Pray for Ukraine

Tom and I visited Kiev, Ukraine many times during the five years we lived in Russia. Often we would stay for 2 or more weeks at a time for Tom to teach there and for us to renew our Russian visas. Our youngest son, Spencer, lived there for a year. We have friends there. We know missionaries serving there now that attended language school with us in Russia.  Last night several of our friends were posting on Facebook about the young man in the photo.  He was 20 years old and was killed by the police. Protests have been going on in Ukraine since November. But, last night they turned deadly.

You can read about the violence here:

CNN:   Ukraine protest movement: At least 4 killed in clashes with police

Reuters: Ukraine opposition say they'll brave bullets after talks with Yanukovich fail

Washington Post: Ukraine’s protests are back. Here’s why.

Buzzfeed: World Economic Forum Drops Ukrainian Prime Minister As Protesters Die In Kiev


I won't print anyone's name, but, one friend said that things are getting worse and not better.  One said that it is very scary there.  One friend reported that television signals had been turned off and fears that they will lose their internet connection as well.  And yet another said that their only hope is in Christ and the prayers of believers.  All we can do from afar is watch and pray.  Please pray with us for Ukraine, her government, and her people.

Acts 19:26

Not far from the flat we are staying in is a temple to the Hindu god Ganesh.  You can read more about him by clicking here.  There are many gods worshiped here in India and around the world.    

This photo was taken with my Galaxy tablet as we were walking home late one evening...

When I think of all the things that Christ has helped us through I cannot help but desire that others get to experience His overwhelming love and care.  Each time I pass this temple I pray for those who still do not know Him as the One True God.  

weep for the children...

I don't like to take photos of children.  However, we spotted this little girl walking through the middle of traffic...going from vehicle to vehicle begging for money.  Gesturing to her mouth and repeating the same phrase over and over and over again we understood what she was asking.

My heart goes out to children all around the world who are hungry, abused, trafficked, neglected or abandoned.  In every single country we have visited we have seen children in need.  India is no different.  We may not ever see this child again but we can pray for her and all the others like her who are wandering the streets.

I wonder where her mother is.
I wonder about her background.
I wonder if she was genuinely hungry.
I wonder if someone else took the money she labored to raise.
I wonder if she is scared as she weaves in and out of cars, motorcycles, trucks, rickshaws, and bikes.
I wonder...and I weep for the children of the world. 

the crack of a whip...

THU-WHACK!!  I cannot fully replicate the dreadful sound brought about by this young Hindu man cracking that whip across his flesh.  Each time a passerby gave him money he hit himself for that person's sin.  With each formidable blow my startle reflex kicked in and my body flinched.  

When I saw the amount of money he had in his pockets it caused me to think about the price paid for my sins.  My Redeemer endured a beating, being mocked, hanging on the cross, and ultimately death for my sin. 

And though it cost Him a great deal...my salvation was free.

He paid the price.

  He took the pain.  

My heart was impacted by the thought of how many are still looking in the wrong places for redemption. Pray with me for those who need to know the One True Savior.  And give Him thanks for all that He has already done for you...and all that He continues to do in your life. 

Praying fervently for the children...

The Belize Sex Offender Registry reported that two little boys went in to the police station in San Pedro with their mother over the weekend to report a case of sexual abuse.  The boys are 6 and 9.  Here in Belize when a sex crime is committed against a boy it is called an Unnatural Crime.  

Aren't all sex crimes against children unnatural?  

I'm not trying to make a political statement...just a human one.  Children should not be the objects of anyone's sexual desire.  It is heartbreaking each time we hear about a new case. I keep thinking about the ones who are not being listened to, the ones who are too young or too afraid to make a report, the ones who are trapped.  No child should have to face sexual advances from an adult...ever.

Please join with us in prayer for the children of this country and for children all around the world who are suffering from current or past sexual abuse, sexual slavery, and sexual exploitation.

Stop and Breathe...

In order to catch my breath I had to let some things go.  Not posting yesterday helped me to take a step back.

We are always grateful for the ministry opportunities that God places in our path.  Our desire is not to get weary as we work so we need to take small breaks here and there when we can.  As we face a jam-packed week ahead we could use your prayers...so that we'll have the energy needed to get through it all.

Hope you remember to stop and breathe too!

