70x7

Fatherless

Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. Exodus 22:22-23

He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. Deut. 10:18

I can’t speak for all of us on the team but in my case I feel like I have spent the majority of my life walking around with impaired vision and only by the grace of God and His love for all people that I am gaining sight. I have read the above verses many times over and never applied it to grown fatherless men. I always think of women and children. Well the Lord has been working in the hearts of the team by drawing us closer and breaking our hearts for the men.

We made our usual stop on a street where there is a lot of drug activity and men. This is the street where one of the dealers invited us to come into the house and pray with the people, a vision being fulfilled. Well when we pulled onto this street there were quite a few cars around and deals being made so no one came over to the van. So we sat in the van asking the Lord to direct us on what to do, do we wait, do we go up to the house, or do we leave? Our answer was to wait but we didn’t have to wait long. A few of the cars drove away and the men started approaching the van. “Thanks for waiting for us, did you bring the Action Bibles tonight?” There were so many approaching the van that they went to both sides to pray with all of us. While I was praying with the guy on my side I saw an SUV pull up behind us, thank you Lord that you direct us to pray with our eyes open. I was a little nervous about this vehicle as I didn’t recognize any of the men approaching us. 4 men got out of this vehicle and split up, 2 went to the passenger side and 2 came to the driver side. “I’m glad we caught you we need prayer”, says one of the men. Oh Father thank you for your protection, for your direction, and for softening our hearts toward these men. Thank you that they are crying out to you, for their identity.

As we’ve been getting to know these men and hearing their stories our hearts are breaking more and more. So many of these guys have been recruited into their illegal activities at a very young age, they’ve been forced to do things out of fear for their lives, most of them have been shot multiple times, and almost none of them know their father. They fear for their lives daily because to leave what they are doing means almost certain death. You can’t do what they do, know who they know, and live where they live and expect to walk away with your life. Father we know you long to give them life that is eternal, to turn them into light-bearers instead of life-stealers, fill their hearts with your love and bring them to their knees where they will find their strength in you!

Blessings,

Donna

One mile

And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Matt. 5:41 NKJV

Every day I pray that my heart and mind will be open to God’s leading and that I will put aside my desires to do as I wish and be obedient to His call to go out on the streets and be a light to those living in the darkness. I am so thankful for a team that keeps me encouraged and has a heart for the lost, and for a loving Father that is always challenging us to go another mile.

We ran into a lady that we hadn’t seen in about a year and she was so excited to see that we were still coming out and praying with the people. When we asked her where she had been for the last year she told us about her health issues. She has a degenerative spine disease and has had 8 surgeries in the last 10 years and she needs to go back into the hospital and have another surgery. I gave her my phone number and asked her to call me when she goes again so that we could come visit her. She broke down and started bawling, she said, “I haven’t scheduled my next surgery because I didn’t want to go to the hospital again and be all alone, no one has ever visited me, would you really come?” Yes dear lady we would come visit you, no one should be alone when they are hurting. Please pray she has the courage to call us.

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. Ps. 119:66

For the about the last 2-3 years we have been making a stop on a street where there is a lot of drug-dealing, alcohol, and guns. When we first started visiting this street we were very apprehensive but then we started meeting some of the dealers and they were very welcoming. In fact they started flocking to the van asking for prayer. About a year ago one of our teammates had a vision about a house on that street; the vision was that we would be having Bible studies in a house with a big picture window. Last night that vision started coming to fruition. One of the main dealers asked us if we would be willing to come into the house and pray with those that wouldn’t come out to us. He said, “next time you come by could you come in the house and pray with all the people in there, they need prayer and to hear about God.” We looked over at the house he was pointing at and it had a big picture window!!! Praise God, He is so good, faithful, merciful, and loving!!

Blessings,

Donna

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6

Celebrating!

