Photos Taken by Keith

Last Sunday began like any other Sunday, off to church early and a visit with Keith’s dad. Little did we know just how special that day would turn out to be in our hearts. We gave Keith’s dad a new Bible, which was a New Living Translation for easier understanding and larger print.

At some point in our visit as we were discussing the different seasons of life and the changes a person with dementia goes through, both mentally and physically, he made some kind of reference to wishing that he would soon be in God’s presence. And so I grabbed his new Bible and turned to Psalm 139 and began to read one of my favorite passages.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. –Psalm 139:13-16, NLT

We explained that this passage of God’s Word is saying that God knew the day he would be born and that God also knows the exact day that he would die. Even better, that day would not be a surprise to God since it is already written in His book. (God is outside of time and therefore knows the beginning and the end.)

As we were reading this passage and talking about it, Keith was taking the photos which are shown below. You can see in the order of the photos the peace and joy that God was speaking to his heart.

Four hours later we received a call that he went home to be with the Lord. We are so thankful to the Lord that He gave us this precious time with him and even captured it on film.

We know, that we know, that we know that he is now in the presence of the Lord. He is in a better place where there is no more suffering and no more sorrow. We know this because on August 9, 2010 at just about 11am (that’s 8/9/10 and 11) he said a prayer to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior just like God’s Word says we all must do if we wish to spend eternity with Him. But not only that, we saw the fruit of this in his life over the last year and a half.

If you don’t understand what Keith and I are talking about concerning accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior take a moment to enjoy the photos of the transformation upon Keith’s dad’s face as we once again shared with him the truth of God’s Word and then read the verses below as we share God’s own Word about what a person must do to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior which would then give them entrance into heaven for all eternity.

 Here we are discussing the passage.

 More discussion from him about how amazingly God knit a little baby in the womb.

Here he is reading Psalm 139:13-16 out loud for himself.

The last photo ever taken–look at the joy on his face! Just about 4 hours from seeing Jesus face to face!

 The Free Gift of Salvation

You too can have this same peace and joy in your heart concerning your own death and your own salvation. Just read here to learn how.

• Salvation is a free gift of God—you can’t buy it or earn it by anything you try to do for Him.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. —Ephesians  2:8-9

• Every person is born a sinner because of Adam’s disobedience.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. —Romans 5:12

• The word “all” includes you and me. Every person has sinned. Sin includes our wrong thoughts, our wrong attitudes and our wrong actions. Sin separates us from God since God is a holy God and cannot look upon sin.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. —Romans 3:23

• The penalty for sin is death, which is eternal separation from God (in other words you do not get into heaven without accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 6:23

• The Good News is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. He was our Substitute. He wants to be our Savior.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8

• A person is saved when he or she believes the truth about sin and a Savior within his or her heart and confesses this truth with his mouth.

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. —Romans 10:9-10

• God promises salvation for the sinner who comes to Him.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. —Romans 10:13

• If you want to accept God’s plan for salvation, and join Keith’s dad in heaven, simply pray something like the following:

Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner. I know that there is nothing I can do on my own to be saved. I believe You are God. I believe in Your Son, Jesus Christ. I trust that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and through His sacrifice I am forgiven. I believe that Jesus rose bodily from the dead and by accepting Him I can have eternal life. I accept Your gift. I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Savior. I thank You for this wonderful free gift You have given me. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

We want to thank everyone who has prayed for us and Keith’s dad over the last few years as we helped to care for him. And we especially want to thank everyone who prayed for Keith’s dad’s salvation when we asked for prayers. You all have rewards in heaven for taking part in the harvest.

We are looking forward to your comments. Or if anyone has any questions concerning salvation please feel free to ask them in the comment section. God bless, Keith and Cherie

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Photo Taken by Keith

Have you ever been in a spiritual slump? A time when you go to church, read the Word and even take time to pray, yet you don’t feel the Lord’s presence? Do you wonder what’s going on? Do you get discourage and start thinking about sleeping in on Sunday mornings or watching a movie instead of going to mid-week service?