Why would a ten year old girl commit suicide?

There is tragic and truly sad news coming out of the Orange Walk district. The reports I am getting say that a 10 year old girl from San Lazaro village committed suicide by hanging herself. Multiple reports are that the primary school girl was found hanging by her mother. It is truly a tragic and sad situation.  ~Patrick E. Jones

I saw this horrific news on Facebook last night.  There were well over 100 comments made on this story.  A few were expressions of condolence for the family.  Some wondered if it was linked to some type of abuse. A few even sounded off about how it could be a murder and not a suicide.  Most were in shock that a ten year old would think to do something like this.

What kind of trauma happened in the brief life of this little girl that caused her to lose all sense of hope?  Was it a lack of love?  Or because of physical or sexual abuse?  Was it related to depression?  Was she being bullied? All we can do is speculate until more facts are released for this case.  But it left me wondering...just how common is suicide in children?

I searched for statistics on child suicide and discovered that it is the third leading cause of death for children aged 10-14.  Doesn't that boggle your mind?  Back in 2011 the Ministry of Health in Belize put together a suicide resource pamphlet teachers.  However, most of the discussions here are centered on teens and not on younger children.

Suicide prevention was discussed at a Mental Health Conference in September last year.  In May of this year counselors from Orange Walk Technical High School spoke with the press to discuss suicide in adolescents and it was reported that the number of suicides for 2012 at the time was five.  While compiling information for this post I could not find any stories or statistics related to young children committing suicide here in Belize.

As we wait for more details regarding the death of this ten year old we pray for families whose lives have been affected by suicide here in Belize and around the world.  For children to find hope in the midst of despair.  And for families, teachers, counselors, and all who work with children to be vigilant to any signs that a child might be at risk.

Won't you join us in prayer?

thought for today...Give it to God

Spencer in a prayer circle with the DTS students interceding for Russia.

This week we heard about the flooding in the region of Krasnodar where we used to live.  Thousands of people were affected by the wall of water that came through late in the night.  Over 3000 homes had to be pumped out by rescue workers.  That number represents 2/3 of the affected homes in the area.  Various news reports that I have read place the death toll anywhere between 162-171.  We are greatly saddened by the news and have been praying for those affected since we first heard this tragic event.  

Whether your concerns are about a family member, a friend, a city, or a country give them over to God in prayer.  While there is still speculation regarding the cause of the flood, whether it was rainfall, water released from a nearby reservoir, or a combination of both...we know that God is in control.  And only He can bring restoration, healing, and hope to those who have suffered losses because of this tragic event.  

Please join with us in prayer for the people of Krymsk, Gelenzhik, and Novorossiysk, Russia.

linking up with:

on the road again

Yesterday we left Albuquerque, New Mexico and drove to Guymon, Oklahoma. We spent last night watching the basketball game and waiting out the severe storm that came through Oklahoma.  We saw hail for the first time in years.  The winds were high and the rain was coming down hard.  Thankfully, we were safe, warm, and dry in our hotel room and not trying to drive in that storm.

Today our destination is Andover, Kansas.  Pray that all goes well on the drive for us... we are excited to see family and friends in Kansas!

Morality Matters...

CDF is sponsoring a two day seminar on Morality.  We have a team here from the U.S. that uses this curriculum in the schools in East Texas and they have come here to work in some of the schools this week and to train locals to use the materials.  We had a great turn out last night and are looking forward to finishing strong tonight!

The curriculum includes teaching about the physical and emotional changes during adolescence, development of the body, personal hygiene, menstruation, self-esteem and so much more.  It is practical, factual, and Biblical.

One of the passages shared last night by Diana Shaw, founder of CDF, is from The Message Bible and it is great food for thought and discussion regarding sexuality:

1Corinthians 6:9-20

9-11 Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.

 12 Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims.

 13 You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!

 14-15 God honored the Master's body by raising it from the grave. He'll treat yours with the same resurrection power. Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master's body. You wouldn't take the Master's body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.

 16-20 There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one." Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never "become one." There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another. Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

 The highlighted words are things that stand out for me...what stands out for you?

Keep this seminar in your prayers today...and pray that God would raise up volunteers here in Belize who would be willing to teach this material in schools across this country!

Just another day in the office...

A 10 year old refugee hung out in the building today. 