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— Joel 2:25a

Well one of God’s special children is celebrating 10 years clean and walking with the Lord today.  Happy anniversary Cindy!  You are the apple of God’s eye and the same could be said by all who know you.  What a picture of the transforming power of Christ, your testimony, your love for people, and your faith are a modern day miracle.  May our loving Father grant you many more years of joy in Him.  If you don’t know Cindy’s story check this out:

https://vimeo.com/41197427

It was so much fun going out this week and telling our friends that Cindy was celebrating her 10^th anniversary.  One of our friends was so excited to hear Cindy’s testimony that he wanted to hug everyone in the van.  Well, at first he wanted to ignore us because he thought we were DTE energy coming to turn his lights off again.  This man has been homeless for 5 years and just recently became eligible for assistance.  So he found this tiny run down house to rent and has been struggling to make ends meet.  He was recently in the hospital having some major surgery performed and while in there someone broke into his place and stole what few things he had.  So now he is without a refrigerator, portable heater (he doesn’t have heat as the house does not have a furnace), microwave and all his blankets and clothes.  Yet through all these struggles he is one of the most joyful, joyful in the Lord, people you would ever meet.  When he realized we were not DTE he came running over to the van.  So I had to tell him that yes we were DTE because we were “Delivering Truth Everywhere”!!!

So many prayers are being answered and I have so much to share that starting next week the emails will not be so much about the people we see but about what the Lord is doing in our city!  Stay tuned!

Blessings,

Donna

P.S. we are still praying for Easter Baskets.  If you’d like to help us out please contact me via email or at 313-801-2204 THANKS!!

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. I John 4:12.

 What a joy it is to be back out on the streets visiting with old friends and meeting new ones.   We have never seen God but we have the privilege of seeing His work in the lives of so many of our friends.  Thanks to some of my teammates for venturing out each week in January and loving on the girls. I’m very grateful for their faithfulness but I have to admit I’m glad to be back out there with them.  To pray with and hug some wonderful people, to hear their hearts on the challenges they have been dealing with.  To see the smiles on their faces when we hold their hands and tell them how much our Lord loves them.  God is so very, very good!

In January I took the month off to pray about the direction the ministry might venture into in 2013.  It was such a joy to just spend time with and listen to the Lord.  I also got to spend time with some of our clients that have left the street life and are struggling with what to do next.  I know there are changes coming down the road and we are excited to see how the Lord will direct our paths.  Pray for us as the Lord stretches and grows us as only He can do. 

Well, can you believe that Easter is only about 7 weeks away.  Yeah!  Easter is my favorite time of year.  We need your help though to bless our friends with Easter Baskets again.   Here is a list of our needs:

1 Easter basket, any kind (The dollar stores usually have nice ones) 

1 wash cloth (please DON’T use any of the colored grass in the bottom of the basket, the people just throw it on the streets, a wash cloth would provide a nice cushion)

Candy, any kind, as much or as little as you can provide.  You can also add other treats like nuts, dried fruits, chips or whatever non-perishable item that strikes your fancy.

There are really no limits as to how you can put your baskets together the only thing I ask is PLEASE don’t use the colored grass in the baskets.  If possible please wrap the baskets in cellophane.  You can find cellophane bags at the $ store.

 Be creative, put an Easter card in the basket if you’d like, just please don’t write your full name or address on the card AND PLEASE NO MONEY!! 

Please contact me via email or at 313-801-2204 if you or your small group can help us out.  I will need the Baskets on or before Friday March 22^nd. 

Blessings,

Donna

Joyful, Joyful!

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Op’ning to the sun above.  (Henry J. Van Dyke/ Beethoven)

I love this hymn and the last few weeks in the van have been very joyful!  Donations have been pouring in and the blessings have been going out.  So many people skipping down the street after receiving a Christmas bag filled with blankets, food (canned goods, cereal, snacks, etc), dish soap, toilet paper, home-made cookies, candy, socks, slippers, hats, gloves, hygiene and love.  We were also able to give some special gifts to the children of our clients. 

Tonight was our last evening of regular outreach.  We will be hitting the streets again this Saturday to do what we lovingly call ‘drive-by gifting’.  We had such an awesome outpouring of donations from our friends/supporters that we are going to go out and bless anyone that will allow us to share with them.

