Great News
Great Things are Happening
In the past two weeks, we have had several amazing breakthroughs with the drop-off center and the building construction. After three months of governmental bureaucracy and Latin American punctuality we got our license and go-ahead to start the drop-off center. On top of that, this last week we got the permit after almost 9 months of waiting to start construction of the third and fourth floors of the church. We hope to have both the construction and drop-off center up and running by the end of the month.
Drop Off Center
Over the past three weeks, I have been going to community centers in several neighborhoods in downtown Bogotá. Since prostitution is legal here, the state requires that the people (mostly women) take a personal health and safety course offered in these community centers. I have been going to these courses and handing out questionnaires that ask what needs these women have (i.e. would you need help watching your kids while you work? what times do you work? etc). Half way through the first meeting I was really taken back by how normal these women are and how wrong the stigma of what a prostitute is. These are women from 21 to 40 years old who parent a wide age-range of kids, but when it comes down to it they just want the best for their kids. In fact, if they were wearing some Gap capris and a button down shirt, they would be your average soccer mom. Since I began these surveys, one thing I have heard over and over again is that they are in prostitution because they have no other options. They can either choose to 1) prostitute themselves so their kids can eat, or 2) let their kids go hungry. Several have told me, “If I had any other option, just one chance, I would leave prostitution for good”. The price these women pay to provide for their children is far greater than what most moms and dads who work in corporate America sacrifice for their children. The bleak reality is that most of these kids have nowhere to go while their moms are working, and therefore many end up as victims of sexual or other physical abuse as well. It is such a common tragedy here that it is almost accepted. Unfortunately, words on a computer screen give such a shallow picture to such a deep and desperate need of these children.
Answered Prayer
The past 3 weeks have brought about many answers to prayers I have been praying for the past 4 or 5 months. Prayer often is an overlooked aspect in my life since it is much easier to focus on tangible checklists. In fact it is quite easy to discount answers to prayer by saying it was “just chance” or “I willed it to happen”. Many times I am quick to write off answered prayers, but there comes a point when it is difficult to give all the credit to chance and not actually God working. Unfortunately, critics of prayer don’t reach that point because they rub their “God lamp” and if no answer comes within a week, it is lost time. On the other hand, those who see prayers answered and recognize them as such are the ones who are consistent and believe that God truly listens and acts.
I have heard of a church in North Korea whose members commit themselves fervently to prayer. They actually built rooms into the mountainside near their church to be used solely for praying. This church treats prayer like the original Christian church. Their needs and very existence depend on spending time with God and faithfully taking time out of their day to be in prayer. Somewhere along the line in history, our western culture has pushed this important aspect out of the focus of our faith and relegated it to convenient corners in our schedules. There are numerous examples throughout the Bible of people spending days in prayer, including Christ himself who spent 40 days in the desert to pray. I ask myself how can something that our very Savior put so much emphasis on be reduced to short mealtime or bedtime prayers? Ever so subtly, being a Christian for me became a comfortable title and lost its demanding and priceless call on my life.
It is easy for me to pray through my list of wants in 10 minutes and count that as quality time. However, lately I have been challenged through work, relationships, and by the pastor to really take time to be still, quiet, and focused. It is not natural, and unfortunately I often use this as a reason to avoid doing more of it, but prayer brings about results. But even more importantly, dedicated prayer adds color, depth, and an almost tangible dimension to an unseen God. If we approach prayer like a sculptor approaches a block of marble and were diligent to chip away at it everyday, I am convinced we would become so in touch with an overwhelmingly real God that we would see the Church transform and meet the needs of the world like never before. This transformation needs to happen, but only through consistent prayer and dedicated faith, not a “health and wealth gospel” or a spiritual self-help program.
In the past two weeks, we have had several amazing breakthroughs with the drop-off center and the building construction. After three months of governmental bureaucracy and Latin American punctuality we got our license and go-ahead to start the drop-off center. On top of that, this last week we got the permit after almost 9 months of waiting to start construction of the third and fourth floors of the church. We hope to have both the construction and drop-off center up and running by the end of the month.
Drop Off Center
Over the past three weeks, I have been going to community centers in several neighborhoods in downtown Bogotá. Since prostitution is legal here, the state requires that the people (mostly women) take a personal health and safety course offered in these community centers. I have been going to these courses and handing out questionnaires that ask what needs these women have (i.e. would you need help watching your kids while you work? what times do you work? etc). Half way through the first meeting I was really taken back by how normal these women are and how wrong the stigma of what a prostitute is. These are women from 21 to 40 years old who parent a wide age-range of kids, but when it comes down to it they just want the best for their kids. In fact, if they were wearing some Gap capris and a button down shirt, they would be your average soccer mom. Since I began these surveys, one thing I have heard over and over again is that they are in prostitution because they have no other options. They can either choose to 1) prostitute themselves so their kids can eat, or 2) let their kids go hungry. Several have told me, “If I had any other option, just one chance, I would leave prostitution for good”. The price these women pay to provide for their children is far greater than what most moms and dads who work in corporate America sacrifice for their children. The bleak reality is that most of these kids have nowhere to go while their moms are working, and therefore many end up as victims of sexual or other physical abuse as well. It is such a common tragedy here that it is almost accepted. Unfortunately, words on a computer screen give such a shallow picture to such a deep and desperate need of these children.
Answered Prayer
The past 3 weeks have brought about many answers to prayers I have been praying for the past 4 or 5 months. Prayer often is an overlooked aspect in my life since it is much easier to focus on tangible checklists. In fact it is quite easy to discount answers to prayer by saying it was “just chance” or “I willed it to happen”. Many times I am quick to write off answered prayers, but there comes a point when it is difficult to give all the credit to chance and not actually God working. Unfortunately, critics of prayer don’t reach that point because they rub their “God lamp” and if no answer comes within a week, it is lost time. On the other hand, those who see prayers answered and recognize them as such are the ones who are consistent and believe that God truly listens and acts.
I have heard of a church in North Korea whose members commit themselves fervently to prayer. They actually built rooms into the mountainside near their church to be used solely for praying. This church treats prayer like the original Christian church. Their needs and very existence depend on spending time with God and faithfully taking time out of their day to be in prayer. Somewhere along the line in history, our western culture has pushed this important aspect out of the focus of our faith and relegated it to convenient corners in our schedules. There are numerous examples throughout the Bible of people spending days in prayer, including Christ himself who spent 40 days in the desert to pray. I ask myself how can something that our very Savior put so much emphasis on be reduced to short mealtime or bedtime prayers? Ever so subtly, being a Christian for me became a comfortable title and lost its demanding and priceless call on my life.
It is easy for me to pray through my list of wants in 10 minutes and count that as quality time. However, lately I have been challenged through work, relationships, and by the pastor to really take time to be still, quiet, and focused. It is not natural, and unfortunately I often use this as a reason to avoid doing more of it, but prayer brings about results. But even more importantly, dedicated prayer adds color, depth, and an almost tangible dimension to an unseen God. If we approach prayer like a sculptor approaches a block of marble and were diligent to chip away at it everyday, I am convinced we would become so in touch with an overwhelmingly real God that we would see the Church transform and meet the needs of the world like never before. This transformation needs to happen, but only through consistent prayer and dedicated faith, not a “health and wealth gospel” or a spiritual self-help program.
posted by Jacob Grady | 1:21 PM
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