This is a normal part of our walk with Christ. There will be times when we don’t see His hand in our lives or feel His presence. But I have found that these types of times in my life usually follow my slipping and sliding away from God’s perfect will for my life. Somehow, somewhere along the way I made a wrong turn and the further I go down that wrong path the further and further I get away from the Lord.

I was at a point like this recently. A time when, although I was faithful to do my morning devotions, attend church, serve and stay in prayer it was as if God wasn’t speaking as often as He usually speaks to me.

Now if you looked at my life, it looked good on the outside, and it was even filled with good work for Him, yet as I honestly sought Him in prayer and asked Him what was going on within my heart, He was faithful to show me that although I was on a good path for my life He has greater plans for me—a better path, in fact, the best path of all.

It was at this moment when I honestly let go of my good plans and once again said, “Here I am Lord, use me in whatever manner that You see fit” a verse from my morning devotions became real in my life.

Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. –Ezekiel 43:5

That’s exactly what happened the moment that I repented and let go of my plans for my life. The moment I got my heart in line with His heart, He lifted me up and brought me into the inner court to meet with Him. And the glory of the Lord filled the temple of my heart.

Do you feel far from the Lord lately? Is it possible that you made a wrong turn somewhere along the way? Maybe the turn wasn’t even a bad turn, but simply a wrong turn because God has a better way for you to walk. Is that a possibility? May I encourage you to find a quiet place and take time to sit at His feet and honestly search your heart. Ask Him to show you if you’ve made a wrong turn. He will be faithful to show you where you started walking away from Him. My prayer for you is that you will be willing to listen and admit the truth to yourself. The moment that you do, then Ezekiel 43:5 will become miraculously real in your life. It’s so wonderful and amazing to sit in the inner court and meet with God in the depths of your own heart. What are you waiting for?

I’m looking forward to your comments. Please share with the others, who also need encouragement, how God lovingly redirected your steps and how He filled the temple of your heart with His glory the moment you got back on track.

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Photos Taken by Cherie

Have you ever stood in awe of God as you watched the beauty and grander of a sunrise? Can you just feel His presence in the glory displayed? Well, that’s exactly what happened the other morning. I was blessed to be at the mission’s conference at Murrieta Hot Springs. I so desired to meet with God and to seek His plans for my life. I rose early and rushed to be by the lake. Many times when I am in a beautiful place I love to do my morning devotions in the quiet, at the break of dawn, when a new day just begins. Although I had my Bible in hand, ready for my devotions, it was then that God began to speak to my heart through His creation. No words were necessary.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. —Romans 1:20

As I sat by the lake and beheld His beauty my eyes turned to the wonder of the sunrise’s reflection upon the lake. And although the silhouetted likeness of the palm trees were beautiful in the midst of all the colors displayed; they were marred by the gentle ripples upon the lake’s surface.

I felt at that moment as if it was a beautiful picture of who we are in Christ. You see, we are called to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1). We are called to reflect His glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is our identity in Him. And yet, no matter how much we desire to become like Him, no matter how much we grow in our relationship with Him, and no matter how much we die to self; we are only a reflection of the One we stand in awe of, because in many ways we are marred by our humanness. The majesty belongs to Him and Him alone.

Yet, just as in the beauty of the reflection upon the surface of the lake, our lives can be a beautiful reflection of Him to those who are watching. As we choose to die to self and live for Christ, we reflect the Lord’s glory. As we choose to forgive those who have hurt us, we reflect the Lord’s glory. As we choose to give up all and follow Him, we reflect the Lord’s glory. Yet, are we perfect in the reflection? Of course not! But can the reflection of Him in our lives be beautiful? Yes!

That’s what God was speaking to my heart during that quite moment. Although I may blow it and make many mistakes in my desire to follow Him, His beauty is still revealed in the reflection of His glory. And just as many will stop and stand in awe of a beautiful sunrise, people are watching the beauty of His reflection upon our lives.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. –2 Corinthians 3:18

How is God calling you to reflect Him today? As you step out of darkness and into the light is there something you need to do? Is He calling your to die to self, forgive someone, or give up something so that you can shine bright for the Kingdom of God? What are you waiting for? Are you living out who you are in Christ? I’m looking forward to your comments. Feel free to share what God is revealing to you in the midst of His invisible qualities to help encourage all of us in our walks with Him. May we, together, reflect His glory to all who are around us.

