God is Able!

This past week has been a time of reminiscing. It wasn’t intentional, memories of the last twenty years just began to flood my mind, and it was very emotional. So many lives have been touched and changed through the ministry of Rahab’s Rope and all those that have contributed. Some of the memories were heart breaking and some were more joyous than we could have ever imagined because we got to see God completely transform lives. Today, I want to share one of each with you.

When the ministry first began, we didn’t have a facility but had hired a couple of people to go to the streets where the women being trafficked worked and lived and share with them, we would one day soon have a place they could come and live or they could just come for the day for education and vocational training. We actually gave one of the women we were targeting a job helping us tell other women what we had to offer them. We will call her Shelia. Shelia is my heart breaker. Somehow Shelia believed us and wanted to help other women have a different life. However, she didn’t see how that was possible for her. Once we had our own facility, she probably brought more women to us than we were able to reach ourselves. She would come and participate in everything we had to offer and encourage other women. She had heard the gospel so many times. Yet, she could not believe this to be true for herself. She had probably been coming to our center for two years when I decided I needed to meet with her somewhere outside our building in a place that might seem like more common ground. We met in the city at a small local restaurant that foreigners did not frequent. I shared the gospel with her in a very personal way and at one point ended up crying. She never shed a tear, looked at me eye to eye and said, “Don’t cry for me, I have no tears left in me. We should never speak of this matter again.” Oh, how my heart hurts for Shelia and honestly still does.  She continued to bring girls to our center and would even take me to meet with girls where they worked to speak with them myself. I began to see her less and less, but she would always give me a big smile and a hug when I saw her. Today, I don’t know where Shelia is or what happened to her and this week I cried for her. My prayer is that somewhere along the way she met Jesus. I hope the seeds we planted got watered, God increased, and she believed.

Now for one of the “more than we could ever imagine or hope for” stories. Lani came from a family of field workers. She was a beautiful young teenager that had never had the opportunity to go to school. She only knew working in the fields. One day her aunt was approached by some men and told her if she would keep Lani late in the field they would give her a big sum of money. One evening she traded Lani for the money. Several men gang raped her and left her lying naked in the field. Later that night and old man was walking through the field and found her. He got her some clothes and took her to her parents and told them what had happened. Lani’s parents said they did not want her back, that she was now spoiled and would bring shame to them. Lani left and had nowhere to go but the streets. Later she realized she was pregnant, but she did not know where to go or who would help her. One day one of the ladies that were coming to our center for training found her on the street about to give birth. She brought her to our center, and we immediately took her to the hospital. Lani delivered a beautiful little girl. At this point we did not know her back story and she would not share it with any of our staff. We only knew she came from the street and had a baby. She was around 16 years old. After several months I was there sitting with Lani and just talking when she told our director she wanted to share her story. Lani was sobbing so hard we could barely understand her. We were all sobbing as we heard her horrible story. She looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Vicki loves me even more than my parents ever did”. Lani began to understand that it was Jesus who loved her more than anyone ever could. Lani was still a very shy and quiet young lady. She diligently began taking sewing lessons and learned she was a really good seamstress. She was making bags that we sell here in the states. A few months later we were preparing for our annual Christmas celebration. The day of the event Lani said she wanted to share her testimony at the event. We were all in shock because she was so shy and there would be many women at the event. The day of our Christmas program over 1200 women came, all from abusive situations and trafficking. The event was usually pretty loud with lots of disruptions; this day was no different. Lani walked up on stage with her little girl. She bravely stood with her daughter in one hand and a microphone in the other. As she began to tell her story the room became silent, you could have heard a pin drop. At the end Lani shared that she was there and had the strength to share because of Jesus and that Jesus loved her more than anyone ever had. Our director stood with Lani and shared with all the women there that we had a place they could come to and learn more about this Jesus that Lani just told them about. He asked the crowd if you want to come and learn more about Jesus please stand. About 400 women bravely stood and said they wanted to know more about the Jesus. It was one of those moments when there was no doubt that only God could do such a thing. We all just looked in awe at all the women standing. The gospel of the Christmas story was shared and there was prayer and singing. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever been a part of. Later we were able to get Lani a job sewing and help her and her daughter move into their own apartment. The last time I heard from them they were doing well.

We serve and amazing God that transforms our lives into more than we could ever imagine.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory… " Ephesians 3:16-20

Ephesians 3:20 is a promise of God's boundless power and an invitation to trust Him with our biggest dreams, requests and hardships. It encourages us to pray with faith, expecting God to move in ways that surpass our expectations. God is able!