More Than Enough-Fiesta Update

Out of any event I have ever done, out of any outreach and out of any of the dangerous places I have been, this past weekend was the first time I have never felt any kind of fear.

I had an amazing team with me this week. A huge THANK YOU goes out to my staff; Laura, Anita and Viviana! You girls rock and are simply amazing. It is a beautiful privilege to serve with you. Secondly, two awesome girls from our home church, Brittany and Erin! Thank you girls, I was blessed by how you jumped in and did not let the language barrier discourage you. Thirdly, Michele (who drove) and Elizabeth (who filmed) joined us on our journey up to the border. You ladies were such a huge help and sincere source of encouragement. It was a privilege to know you and work with you this past weekend, I look forward to more adventures. Lastly, a thank you to Helen and Xiomara from New Image in Managua, Nicaragua. These girls joined us for the whole weekend and completed the LightForce team. I am so grateful!

The fiesta was amazing and I am so thrilled at how easy God made the whole thing feel. Saturday, I felt an incredible amount of peace. We committed the day to God and so whatever happened our hearts trusted. Between the women, children, our team and a local pastor with his youth group there were SO MANY PEOPLE at our event. However we somehow had food left over! I was amazed. The games were a hit, of course the pinata and the dramas performed by the youth group were some of the best I have ever seen. Everything that encompassed the night was above and beyond my expectations. One women told us that she never had a childhood and so that was the most fun she had ever had in her whole life. You see it is our belief and heart that you go out for the one. It is not about numbers that mark a success rate. It is easy to feel that pressure but yet I refuse to feel that expectation. Jesus said He leaves the 99 for the one and so that is the example set before us. Although, we do get a lot of women and young girls at our events sometimes, it never matters. One heart that changes is always enough. In a year and a half of this ministry I have never encountered the amount of favor as we did this weekend. God is the God of above and beyond. Every single facet held so much favor, joy and peace and yet we were in some of the most dangerous areas. Only God can make the scariest, darkest place be a place of fun and light. I know these principles about His kingdom and yet I am always so amazed when He does it.

Tomorrow Brittany, Laura and I will head out on the bus, once again, to Nicaragua. Thursday is our fiesta for the children near the brothel areas and whose mothers are drug addicts and often they are left all alone at home all day. Many of these children do not go to school. These are the little ones who are at great risk for tragic situations if they are not already in one. So we will have games, candy and a pinata! The most exciting thing about this day is that the event will be held in our new house we are now proud to have close to a rural area. A person pledged to pay the rent for our house, the lawyer waived the fees when we signed for the house and women from the border are already calling to sign up for classes. God is amazing!

Friday we will host our final fiesta in Managua. This is our biggest one for children, so far we have 225 of some of the poorest kids signed up and I have to admit anything with kids is my favorite! Whew, it will be wild for sure! LightForce is hosting the events and paying for the food but a wonderful family in the States personally paid for all the toys and gifts! These are some children that are at risk for prostitution, so please pray that God will give us wisdom and that they will know that God loves them.

We are all a little weary so pray God strengthens us for the final events!

There are still so many stories and situations that for security purposes I am unable to blog about. However, please continue to pray for us here in Central America. God has been opening up such amazing opportunities. The danger has increased some but also favor and protection has as well. People like you who read this and pray, make it all possible. I saw the evidence of your prayers for us this past week. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Check back soon for more updates from this week's events!

God of the nations, God of the peoples and God of the Fiesta

One of my prayers everyday for the last eights months has been that Jesus would be Lord of my day, Lord of my moments and Lord of my choices. One thing I have learned in the last year and a half was to depend on God for absolutely everything. Everything is His and everything He holds in his hands. His is God. I wish I had learned this prinicple before I was sent to work in such dark areas. However God has used this ministry and situations we encounter to teach me utter and total dependance on Him.

Thursday night a team of us went out into the red light districts of San Jose passing out coffee and cookies. The night was unusually chilly for Costa Rica and so the hot coffee was a welcomed treat by many of the women out working. We were such dangerous places and yet somehow I felt at home talking with the women, hugging them, praying for them and just being with them. Strange how I could be comfortable I know but yet it's true.

Friday morning six of us loaded up in Michele's van and headed out onto the open road to the border. The weather everyday for the last two weeks has been unusually cool and rainy but not this day. We had and have had amazing clear skies and warm weather. It has been beautiful. We arrived in time to freshen up, check into a hotel and then head back out to the border. We all met up with Anita who brought a small team to help. We stood inside the area where the fiesta was to be held and prayed. I can't tell you the depth my heart was blessed by the sound of 9 women praying and worshiping in the dark. Darkness all around us spiritually and physically and yet we were full of joy and anticipation. We then divided into two teams and passed out invitations all around the border.
We were given incredible amount of favor with all the police and government officials. Several of the women and children remembered us from last year and were looking forward to the Fiesta. God is so good. We came back to our hotel that night tired, dusty, sweating and so elated and what God had done with just 9 women inside a border.