He was thrilled to find the play therapy toys in our office and overjoyed to be allowed the chance to play.

He wrote good to go with the happy face he drew...

and bad to go with this face...

He even treated us to a puppet show!

and he packed it all up and put it away begrudgingly when his mother came for him.

We don't know if we will see him again...but he reminded us of the scope and magnitude of the problems in some of the countries that neighbor Belize.  We have heard stories of children being raped and killed and stories of mothers escaping countries like El Salvador and Guatemala with their only remaining child.  

We pray that they will hear God speak comfort to their hearts with words like these:

I will not abandon you as orphans-- I will come to you.

John 14:18

And we pray for all of the individuals and families here seeking refugee status due to violence in their home country.  We pray that all of the shelters here will be a haven of safety.  And that all of the refugee children in Belize get a chance to play with as much abandon and freedom as this child did today. 

The Healthy Woman

If you are in the area there is still time to come and join us!

The Healthy Woman Conference

 February 10-12, 2012 

YWAM Base, Roaring Creek   

Hosted By  

The Child Development Foundation   

Registration begins at 4:00 pm Friday, February 10. 

The conference will end at noon on Sunday, February 12.  

Saturday’s sessions are from 8:30 am - 9:00 pm   

Theme: 

The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength   

Topics include:

Gomer: A Story of Hope and Redemption (Friday evening) 

Hope for the Battered Woman (Saturday) 

How Abuse and Trauma Shape Our Choices (Saturday) 

Pursuing Purity and Holiness in Singleness (Saturday)

The Path to Healing from a Past Abortion (Saturday)

The Power of Forgiveness (Saturday evening)

My Identity in Christ (Sunday morning)  

Our Speakers:

 Ms. Diana Shaw, founder/director of CDF and child advocate

Mr. Tom Sharp, Christian counselor and therapist 

Mrs. Dana Richards and Ms. Connie Oslund, post-abortion counselors

Mrs. Jadine Fritzler, CDF board member and conference coordinator

We are excited to see what God will do in the lives of the women who will be there this weekend.   

Please pray for those who will be attending...that it will be a safe and loving environment for each woman.  Pray also for all of the volunteers who are working hard to make this weekend a success.  Pray for good weather and for health for all of the speakers.  

Thank you! 

Girl, if only this chair could talk...

Each week we have clients who sit in this chair.

Male, female, young and old...all with one thing in common...pain.

If this chair could talk you would hear it gossip about the intimate details of those who have suffered through various traumas.  Thank goodness that chair keeps the confidence of those who sit for an hour or so seeking relief.  

We cannot talk about the details either.  However, to update you and to ask for prayer I can say that this was a tough week.  We had a few new people in the chair.  Word of the counseling center is spreading and we have gotten referrals from schools and other programs in the area.  And we are grateful for that.  

Please pray for the teens here in Belize.

Pray for the children.

Pray for those struggling underneath the weight of a secret that they feel could destroy them or their families.  

Pray for more social workers to be appointed in our district. 

Pray for the lone social worker here in Cayo and her staggering work load.

Pray for students that Tom is currently training in the Christian counseling class he is teaching on Saturdays.

Pray for the upcoming Healthy Woman Conference that CDF is putting on next weekend.

Pray for us to have wisdom, insight and compassion to relate with each individual who sits in that chair.  

We truly appreciate your prayers...we are already seeing the payoffs of working here.  

We give praise for the referrals we have received.

We give praise for school principals who see the needs of their students and take action.

We give praise for foster moms, youth workers and teachers who care enough to intervene.

We give praise for the breakthroughs a few of our clients have experienced.

We admire the courage of those who choose to sit and share their pain with us.

We are grateful for each one of you who are supporting us with prayer.

Those petitions are truly valuable...and we cherish them!

Lolita's broken life...

 Excerpt from Lolita,
 by Vladimir Nabokov                         

"I'll die if you touch me," I said.  "You are sure you are not coming with me?  Is there no hope of your coming?  Tell me only this."

"No," she said.  "No, honey, no.

She had never called me honey before.

"No," she said, "it is quite out of the question.  I would sooner go back to Cue.  I mean-" She groped for words.  I supplied them mentally ("He broke my heart. You merely broke my life").

