For this part of the series I just wanted to share stories of everyday life from some people who have touched mine. Like all of us they are faced with the choice of choosing God and seeing him as they go throughout everyday life. Unlike us, however, their choices seem a little bit harder.
****I’ve changed their names to protect them and to respect them, but don’t let it stop you if you feel inspired to pray for them.****
Everyday life for life for Caleb, Lovely, and Faith
Caleb (youngest), Lovely (middle), and Faith (oldest) are 3 of the 5 newest additions to the Children’s home here at KIM. They were not placed here because they were removed from their home. They are not here because they are not wanted or not loved. In fact they are here because they are loved so much that this was the best choice for them. Their mother died back in September of breast cancer. Their father works a lot and is able to provide for them financially, but he is not able to be their for them to take care of them like he so desperately wants to. I can only imagine how hard it was of choice and how much of a choice it was to trust the Lord that this was the best thing for the children. When I first met Caleb he would cry for his mother all day, he would run to the gate every time it was open. It broke my heart to see his heart ache so much. He’s adjusted so well now and is full of life. The same with his sisters. Their father comes and visits quite often and it brings me so much joy knowing that God is working in this family even if they cannot live under the same roof because it was the right choice to make for the children.
Everyday life for Hope
Hope is a beautiful woman. She has a husband and a daughter. They live in one of the poorer areas of the Philippines. Money was tight. When Hope was offered a job working in Malaysia and ticket to get over there she took it. When she arrived there was no job and she was forced into prostitution. It was a trick. A deceitful lie. A trap. Hope became one of the many young woman trafficked out of the Philippines. Where is Hope now? She is back in the Philippines after choosing to find help from a man who is now her sponsor and she just was reunited with her family after over a year of having been missing. She doesn’t live with them currently because she is attending classes, counseling, and sessions of learning how to make jewelry to support herself. She is learning about the love of the Father and relearning how to trust people again. She hasn’t shared her story with her family because she is still working through the hurt and the shame of being trafficked. Everyday is filled with the choice of choosing to trust, choosing to love herself, and choosing to believe that God still loves her.
Everyday life for Blessing and her family
Blessing lives in what is known as Tent City after a typhoon destroyed her family’s house back in 2009. She is 45 years old and has 2 daughters and a son. The oldest daughter works to bring in what little money she can and the other two children attend the nearby school. Blessing has breast cancer. She has been unable to receive any type of treatment for it and it has run its course. The cancer has metastasized throughout her entire body as well as outside of her breast. It’s painful and she can hardly move.
Along with a few others, I had the opportunity of meeting her today after her friend asked us to go over and pray with her. We grabbed one of the nurses too after hearing that her left arm was swollen. I was not prepared for what I saw after we closed the window and door for privacy as she removed her top (with help) and the dirty dressings. Breast cancer is a cruel and awful disease, but this is her everyday life. We couldn’t do much except replace the dressings and provide a few more, The tears cascaded silently down my cheeks as three of us girls prayed out loud and silently pleading for a miraculous healing and then for comfort, and peace as the cancer continues it’s course. Her and her family lives everyday with choosing to believe that God is calling her home and asking for peace and comfort as he does so.
Everyday life for Princess
Princess is 14 years old. She is living here at KIM in the independent living program, but she hasn’t been here her whole life. She was adopted out and lived with her new mom or as Princess calls her, foster mom. She lived in Australia for a few years until one day the adopted mom decided she no longer wanted to be a mom. She sent Princess back. Although you rarely see it through her bubbly and loving personality she is hurting deeply and is desperate for more love from her heavenly father whose love is the only thing and that quench the ache, and extinguish the hurt, and seal the hole in her heart left from feeling unwanted and unloved. Everyday that I have seen her she has chosen to be joyful and she loves on those who share similar stories of hurt.
Everyday life for Grace
Grace is one of 78 women in the Antipollo jail. She has only been there 6 months, but in those 6 months she has learned about a man who offers grace and forgiveness and asks us to do the same to those who have wronged us or hurt us. Before jail Grace was married to a man and had 4 children. They ended up getting a divorce and Grace remarried. She told me she was in jail because of her second husband and that she hated him. He won’t let her kids come see her and she feels that he is stealing them away. However, Grace broke down and confessed that she didn’t want to hate him. She wanted to forgive, but didn’t know how or what that might look like. Everyday she is seeking out Lord asking for his grace and asking to give grace to her second husband.