Today is the big day and one I have been looking forward to all year. Today is our annual Fiesta! We have been wrapping gifts and preparing for this event all afternoon. So much work goes into this fiesta and I could not have done it without the amazing team of people God has placed around me for the event. Thank you to all of you who continue to lift us up in prayer.

Please pray, pray, pray for tonight's event. It is dangerous and we ask for protection and continued favor. We know our light will shine as it already has thus far.

God Bless,
Anna

Adventures of LightForce's Angels

"Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee."

Saint Augustine

When I do not center my heart on Jesus, often the wickedness that takes place all around me can be so loud that I can feel as if I am drowning by the noise. The noise lashes out at me testing my faith and yet my heart still clings to the fact that God alone can rescue, God alone can save and God is good. I have come to learn that my heart is not quiet until it rests on the knowledge of God. There is a difference between a silent heart and a quiet heart. Knowing that difference has kept me steadfast in fighting even when I have not seen results. 

I was only living in Costa Rica for a few months when I discovered that God wanted to share with me the stories of thousands of sexually exploited women and children. These children are hidden by older prostitutes and work primarily at night.  We began inviting the women and children to our rescue fiestas, and – against tradition – they come.

As I sit here writing, tears come to my eyes on the thought of how a year ago I set out to work in an area no one wanted. I was scared and nervous and had no clue what I was doing, in many ways I still don't know what I am doing! Only by God's amazing grace could I continue. I often wondered when I began this ministry over a year ago if I would truly stick it out. However, my fear of God and my desire to honor Him as Lord of my life was greater than my fear of failure. I am so grateful for a God who not only fights for these women and children but that He fights for me too.

This coming weekend marks one year of LightForce International's outreaches to women and children who are sexually exploited. I am going to do my best to keep a little log on here of our weekend. 

Tonight we will go out into the streets and red light districts to give coffee and cookies to women who work in prostitution. These outreaches are designed to be a source of light in a very dark and oppressive industry. We take opportunities to talk to the women, sharing the gospel and offering a chance for hope and change.

On Saturday December 4, we will hold our annual Christmas Fiesta. The outreach is held four hours away from the city. So on Friday our little team out of San Jose will load up into a van and head out on the highway! Road trip! 

Friday night we will head out into the area our fiesta is to be held and pass out fliers inviting women, young girls and children to come. This is often an intense and instrumental part of our outreaches so we ask for all of those reading to please be in prayer for us.

To help our staff at LightForce pull off this event, is an amazing host of volunteers! Yesterday, we picked up Erin and Brittany from the airport. These girls are some of our church family and they came all the way to down to help and serve. Accompanying us on our four hour road trip will be our friends who are missionaries here in Costa Rica, Michele and Elizabeth.

Saturday is the big event and our biggest outreach of the year. We ask for prayers!!! Lots of them!!!

Here is how you can partner with us in prayer:

Pray for our safety spiritually and physically.

Pray that women would come.

Pray that on Saturday night December 4th, 2010 that the night would shine like the day just as Pslams 139 proclaims. 

Please help us out by re-posting our prayer requests and updates. Help LightForce get the word out and get as many saints around to be praying on behalf of these women who God loves and desires to rescue. Together we can make a difference and it starts by prayer.

Graduation Day

A few days ago we studied the story of David and Goliath in Spanish Class. At the end of class we had a discussion and our teacher asked us, "What is the 'Goliath' in your life right now?" I sat there pondering on how to answer, especially in Spanish! Picture upon picture began to flash in my eyes of different girls we have ministered to or are currently ministering to in LightForce. The heartbreak and the anger I felt in that moment was overwhelming. I looked at my teacher and replied, "My Goliath is the beast of sexual immorality."
 This "Goliath" is a beast so hideous with characteristics so evil. His demand for sex is so outrageous it causes a girl to loose her virginity at 5 years old so that the supply can always meet the demand.
Or a girl I work with who was raped by 6 different men by the time she was ten coming to a total of 10 men by the time she was 16 therefore causing her to decide she was worthless and began to sell her body for money living hungry, dirty and broken as a prostitute.

I know God is bigger than any Goliath but there are days, even weeks when I struggle to stand upon that truth.

Yet days like today, my heart is overflowing and thankful to serve a mighty, mighty God. Today was graduation day for the men and women in Rivas. Sadly not all the participants of the project could attend the party.

