· I am a business woman of God
· I see my business launching- all facets in God's order
· I see my goals being worked on to completion
· I am equipped to build what God has in store for me.
· I communicate in an organized manner
· I am a visionary
· I am debt free
· I give to my church
· My Godly husband patiently and calmly waiting
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Burning Bush Experience
It was not long after I received Christ as my Lord and Savior that my experience happened. I was attending a birthday party for a friend of mine and we had gathered around him to pray. When we finished praying for him, someone said we need to pray for Joe also. I was told while being prayed for that I would be in dark places of prisons, where only I would be able to bring light into dark. I would set captives free. At that time, I had no clue what that meant. I wanted to be ministry, but not that type!
So, three years later I am finally ready to do what the Lord asked of me. :)
I started attending Prison ministry thinking this is what the Lord wanted me to do. I found fulfillment from this, but it was not what the Lord had in mind. On my way home from a ministry session, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, I want you to go into the prison son and reach the people that do not know me. I said Lord I am doing what you asked of me. I thought prison ministry is what you wanted. The Lord replied and said, there are people that do not know me and need me inside the prison where I can not get to. You have to get to them for me son. I was like how? He said I want you to become an officer and work for me inside the prison. I replied with if you can get me in God, I will do what you ask of me. Thinking in my fleshly self, there is no way they are gonna hire a tattooed guy like me!
Well.... God is a VERY BIG GOD! and......
I am currently working as a Correctional Officer at Monroe Prison.
I would like to mention that it was prophesied numerous times that I was to do this. I just did not understand it would be literally!
The only scripture that the Lord had laid on my heart and its my life verse! Its what drives me to keep going when I don't want to!
Hebrews 13:3
Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
God has put the entire prison in my hand right now! I am a soldier for Christ, and I will not be afraid. He has equipped me to do the work of the ministry. I am given the body armor of Christ, that I put on each morning before entering into the facility. I am there to deliver and set free the captives. The Lord is my strength!
So, three years later I am finally ready to do what the Lord asked of me. :)
I started attending Prison ministry thinking this is what the Lord wanted me to do. I found fulfillment from this, but it was not what the Lord had in mind. On my way home from a ministry session, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, I want you to go into the prison son and reach the people that do not know me. I said Lord I am doing what you asked of me. I thought prison ministry is what you wanted. The Lord replied and said, there are people that do not know me and need me inside the prison where I can not get to. You have to get to them for me son. I was like how? He said I want you to become an officer and work for me inside the prison. I replied with if you can get me in God, I will do what you ask of me. Thinking in my fleshly self, there is no way they are gonna hire a tattooed guy like me!
Well.... God is a VERY BIG GOD! and......
I am currently working as a Correctional Officer at Monroe Prison.
I would like to mention that it was prophesied numerous times that I was to do this. I just did not understand it would be literally!
The only scripture that the Lord had laid on my heart and its my life verse! Its what drives me to keep going when I don't want to!
Hebrews 13:3
Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.
God has put the entire prison in my hand right now! I am a soldier for Christ, and I will not be afraid. He has equipped me to do the work of the ministry. I am given the body armor of Christ, that I put on each morning before entering into the facility. I am there to deliver and set free the captives. The Lord is my strength!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Trust
Trust
I can’t remember the specific date, but I believe it was in May or June of 2008, just about 1 month after I became saved, when God was pressing the idea on me of brining the Renew training team closer together. We called ourselves a team, but it felt like there was so much division and selfishness. We all enjoyed working with eachother, but we would only help eachother out when it would benefit us. I was part of the management team and we would have weekly meetings on all aspects of the business. This is where I felt the biggest challenge was. It was myself, the general manager, and the two owners. I felt so much negativity in those meetings and there was a lack of trust. I simply didn’t trust anyone, even though I loved the guys and enjoyed working with them. This lack of trust had been building up for several months and I would pray about it on my way to work and on my way home because I felt so much un-easyness about it. God spoke to me to lead a team meeting on Trust. About this time, I was required by management to lead 1 meeting per month with all staff and management. This was God giving me the opportunity to lead.
So I prayed about it and I bought a great book on trust and read it for several days before the meeting to help me get some ideas on what to talk about and some exercises to do during the meeting. I didn’t have much confidence and wasn’t comfortable up in front of people and the whole time I felt like I was jumping around, my ideas were scattered, and it was choppy. One of the owners had to jump in a few times to help me get through the meeting. It was an okay meeting and I got some constructive feedback by one of the owner after the meeting. From this, I felt God was very proud of me, even though I didn’t feel so good about it, because no one else had talked about this issue with the team before.
