Prepping and Prayer Requests

Hello everyone! This was originally an email being sent to my team of prayer supporters, but I decided to share it with anybody interested since people have been asking lately how things are going. If you'd like to receive my weekly prayer updates and commit to supporting me spiritually by uplifting me regularly in prayer, send me a message or comment below with your email address and I will gladly add you to the list!

Things have really kicked into gear around here and I am so thankful to be busy, but have made some poor decisions (involving questionable street food…), and am feeling pretty sick the last couple days. I would so appreciate your prayers for a healed tummy and restful sleep!

As I mentioned before, last week we met with Paola, the director of the Public Ministry (a government organization) working against the trafficking and exploitation of minors in the Loreto region –our province. One great thing to share right away is that she is not only a Christian, but just happens to go to my church here. Coincidence or God’s doing? (I’d say it’s the latter). She gave us some materials to use during my trafficking presentations (DVD’s about stats in Peru which makes me very happy! Also some brochures and stuff), and gave us really great contact info to look into. She is very interested in attending and assisting me in my future trafficking presentations, and she said her friend would most likely want to come along, who just happens to be the chief of the regional police unit appointed to trafficking cases. Sounds good to me! It never ceases to amaze me how God opens doors when we take steps of faith J

This week, I will be giving my trafficking presentation at the YWAM base! I also already have my first outside speaking engagement set up! Becky was asked a couple weeks ago by someone she knows at a church in Iquitos if she would be willing to give a teaching at a youth camp at the end of this month. The topics they wanted her to teach on were things such as sexuality, abuse, pornography, etc. Those are things she’s never really shared on before, and she was hesitant to agree, but was quick to volunteer her friend who had a very good presentation on sex trafficking (guess who that would be?). The youth leader was really interested in that, so Becky and I met with him last Friday to get more details. What’s actually happening now is that Becky will be giving one teaching, and I will give a teaching on sex trafficking the next day. I’ll share more details about the camp as it gets closer. But as I explained to Perci, the youth leader, about the different types of presentations I’m able to do about human trafficking, he decided it was too much good information to pass up, and he wants me to come back on a Saturday in March to share with the whole youth group instead of just the ones that are attending this camp. This will be a more in depth presentation since the teaching I’m giving at the camp will be 30-40 minutes long. It’s funny because I didn’t ask for either of these opportunities, he really came to us. I was just starting to get nervous that I wouldn’t have enough time before I come back to the States to get connected with churches and fit trafficking presentations into their schedules. I had just the day before been sharing those thoughts with the Lord, and then without me even suggesting another longer presentation, Perci asked if I would be willing to do another one for a bigger group of people. Once again… it’s incredible how God continues to open doors as we take steps of faith!

I’ve been pretty excited to share this with you guys, and I hope you’ll be joining me in prayer this week and throughout the rest of my time here (42 days left)! I definitely enjoy giving these presentations and am happy to pursue them, but I forget how nervous it makes me to speak in front of people until I’m shaking beforehand… so please don’t forget to pray for my nerves! I’d also like to ask for continued prayer for the planning of future Hefzi-Ba ministry, as our first big women’s meeting is planned for the last Friday of this month! Lots of logistics to take care of, but we are moving forward! Hooray!

As always, thank you so much for being faithful in supporting me and the work that God is doing through Hefzi-Ba and YWAM Iquitos. I can’t do this without every single one of you backing me up!