I cried with Meybi when she received her certificate. You see we met Meybi on the side of the road one day. We gave her rice and beans, prayed for her and asked her to come to our Jewelry Project Seminar. Surprisingly she came, quiet and holding a look of uncertainty in her eyes. However two months after attending the workshops and hearing about Jesus, Meybi made a whole hearted decision to follow Jesus Christ. Instantly, she left a long life of prostitution. Today, Meybi attends church with her daughter is making her living as a seamstress. Next weekend we will attend Meybi's Wedding! Even now as I type, my eyes fill with tears and I am so humbled to have witnessed this change.


When Walter received his certificate, he could not stop smiling. Then he suprised us all by giving a little speech and challenging everyone in the room to remember that I said God had bigger plans for all of them. Walter said he now knows and believes God wants more for him. He thanked us and God before a whole room of people. Annita and I were shocked and blessed. Walter hardly ever talks!

I wish I could type every detail but sadly I am out of time. Thank you to all the many supporters and intercessors for LightForce International, you help us continue to shine light into darkness!

Broken Has A Face

Broken-

reduced to fragments; fragmented.ruptured; torn; fractured.infringed or violated  

 

 Laura and I arrived to the USA September 1st and throughout most of that month traveled and spoke in several US States and Cities. It was on one of my many road trips that I heard a song that really struck me. It had been one of those weeks while traveling that my faith felt challenged. Every now and then, there are times I get discouraged and tired and wonder if I am fighting in vain. Of course I know we are not but there are times even I need reminding we are not fighting a losing battle. The song came on right in the middle of a mental battle of discouraging thoughts. Here are a few of the lyrics:

"Something here is wrong
There are children without homes
But we just move along to take care of our own
There's so much suffering just outside our door
A cry so deafening
We just can't ignore

To all the people who are fighting for the broken
All the people who keep holding on to love
All the people who are reaching for the lonely
Keep changing the world"

Broken is an interesting word. What do you think of when you read or hear that word? When I was a little girl when I thought of the word broken, I thought of toys. When my toys or accessories were broken, I took them to my father and usually he was able to fix or mend them. When I was a teenager, broken was a bone in my body or my car. I would call my father and he would come to my rescue. When I entered into the medical field and worked for General/Vascular Surgeons, broken was usually a Gallbladder, Appendix or Vein. This time, I did not call my father because I was the one to learn how to help fix what was broken. Finally when I left and moved to Central America, the word broken took on a whole new meaning. Broken no longer was a toy or accessory; a bone or a car; a gallbladder or appendix. Broken had a face. Broken was men and women, boys and girls all hungry and hurting for more than just food. I called my heavenly father to help me with the broken in Central America. Then one day, I learned of broken little girls and forgotten older women. Broken now meant women and children living and working in prostitution.  Once again, I called my heavenly father to help and He reminded me that His son Jesus died on the cross so that whatever was broken could be fixed

Now and always, Broken has a face to me. Broken has a name and a dream. Broken cries on my shoulder. Broken smiles at me when the making of an earring has been accomplished. Broken has become my family.

I have loved living among the broken and hungry. I have been humbled and privileged to partner with Jesus to fill hungry bellies, mend wounded knees and love on hurting hearts. 

To any of you that think you could not change a hurting, ugly world. I have good news, because of Jesus and now through Jesus we can! 

Mathew 25:35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37

A Lesson in Beauty

Laura and I arrived, met up with Annita and the three of us hit the ground running! Many of the women we are outreaching to had some basic needs that needed attending. After a quick lunch and a few much needed cups of coffee we grabbed a bicycle taxi and headed to a brothel area. We were quite a sight as we were crammed into this taxi driving down a road that people go to for one reason! Yet, we were smiling and waving to many of the women standing outside. Our taxi driver/cycler(I am not sure even what these things are called??!) graciously and valiantly agreed to be our body guard. We were on a mad hunt for Carmen who had an open, gaping wound that needed my attention! We finally located Carmen at the local bar/brothel and she came outside and there on the side of the street (with quite an audience) we got her fixed and bandaged up! I never caught the full story but someone beat her up and sliced her knee with a broken, glass bottle. Unless we tood care of it and got her on anitbiotics there was no other option for her. Nice to have my nursing training come in handy on the streets of Nicaragua!

That night we were joined by Ashley and Delia! We grabbed some Salvadorian food and then all crashed! The next day we headed to a famous tourist area were there is a lot of prostitution and trafficking. We had planned to go undercover and talk to some of the women, we were all set until we found out that the danger was at a higher risk than we had anticipated. Don't get me wrong these types of scoutings are always dangerous but for reasons I am unable to explain, we had to make a call and cancel the outing! We found out that if a guy had been with us, we could have gone!! Okay guys...if you are reading this....WE NEED YOU! We did however get some of the main information we needed and we are set to go again next month and we have a guy this time!

Finally, the day for the jewelry workshop.
I am so blessed and so grateful for all the prayers and donations for this past event! We held the jewelry workshop in a new area and I was unsure how it would turn out. The day exceeded my expectations! Out of all the workshops we have ever conducted, this one by far was the best. The peace and joy that filled the atmosphere was so amazing.

