Yesterday was my last morning in the Old Testament. This year I decided to read through the bible chronologically and it has been an incredible journey.
Even though I'm spending time with the girls and teaching God's truth, the majority of their time is spent with their family and among their friends and neighbors in the community.
No matter how much I share the Truth of God's love and empower them with the importance of their value, self-worth, and purity, I know their family units will ultimately shape who they become.
Just yesterday I was talking with one of the girls and she shared how her grandfather has had 6 women and that her 19 year-old brother, who is still in their parents' house, has a new woman in his bed every night.
This is the type of opposition I'm up against... but I'm not alone. That's a promise.
Come on, spirit of Elijah!!!
Somewhere between July and August, God began stirring something new within my heart. One night at the prayer house in Sosua, God had me return to our familiar meeting place in Isaiah 54.
This scripture, at times, feels like a life passage of sorts. In 2012, The Lord calmed my weary and distraught soul when He proclaimed His role as my Husband in verses 4-5. In 2013, He then again promised me more children than she who is married and instructed me to hold nothing back in verses 1-2... (mind you, God gave me well over 100 girls last year).
So, when He prompted me to return to this familiar passage, I knew God was about to reveal something new to me. This time He led me to verses 6-8.
As I read these verses, God spoke to me, "I'm calling you to the wives deserted and grieved in spirit and to the young girls who have been cast off. Once more, enlarge the place of your tent and lengthen your cords... I'm doing a new thing."
Believe me, I reread that passage over and over again in that moment, trying to reason with Him... "For real, God? You want me to minister to the mothers? To young women who have given themselves to men? How? I'm not a mother. I've never known a man. Are you sure you got the right Lauren?"
I knew He had. His sheep know His voice and He had spoken clearly.
When I returned to the DR mid-September, I felt a change in the atmosphere... and it wasn't just the humidity. I knew this was the start of a new season as God had previously revealed to me. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared.
Speaking to the girls comes easy to me now. Before, where teaching in Spanish had pushed my comfort zone, this has now become relatively safe ground. However, God doesn't let us stay in those terrains for long.
In my moments of fear and asking "how, Lord?", He gently reminded me of all the women He's placed in my life these past 3 years to whom He had me minister, the majority of which I wasn't even aware.
His response? "Just be a friend."
Sometimes we think we have to have a curriculum, a book, or a specific prayer to use in ministry when all God wants is our presence. Why do I try to make it more complicated than it really is?
Yesterday, I went out to the village as usual, with no expectations other than for God to lead me. I have been praying that the Lord would show me with which women He would have me develop deeper relationships, fully anticipating He would place them before me.
I showed up and Marie Ester had visitors so I decided to enlist one of the girls to come around with me to visit all the other girls in their homes. We started out just the two of us and rapidly added to our numbers as we made our rounds. When I thought we had visited all the houses, the girls cried, "Rosaura! Let's go see Rosaura!"
Silly me, I forgot about Rosaura because she rarely comes to our front porch hang-outs. We're walking down the side pathway to her house and we were greeted by her mother, Rosa, who invited me to sit and stay awhile. I had visited with Rosa before at Marie Ester's but never had the opportunity to sit alone with her.
We pulled up some chairs and the rest is history. She was so eager to have us sit with her as her daughter and the other girls went inside to get all her baby dolls. We talked about her 5 children, their ages (10, 8, 6, 5, and 10 months), the girls, English, and medical history. I found out Rosa is only 29 years-old... that's just one year older than me.
2 hours later, the only reason I decided to leave was because the sun was setting and I didn't want any of the other mothers to worry about where their daughters were. I thanked Rosa for having me and reminded her that this Saturday would be the start of our princess meetings for the girls and that I hoped to see her and her daughter there.
I am telling you, there was a reason God had me read Malachi 4:5-6 that morning, reminding me of my prayers and how He has heard me. I believe His call for me to come alongside the mothers is the beginning of Him working out this prayer for the hearts of the fathers to be turned to their children and the children to their fathers.
I cannot even describe what this is doing to my faith. My God is moving before me and He is preparing hearts to receive His Son and the promise of His eternal love. I am but one person, but with God nothing is impossible.
Please join me in praying Malachi 4:5-6 and Isaiah 50:4, that the Lord God would give me "the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word [she] who is weary." The girls are SO excited to start reading The Princess and the Kiss this weekend... keep us all in your prayers!
I found myself in the very last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. At this point in history, the Israelites have since returned to Jerusalem for over 100 years and the rebuilding of the temple has been completed.
You would think that after being delivered once more from captivity and having restored the temple, that the Israelites would have repented and placed their full devotion in the one true God.
Not so.
The Lord sent Malachi, who's name means "Messenger", to prophesy to God's people. A spirit of apathy had come over the people of Judah as they were still waiting for the blessings of God to be restored.
God's response came through Malachi as He rebuked His children concerning the corruption in the priesthood, apathetic worship, widespread divorce, lack of tithing, and the absence of social justice in the land. The Lord, in turn, reminded His children of His love towards them and how He is ready and eager to bestow blessings on them if they would turn to Him.