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Photos Taken by Cherie

Have you ever spent one day—or even one moment—in the presence of God? If you have, then your soul will yearn to be there again. Yet so many times we miss out. We get caught up in the cares of the world and before we know it, we leave His presence. Listen to what the psalmist penned.

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. –Psalm 84:2

Well, it was one of those weeks for me—a week when I yearned to hear the voice of the Lord. There were so many decisions to make, so many answers to seek, yet I felt disconnected. Have you ever felt like that? It was then, as I was seeking and reading my morning devotions that Ezekiel 43:5 jumped off the page.

Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

What an amazing place to be! Which also reminds me of a chapter in a couple of my books (see below) which uses the Tabernacle as a visual picture of the intimate relationship that God desires to have with us. You see, many times when studying God’s Word, you will see that God speaks to His people with pictures and parables so that they can picture the spiritual lesson He desires to teach. Therefore, we can use the Tabernacle as a visual picture to show us where our hearts are spiritually concerning our relationship with God.

I don’t have time, in this blog, to share the whole chapter with you but basically it comes down to something I learned from Kay Smith. In her study “Dwelling in the Holy of Holies,” she states that there are three types of believers in regards to where they live spiritually. We can draw this picture of the three types of believers by relating them to the Tabernacle.[i]

With this in mind, let me explained about the three types of believers:

• Outer Court Believer—You are saved, but that’s it! You have received the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for you. You are washed clean from your sins, but you are missing out on all that God has for you.

• Holy Place Believer—You spend time reading God’s Word and praying. However, you are still missing the most important aspect of your relationship with God: intimacy. Because of this, there is no lasting contentment in your life. You continue to run after this or that to find satisfaction and pleasure. You don’t look to God to be your all and all.

• Holy of Holies Believer—You desire to know God intimately. You realize that sin breaks fellowship with Him, and because of this, you search your heart daily to make sure that there is no offensive way in you. You desire to be all that God intends for you to be. Your life has purpose and meaning along with lasting peace and contentment.

Which are you? Is this where you desire to be? If not, what can you do to become a Holy of Holies Believer and spend time in the inner court with God?

I know for me that whenever I feel disconnected from Him somehow I left the Holy of Holies in my relationship with Him. It wasn’t God who moved—it was me! And it is me who must decide and desire to have that intimate relationship with God restored! Therefore, since I know that it is usually sin within my heart that is breaking my fellowship with God, I must take the time to set at His feet and ask Him to search my heart. Psalm 139:23-24 must become a way of life.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Whenever I truly give God permission to search my heart He has always been faithful to show me where I made the wrong turn—the turn that took me out of the Holy of Holies. But what is wonderful about all this is—the moment that I confess my sin to Him He lifts me up and brings me into the inner court and He fills the temple of my heart with His glory. That’s when Ezekiel 43:5 becomes real for me.

Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

And it is where I want to spend every day of my life. In fact, it is what my heart yearns for.

Where have you been dwelling lately? Is this where you desire to be? If not, what can you do to become a Holy of Holies Believer? I’m looking forward to your comments. God bless!

The chapter is found in three of my books–Go in Peace, Go in Peace for Teens and the Go in Peace Biblical Discipleship Curriculum. All are available for purchase on our webpage http://www.sunflowerpress.net/resources.html

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Photos Taken by Cherie

This recipe is great for any New Year’s celebration. It’s fast, easy and delicious. In fact, it was so delicious that we ate them all before we remembered to take photos of the finished mushrooms! Sorry! But I did happen to find a picture of Justin’s (our son-in-law’s) plate just before he dug in. You can see three of the mushrooms before they were devoured.

1 pound Mushrooms (stems removed)

8 oz. Cream Cheese (soften)

4 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese (grated)

5-6 drops Worcestershire Sauce

3 Green Onions or lots of Chives (finely chopped)

1 teaspoon Hormel Real Bacon Bits (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Mix together cream cheese, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, green onions and bacon bits to make filling for the mushrooms.

