and Jaime and asked the Lord to remove any expectations from us, to remove any pre-existing motives, that we would befriend these two girls and offer them a night of fellowship and love, that we would just get to know each other and share life with each other…

We headed out for pizza and sat down and didn’t get back up for 3 hours. I know the team at 70x7 realizes what a rare opportunity this is, but for everyone else, having an opportunity to meet two girls off the street for dinner is not common. Our conversation was amazing. We shared our lives together. We laughed A TON! We talked about Mark and about Jonathan. The girls were so honest and it was an amazing learning experience. I’m not sure how it was brought up but the fact that I lived in Texas came up… I shared that in the beginning I did a lot of bad stuff but it became one of the best times of my life. One of the girls then asked what I meant by bad stuff. It was a sweet opportunity to share my testimony. I shared one of my defining moments, my first time serving the homeless community of Austin. A young man came up to me and handed me a fully loaded crack pipe. The man said he didn’t want to live that way anymore and wanted to get his life straight and asked me to pray for him. In that moment I thought if this man who has nothing but the clothes on his back can give up this drug then I can give up all the junk in my life that is hindering me from a life that is honorable to Christ. One of the girls was 23 years old and we learned that we have mutual friends. I cannot even imagine the life she lives on those streets. The girls shared with us that this was the first normal thing they had done in over six months and they could not remember the last time they sat down to eat a meal.

There was never a moment of us and them. There was never a moment of a light shining on their sin and not ours. We were all the same. We were becoming friends. We shared the love of Christ and talked about how Jesus set us free. The two of them desperately want to be free from addiction and get off the streets. I see visions of them sitting down to eat with us again one day… but in my visions they are both healthy and full of life, free from addiction, and setting people free on the streets of Detroit. Death is not easy and as Jeana said, she wouldn’t wish the testimony of losing a brother on anyone, but she has it, Jaime has it, and they both want to use it for the glory of God. The connection to meeting this girl is Mark. Jaime’s brother use to get high with her. If it weren’t for Mark’s life I do not believe that anything would have transpired further than our weekly prayer with this girl. The Lord has used Mark’s life to pave a path for us to reach into a community and relate on a personal level.

Please pray that these two girls go to separate rehab facilities. They’ve tried together and it didn’t work. Please pray that rehab comes soon. Please pray for freedom over their lives and for protection. Please pray that we continue to have an open door with the two of them and that the discipleship that birthed on Monday night would be the beginning to these girls’ testimonies. Give thanks to the Lord for the ministry of 70x7, I firmly believe this ministry is the hands and feet of Jesus Christ

Obedience.

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. – 2 Peter 1:21

Over the weekend I witnessed more miracles than I can count. The Holy Spirit is alive and active.

I attended a spiritual awakening conference and it was life changing. When I first walked into the conference I saw this couple sitting in front of me and I thought “wow, they would have a really good looking child”… strange, right? About an hour later I got a word laid on my heart, ‘infertility’. My intial reaction was ‘wow, God, that is a really tough word’…. It came again. Then ‘I’m going to give you a child’ came. Okay. So a tough word and then hope. I prayed discernment… I knew the word was for the couple I had saw when I first walked in, but how scary to walk up and tell them “heyyyy…so the Spirit told me you are struggling with infertility butttt God says He is going to give you a child”. Again, the word came. So out of obedience and faith I walked up to the couple and introduced myself and asked if they had any children. The woman’s eyes began to water as she responded that they did not. I proceeded to share that I felt like the Lord told me they were struggling with infertility but He was going to give them a child. The woman began to cry. They didn’t say much and I began to feel a little panicked. What if I just spoke death into a womb? But peace washed over me and the couple thanked me for being obedient. They ended up speaking life into me and sharing that my obedience would give life to others. About an hour or so later the couple was heading out to leave and walked over to me and apologized if they did not seem receptive toward the word I shared. The two then proceeded to tell me that they had been struggling with infertility for seven years. Biblically the seventh year is the year of completion. I reiterated that God wanted to give them a child. The two left. A little while later this young man I had not met before came up to me and pointed at me straight in my face and said “you are a woman of obedience” I smiled and said “I receive that”. He proceeded to share that the couple I gave the word to were his youth pastors and he practically begged them to come to the conference. That evening was the only evening they were able to make the conference but came because this young man told them that God had a word for them. Haha. So wild.  

shaken to the core.

I cannot recall a time in my life where I was ever so shaken to my core. And as much as my first impulse is to get it out of my mind and not to think about what took place last night, I can’t. The fear that trembled as each girl retold the same story that took place the night before. The hopelessness in their eyes and deep desire to be removed from their current situation paralyzes me. Eighteen minutes, 14.6 miles from my front door is a man rapping women and slitting their throats. When I first began serving the prostitution community there was a rapist going around and leaving young women to die in abandon fields smothered in a pool of blood from their slit throat. The first week I went out to serve there was three women found dead within the last week. Months have since passed and I’ve begun to build relationships with these women. I recognize them. I know their ‘names’. There is no stronger relationship than one built on the saving grace of Jesus Christ and that is exactly what we have built with these women. We pray with them, cry with them, and hurt with them.

