we are unbelievably grateful and thankful for this opportunity.
as i mentioned in my last post, the Lord is incredibly good.
He is.
He just is.
He know our dreams and desires, and works in mysterious ways to faithfully prepare and bless us when the time is right.
with that being said, it has been my dream ever since college, when I learned of human trafficking, and specifically sex-trafficking, to work with and love women who have been abused in the most evil of ways.
i remember the first time I heard about women being sold for their bodies,
like objects to be used.
Disgust and outraged pumped within my veins,
an unabated fury sinking deep within my bones.
the more i read, the more tears brimmed heavy within my soul.
a weight that women,
precious image-bearers of the Lord,
were being stripped of their very dignity in ways far too graphic and flippant than one can imagine.
i remembered a documentary i watched years ago while I was in college,
chronicling the multi-faceted ways women are tricked, coerced, kidnapped, sold, and forced to become enslaved and entrapped in a dark and evil pit of despair.
and yet, i felt so far away,
so far removed,
so far unqualified to help.
yes, I prayed, which is powerful,
oh so powerful.
and I truly believe chains were broken as a result of my prayers.
but I was not a counselor,
or a social worker,
or anything special really.
i was just a girl with a heart that beat for the rhythms of the Kingdom.
and so I remained faithful to the calling sweet Abba had on my life, here.
I stepped into a job at ELI, where I spent 4 years working for a non-profit in Africa doing holistic development.
At ELI, God taught me a lot.
About the world.
About cross-cultural communication.
About laying foundations for sustainability and longevity in an organization.
About empowering lives.
And about structuring; creating systems and processes that help the overall organization run smoothly.
and as you all know, this past Fall, i felt God gently moving me out of ELI.
to read the story, see here.
i didn't fully know why, but I felt His leading that it was to be more present towards my neighbors.
but what happened next i could have never guessed nor prepared myself:
when Kevin and I went home for Christmas, some family friends asked to meet with us.
During our time together, this couple asked us to pray about moving to Asia for five months this year to help partner with an aftercare home. This aftercare home houses women and girls that are rescued from sex-slavery. Many of these beautiful women have been tricked into thinking they would receive real jobs, then sold into prostitution. When they are rescued, they are sent to a home that will help rehabilitate them.
Kevin and I were asked to serve under the Nepali staff there, and help research and implement the best structure and care, so the home can run in the best way possible.
The night Kevin and I found out about this opportunity, we laid in bed with smiles wide on our faces, dreaming and praying that God would go before us in this opportunity.
and go before us HE did...in powerful ways....
- from the minute we heard of the opportunity, everyone we have shared about this with has absolutely confirmed and affirmed that the Lord put us in this position. Both sets of parents were excited and encouraged us to walk through the open door.
- so many items on the job description were things God had been specifically preparing Kevin and I to do.
- when we found out it was a possibility of going, we knew we needed a place to live. One night Kevin and I specifically prayed about housing, and the very next day we received an email about a couple who were moving out of their apartment from April- August of this year. Those were the EXACT dates we had planned to be there! Not only that, but this apartment was only 15 minutes walking from the aftercare home, fully furnished, and had a beautiful patio! I seriously could NOT believe how incredible God provided!
Could I ever imagine that my college dream of working with girls coming out of sex-trafficking would come true like this?
No.
But then again, I serve a
crazy
adventurous
epic
mysterious,
and wild
God.
who's timing is right.
who prepares us in just the right ways.
who is a fulfiller of dreams.
so I commit myself to that God
here's to YOU dreamer.
and here's to YOU dear Father, for fulfilling those desires.
thank you so much for your support in this time.
you readers bless my soul.
if you think of it, please pray for us as we prepare.
many many thank you's from the bottom of my excited heart.
love katie