Spoon the filling mixture into the mushroom caps and place in baking dish.

Bake until the filling is just beginning to turn golden brown and the mushrooms are tender.  About 20 to 30 minutes.

Oh, and what’s a great recipe without a recipe for love?

Recipe for Love – Don’t worry, be happy!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” –Matthew 6:25

Photo by Cherie

For quite a while I’ve wanted to start a new category–Seeds to Cook By–to share some of my favorite recipes with you. I not only love to bake and cook, but I enjoy cooking from scratch and making my own recipes. Plus I have seen how much the women in Bulgaria love the cookie recipes that have now become tradition at all of our women’s retreat. On top of that, it is my hope that you will get to know me bit better, and then perhaps God will use my writing to minister deeper within your heart. With all of this in mind, I wanted the first recipe to be something extra special. Therefore, I picked my Great Grandma’s Pumpkin Bread recipe. She was a woman who loved the Lord and as a little child I always enjoyed going to her house. My fondest memories of her house, amongst all the smells of baked goods and soft tweets of her various birds, was the importance of avoiding my great grandpa’s chair. For if you ventured too close you would soon find yourself snatched up and tickled to death. Christmas time is a time which should be filled with delicious smells, wonderful memories and new precious moments. It is my prayer that you enjoy this very quick and easy recipe. Merry Christmas!

Great Grandma Birdie’s Pumpkin Bread

1 ½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cloves

1 2/3 cup flour

½ cup oil

½ cup water

1 cup pumpkin

¾ cup nuts

½ cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and flour.

Add oil, water, pumpkin, nuts and raisins (if desired) to dry mix and stir until blended.

Divide batter among muffin cups, small loaf pans or 1 large loaf pan. Fill about 2/3 full. (For Christmas gifts the small loaf pans make great gifts for neighbors and friends.)

Bake at 350 degrees. Muffins bake for about 45 minutes. Small loaf pans for about 50 minutes and large loaf pan for about 1 hour. Test in the center for doneness with a tooth pick. If the tooth pick comes out dry it is done.

In closing, whenever I make recipe cards for my daughters I love to include a recipe for love. I’ve decided to carry on the tradition with you (see below). Looking forward to you comments. If you try the recipe please share your thoughts.

Recipe for Love – Don’t quarrel and nag!

It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house with a quarrelsome wife. – Proverbs 21:9 

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Photo Taken by Cherie

When you have been hurt, have you ever noticed how fast the hurt within your heart can change to bitterness? Bitterness can make your heart become a heart of stone. But that’s not all, that heart of stone can destroy relationships and keep you from being all that God created you to be.

Recently my heart was sadden because of the bitterness that I saw growing within the hearts of two precious people. Because of a prior spat these two allowed their hearts to become bitter and hard. Yet their bitterness was not only affecting their own relationship, it was affecting others as well. As I watched this, I realized that my own heart was become bitter and hard because of this division. You see there is a misconception—the misconception that time heals. But, as I’m fond of saying, time does not heal a broken heart, it all depends upon what people do with time.

Well, just this morning as my husband and I were talking about this heartbreaking situation he read to me Ephesians 4:32 taken from his devotions:

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

That’s what God calls us to do. The moment that something happens within a relationship we are to be kind and compassionate to one another and we are to forgive each other. If we would just do this, immediately, situations wouldn’t get out of hand and affect others that we love.

While, on the other hand, although the situation is out of my control and my heart may break over this division between these two precious people, I am also blessed to know that God understands my heartache. Yet, although He understands, He still does not want my heart to become a heart of stone.

So what am I to do?

Recently I was blessed, once again, to watch Pam and Michael Rozell from the Potter’s Field Ministry (you can click on the link below to see a short video about them). Pastor Michael teaches the truth of God’s Word as he demonstrates how a craftsman makes a vessel on the potter’s wheel. During the demonstration he shared something that especially caught my interest. He shared how a person can take a dry, seemingly ruined lump of clay and as it is immerse in water, it will become moldable and pliable once again making the lump of clay valuable—something that can now be useful to the potter.