I continued to pray about it for the next few weeks because I knew I wasn’t finished talking about it and I didn’t get the message that God wanted me to get acrossed. Finally, it was time for me to lead again and this time I was even more prepared. I asked God to be with me and give me confidence to speak and be bold. I won’t go into all the details but basically I had confidence, the meeting went smooth, everyone was involved, and it got the team thinking about how they can become a better teammate. Trust takes time and it requires humility and vulnerability. Jesus demonstrated humility to it’s finest. If someone wants to lead a group, that leader has to demonstrate humility and vulnerability. I gave the team examples of my vulnerabilities because I wanted them to know that I needed them to help me as a teammate and to break down any barriers that we may have. After the meeting, I got called into the office by the owners, again, and this time their reaction is not what I had expected. I got hugs and hand shakes and was told that that was the best meeting they’ve had in years. I thought wow! I knew God was with me and he gave me the confidence to get up in front of the group and deliver that message of Trust.
After that, the team just seemed to bond together and we were stonger. That was the last time I gave a meeting on Trust, but it shouldn’t have been the last. Trust is a process and is ongoing, but we eliminated the weekly meetings and turned them into monthly meetings. I knew God wasn’t finished with me on giving that message, but I let other circumstances get in the way.
When I left Renew for my current job, it was a very difficult decision because I felt in one sense that God wanted me to stay to finish what I started, but this job was everything that I had been praying for.
2. What scriptures has God given to you pertaining to this vision or idea?
1 Timothy 4:12-16
“12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers In word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laing on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress amy be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
3. What has God put in your hand to do right now?
God has given me this new job to speak and empower students. I feel blessed to have a great job and I get to inspire students to go onto higher education. I feel that He wants me to be an example to the students. Not sure how long the Lord will have me doing this, but I feel he has me here because he is preparing me for the the next step. Maybe it has to deal with youth or maybe he wants me to get back into Education????
I can’t remember the specific date, but I believe it was in May or June of 2008, just about 1 month after I became saved, when God was pressing the idea on me of brining the Renew training team closer together. We called ourselves a team, but it felt like there was so much division and selfishness. We all enjoyed working with eachother, but we would only help eachother out when it would benefit us. I was part of the management team and we would have weekly meetings on all aspects of the business. This is where I felt the biggest challenge was. It was myself, the general manager, and the two owners. I felt so much negativity in those meetings and there was a lack of trust. I simply didn’t trust anyone, even though I loved the guys and enjoyed working with them. This lack of trust had been building up for several months and I would pray about it on my way to work and on my way home because I felt so much un-easyness about it. God spoke to me to lead a team meeting on Trust. About this time, I was required by management to lead 1 meeting per month with all staff and management. This was God giving me the opportunity to lead.
So I prayed about it and I bought a great book on trust and read it for several days before the meeting to help me get some ideas on what to talk about and some exercises to do during the meeting. I didn’t have much confidence and wasn’t comfortable up in front of people and the whole time I felt like I was jumping around, my ideas were scattered, and it was choppy. One of the owners had to jump in a few times to help me get through the meeting. It was an okay meeting and I got some constructive feedback by one of the owner after the meeting. From this, I felt God was very proud of me, even though I didn’t feel so good about it, because no one else had talked about this issue with the team before.
I continued to pray about it for the next few weeks because I knew I wasn’t finished talking about it and I didn’t get the message that God wanted me to get acrossed. Finally, it was time for me to lead again and this time I was even more prepared. I asked God to be with me and give me confidence to speak and be bold. I won’t go into all the details but basically I had confidence, the meeting went smooth, everyone was involved, and it got the team thinking about how they can become a better teammate. Trust takes time and it requires humility and vulnerability. Jesus demonstrated humility to it’s finest. If someone wants to lead a group, that leader has to demonstrate humility and vulnerability. I gave the team examples of my vulnerabilities because I wanted them to know that I needed them to help me as a teammate and to break down any barriers that we may have. After the meeting, I got called into the office by the owners, again, and this time their reaction is not what I had expected. I got hugs and hand shakes and was told that that was the best meeting they’ve had in years. I thought wow! I knew God was with me and he gave me the confidence to get up in front of the group and deliver that message of Trust.