                                                                     

It took me years to face this book.  Other books by Nabokov are not so difficult to read.  I knew that it was about a middle aged man and his relationship with a 12 year old girl.  I didn't think I had the strength to make it through a book like this.  I read it while we still lived in Russia.  It was a difficult read.  It broke my heart.  It moved me to tears and it made me angry.

Vladimir Nabokov is quoted as saying:

Some people, and I am one of them, hate happy ends.  We feel cheated.  Harm is the norm.

I disagree.  Harm should never be the norm.  

But, sometimes it is. Each week there are children and teens whose lives, hearts and spirits have been broken. Some of them are brought to their knees by their life circumstances. Others were abused or mistreated by someone who was supposed to care for them.  These dear ones often struggle to conceive of a power great enough to mend their lives, heal their hearts, replenish their spirits and redeem all of the suffering they have faced.

I still believe though...that healing can begin with a whispered prayer calling forth the Light of Healing.

Join with us in prayer for those who are still victims.

Please remember the Lolitas of the world.  

Chocolate and water and modern day slavery...

It was hard for me to imagine the connection.  

However, according to Change.org there are five ways that lack of clean water leads to modern day slavery.  In the opening lines of the article we read:

"The global water crisis contributes to poverty and disease, holds back gender equity advancement, and affects the use of enslaved and exploited labor in commercial agriculture. These problems and others make millions of men, women, and children vulnerable to modern-day slavery."

Here are the reasons cited in the article:
1. Lack of water access keeps people in poverty
2. Fetching water can put women and children at risk for trafficking
3. Lack of water keeps women from being equal
4. Unsafe water and unsanitary living conditions cause disease and death
5. Industrial agriculture enslaves people made poor by lack of water.

If you click on the link and read the article you will see each reason expounded upon.  click here

Learning about water got me to thinking about what other industries contribute to modern day slavery.  And then I found this story about chocolate's child slaves.

The chocolate bar you snack on likely starts at a plant in a West African cocoa plantation, and often the people who harvest it are children. Many are slaves to a system that produces something almost all of us consume and enjoy.

We have learned from our work with the Child Development Foundation that poverty is a major factor in child trafficking.  There are unscrupulous people who prey on poor families whose only assets are their adolescent sons or daughters.  We have learned more than we ever wanted to know about the depravity of mankind.  And as we conclude a productive week of working in the counseling office and look forward to another class this weekend of Tom training counseling students...we are praying.

Praying for those around the world who are still victims.  

Praying for those here in Belize who are suffering.  

Praying for the abused, misused and neglected children.  

And praying for the perpetrators to WAKE up and repent of their deeds.  

Won't you pray with us?

If you are looking for a cause to support please consider making donations to the following organizations:

The Child Development Foundation works to bring awareness of the problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children and eradicate this situation here in Belize.
Water Missions Belize works to provide whole villages with access to clean water, does education on hygiene and helps to set up micro businesses to abate poverty.
Hearts of Christ works against illiteracy by providing children with sponsors who will pay for their education.  Education in Belize is not free.  And poor families often keep children home to help earn a living.

What is in the news here in Belize?

Sadly, we continue to hear stories of abuse in our counseling office and more stories from the community are in the news.  While we cannot talk about what we hear in the office we can share with you the news from the community.  Please keep all of the children involved in your prayers.    Two Disturbing Sexual Assaults; One By A Step-Father, One By a Pastor

