[[continued from PART 1]]
The morning of the Girls Getaway, 26 girls straight from the bars showed up and hopped on our bus to the beach. And God knew that was a perfect number. He had handpicked these girls long ago. Along with them, all of the girls from both existing safe houses came. Two packed buses of Filipinas and Americans!
Puerto Galera’s clear, turquoise shores greeted us, and we took over the Bamboo House, none of us knowing just how powerful that week would be in eternity.
The ingredients: JESUS; simple gestures of love and simple hearts waiting to be shown that this hope was real.
The process: JESUS; identity and life spoken; courage awakened to share painful stories; heartwrenching testimonies that touched and transformed hearts; lives dedicated and re-dedicated to Jesus; ocean baptisms; invitations and commitments to leave the bars and start new chapters with new sisters at the safe houses.
There was a point when all of the current girls living at the safe houses stood up front, singing ‘Come Away’ to the new girls. I treasure that moment of incredible invitation and hope. I’m astounded I got to be a part of all this.
And it doesn’t end there. The story has just begun. By the time I left the Philippines, there were already 7 girls officially moving in to the safe houses. And now there are 16!! So many more to come, I declare in faith, because this movement is about to spread like wildfire. The Holy Spirit is true to His nature, yeah?!
I write, wishing I could capture more, for these blogs hardly scratch the surface of all that has happened and continues to occur daily by His mighty hand and outstretched arm… All glory and honor to Jesus!!!
Listen to ‘O Mighty Ones (My Praise is a Weapon)’ by Incense & Arrows. It was one of our powerful battle cries:
When I move my body, when I move my feet
When I open my mouth, then the darkness flees!
Worship is my warfare
My praise is a weapon!