After that, the team just seemed to bond together and we were stonger. That was the last time I gave a meeting on Trust, but it shouldn’t have been the last. Trust is a process and is ongoing, but we eliminated the weekly meetings and turned them into monthly meetings. I knew God wasn’t finished with me on giving that message, but I let other circumstances get in the way.
When I left Renew for my current job, it was a very difficult decision because I felt in one sense that God wanted me to stay to finish what I started, but this job was everything that I had been praying for.
2. What scriptures has God given to you pertaining to this vision or idea?
1 Timothy 4:12-16
“12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers In word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laing on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress amy be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
3. What has God put in your hand to do right now?
God has given me this new job to speak and empower students. I feel blessed to have a great job and I get to inspire students to go onto higher education. I feel that He wants me to be an example to the students. Not sure how long the Lord will have me doing this, but I feel he has me here because he is preparing me for the the next step. Maybe it has to deal with youth or maybe he wants me to get back into Education????
Friday, January 30, 2009
IT IS QUITE SIMPLE
It is quite simple - in my lifetime along with thousands of others throughout this world, I want to end sex trafficking. The abduction of young girls being thrown into filthy brothels, striped down to bare skin, forced to intoxicate them self’s so they can be sexily abused and raped for a small price. Not just once a day, but over and over and over again. If you live in the greater Seattle area there are seven hundred women being sold every night in your backyard, two hundred of them are under the age of fourteen.
This is the largest growing business in the world. It is simply one of the most heinous and evil crimes on the face of this earth. It is expected it be the largest industry in the world in the matter of years. We CANNOT sit back any longer. It is not about making shelters and putting bandages on the problems. We cannot relay on government to take proper action. These are precious women and children of God. Its time to track, arrest and put behind bars anyone who fuels this industry. The roots start with the unawareness of the issue, along with acceptance of societies naiveté. It is time to chance that.
On the most privet level of bank instrument trading there are trillions of dollars being trading ever day to help raise money for big government projects. The governments pay extremely high rates to borrow this money. This business is a multi-trillion dollars global non-corrupt banking miracle. After the day trades the investor yields a very high return. We are not talking investors with a few million but rather a few hundred million. That adds up to daily profits in the fifty million plus range. This is where the miracle comes in; these highly regulated platforms are not made to make a multi-millionaire a billionaire overnight. Only thirty percent of the proceeds are used and added to the investor’s portfolio. These platforms are to add billions and billions of dollars in the privet sector. These are how billion dollar humanitarian projects get funded without government help.
This system dates back hundreds of years. It is simply the most pristine and largest business in the world. It helps government get money needed to do such projects and it helps put billions of dollars a day back into the world through all types to humanitarian projects. With very few mandators allocating this money towards human trafficking. I see vision and direction to change that. That is simply what I am going to do.
So the way I see is, it is not if, but when. When is the day, when millions upon millions of dollars can go directly to this problem? No more million here a million there fighting this crime, but billions over the course of our lifetime fighting and ending this evil, evil crime. Jesus says, “ Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes Lord (Matthew 9:28)?”, not a doubt in my mind!!
This is the largest growing business in the world. It is simply one of the most heinous and evil crimes on the face of this earth. It is expected it be the largest industry in the world in the matter of years. We CANNOT sit back any longer. It is not about making shelters and putting bandages on the problems. We cannot relay on government to take proper action. These are precious women and children of God. Its time to track, arrest and put behind bars anyone who fuels this industry. The roots start with the unawareness of the issue, along with acceptance of societies naiveté. It is time to chance that.
On the most privet level of bank instrument trading there are trillions of dollars being trading ever day to help raise money for big government projects. The governments pay extremely high rates to borrow this money. This business is a multi-trillion dollars global non-corrupt banking miracle. After the day trades the investor yields a very high return. We are not talking investors with a few million but rather a few hundred million. That adds up to daily profits in the fifty million plus range. This is where the miracle comes in; these highly regulated platforms are not made to make a multi-millionaire a billionaire overnight. Only thirty percent of the proceeds are used and added to the investor’s portfolio. These platforms are to add billions and billions of dollars in the privet sector. These are how billion dollar humanitarian projects get funded without government help.
This system dates back hundreds of years. It is simply the most pristine and largest business in the world. It helps government get money needed to do such projects and it helps put billions of dollars a day back into the world through all types to humanitarian projects. With very few mandators allocating this money towards human trafficking. I see vision and direction to change that. That is simply what I am going to do.