Well, just as in this demonstration of the clay, we too can have a heart that is soft and moldable, useful to the Master, if we will just allow our wounded hearts to be immersed unto the Living Water. And although my heart is wounded, sometimes on a daily bases, as I run to the Master Potter and immerse my heart into His Living Water He will be faithful to soften my heart so that I can become all that He created me to be in the midst of my heartbreak. Listen to what refreshed me during my own daily devotions. Ezekiel 36:26 says:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

“Thank you, Lord! Help me not to react out of my hurt and pain. Don’t let my heart become bitter and hard. Allow me to run to You and be immersed in Your Living Water so that in the midst of the painful trials you will keep my heart soft and pliable so that I can be Your vessel of honor, useful for the Master’s work. Amen!”

I’m looking forward to your comments. Have you noticed your heart getting a little bit hard lately? Don’t allow hurt and bitterness to destroy the relationships that God desires you to have.

 
Click here to see video
  pottersfield.org

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What’s your gift to Jesus this Christmas? So many times we run around and stress over what gift to give others for Christmas, yet we forget to even consider the One whom the celebration is all about.

When looking at the Christmas story we can discover the wonderful gifts that so many had to offer to Him. Mary offered her gift of belief when she said to the angel, “I am the Lord’s servant . . . . May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). Joseph offered the gift of trust and obedience “When [he] woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife (Matthew 1:24). The angels and heavenly host offered the gift of praise as we read “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). The shepherds offered the gift of evangelism when “They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child” (Luke 2:17).

And as the Scriptures go onto tell us, the Wise Men offered material gifts as they came to worshiped Him (see Matthew 2:1-12), Simeon offered him the gift of waiting expectantly for what the Holy Spirit had promised (see Luke 2:25-36) and Anna the prophetess offered her gift of fasting and prayer as she worshiped in the temple day and night (see Luke 2:36-38).

What’s your gift to Jesus this Christmas? Is it to believe like Mary, or to trust and obey like Joseph? Is it to praise the Lord aloud like the angels did? Or to spread the good news like the shepherds proclaimed? Is it to worship Him and give Him some type of material gift like the Wise Men gave? Is it to wait expectantly for whatever promise the Lord has placed upon your heart like Simeon did? Or is it to fast and pray and worship the Lord, with your whole life, like Anna the prophetess achieved?

My gift to Him this holiday season was a yearlong labor of love in the writing and revision of the Go in Peace Biblical Discipleship Curriculum. I literally began the rewrite the beginning of January and completed it just in time for His birthday gift! And someone, of whom has chosen to remain anonymous, offered a financial gift to Him which made the printing possible! And as an extra last minute gift I am going to be obedient to enter a writer’s contest that He has put on my heart to enter. Something I wouldn’t do, if I didn’t feel that this is truly His desire.

So what’s your gift to Him this season? If you ask Him, He will be faithful to tell you what He would like from you. I’m looking forward to your comments and can’t wait to hear what your gift is. Please share with us what you are giving Him—it’s not a surprise—He already knows!

P.S. If you haven’t thought about this before or you don’t know what to give Him, Calvary Chapel Murrieta has put together a Christmas Gift Catalog—Gifts for Eternity—that you could take part in if you are so led. Click here to brows  and ask the Lord if He would like any of these gifts from you this Christmas. (While your at it–don’t miss clicking on the “Truth and Hope” button found on the lefthand side of Calvary Murrieta’s screen to see what gift would bless Bulgaria.)

Oh, and as an added surprise, the gift wrapped package in the picture contains one complete set of the Go in Peace Biblical Discipleship Curriculum which will have a place of honor under our Christmas tree until the day after Christmas. It will then be mailed as a gift to someone the Lord has put upon my heart. Watch the mail–it could be for you! Merry Christmas!

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Our Staff at the Truth and Hope Foundation

(1) Villie Translating, Cherie Teaching; (2) Bennie and Boyan; (3) Bennie, Boyan, Keith and Cherie Being Silly

Don’t you hate it when you blow it? In the last blog for our year-long adventure taken from my daily devotions we talked about how our sin separates us from God. Well, recently I recognized that the sin in my own heart (the sin of not doing what God was calling me to do) not only separates me from God, but it was also separating me from a friend as well. Actually I’ve understood that concept for many years, but I think I was choosing not to admit that truth to myself because there was a hard issue that God was calling me to address.

