Resident Reflection

I am almost finished with my time at Vision of Hope. I will be transitioning out of the house and into phase three by the end of next week, so I've done a lot of reflecting over the past few days. Once again, God has given more than I had imagined and has demonstrated his faithfulness and love.

The faithful believers at Vision of Hope have been a blessing. I'm so grateful for the love, support, and proayer that surrounded me as God pulled my life from a pit. I've been challenged and encouraged by watching as the staff and interns walk the same path they instruct the residents to walk. Their commitment to follow Christ at any cost is apparent.

I am thankful that I am not the same person who walked through the doors of VOH seven months ago. God did not leave me where I was! Yes, it has been a hard road, but I am thankful beyond words that God was not willing to let one of his children dishonor him any longer.

Through hearting Truth from the Word every day in this program, I've learned to consider obeying God of greater worth than a comfortable, easy life. I am committed to live in a way that brings Him glory. I want to seek His kingdom - not one of my own.

My comfort, as I start life outside of the house is that God's name is on my life and that everything I face is for his glory and my good.

Resident Reflection: My Dream

Shared with permission. . .

My Dream

The fires of Hell made me shiver in fear

There's no way out of darkness and despair

God, take this terrible pain away!

The burns on my arms go to my bones,

And the ash in my eyes makes them bleed!

The feeling of hopelessness and loss has taken over.

Yet, there is still a faint light in the distance, calling my name.

And before my last breath I say,

"I'm sorry, forgive me, I believe."

And I reach for His hand as my eyes close.

My eyes open, and they are clean!

The burns are gone,

I feel no pain, and see no darkenss.

The feeling of over amount of happiness and joy,

Makes my eyes start to tear

Knowing God has forgiven me,

As the sinner I am.

And now I'm in the presence of God

Singing and praising Him

Worshipping Him for eternity.

This poem was written by one of our girls last week as she comtemplated the truth of Scripture she's hearing and understanding for the first time. Last week she almost made the decision to become a follower of Christ, but something is holding her back. Please be praying for her this week as she contemplates this further. We want her to become a Christ follower, but we want it to happen on Christ's terms (II Cor 5:14,15).

Breaking News!: New Year New Girls!

January 2010 is going to be a busy month. In one month alone we are planning to welcome 4 new girls. That is a lot of change all at once, but we're confident we will be able to coordinate it.

Here are ways that you could be praying for the transition:
1. Pray that each girl that moves in will be bringing a humble, teachable attitude.
2. Pray that they would be looking forward to being in the program instead of dreading it.
3. Pray that they would not face circumstances that would derail their plans. Many times lots of last minute things occur which make it easy to back out of plans.
4. Pray for travelling mercies. January in Indiana is not known for it's easy travel or warm and balmy weather.
5. Pray for the girls who are already living in the VOH house. Transitioning a new girl into the group takes a lot of effort, and they each have to be purposefully loving or there tends to be bumps.
6. Pray for each new girl's counselor. Getting a new girl settled into the program can be challenging. We want each girl to begin her stay with optimistic hope for the future, and many times the first 2 weeks are very hard.
7. Pray for each new girl that is settling in to learn the routine quickly, so she can focus on learning, growing, and changing.

We are so thankful for the many prayer partners we have. Vision of Hope is participating in spiritual warfare, fighting for the souls of girls. You are too when you pray with us!