So the way I see is, it is not if, but when. When is the day, when millions upon millions of dollars can go directly to this problem? No more million here a million there fighting this crime, but billions over the course of our lifetime fighting and ending this evil, evil crime. Jesus says, “ Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes Lord (Matthew 9:28)?”, not a doubt in my mind!!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A little History
I realize I am in search of my “next” Burning bush experience. I was flipping though my pasts experiences and see that everything about my calling has been a process, shaping it a layer at a time.
I first pondered the idea of design and something in the creative due to my Mom’s encouragement. She probably saw though the rough and pulled on those little strings. I would be called to the room when ice skating was on the TV, or pulled aside to talk to someone she met that had an interesting creative career. When in Collage I took a required career development class. Through that I deducted that I either wanted to be Fashion Designer or a Pilot. Consequently I was frustrated; I think I was hoping of a tighter range of interested.
After seeing that I was at a standstill, not really knowing where God had called me, I went with what I really knew. That was that I wanted to do God’s will and so I followed my peace and came to Seattle to do the City Church Interns. During my first two years in Seattle I felt, what I would consider, the first sketch of my calling. One by one the mosaic pieces of my “dream” have started to fill in. First I felt called to change the fashion/art industry. I could see a society changed because truth was spoken in the head places of creative design. So, I have been going down that path of applying myself. I happily discovered that my technical skills, that I first saw so distant from my creative, are perfectly pair.
God has added other “loves” to my life. He started with the desire to have a hand in humanitarian aid, and most recently the thought of true freedom. I desire, more then anything, to see people free on a physical level and on a spirit level. Again, it seems that my two main passions are far apart. But I know they will meld beautifully because “normal” is not something I expect in my life anymore.
I don’t really have a scripture to place all of this on but I will look into it.
Right now I am in a fashion design career and am currently growing in that. I know that my favorite creative moments are when I am establishing an atmosphere, whether that is throwing a party or just planning an excursion. This is something I am just starting to develop……I am definitely looking for a burning bush moment here to bring it all together.
I first pondered the idea of design and something in the creative due to my Mom’s encouragement. She probably saw though the rough and pulled on those little strings. I would be called to the room when ice skating was on the TV, or pulled aside to talk to someone she met that had an interesting creative career. When in Collage I took a required career development class. Through that I deducted that I either wanted to be Fashion Designer or a Pilot. Consequently I was frustrated; I think I was hoping of a tighter range of interested.
After seeing that I was at a standstill, not really knowing where God had called me, I went with what I really knew. That was that I wanted to do God’s will and so I followed my peace and came to Seattle to do the City Church Interns. During my first two years in Seattle I felt, what I would consider, the first sketch of my calling. One by one the mosaic pieces of my “dream” have started to fill in. First I felt called to change the fashion/art industry. I could see a society changed because truth was spoken in the head places of creative design. So, I have been going down that path of applying myself. I happily discovered that my technical skills, that I first saw so distant from my creative, are perfectly pair.
God has added other “loves” to my life. He started with the desire to have a hand in humanitarian aid, and most recently the thought of true freedom. I desire, more then anything, to see people free on a physical level and on a spirit level. Again, it seems that my two main passions are far apart. But I know they will meld beautifully because “normal” is not something I expect in my life anymore.
I don’t really have a scripture to place all of this on but I will look into it.
Right now I am in a fashion design career and am currently growing in that. I know that my favorite creative moments are when I am establishing an atmosphere, whether that is throwing a party or just planning an excursion. This is something I am just starting to develop……I am definitely looking for a burning bush moment here to bring it all together.
Burning Bush
I just graduated from college and had no idea what to do, where to go. I packed my apartment and went to Hawaii. When I “tried” to get advice from my family, the answer was “just get a job.”
I was sitting in my Aunt’s house back in the summer of 2003. I was helping her with her company- who knew she was helping me with mine. Whoa!
I was raised in a Catholic environment, went to religious schools, grade school, high school, and college. I had no idea what I wanted to do after college. I got a degree, now what. The internet world grew so fast, it exploded. That was my degree- internet businesses and information systems. I have been looking for a job for the past six years- a job that I would jump out of bed every morning excited to work and be a blessing to others. Every job I worked, I always felt that I am not using my whole self or lately I have been getting bored a week into the assignment. Argh!
Long story short, a month ago, I reconnected with my aunt and a prophetic word was reaffirmed. I am to start a business. The “business” is still being birthed and blue printed- privy information.
My desire is to help people. My heart wants me to be a blessing.