As a boss, God was calling me to have a hard talk with someone and possibly cut back some hours; but as a friend I didn’t want to do it. I know the difficult time everyone in Bulgaria is having, while many in America are having just as difficult of a time. Yet, as the director of the Truth and Hope Foundation I need to be a good steward of what God has provided. Therefore, I need to make business decisions based upon facts and I need to put aside my feelings and my desires to do what needs to be done. Yet, I blew it! For months I avoided the inevitable and I realize that my being disobedient to what God was calling me to do not only put a wall between God and myself, but I built a wall within my own heart between my friendship. I could tell, at times that within my heart, I was avoiding my friend (just in my heart—I don’t think anyone watching could tell), not because of her or anything she had done, but because of me because I wasn’t having the talk that so needed to be had.

Yet God is so good and so faithful. And when we are willing to admit the truth to ourselves He will refresh and embolden us with His Word. As I was getting ready for both my next blog post and the difficult conversation that must be had, Ezekiel 36:25 jumped off the page.

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.

God used this verse to not only remind me that the moment I choose to repent of my sin and get right with Him, He sprinkles His clean water on me and cleanses me from my sin. But, not only that, He helped to embolden me to be faithful to that which He was calling me to do. I know I need to walk the walk that He has for me, which at times, includes calling me to do things which I would rather not do. But I also know that God has a far greater plan then I can see. He knows exactly how He is going to provide for both the foundation and for my friend/staff member. And I know that His ways aren’t always our ways.

So, I was obedient to the Lord and I did that which He was calling me to do. And from the moment I decided that morning to be bold and to do that which He was calling me to do I could feel His peace in my heart as He washed me clean. So if you think of our staff member, could you lift her up in prayer? Unless things change we will be cutting her hours in March. Please pray for either provision or for God to open the door for additional work elsewhere. In fact, can we pray that IF He provides a different job for her that it would be at a higher wage so that her social security pension (which is just a couple years away) would be higher! (Things work a bit differently in Bulgaria and pension is determined on the last 3 years of work.) So let’s pray for God’s perfect will and if that includes a great, higher paying job we are open to that.

Is there something that God has been calling you to do which you have been trying to avoid? Has that avoidance impacted your relationships with others? I’m looking forward to your comments!

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Photo Taken by Cherie

Have you ever wondered why a woman would sell her body to another? Is it desperation or greed? Or could it be forced and fear? These were just a few of the questions rambling around in my mind as we were driving past the women selling their wares. In fact, they are questions that have I asked myself many times in studying the story of the Sinful Woman. Many believe that the Sinful Woman was a harlot. But if this is true, what brought her to that place? What despair would drive her to do such a thing? Or what greed would cause her to devalue herself for a few coins? Or perhaps she was sold into such a life. Perhaps the fear instilled by her handler was just too powerful to break free of. What was the motivating factor of her life, and the lives of so many like her, that brings a person to sell his or her body?

Last Thursday Lindsey and I, along with Bennie and Boyan (our staff members at the Truth and Hope Foundation) went to a town in the south of Bulgaria to visit a friend of mine who has begun working with the prostitutes. We wanted to see how and what she is doing as she and another woman try to reach out to these brokenhearted women. She took us out on the highway where the women work and we were able to stop and talk with four of them. (Of course, could not take any pictures, but the photo above shows the highway along which they work.)

My friend has found an effective way to establish a relationship with these women by bringing them water or ice tea in the warmer months and hot tea or coffee in the colder months. As we spotted the first woman along the road there wasn’t a place to pull the car over and so we had to drive a bit further where we found a second woman. I was amazed to see that the first woman, the moment she recognized my friend’s car drive past, began walking to meet us. A good relationship has been established between my friend and these women, so much so that they want to come and talk to her.