All throughout the summer God has sent us so many amazing girls from the USA to help out at all the right times. We were privileged to have Ashley and Delia join us these past few days. The girls are students from Fuller Seminary and were finishing up their practicum here in Costa Rica. Here below is Ashley's words of the Mariposa event:

         "I’ve been in Nicaragua for the past couple of days, shadowing and helping a ministry called LightForce that works with girls and women who are either prostituting themselves or have been trafficked.  Today, we held a jewelry workshop for the women, and I wanted to share my thoughts from the experience.....

Her eyes surveyed the beads, deciding which color to string next onto her hoop earring.  Black bead, sparkly crystal bead, brown bead.  When she completed her earring, she held the sets in her hand and smiled contently.  These earrings were her creation- her unique creation.  I smiled as I witnessed her joy.
I bet God does the same thing when He creates each one of us.  He deliberates on every aspect of our personality, body part, and, especially, our spirit.  After creating us, I can imagine God sitting back and smiling contently at His creation.
He smiles contently at this woman making the earrings, who sells her body for money on the side streets of Nicaragua, just like He smiles contently at the missionaries who began this ministry.  They may be different nationalities, have different pasts, and be immersed in different circumstances, but they have the same Creator.
While the intent is for the earrings to help the women create a small business, which would enable them to stop prostituting their bodies, the main goal of the ministry is to help them understand the realization I just described:  they are a unique and beautiful creation, God’s creation.
After making several pairs of earrings, the women clutched their creations and headed back to the streets to make money.  My heart ached.  Regardless of their profession, they are still God’s creation in whom He delights.  Regardless of my profession, I am still God’s creation in whom He delights."

Ashley so sweetly described the events of the day in way many of us thought but could not explain. Watching these women discover their ability to create things of beauty is like Christmas morning for me every single time. I so love their looks of delight and wonder, almost child like. As Ashley said, it gives me a tiny glimpse of God's delight in us.

Thank you for helping LightForce sparks smiles and best of all, HOPE!

Sponsor A Smile This Weekend and Help Us Shed Light In The Dark!!"

"You are my lamp, Lord. My God illuminates the darkness around me." Psalms 18

 I am gearing up for a long/late bus ride tonight again. I have always loved traveling but this past year has seriously challenged that love! This weekend we are heading to an area of Nicaragua to hold a jewelry workshop through our program, "The Mariposa Project". This will be the first time we have held a workshop in this particular area. I received word yesterday that already many women from a brothel area have signed up for the workshop. My cup runneth over, Jesus! Annita, our field director in Nicaragua could hardly contain her joy and desperation to help these women. She had just returned from meeting these women and sharing with them about the Mariposa Project. I was in a constant state of prayer as I waited to hear from her. These areas are dark and physically dangerous that Annita was visiting. The suspense and waiting was almost my undoing! So you can imagine my joy to receive a message on skype from her! Here is how our conversation went,

Annita: "Anna!!!!"
Me: "Hi!!!"
Annita: 7 more of them will go on Monday..they really are so excited
I saw their smiles.....
Me: "yay!!!"
Annita: ..."my heart was broken today with the prostitutes...they need a lot help dude"
Me: "well we are going to help them!!....tell me about it?"
Annita: "yes...for example one of them got a infection in her leg...and it look horrible"
Me: "okay we will try and get her help"
Annita: "okay and another girl was vomitting because she don't have any food today and her stomach was empty :( so I went and buy some bread for them."
Me: Okay, I will figure some things out when I get there and I will look at the one girl's wound.
My heart is breaking too....."
Annita:"but they are so excited about Monday!"

We made a few plans and said our goodbyes. I sat staring at the computer screen feeling such a mix of emotions. My heart breaking for these young girls and yet also so full of hope. Jesus is hope and I cannot wait for them to know him like I know him and I know His heart breaks more for these girls than mine does. He has an answer for them. I felt so humbled and such anticipation to get to these women, to hug them and love on them.

Psalms 9:18 says,"for the needy are not permanently ignored, the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed."

In this program we will teach the women a new trade, minister to and love on them; feed them and attend to their basic medical needs. Many are sick or malnourished  and simply in need of a hug!

I feel so blessed that so many people have been asking how they can help! Wow, how amazing the body of Christ can be. There are two ways people can help with the event this coming weekend:

1.) PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! We need safety and protection as we head into new and unknown territory. Divine provision and in general the message of love to be conveyed to all who come through the door.

2.) You can purchase a jewelry starter kit for just $8.00 and sponsor a smile! This kit contains enough for a woman to make herself a couple pairs of earrings, allow her to learn the "how to" in the workshop and receive a full meal.

How To Donate!