Joy, joy, joy, I’m having a difficult time writing this email because we had an encounter this evening that truthfully blew us away with laughter and joy!!!  The evening started out peacefully as we delivered gifts to our friends, then we saw one of our ladies hurrying down the street.  When she approached the van she was very scared as 2 men were following her.  They had been harassing her when she was in the store and followed her out.  There was another man coming down the street behind them that was carrying a huge stick.  She was so scared that we invited her into the van.  We didn’t have an empty seat for her so I asked her if she was willing to sit in the back of the van.  We drove her about a mile down the street and I got out and opened the back of the van so she could get out.  The whole time I was praying we wouldn’t get pulled over by the police for having her in the back.  She was very grateful for the ride and went on her merry way.  We continued down the street looking for more of our ladies when we spotted a young family walking down the street.  We asked them if they would like a Christmas gift and prayer. 

While praying with this young couple the man we had seen earlier carrying the big stick approaches.  He stood off to the side and threw the stick down and bowed his head.  When I saw that his whole demeanor had changed I told Cindy to go ahead and ask him if he would like prayer and a gift bag.  While Cindy was praying with him the police drove up next to us.  I put my window down and they asked if we were ok.  I said ‘yes’, thanked them and wished them a Merry Christmas.  They started to drive away and then stopped, put on their flashing lights and one of them gets out of the car.  Oh no!  I started running a check list through my mind trying to think of what I might have done wrong.  Then I thought maybe he wasn’t coming to us but was going to talk to the guy that had the big stick.  Well, that was not the case, the policeman is walking right up to Cindy’s window and now I’m worried about her as I know she still has a huge fear of police from all her years out on the streets.  Mr. Policeman walks to Cindy’s window, sticks his head in and says to Cindy, “Don’t I know you?”  Cindy blurts out, “I’m not out there anymore so I don’t think so”, and poor Cindy is thinking he knows her from her past life on the streets.   He says, ‘Yes, I know you, I saw you in a video at my church and I’ve been praying I would see you out here”.  The whole van let out a sigh of relief and started laughing.  This police officer was so happy to meet Cindy in person that her opened her car door, gave her a big hug, and asked if he could take her picture so he could show it to his mother!  If that don’t beat all, what a way to end the evening!!   Our wonderful, joyful, loving Father allowed us to meet 2 police officers (his partner had also approached the van and was talking to me), that not only thanked us for being out there and caring for the ladies but they gave us their personal cell phone numbers to call if we ever had any problems.  What a beautiful reminder of this Christmas season, our heavenly Father loves us, every single one of us, so much that he gave us His son to show us how to love and care for one another.  Thank you Jesus for the joy you bring to our lives, for the protection you give us on the streets, and for turning our apprehensions about authority into tears of joy that we had a celebrity, Ms. Cindy, in the van with us tonight!

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. Psalm 30:11-12

Thank you everyone for your prayers and donations because of you many have received the joy of the Christ child!  Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Donna

313-801-2204

Christmas wish

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ Acts 17:27-28b

“Hello Donna?  This is M I’m calling to let you know that I moved.  I’ve decided that I needed to get my life in order and the only way to do that was to move to a halfway house.  I asked the others living in the house if they had a ‘prayer van’ that comes around to pray with them.  They said “No!”, they’ve never heard of a van that will pray with people like them, ie: prostitutes, addicts, cross-dressers, most people think they are worthless.  Well I told them that the prayer van I know doesn’t judge us they just hug us and pray for us.  Anyway, I’m asking if you know of another van that might be in my new neighborhood that could come over and pray with all of us here. “ 

This was not the first time I’ve received a call like this, a call from a lost sheep looking for the Shepherd.  It’s a call that brings joy to my heart that they are reaching out but also breaks my heart that we won’t be able to see them very often.  My Christmas wish is that those who are seeking will open their hearts to know that He is near. “Come!” M, and all those who are broken and lost, and take the free gift of the water of life it will fill and satisfy you more than any worldly gift. 

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Rev. 22:17

Merry Christmas

Donna

313-801-2204

Rambled heart strings

This week Lindsey offers her heartfelt words over the loss of one of our precious young ladies.  Our prayer is that we will see her again, free, whole, joyful, and wrapped in the arms of her Savior!

Blessings,

Donna

Rambled heart strings.