But last night changes everything. A woman I know, someone’s daughter, someone’s friend, a beautiful young woman was found Sunday night in an abandoned house brutally beaten with a 2x4, raped, and left to die in a pool of her own blood flowing from the large slit across her throat. Each girl told us the same story and each girl said they did not know her last name so no one could go visit her in the hospital. It’s so much like Thailand; these girls have street names, heck I don’t even think any of us know their real names. Can you imagine transitioning into a life where you are not only abused, taken advantage of, raped, and the like but then you have you identity removed, too? Can you imagine someone calling you by a number? Can you imagine someone calling you a different name than the name you’ve been called all your life? No one can visit this girl because no one knows her real name. This breaks me.

Devastated to hear the news, we continued on to our next friend. I would have to say that of all the woman we meet with and pray with, this one has captivated my heart in a way I can’t explain. I see right through her hard exterior. I see her pain. I see her hurt. And as my friend said, she has no idea how to function anymore she is so hurt. It is as if she is lifeless. I was in the van the first night we came across this young girl and even then she was fearful to come to us. These streets are NO place for young women. I’ve watched her over the last several months continue to withdraw more and more from us, more and more from life. She is broken. Usually she is timid to come to us for prayer but last night she was completely different. Fear was consuming her. She was afraid to come near us. Afraid to talk to us. Afraid to let us pray for her. Afraid to let us hug her. She had just been raped by two men at the same time and pistol whipped in her head. Blood covered her open wound on the top of her head from where the pistol landed. And all I can think is please let me hold you. Please let me hug you and take you home with me. Please let me cover you in love. Please let me wash your feet. Be my family. Come with me. I want to scream YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN THIS! YOU DESERVE MORE THAN THIS! GOD LOVES YOU!

Another girl we spoke with had an encounter with the same man over the weekend. He got her naked and raped her in his car. When she fought him he cut her leg up with his knife, opened the car door, and pushed her out of the car while moving…she was naked. I could pour out my guts on this keyboard in despair and anger. Can you even fathom being treated like such a piece of garbage?

We located the van that is allegedly responsible for all you’ve just read. We followed him for blocks until we were close enough to write down his license plate number and description of his van. We then wrote it down and passed out copies to all the girls we could find and told them to stay far away.

Words do not suffice the anguish in my heart today as I write this. 14.6 miles from my front door.

The devil thinks this neighborhood is his playground….. well my response is this: Let our names be feared at the gates of hell as we exalt the Savior and redeem what BELONGS to the LORD! The darkness HAS NOT overcome the light. We need to wake up world. Human trafficking is not a third world problem. It’s a Detroit, Michigan problem. It’s a EVERYWHERE problem. Our war is NOT against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. These girls are worthy of love. They need to know how much Jesus loves them. They need to know that there is hope. They need to know that this is not what they deserve. They need to know that Heaven is real. That Jesus Christ is real. That He loves them with an everlasting love that can never be shaken. Oh dear God, please save my sisters, please rebuke and convict the heart of this man on the streets and lead him to salvation, Lord please deliver the brokenness of my sisters, and God please use me to whatever capacity You will. Send laborers, Lord……. Help me to love these girls like You do. Open doors to remove them from the streets. Protect them, in Jesus name.

forty

I’ve come to learn that restoration can only be made complete when our hearts desire it more than just knowing it is what we ‘should’ be striving toward. When you get to the point of utter brokenness and you are on your knees just crying out to God and asking Him to make you whole and heal you. Praise God for the gift of today! Countless second chances have been given at the Cross. Today I completed reading the entire bible. I finished in 39 days (started a day late) but finished today the finale of our season of forty.

I can’t even comprehend words to describe the praise that is in my heart and the joy that is consuming every inch of my being. I am forever changed and it is all to His credit. Reading never felt like a chore or that it was forced. I wanted it so badly. I wanted healing in my life so badly. I wanted restoration so badly. God met me there in my brokenness and healed every part of me.

The Cross is my victory. Jesus Christ is my healer and I am healed by HIS stripes, by HIS blood!

Joy unspeakable.

fifteen days.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate ,

And the Master so gently said, "Wait."

"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

"And Lord, You promised, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And, Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
'I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.'"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting... for what?"

He seemed, then, to kneel,
And His eyes met with mine,
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

"All you seek I could give and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want-----
But, you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me;
When darkness and silence are all you can 

see.

"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You would know that I give and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last.

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if I lost what I'm doing in you.

"So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know Me.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, Wait."

-Wait by Russel Kelfer

Beyond thankful for this season of waiting.... the depths of His heart have been so worth it.

without restraint

Dreaming from the inside out

This vessel desperately trying to sprout

Rain down on me oh Lord

Make beauty with this storyboard

Reveal your love to me once more

You are the waves, I am the shore

Open your arms and let me in

Create in me a new wineskin

Sweet Lord cover me in Your grace

On my knees I will embrace

Remind me now when my heart is faint

You are everlasting without restraint

--LF