Scriptures!
Habbakuk 2: 2-3 The Message
2-3And then God answered: "Write this.
Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
pointing to what's coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
And it doesn't lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
It's on its way. It will come right on time.
Matthew 25:14-30 – The Message
19-21"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
What is in my hand?
I am diligently planning out my business, meditating on what is written. I am pursuing an Accounting certificate in the summer- the application opens on February 2nd, I plan to have my paperwork submitted on the 2nd. This certificate will allow me to sit for my CPA exam. I am working on networking meetings in the business world.
I am not committed in an area of service at church. I am praying on a new area.
I was sitting in my Aunt’s house back in the summer of 2003. I was helping her with her company- who knew she was helping me with mine. Whoa!
I was raised in a Catholic environment, went to religious schools, grade school, high school, and college. I had no idea what I wanted to do after college. I got a degree, now what. The internet world grew so fast, it exploded. That was my degree- internet businesses and information systems. I have been looking for a job for the past six years- a job that I would jump out of bed every morning excited to work and be a blessing to others. Every job I worked, I always felt that I am not using my whole self or lately I have been getting bored a week into the assignment. Argh!
Long story short, a month ago, I reconnected with my aunt and a prophetic word was reaffirmed. I am to start a business. The “business” is still being birthed and blue printed- privy information.
My desire is to help people. My heart wants me to be a blessing.
Scriptures!
Habbakuk 2: 2-3 The Message
2-3And then God answered: "Write this.
Write what you see.
Write it out in big block letters
so that it can be read on the run.
This vision-message is a witness
pointing to what's coming.
It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!
And it doesn't lie.
If it seems slow in coming, wait.
It's on its way. It will come right on time.
Matthew 25:14-30 – The Message
19-21"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
What is in my hand?
I am diligently planning out my business, meditating on what is written. I am pursuing an Accounting certificate in the summer- the application opens on February 2nd, I plan to have my paperwork submitted on the 2nd. This certificate will allow me to sit for my CPA exam. I am working on networking meetings in the business world.
I am not committed in an area of service at church. I am praying on a new area.
The story of my story
A bunch of winging spoilt kids. A bunch of of non-winging and non-spoilt kids. The friction and contrast between these two groups created my burning bush experience.
I spent five years of my life working with young people ranging from the abused, rejected, seriously mistreated to your average, everyday issues young person. There was no doubt that I loved my job but it was hard. Emotionally these young people where always able to find that soft or even damaged place inside of you and aggravate it. The story of their lives and the direction they were walking in challenged my faith. Their emotional state trigger my own hurt and painful history. It was a beautifully challenging job.
My position at that particular time was working directly with 'at risk' young people in a residential setting (a half way house, a youth refuge). 'At risk' was a term used to describe those who are endanger of hurting themselves through self harm, drug abuse, promiscuous behaviour, bad decision after bad decision. After about a year, when I had been there long enough to see the comings and goings of many young people, I began to get frustrated at the pattern I was seeing. There is a culture among the kids that call the refuge system home, an extremely detrimental culture. A young person would come, kicked out or removed from their family or simply a runaway, they would encounter such a negative culture among the other residents at the house and spiral downwards. They would then eventually break too many rules at the refuge and be 'exicted' to continue onto another refuge where the cycle would begin again.
It made me angry. These young people had been given a second change, a roof over their head and amazing workers that would bend over backwards to help them. Yet rarely did they reach out for the opporunity at hand. Instead they chose to follow the behaviour of the other people in the refuge, competing for attention to see who could self harm the most, take the most drugs, miss their day program, steal. It seemed like every service and every youth worker was at their disposal but they dropped it all to the ground.
Around this frustrating time I saw the movie documentary Invisible Children. This film told the story of Ugandan young people who were stolen from their family by war rebels and forced to do unspeakable things. The young men where forced to kill their friends or be killed themselves turning them into war machines. The young women too where forced to fight or repeatably raped and made to marry rebel leaders. They had to fight a useless war that has lasted for years. The games of innocent childhood were replaced by killing, raping and stealing.
In the closing scenes of the documentary it shed a beautiful light on the issue. Children that where rescued were able to be rehabilitated. Granted, not all where able to rebound as easily as others but there was hope. What was apparent was the thirst many of them had to harness every opportunity and help that came their way. Amazingly many were able to bounce back after the atrocities they had seen and often committed that would overshadow many of the experiences of our young people.
