Princess, Purpose and Peru

Some how, God saw fit to give me a heart for people and a heart for the mission field. It's weird because I have never been on an international mission trip but just the mere idea of being used as a messenger to spread the gospel sends tingles up my spine. My first visit to Victory World Church showed me that underneath the surface, I was a missionary at heart. Hearing Pastor Dennis update the church on the wells that had been dug in Africa thanks to their faithful tithing and offerings melted my heart because I was in a church that understood God's heart for His people outside of our little comfy suburb.

Tonight we had a meeting with everyone that is going on the Peru missions trip in June. I was feeling a bit discouraged about Peru lately mainly because of the $1,700 price tag. With me trying to create a budget, pay off some debt and start saving, coming up with $1,700 started to seem like such a daunting task. Peru started to become less of a priority and my heart started to ache about it. I was feeling a bit bummed about going to the meeting tonight, knowing I hadn't even begun to write my support letter or even began to start raising money for the trip.

But something amazing and so timely happened today. A princess appeared. My princess appeared. Sabrina appeared. God totally rocked my world with that surprise! I had prayed for Sabrina for so many nights and in all honesty, I thought I would never hear from her again. Her life, her story, her rescue, her struggle, her return to a life of prostitution absolutely changed my life.

When I look back at last summer, God divinely orchestrated a series of events that changed my life and ignited my life's purpose. God had me at that Fusion service when the Sunday to Sunday in town mission trips for Summer 2010 were announced. Though I didn't have the money to pay the fee before all the spots filled up, God knew my desire and He already had granted me favor. It was His planning that had me and Heather engaged in a conversation about S2S, my inability to pay but desire to go, that had her tell me to contact Dede directly and explain my situation. Dede so graciously extended my time to pay until July even though the trip I would take would be in June. God favored me. It was His divine plan that because of the threat of rain we had Princess Night on Thursday instead of Friday. It was on that day, in the dark of the night, out the corner of my eye, I saw a girl in a dress and flip flops walking with her pimp, folding her hands over and over again because of nerves and fear. It was God's plan for my life to be forever changed in that one night.

I believe that God is at work yet again, divinely putting together a series of events so that I am apart of the Peru mission team. I believe His plan for me is to see how the commercial exploitation of children is so much bigger than what my natural mind can grasp. He wants me to have my heart broken for the street children of Peru and for the girls far younger than Sabrina that are forced to sell their bodies to survive. He wants me to see His bigger picture and to know that these are the people that need His love and that I am the messenger that needs to deliver the Good News. He needs me to have my life changed. He needs me to plant seeds of hope and faith into the children who may one day change their country for His good. He needs me to capture that passion that He has placed in my heart and use it to fuel my purpose. He needs me to see the problem first hand so that I can be apart of the solution. We can rescue every street kid and child prostitute from Atlanta to Peru but someone has to help rehabilitate them, counsel them and show them God's love in action. That seems to be God's plan for my future.

Sabrina, my Princess, has marked me forever. She has left her impression on me in a way that words cannot even begin to describe. Knowing that Sabrina is still alive and well reminded me that even though she is still in that life, those seeds of compassion and hope are still planted deeply in her spirit. God needed me to know that He hears my prayers for her. He also wants me to know that He works in the supernatural and that nothing is impossible when it is His will for my life. I am supposed to go to Peru and Sabrina is my reason why. I couldn't save her but there are so many more Sabrinas that need to be helped. This is my Gideon moment. Though I feel weak and ill equipped, God is preparing to do some amazing things with my life.

Angel and a Princess

Today, my heart was heavy for Shaniya Davis. This 5 year old angel died 1 year ago today. She died at the hands of the man who bought her for the purpose of having sex with her. Yes. Her mother sold her 5 year old daughter into sex slavery. 5 years old. I still remember seeing her picture on the morning news, all dressed in white, looking like my 4 year old niece's twin. I thought I saw my niece Kameron staring back at me, kidnap victim, alone, scared, young. I still remember thinking about Shaniya all morning and all afternoon. I remember follow the news reports and any tips from the AP wire I could find about whether or not she was found. I remember praying for this little girl. I remember reading on change.org that her body had been found along the side of a North Carolina highway. My heart literally broke into pieces.

I admit I was absolutely on fire about what happened to that little girl but I didn't know what I could do to help the cause. A few weeks later, I contacted Innocence Atlanta, who connected me to Redeemed Ministries, where I took the Hands that Heal training. My eyes were opened wide to the issue and I was astounded by the stats and lack of resources. Hundreds of girls on the streets every night and only a hand full of beds available in all of Georgia, if they wanted to escape the life. Crazy I know. Where is the justice?

Fast forward to June and it's Princess Night for Sunday to Sunday. My life would be forever changed by a young 19 year old girl named Sabrina. A girl who had been a prostitute for 3 years. Her rescue was something out of the movies, the sheer volume of time coordinating schedules for her care was mind numbing but the nights I spent in her presence were priceless. She shared about areas of her life freely and was almost like a kid again. Though Sabrina eventually went back to that life after coming and going a few times, I will never forget her face. I will never forget her love for Starburst and Vitamin Water. I will never forget her stories, or her nightmares as she slept. She will forever be our Princess.

