November Update

Progress
You may remember that I had a great interview with a Venezuelan woman a few months ago, regarding my possible involvement with the prostitution outreach she coordinates. She and I both were excited about the possibilities, and resolved to pray about it, and get back to each other on a few weeks. Well, you may also remember a more recent post on my blog about my frustrations with feeling ignored by that organization as, well as another.

A Divine Invite
I've been praying, thinking, and talking with people about other ways to get involved. One of the people I've spoken the most with and been most encouraged by is Elise, my former prostitute friend. She and I met in March, have been meeting up regularly for the past month, and what a blessing she is! We go for walks, coffee, bike rides in the city, and she even invited me to her room one day to look at photos of her family and the life (or lives) she has left behind. I've also been attending her church on Sundays. Last week she was gracious enough to invite me to meet with her mentor, the woman who visited Elise regularly when she was on the street, and found her nearly dead on the street two years ago. She was lying there, ignored by society, dying of a massive bacterial infection in her leg from years of self-injected, drug-filled needles and K brought her to the hospital.

So I went for coffee with Elise and her mentor. It was so good to see their relationship and interactions. K is a wise, grounded, experienced woman. She knows what questions to ask, how to listen and give encouragement, and what kinds of boundaries should be in place in their relationship. They have a special bond for sure, and I was thankful to witness it for an evening. They invited me to come the next time they meet as well. What a blessing!
While the three of us sat, chatting over lattes, a young girl of maybe 17 showed up at our table, seemingly out of nowhere. You can look for my upcoming blog post titled “Susza” for the story about this girl.

K happens to have worked for 6 years at the organization I've wanted most to be involved with. She knows the Venezuelan lady very well, and offered to remind her about me. She did so, and just the other day, Elise informed me that the organization has been trying to call me since we met in September, but that they didn't have the correct phone number. And I'd been trying to email, but didn't have the correct email, and no phone number.. and didn't want to be pushy by going again in person. I hadn't wanted to force anything, and trusted that God would bring about opportunities as they were meant to come.

Now knowing they'd been attempting to contact me was so encouraging! I decided to stop in briefly the other night, and spoke with the Venezuelan lady. She was happy to see me, as we explained how we'd both been attempting to make contact. We exchanged correct information, and agreed to meet next week to talk some more.

Time…
I wrote before of my frustrations with waiting, but am so thankful for this time now. I am learning so much about myself as I've really had to check my motivations and ideals about doing prostitution outreach in this city. I'm still missing my work with Scarlet Cord in Portland, very much... but I am thankful for this time here. I was always so busy in Portland, and it's been nice to slow down, re-evaluate, and ask myself some tough questions. What's important to me? Where am I focused? What are my priorities and do I need to shift some things? Why am I motivated toward this work? What fears, walls and prejudices do I need to work on within me, in order to more fully participate in God’s call? In all of this, I most want to seek God's voice and listen to his direction. There are times when He seems silent, and times when I heard him loud and clear.

Church
I've finally found a church I like. It's the church Elise now attends. She invited me to come with her back in August, and I only one month ago started going. I'm a member of a large church in Portland, which has been growing larger by the minute since it was started 8 years ago. In coming here, I had hoped to find a church I could call home. I wanted a small congregation of honest, sincere seekers of the Lord. Musically inclined would be a plus. Spirit-led, multi-cultural lovers of Christ, a must. I didn't know if I'd find all of that in one church, but I believe I have. There are only about 20 people in the congregation, and they're from all over the world... Indonesia, Suriname, Brazil, Argentina, Holland, Africa, the Carribean, Scottland, and then there's Ghaith from Iraq and me from the U.S. What a group! They open their doors and arms equally to all who enter, and speak lovingly, honestly and powerfully into each others' lives. The pastor had his share of struggles with drugs and alcohol before he met Jesus, and speaks openly and honestly about that. They are in Amsterdam, and really want to reach the lost, lonely and addicted. What a good place for me to be, especially considering the focus God has me on.

Potential
I have spoken with Elise, as well as the pastor’s wife and a missionary couple from Texas about my desire to reach prostituted women. They all have the same desire, and were happy to speak with me about their passion and vision for this city. I told them about the Scarlet Cord in Portland, which they were thrilled to hear about. They want to start something similar in the neighborhood where the church is, and are eager to talk more with me about my experiences. Wow! I don’t know if/where these new relationships will go, but it’s exciting to finally be talking to like-minded people with similar passions and vision.

Thank you to those who are thinking good thoughts and prayers for me. Lord knows I need them!