In fact, one of the only places in scripture where God actually challenges His people to put Him to the test is found in chapter 3 verse 10. As regards tithing, Our Lord said, "bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test... if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Who wouldn't take Him on that offer?
In fact, one of the only places in scripture where God actually challenges His people to put Him to the test is found in chapter 3 verse 10. As regards tithing, Our Lord said, "bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test... if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Who wouldn't take Him on that offer?
In reading Malachi again, The Lord reminded me how easy it is to become relaxed and apathetic in our covenant with Him. However, what stirred in me the most was the very last two verses of the book.
These two verses have captivated my heart and filled my prayers for well over a year now.
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."
Malachi 4:5-6As promised by the Lord, I have been praying for the same spirit of Elijah to be released in the communities I'm in and for the hearts of the fathers to be turned to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.
Even though I'm spending time with the girls and teaching God's truth, the majority of their time is spent with their family and among their friends and neighbors in the community.
No matter how much I share the Truth of God's love and empower them with the importance of their value, self-worth, and purity, I know their family units will ultimately shape who they become.
Just yesterday I was talking with one of the girls and she shared how her grandfather has had 6 women and that her 19 year-old brother, who is still in their parents' house, has a new woman in his bed every night.
This is the type of opposition I'm up against... but I'm not alone. That's a promise.
Come on, spirit of Elijah!!!
Somewhere between July and August, God began stirring something new within my heart. One night at the prayer house in Sosua, God had me return to our familiar meeting place in Isaiah 54.
This scripture, at times, feels like a life passage of sorts. In 2012, The Lord calmed my weary and distraught soul when He proclaimed His role as my Husband in verses 4-5. In 2013, He then again promised me more children than she who is married and instructed me to hold nothing back in verses 1-2... (mind you, God gave me well over 100 girls last year).
So, when He prompted me to return to this familiar passage, I knew God was about to reveal something new to me. This time He led me to verses 6-8.
" 'For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,' says the Lord, your Redeemer."
As I read these verses, God spoke to me, "I'm calling you to the wives deserted and grieved in spirit and to the young girls who have been cast off. Once more, enlarge the place of your tent and lengthen your cords... I'm doing a new thing."
Believe me, I reread that passage over and over again in that moment, trying to reason with Him... "For real, God? You want me to minister to the mothers? To young women who have given themselves to men? How? I'm not a mother. I've never known a man. Are you sure you got the right Lauren?"
I knew He had. His sheep know His voice and He had spoken clearly.
When I returned to the DR mid-September, I felt a change in the atmosphere... and it wasn't just the humidity. I knew this was the start of a new season as God had previously revealed to me. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared.
Speaking to the girls comes easy to me now. Before, where teaching in Spanish had pushed my comfort zone, this has now become relatively safe ground. However, God doesn't let us stay in those terrains for long.
In my moments of fear and asking "how, Lord?", He gently reminded me of all the women He's placed in my life these past 3 years to whom He had me minister, the majority of which I wasn't even aware.
His response? "Just be a friend."
Sometimes we think we have to have a curriculum, a book, or a specific prayer to use in ministry when all God wants is our presence. Why do I try to make it more complicated than it really is?
Yesterday, I went out to the village as usual, with no expectations other than for God to lead me. I have been praying that the Lord would show me with which women He would have me develop deeper relationships, fully anticipating He would place them before me.
I showed up and Marie Ester had visitors so I decided to enlist one of the girls to come around with me to visit all the other girls in their homes. We started out just the two of us and rapidly added to our numbers as we made our rounds. When I thought we had visited all the houses, the girls cried, "Rosaura! Let's go see Rosaura!"
Silly me, I forgot about Rosaura because she rarely comes to our front porch hang-outs. We're walking down the side pathway to her house and we were greeted by her mother, Rosa, who invited me to sit and stay awhile. I had visited with Rosa before at Marie Ester's but never had the opportunity to sit alone with her.
We pulled up some chairs and the rest is history. She was so eager to have us sit with her as her daughter and the other girls went inside to get all her baby dolls. We talked about her 5 children, their ages (10, 8, 6, 5, and 10 months), the girls, English, and medical history. I found out Rosa is only 29 years-old... that's just one year older than me.
2 hours later, the only reason I decided to leave was because the sun was setting and I didn't want any of the other mothers to worry about where their daughters were. I thanked Rosa for having me and reminded her that this Saturday would be the start of our princess meetings for the girls and that I hoped to see her and her daughter there.
I am telling you, there was a reason God had me read Malachi 4:5-6 that morning, reminding me of my prayers and how He has heard me. I believe His call for me to come alongside the mothers is the beginning of Him working out this prayer for the hearts of the fathers to be turned to their children and the children to their fathers.
I cannot even describe what this is doing to my faith. My God is moving before me and He is preparing hearts to receive His Son and the promise of His eternal love. I am but one person, but with God nothing is impossible.
Please join me in praying Malachi 4:5-6 and Isaiah 50:4, that the Lord God would give me "the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word [she] who is weary." The girls are SO excited to start reading The Princess and the Kiss this weekend... keep us all in your prayers!
A handful of the girls with Marie Ester outside her home.
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