I was that girl. I was the poster child for broken homes, generational curses, low self esteem as a child, lack of self worth, lack of direction, lack of God. Raised by a single mom, low income, mom's boyfriends in and out, no father of my own, abused for years. Raised in church but never knew God. I was that girl. I look back and I promise it was by the sheer GRACE of God that I didn't end up being pimped out by some grown man as a kid. Yeah I was smart in school and had friends, but I had more inner turmoil, more dark secrets and shame than anyone ever imagined. I needed love, I needed someone to notice me, I needed someone to love me and take care of me. I was always one "hey pretty girl" away from being lead completely astray. I was that girl. I guess that's why my heart aches for girls that become victims because that truly could have been me. I fit the profile of the 12 year old girl being forced into sex slavery. I was that girl.

When I think of all that God saved me from, even when I didn't know He was working in my favor, I can't imagine my life not speaking up for those whose life mirrored mine years ago. Pastor D always says there is purpose rooted in pain. God can use something bad in your life and use it for good. I am allowing Him to use me, mold and stretch me anyway He sees fit. I cannot even begin to show God my gratitude for redeeming me, for His perfect love that has cast out fear, for His amazing power that I cannot fathom with my natural mind, for rescuing me from a life that would lead me straight to Hell, for calling me His Beloved. I was that girl, bound and broken, but I have been set free and made whole again.

The Trip of a Lifetime

It's hard to believe that it's already August. School is back in, the days are still long and hot, and most people are getting back into their normal routine. Yet, in just a few days, a group of people will have their eyes opened and their lives changed right here in their own city. A group of young Christians will be pounding the pavement for 7 nights under the hot summer heat, bringing the Gospel to the homeless, the broken, the prodigal sons and daughters of God, lost in the streets of Atlanta. The August Sunday to Sunday team is gearing up for a life changing and spiritually awakening experience, all in the name of Jesus.

I can say with all confidence that the August Sunday to Sunday team, or s2s, will be in for a great experience. I was apart of the team that was on tour in June and since that time, my life has not been the same. I have never been more aware of the sin and pain of this city, nor have I been more on fire and desperate for a revival. In the days leading up to the tour, I asked God to reveal to me to what breaks His heart about this city. Almost two months later, He is still breaking my heart.

When the s2s tour dates were announced this past April, I knew that God wanted me to be apart of one of the mission teams. My very first Sunday at Victory World Church was this time last year. Pastor Dennis had just come back from Africa and gave an update on the wells that the church had paid to build. Something tugged at my heart strings with just the mere mention of people in the church going out into the world, changing the lives of complete strangers, all with the love of God. Taking part in an s2s missions trip would allow me the opportunity to change lives, right in my own backyard. I had the desire to participate, but was wondering how I was going to manage 7 nights of mission work and find a sitter for my 3 year old. But as quickly as I began to talk myself out of what God had intended for me, I remembered a quote from Mike Turner, found of LifeLink International. He said, "When the passion inside of you is greater than the circumstances around you, the stage is now set for greatness." God had something great in store for me and I knew that He would set the path for me to be where I was called to be. With one simple phone call, God made a way for my little one to be out of town visiting relatives and I was signed up for the June tour. The first night of the tour fell on June 20th, my 29th birthday. Couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday than sharing God's love and friendly conversations with those that the city had forgotten.

I had no idea what to expect from s2s. I had heard stories from s2s alumni but nothing that prepared me for the heart transformation that I would experience. From the first night, I was forced out of my comfort zone. When Avery and Dede gave the word, I was to grab a buddy and strike up a conversation with a complete stranger, a stranger who also happened to be homeless. I was nervous because I had never spoken to a homeless person, let alone ask details about their lives. I expected them to be short with me, standoffish almost because I assumed they didn't want to be bothered by some young missionaries asking them about their day. But to my absolute amazement, they were welcoming, engaging, and open. They were regular people, just like me. They were no longer homeless people. They were Melanie and Darren who laughed and joked about movies with me. They had more life and joy in their smiles than people I encountered on a regular basis. Yet, all they possessed was their entire life in a bag and their unshakable faith in God.

For the rest of the week, God slowly removed the veil from my eyes to see life for what it was. He slowly reshaped my heart to pour out love to those I once over looked along with the rest of the world. He taught me that the smallest act of kindness can make every difference in someone's day. He taught me that taking a moment to pray for a stranger can transform a life. He taught me that asking a person their name can help reclaim an identity that was stripped away because we have been too busy to care. He taught me that a simple rose can show a girl how much God loves her, even when she believe she is unworthy of His love. God taught me to still have faith in Him even when my heartfelt prayers went unanswered in that moment. He taught me that He is still moving to reclaim this city for His Kingdom, one Princess at a time.

For anyone that has ever gone on an s2s tour, there are so many stories that can be shared, so many memories that will be embedded in our hearts and minds forever. For those waiting on their opportunity to experience God move in this city, be prepared to have your eyes opened and your heart changed. Jesus did not die on the cross for the sins of the world for us to just go to church each week to hear a message. He intended for His followers to carry on the work that He did while He walked the Earth. He intended for us to continue to heal the sick, cast out demons, take care of the poor and share the Gospel from Atlanta until the ends of the Earth. We have all been given the power and authority to do God's will but, we have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone for His glory. Be prepared to be the hands and feet of Jesus to help heal this dying city during the trip of a lifetime.