A NEW WORK! (insert cheers!)

Greetings!  What joy I have sitting down before the house stirs and preparing to write about new work with refugees!  From the outset I'd like to say that God is awesome!  I'm grinning as I think that when His hands were forming my mind and my heart as my momma grew me in her womb that He purposefully placed a yearning and partiality in me for the nations.  What a beautiful thing!  ANYWAY... the new work!  What is it?? 

Today I get to return to Serrano Village and knock on the doors of some women and invite them to come and do what women of all cultures LOVE to do.  TALK!  

Background:  I serve on the board of a ministry to refugees called "Abounding Service" (aboundingservice.org) who's mission is to "provide Life Skills training to legally admitted refugees, demonstrating the love of Jesus through word and deed to foreign born people God is bringing to America by the thousands".  Love this organization and the people that make it possible!  Of those people is my new friend and fellow board member Jenny.  Together we sat on my couch a few months ago and threw around our ideas, hurts, frustrations and dreams regarding refugee ministry.  In the midst of our chatting was born an idea for a "Conversation Club", something neither of us had on our minds before our meeting and before she left the entire concept was on paper - thank you Jesus!  

The overarching desire we have is to HEAR from refugee women.  We are inviting women with intermediate to advanced English skills to come together and talk every Monday from 12-1.  We will not be teaching English but providing a safe and intimate circle for women to converse and be known.  What are their stories?  How did they get here?  What would have made a big impact had one or two things been different upon their arrival?  What is the hardest part about life now?  What do they really enjoy?  What confuses them about this culture?  How are their children or husbands or parents doing?  Are they happy?  We want to know their "soul needs" and pray that by asking these questions and providing a safe, consistent and loving environment for them to be known that God will open the windows of their hearts to show us where they are desperate or totally turned off.  Lord let it be!

The other major component to these times will be our intentionality in weaving God's story into our conversations.  We believe that the Father's heart is to comfort, protect, heal, affirm and renew the minds and hearts of these women who have walked through unspeakable suffering and loss.  Through intentional topics and/or simply having His story on the forefronts of our minds we believe that His truth will be seasoned on top of all that we do.  

So that's the general idea!  To talk!  To be known, to foster an environment that helps the ladies open their hearts, to let God in and do His work, to show us where this refugee machine might benefit from some oil, to simply lend time and build relationships and learn from other women about life.  It will be an adventure I'm sure... one I'll be delighted to take you on :)  

PS... it's good to be back!