Once upon a time I was sitting on a dirty tiled floor, huddled shoulder to shoulder with people sitting having deep conversations with loved ones, friends, family, parents, children. The air is filled with smoke wafting around us, while a fan rotates ever so slowly that is almost humorous to watch it move, while we all have sweat pouring of us and some make handheld fans out of cardboard. There is the constant hum of conversations to the sound track of men playing drums on a platform in the corner. This was the back drop to the birth of a ministry. A ministry to women in prison. I was visiting with a lady, who began to tell me what it is like and what some women do to get what they need. So many of the women are facing long sentences and do not have money to be able to buy food and other necessities of life and can not rely on poor families to support there financial needs. The prison system supplies them with the basics, rice and veggie mix or bread, papaya and banana. The Prison system allow inmates to buy additional food and other things they need. But if you don't have money then you can't. They are confined to a cell block, with nothing to do. The project aims to give them something to do while they serve their time and help them to buy what they need. At present the women involved are beading sarongs to be used as shawls or wall hangings. I have ideas to expand the range and utilize some other skills the women have. What is vital to me in this project is 'value'. We all make choices that are wrong and have consequences. Some choices have bigger and long term consequences. The Word says that all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God and none of us should ever forget this. Yes these women are serving the consequence of their choices but they are still valuable, they are still apart of the World. We are not defined by our past but by what we choose today and tomorrow and the future. I want these women to know that they are not forgotten, they can have a future and can have hope, that they are still valuable.
As I think about these women being valued, I think about how we value people. What does it really look like to value someone? I think about how I had the courage to go into these places, to go and sit on a prison floor with criminals and desire to bring hope? By the grace of God firstly and by being supported and upheld by people like YOU! Yes YOU, if you are reading this then in some way you have impacted my life and are apart of this too. Thank you! I could not have sat on that floor and come up with a project to give women a livelihood if I was not walking in faith and in the footsteps of men and women who have gone before me and have encouraged me. Being in YWAM gave us as as a family the courage to go, that we can do this in Him, with Him we can dare to dream and we can do something. On that tiled floor I was getting a vision of the women doing something with their time and then being sold and the money going back to them. YWAM values visionary, YWAM releases people into their visions, daring young people to dream and take action. I found myself holding a weeping women and having a big vision to impact women's lives. So, I bought some sarongs and some beads with my partner in this, Virginia and they started. There is still many things to work through and sort out, but something was started and it is His work and I thank the values of YWAM for daring me to dream and to act. I value being surrounded by people who have gone before me in daring to dream and act, I feel blessed to be surrounded by you! As I dreamed I had people like Dan and Catrina Pennington of Moselle Clothing, John and Margaret Beaumont, the founders of Destiny Rescue, on my mind, people who had dared to dream and were impacting life's. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Thank you for allowing me to dream and to act and for us a family to dream and act. There is a lady who keeps this all ticking, Virginia and she has a heart so big and a love so big for these women and without her this project would not have started. To her I say thank you for sharing your heart, your love, your friendship and for all the hard yards you do to keep the project going.
Although at times I struggle to step, I keep stepping as my family step in going. We need more than ever your support, to keep daring to dream and act. We need to know that we are being upheld as we step into action. I have been challenged to believe and I will see His glory. I have been challenged by Ephesians 3:20 'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..' God can do more than I dare to ask or dare to imagine........... Right now we are asking and believing for all we need to get back.
In my previous blog I shared about the boys and that schooling was an issue, well we have decided on Distance Education through Education Queensland. Which means they will be schooled at home and have more time to skate, surf and focus on their individual talents more. I will admit I am a little bit nervous, but I have sought wisdom from those who have done this and done some reading from the experts and I feel I am a little bit prepared...???... The boys feel more comfortable with schooling at home and the flexibility it gives for them to be more involved in other things we are doing.
I am still dreaming and I have big dreams! I struggle and I fail, but the grace of God covers me and us all. So, dare to dream and take action. We can all do something if we would just dare to believe, dream and act. I was reading Nelson Mandella's 'Conversations with Myself' and in the first bit he had a quote 'A saint is a sinner who keeps on trying'. God offers us all grace but do we really take it, or do we let our failings stop us from changing and shaping life's and possibly change and shape history??? Will you dare to believe, dream and act?
I have some sarongs available for sale for $20, come see me or I can post them, but you will have to pay for postage. And check out http://www.sacrificeind.com/ for all Mark is doing with Sacrifice which helps our income.