As she offers them tea or coffee she asks how they are doing. She mostly allows them to guide the conversation and she later takes notes about each one as she tries to remember how many children they have and the different things they say about themselves. Before she leaves she always offers them a little handwritten card with a verse on it as she encourages them with the hope that only can be found in Christ Jesus. She is trying to build a good relationship with these women so that if the opportunity arises to help any of them to get out of this lifestyle they will know where to turn.

As we talked to the first two women we also offered them a candy cane along with the story of Jesus as well as the book Go in Peace! in Bulgarian as a gift. They both accepted and it is our prayer that they will read the book and that the story of the Sinful Woman, which is woven throughout, will bring God’s healing ointment to their wounded hearts. May they too hear Jesus whisper in their ears:

Your sins are forgiven. . . . Your faith has saved you; go in peace. –Luke 7:48,50

Next we found another woman, whom my friend had never seen before. It broke our hearts to hear her share that she had only started doing this six months prior and that she was soon to be a grandmother. It causes me to wonder how desperate her life must be, that at her age, she felt that this was her only option. She too accepted a book and later as we drove past, one last time, we saw her reading the back of it.

The most peculiar part of the day was just as we were pulling up to talk to another young woman a police car was approaching from the opposite direction. (My friend told us that the police were working the area the day before and that many of the women were in hiding because of this. Although prostitution isn’t exactly illegal in Bulgaria, it isn’t exactly legal either. So sometimes the police round up the women and take them in.) We decided to drive away since the police car was just beginning to turn in to where we were. As I turned around and looked, I saw the woman walk up to the police car and get in. She didn’t try to hide from it, which made us wonder what was really going on. In our innocent minds we hope that she was a decoy (since my friend had never seen her before) and that the police were running a sting operations to try to catch the Johns, but unfortunately it could be just about anything you could imagine in Bulgaria.

But perhaps what broke my heart the most was the pretty one who called herself Maria (a name we could tell was not her own). As we walked up to her we could tell that she had been crying and I cannot even begin to explain how scared and afraid she looked. As we tried to talk to her she looked much like a deer caught in the headlights. So fearful and wounded we knew that we couldn’t stay too long. She hesitantly accepted a cup of coffee, the small card with a verse about hope and a candy cane, but she was too afraid to accept the book. She kept looking behind us and at every car that drove past. Afraid that we may cause her to get in trouble by her handler we headed back to the car. As we did, another car stopped and she walked past us to climb into the passenger seat. Our guess is that she is only about fifteen years old.

What will happen to her? What will become of her life? My friend had previously established a relationship with another young girl about the same age, yet hadn’t seen her for quite some time. When inquiring about her among the women she discovered the tragic news that she had been sold to work in another town for 800 Euro—the equivalent of about 1100.00 dollars.

Many who are selling their bodies are not doing this by their own choosing. They have been forced into prostitution by their handlers and their lives are no longer their own. What is wrong with our society? Why would we, as a human race, overlook the selling of one human being to another for a moment of pleasure?

Although the issue seems too big for me to make a difference, I am open to do whatever it is God calls me to do. Every adventure is a learning opportunity from the Lord. And if I have the opportunity to go again I would like to ask a couple of questions. Those questions would be (not from a judgmental attitude but simply so that perhaps I can better understand and know how to help):

• Why do you do what you do?
• Is it by choice or were you forced?
• If we were to offer you help, what kind of help would you need?

Please pray for my friend who has such a heart for these women. And please pray that those who really want out that they will find a way out. My heart is to be able to work with the women who want out to help heal their broken hearts! Please pray for open doors as we meet with more people, like my friend, who are doing the legwork on the streets. May there be people across Bulgaria who have such a heart. And as they meet the few, the few who are brave enough to get out, may God use us at the Truth and Hope Foundation to help heal the brokenhearted. We can take comfort in knowing:

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. –Psalm 147:3

Lindsey, me, Bennie and Boyan with the Coffee, Tea and Books

Photo Taken by My Friend

(c) 2011 by Cherie Fresonke

If you would like to know more about the book we were offering the women visit our webpage and learn about Go in Peace! http://www.sunflowerpress.net/resources.html

Facebook and Twitter lovers: If you haven’t already done so, go to facebook.com/cherie.fresonke and click the LIKE button at the top of the page or follow me on twitter @CherieFresonke