wed august 8th, 2007
today i had a young girl come into the center crying and in pretty rough shape. she'd been beaten up the night before by her "boyfriend" (last i check our friends aren't supposed to beat us up). she was asking if i could find her a safe place to go. as i took her into my office i sat and listened to the lies that her "boyfriend" had been telling her... that she was stupid and that she was useless and worthless. as the tears poured down her cheeks and hit the floor my heart broke not because she was crying or hurt but because she believed those lies which meant that there were far deeper scars left behind then the ones she had on her body and as i began to call around to different shelters to find a spot for her her "boyfriend" called and threatened to come to the drop in centre and kill her. she panicked and ran out of the establishment. as i tracked her down trying to convince her that the safest place she could be at the moment was in the facility she began to cry and say "i have to go he's gonna be mad at me" go where? i asked "he's given me money to go to the island to visit my family" i did my best to try and convey that perhaps the best thing for her would be to go to a shelter and receive counselling first, at least to build her up before she heads home but mostly i was afraid he would talk her into going back to him and then beat her even worse for telling on him. as she left her last words to me were "i love him and he makes me feel safe" the very man who beats the crap out of her makes her feel safe. with friends like that who needs enemies?
Lord Jesus thank you for loving me. thank you for showing me that i am special, precious and valuable. and although there are days i too get caught up in the lies fed to me by the enemy you are there with the truth. that i am first and foremost your kid and God Don't Make Junk!
thank you, thank you, thank you for the constant reminders in my life that keep on telling me I am a princess bought with the highest price of all. your blood shed so that i may have life...and have it i do, more abundantly then i could have ever imagined.
did i fail today? absolutely not! cause for just one minute i had the opportunity to share with this young girl the truth about what God thinks about her...and i know she heard it.
Lord keep all those i know and love and those i have yet to meet and love safe and from harm.
thank you for the many blessings that you have bestowed upon me daily. i will and am forever in your debt and will go whereever you lead me to go. i love because you first loved me.
xoxox andrea

Well it's been a month since I arrived home here in Canada and I am slowly getting my life back in order...God is really a God of his word. He called me back to Canada and although I had no idea why he has proven faithful, loving and gracious to me. I arrived back and moved in with my pastor and his amazing family. Then I was blessed with a part-time gig at the churches daycare for a while (wholly heck that was crazy) I now have a full-time job at the Union Gospel Mission as an outreach worker. I work with the marginalized such as Crack addicts, homeless those who are just down on their luck and fighting to get back up. I am blessed and honoured that God has chosen me for this position. The head Pastor Bill Wong has passed along that they have been in prayer for someone to come and fill this position for 9 years he keeps reminding me that I am a real answer to an on going prayer...not too much pressure hey! Naaa he's cool. I am the only woman on staff at our New Westminster location it's interesting to- say- the- least the boys are still getting used to having me there so I am trying not to freak them out anymore then I have too!!!
Well that's all I am going to say about that.
God is good and he really does come through...we just need to be strong in our faith and even the days that I was feeling weak he gave me the support I needed through the pastor's wife Glenda and his amazing family. I count my blessings each and everyday. And believe me I have much to be thankful for.
May you too find peace in him.
God Bless xoxoxxo andrea