I opened my eyes yesterday morning and the first thing I saw was my computer screen saver, it read “Reach the lost – No matter the cost”

My heart is heavy as I write this…. Someone needs to share her story. There is no obituary. There is no funeral that we know of. There is no certainty as to how it happened. The only certainty I can wrap my mind around and the brokenness I feel in my heart is that the last encounter we had with her she knew that Jesus loved her and as we wrapped our arms around her and prayed over her, chains were broken.

I met her one of my first times out on the streets with 70x7… she was so hesitant to come near our van, she didn’t want prayer and she didn’t want to talk. Each week that we saw her she would come a little closer toward the van, soon she would let us pray over her, and sometimes she would let us in to a little of her world. I remember seeing her for the first time and saying “that girl is hard” and Jaime responded “No, she is broken.”  I’ve written about her on this blog numerous times…. She is the girl I wanted to take home with me. She is the girl that kept me awake at night…. often. Each week she looked a little rougher, a little more broken, a little more hurt… the streets were killing her slowly. As time progressed so did her trust in us. She started to come to the window of the van and would share some prayer requests…most always for safety. She then let us get out of the van and hug her. We were there when she was scared. We were there when she got out of jail. We were there after she was beat up and raped. We were there when she got out of rehab and was clean from heroine. We were there when she wanted prayer and we were there when she needed a comforting hug. We were there.

Words fail me…they don’t do justice. Our team loved her. It is easy to recall the last six months of the moments we met with her… but the last two encounters are embedded on my heart. The second to last time we saw her we were on the streets praying with a group of six or seven people and she came running around the corner “can I have one.. Can I have one!!”… Every one of us in the van just started smiling. She was happy to see us; she had been waiting for us. That night she welcomed me out to hug her and pray over her. This was a huge breakthrough. The following week we were out and we ran into our beloved… she had been drinking and was the most talkative we ever saw her. Jeana got out of the van and had a 20 minute conversation with her and she began to pour out her heart. She wasn’t using heroine. She just got out of rehab. She hated being on the streets. She wanted out. She felt trapped. She applied for a job at K-Mart. She didn’t know how things got to this point. She was scared. She wanted to be freed. She wanted to be clean. She passed up a friend who was waiting on her because she WANTED prayer. She had plans. She shared she wanted to get married and have kids one day. She wanted a better life. She also shared she felt hopeless and felt like death was her only option…she didn’t want to live anymore if this was all life had for her. She shared how she got on the streets and about the days before. She opened her heart and we offered her Jesus. Jeana wrapped her arms around her and prayed over her.

Last night we were stopped at the spot she usually is at. We prayed with a few people and then he came over…we asked him where she was and he said “She is no longer with us”…. He went on to share that she died from an overdose. My heart sank. I was numb. I couldn’t move. It seemed like so many people were coming to the van, more than ever in this spot and I felt like I was stuck in time and just couldn’t focus. Even one of the girls on the streets asked if we were okay. As everyone left the van and we rolled up our window our van was silent. I just broke down in a deep cry. The pain was unreal. It was like someone just told me my relative died. I buried my head in my arms and said “Donna you’re gonna have to coach me through this… I don’t know how I get my head back in the game after this”… she said “you don’t….”.

I felt like last night was God saying “do you really know what you are saying yes to” and then showed us a glimpse… the cost is worth it and her death is a reminder of the importance that these girls need to know they are loved and that Jesus Christ died for them. Jaime and I drove home together, a rather quiet drive… we sat in the car in silence and listened to ‘Finish what you started’ by Sean Feucht. “Oh my God, You can do anything…and oh my God, nothing is too hard for you… You’re faithful to the end.. You will finish what You started…” God is faithful until the end. He finishes what He starts. He loved her so much that He sent our team to pray with her every week. As much as it grieves my heart to know that I won’t see her any longer… It encourages me to know that we were used to show her Jesus. Our days are fleeting.. Tomorrow is not promised.. and knowing Jesus is the ONLY thing that matters.

I am so blessed to work with such an amazing team and be a small part in such an incredible outreach. I love our team. Our leader, Donna is like a Mom to us… she called last night to check on us and make sure we were okay… The streets aren’t just an outreach; it’s a part of our lives relationally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. As much as it pains me to see her go, I am blessed beyond words that we were able to know her. I can’t imagine not being on these streets. Not building these relationships. Not offering hope. I can’t imagine not having these amazing relationships with these girls. I’m so thankful for our team and that we have the privilege to reach God’s children and offer them hope. I’m thankful that the feet that deliver the good news are beautiful and that we were able to offer her hope, love, and Jesus.  I can’t imagine doing anything different. Reach the lost – no matter the cost.