Mon, October 24, 2011

There are two disturbing stories of sexual assault to report tonight.  A 42 year old man who allegedly committed a sexual assault on his 11 year old step-daughter, was denied bail after he appeared today in the Magistrate's Court and was charged with aggravated assault of an indecent nature. The man pleaded not guilty but the prosecution objected to bail on the grounds that the defendant is on parole for a conviction of indecent assault on a previous step-daughter. When asked to give a good reason why he should be granted bail, the man said he met his common-law-wife about 2 years ago and she did not tell him she has 3 children.  He said the 11 year old does not like when he disciplines her and she comes home late at night and sometimes she comes home with money.  But because he is on parole for a similar offence, Chief Magistrate Ana Marie Smith remanded him into custody until November 24. The incident occurred on September 29. The child reported to the police that her step-father fondled her private parts.  And a student of Belmopan in the presence of his mother reported that sometime in the month of June of this year, while at his pastor's house - namely Jason Neal- in Roaring Creek, he was sleeping on his sofa when he was awakened by Neal who was touching his private parts.He also reported that in the month of July of this year, Neal had touched him inappropriately.  As a result Police arrested 37 year old Pastor Jason Neal of Roaring Creek Village and charged him with 2 counts of Aggravated Assault. ___________________________________________________________________ We have not heard any updates about the step-father but regarding the pastor we have heard that he was fined $3000 for each count and that he has until December 16th to pay this fine or he will have to serve jail time. CDF has done sensitization training to make the problem of sexual abuse and exploitation known in all of the high schools here in the area and also some of the elementary schools.  For the little ones there is a Yell and Tell campaign and for the teens there is the "My Body, My Future" project. Valley of Peace We at CDF have spoken at churches, and to women in  villages and to youth.   Since September when a four year old was raped there have been more people who are willing to tell their stories and more cases are coming to light.  This does not mean there is more abuse going on than in the past...just that people now have the courage to talk about it. Orange Walk Town Pray for us as we seek to understand the existing laws and help make changes in these laws regarding how these cases are handled and the penalties involved.  Pray for the funds to continue doing outreach to various communities on this issue.  Pray for continued bravery for children, youth and adults to speak out when they or someone they know is being abused. supporting one another in prayer in Esperanza *clicking on the highlighted words will either take you to a news story, website or a blog post that will give more information on that subject.

stress and strain and prayer concerns...

I don't talk about our counseling load much on the blog because of the importance of confidentiality.  But the past 12 days have been a very stressful time for us.  A very serious issue came up in counseling and it has meant a lot of extra meetings, and loss of sleep.  I cannot really say much about it other than to just ask for prayer.  Please pray for all of the individuals involved in this crisis and for healing to begin in the lives of all affected.  

There is also a family in need that we were able to deliver food to and have been praying with and for.  There is a small church that is closing its doors and we helped with the transition for the congregation.  In the midst of all of this Tom is preparing the curriculum for the first course in a two year Christian Counseling Certificate program that he will teach at Belize Bible Center...so many things in such a short span of time.  We truly covet your prayers.

Sensitization weekend in Orange Walk

We are gearing up for another busy weekend.  On Friday we will be with CDF at a sensitization event for teens to educate them about Commercial Sexual Exploitation..  And on Saturday we will be doing the same thing for the community and local churches.

At the youth event I will be sharing my testimony about sexual abuse.  And on Saturday at the community event, Tom will speak on the psychological effects of exploitation and I will speak on the spiritual effects.  There is a large team going up together for these back to back presentations. Including the youth group from a local church here in Belmopan.  They will be performing several skits throughout the day on Friday.

Recently I was spoke with someone who used to live in area the presentations will be in and I heard about the number of young girls who take jobs in bars that often lead to prostitution.  Often, these young ladies see this 'job opportunity' as a way to help provide for their families.  We hope that the education we provide will dissuade at least one girl from falling prey to that type of lifestyle.

Keep us, CDF and all who will be attending these events in your thoughts and prayers!

Good news from afar!

We finally heard from Spencer today!  He is doing much better this week.  For those of you who don't know, Spencer is our youngest son, he is 21 and is with YWAM Kona on a mission trip in Togo.  He got sick shortly after arriving and had to be treated for malaria.  They have a very slow internet connection there in Togo and to get online they have to go to an internet cafe.  One of the team members said that it took her 45 minutes to log on to Facebook because the connection was so weak.  And they only get the opportunity to be online once a week.

It was such a relief to go on Facebook this morning and see a message from Spencer.  He is still having problems sleeping so please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  He is also struggling to raise funds.  If you would like to help him with his expenses in Togo please send me an email or let me know in the comments and I will give you his donation info.

joy & blessings,
Alida

problems are universal...

We are finding that no matter where we are families still have problems.  Teens and parents struggle to understand one another... butting heads and hearts in the battle of daily life.  One parent feeling stuck in the middle of a conflict between their spouse and their child.  Although our client load is still light the issues we are dealing with in the office are not.

Pray this week for families struggling to love each other in a healthy way.
for teens who feel responsible for the family honor and reputation.
for children who crave the love of a father.

and for all those who are willing to walk through the process of counseling seeking wholeness.