From Destiny Rescue

Love the work these guys are doing. Hard to imagine the life of these kids but thank God for the DR team. Keep up the great work!

Another one bites the dust... We just got word from our team in Mozambique of another rescue and us catching the dirtbag abusing the child... A bit of background... Young Tina lived with her 2 little brothers, her mother and her father. Her father has been an alcoholic for the last 10 years and rather than being a support to the family he has been drinking away money that should have been used to care for the family. Tina's mother began a friendship with a man that said he would support the family. The mother would cook meals for the man as part payment for his support. One night the mother told Tina to take a meal to the man's home, Tina asked for her brothers to come with her as they did in the past, but the mother told her she had to go on her own... and as you will see there was a good reason, or should I say a bad reason why Tina's mother wouldn't let her brothers go with her... she knew exactly what was in store for Tina that night... As good girls do, Tina did as she was told and took the meal to the man, he told her to bring it inside and once she had placed the food down he grabbed her and raped her. When the man had finished abusing her Tina ran home in tears to tell her mother, the one person she thought she could count on to protect her, but instead of reporting him to the police, the mother began to extort money from him... This was the beginning of Tina's nightmare... A little while later the mother got sick and died, Tina and her little brothers stayed in a small abandoned room in the hospital. Destiny Rescue got word of Tina and her brothers and went and brought them to one of our safe homes... As soon as Tina told us what had been done to her we went looking for the man who had been abusing her. Word of us coming travelled fast to this man and he saw our staff coming in the distance and made a run for it. With a passion to see this man brought to justice one of our staff (Mike) took off after him and tackled him to the ground. The two men wrestled on the ground until Mike overpowered him... now one of my favorite parts of this story is as Mike has this scumbag pinned to the ground he tears off his t-shirt and ties his hands behind his back and then proceeds to drag him off to the police station. He is now awaiting trial and sentencing... I love it when abusers are served justice, we are hoping for a long and uncomfortable period in prison, a sentence that will send a message to other likeminded predators. Well done Destiny Rescue Mozambique!

Friday Friends and Faves #2

Friday again...ALREADY?
If all has gone to plan I am on my way south to visit with family and celebrate my Dad's 60th birthday...Hip Hip Hooray!


A FRIEND: 

Meanwhile, the amazing Joanna is in Uganda....doing incredible things for 2010. Be warned, you read her story at your own risk. If you're anything like me, after reading it you'll want to pack up and head on over to join in the awesome work of Watoto in Africa.

From Joanna:

For those of you who don't know me, I'm an environmental scientist by qualification, but have taken 2010 out to volunteer with Watoto Child Care Ministries in Kampala, Uganda. You can check out Watoto at www.watoto.com. I am involved with the Watoto 360 program, which is a 5 month intensive discipleship program for both Ugandan and International students that's run twice a year. My role has been to live with the international students and provide whatever support and guidance they need, to help run the class, which has recently included teaching a couple of lessons. I have also been running their internship program, where students who graduate from the class can do a 6 month placement in a department of Watoto Child Care Ministries.

I needed this year. I needed to be shaken up and to put myself in a place where God could teach me the things I needed to learn. I knew that and I fought it, but then I finally gave up and came here, and this year has been amazing in ways I never could have imagined. And the awesome thing about this year is that He has put me in a place where my skills, giftings and experience can be used, but it is also the place I needed to be for Him to teach me the things that I needed to learn. To take things from head to heart knowledge - to learn them through experience, rather than just knowing them. 

Through just being a volunteer who is not in charge of or responsible for anything (which is very different to my role as an environmental consultant), I have truly learnt that it is who I am, not what I do that is important. I don't have to be busy, or in a position of authority or decision-making for my presence and contribution to have value. And for much of this year, it has simply been my presence that has been of value. And I am finally ok with that. 

For the Ugandans that I have met and spent time with in the 360 class and the internship program, the very fact that I would come from Australia to spend a year here in their country, helping the program to run, means the world to them. Someone cares, someone values them. Many times I feel bad for the tough situations many of them are living in and I want to help them all in some material way. But they don't expect that from me, they just love that I am here and that I take the time to help facilitate a program that has helped them grow and change. I have given up things to be here this year, but I have gained things that are of so much more value.


Thanks Jo.....love your thoughts. I was especially encouraged to read about the value of playing a support role. So many of us think we need to be up-front or in leadership to make a difference, when the reality is 'we matter more than we think.' We wish you well as you finish the year in Uganda and we trust God continues to speak, provide, protect, challenge and change you. Thanks for sharing your story and reminding us of the work of Watoto and also our job...to be used by Him, where-ever and when ever.


Next week....Elizabeth's take on the 'Good Girl Syndrome.'


Now, A FAVE: (who is also another friend!)
Check out the work of wonderful Susie H! She is a radio presenter in Melbourne, a wife and Mum and funny as:) Susie writes all manner of interesting bits and pieces...from how she has coped with infertility and then pregnancy to the challenge of a year of doing 'Something New' each week. Listen to podcasts of her husband Luke being real too...all on one convenient website. Well worth a look...a read and a listen. God has done great things with these guys so that their reality truly is 'Nothing Less Than Extraordinary.' Go guys!