I began to wonder to myself why the young people in my care did not have this ability, spirit or mentality to be redeemed. What was in the culturural makeup of these Ugandan young people that was not in our culture.
It occurred to me that maybe God had a plan. Here, by that I mean Western countries, we have everything we need. Even the most disadvantaged in our countries is advantaged compared to the rest of the world. We had gained the world but at the expense of our souls. We needed healing.
On the other side of the socio-economic scale they needed our things. They need our food, they need our education, they need tools to farm with or to create micro enterprise. But we needed their spirit. There are two deficites but also two gifts. We would find our healing in their healing. If we could give of what we have that is uselessly in abundance, our awareness of them and their story would give us spirit.
I believe a great way from the the people of western countries such as Australia and America to be aware of others around the world is through news. Good news services bring to us the ills and perils of the rest of the world but can also bring the life that is out there as well. The news helps bring our lives into perspective. It can also move us to be generous.
I want to bring these stories and the importance of watching or reading the news to young people. After working with young people for five years believe they suffer from a severe case of inward focus. The news would help them look out to the amazing and sometimes treacherous world outside, inspiring generosity and giving us some well needed heart and soul.
I spent five years of my life working with young people ranging from the abused, rejected, seriously mistreated to your average, everyday issues young person. There was no doubt that I loved my job but it was hard. Emotionally these young people where always able to find that soft or even damaged place inside of you and aggravate it. The story of their lives and the direction they were walking in challenged my faith. Their emotional state trigger my own hurt and painful history. It was a beautifully challenging job.
My position at that particular time was working directly with 'at risk' young people in a residential setting (a half way house, a youth refuge). 'At risk' was a term used to describe those who are endanger of hurting themselves through self harm, drug abuse, promiscuous behaviour, bad decision after bad decision. After about a year, when I had been there long enough to see the comings and goings of many young people, I began to get frustrated at the pattern I was seeing. There is a culture among the kids that call the refuge system home, an extremely detrimental culture. A young person would come, kicked out or removed from their family or simply a runaway, they would encounter such a negative culture among the other residents at the house and spiral downwards. They would then eventually break too many rules at the refuge and be 'exicted' to continue onto another refuge where the cycle would begin again.
It made me angry. These young people had been given a second change, a roof over their head and amazing workers that would bend over backwards to help them. Yet rarely did they reach out for the opporunity at hand. Instead they chose to follow the behaviour of the other people in the refuge, competing for attention to see who could self harm the most, take the most drugs, miss their day program, steal. It seemed like every service and every youth worker was at their disposal but they dropped it all to the ground.
Around this frustrating time I saw the movie documentary Invisible Children. This film told the story of Ugandan young people who were stolen from their family by war rebels and forced to do unspeakable things. The young men where forced to kill their friends or be killed themselves turning them into war machines. The young women too where forced to fight or repeatably raped and made to marry rebel leaders. They had to fight a useless war that has lasted for years. The games of innocent childhood were replaced by killing, raping and stealing.
In the closing scenes of the documentary it shed a beautiful light on the issue. Children that where rescued were able to be rehabilitated. Granted, not all where able to rebound as easily as others but there was hope. What was apparent was the thirst many of them had to harness every opportunity and help that came their way. Amazingly many were able to bounce back after the atrocities they had seen and often committed that would overshadow many of the experiences of our young people.
I began to wonder to myself why the young people in my care did not have this ability, spirit or mentality to be redeemed. What was in the culturural makeup of these Ugandan young people that was not in our culture.
It occurred to me that maybe God had a plan. Here, by that I mean Western countries, we have everything we need. Even the most disadvantaged in our countries is advantaged compared to the rest of the world. We had gained the world but at the expense of our souls. We needed healing.
On the other side of the socio-economic scale they needed our things. They need our food, they need our education, they need tools to farm with or to create micro enterprise. But we needed their spirit. There are two deficites but also two gifts. We would find our healing in their healing. If we could give of what we have that is uselessly in abundance, our awareness of them and their story would give us spirit.
I believe a great way from the the people of western countries such as Australia and America to be aware of others around the world is through news. Good news services bring to us the ills and perils of the rest of the world but can also bring the life that is out there as well. The news helps bring our lives into perspective. It can also move us to be generous.
I want to bring these stories and the importance of watching or reading the news to young people. After working with young people for five years believe they suffer from a severe case of inward focus. The news would help them look out to the amazing and sometimes treacherous world outside, inspiring generosity and giving us some well needed heart and soul.
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