In Him,

Lindsey

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6

The poor

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Ps. 82:3

I’ve had a burden to write about the plight of quite a few of our clients instead of just focusing on the street activities. I hope and pray I don’t offend anyone as this is not meant to shame but to enlighten. I’ve been working among the poor for almost 20 years now and I’m still surprised but what I don’t know or understand.
The Poor! We see them every week, we hug them, give them lunch bags, pray with them, and yet we realize we still don’t understand the challenges they face on a daily basis. The team thanks God every day that He hasn’t given up on us and gently teaches us about a lifestyle that is very different from ours. I’ve been thinking about the situations our clients live in quite a bit lately as we prepare for the Christmas season. Asking for help/gifts for our clients is a real challenge but I didn’t realize how much of a challenge until a few friends asked me some very valid questions.

A few faithful friends wanted to know why we give blankets when they see some of them thrown out with the trash on the side of a road. That question hit me between the eyes as I realized many people didn’t understand how that could happen. I asked the Lord to give me wisdom in answering as years ago I also didn’t understand why good trash was sitting on street corners in the city. I think the best way to answer this question is to tell a story of a few of our elderly clients. They live in homes they have occupied for 40 or more years. Their house is paid off but taxes eat quite a bit of their Social Security. Now they have to make a decision, do they pay their electric, or heat, or water? So they may decide to just pay the electric because it doesn’t make sense to pay for the heat when their heater is so old it doesn’t work properly anyway. They also don’t pay their water because pipes leak and run up the bill but they can’t afford to pay a plumber to fix the pipes. They don’t own a car because they can’t afford the gas, insurance, or license plates. Now they are at the mercy of family (a few of our elderly clients don’t have any family in the state), friends, and neighbors. People are willing to take them grocery shopping if they give the person taking them $50.00 (that’s the going rate) of their food stamp money to cover the cost of gas and their time.

Well, they had $200.00 on the Bridge Card for groceries for the MONTH, but now they only have $150.00 and they cannot buy anything they cannot eat. So no toilet paper, no dish soap, no shampoo, etc., etc., etc. They learn not to buy too many fresh things because it won’t last for a month so they eat a lot of canned foods. The same person that took them shopping may take them to a Laundromat but you only wash what is absolutely necessary because after you pay your bills you may only have $20.00 left for the rest of the month and most of that you will spend on washing your clothes. When your bed linens get so dirty they could get up and walk you just throw them out because it’s just too expensive to wash them. If you don’t have anyone to drive you to a Laundromat or grocery store then you have to resort to riding a bus, spending more money you don’t have. I shudder to think of how they manage to carry large items on and off a bus.

We thank God everyday that so many of the people we meet trust us enough to share some pretty private financial situations with us. Our heavenly Father has been very gracious and patient in teaching us how expensive it is to be poor as we also did not understand their struggles.

I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Ps. 140:12

They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor. Ps. 112:9

Blessings,
Donna
313-801-2204

P.S. Here is the Christmas wish list again with an addition I forgot on the first list.

Toilet paper
Toothpaste/brushes
Socks for Men and Women
Men’s gloves
Flip Flops/Clogs or slippers for women
Deodorant
Dish Soap (small bottles please)
Cereal – any size boxes
Soup/Ravioli (in the small cups)
Non-perishable snacks that do not require having teeth in order to eat it

1, 10 or any number would be a huge help, thank you!!!

Darkness or Light?

“Can I talk to you in private?” he said.  Oh oh! was running through my mind.  I don’t know you, I don’t think we’ve ever seen you before, we are on the busiest and scariest street on our route is this safe?  “Yes, I’d be honored to hear what you have to say”, I replied.  So we stepped away from the group gathered around the van.  “I heard you pray for people and I need prayer”, he said.  “Okay what can I pray for you?” I answered.  “Well, I have so much anger inside that I don’t know if I should kill myself or someone else and I don’t want to feel this way.  Someone told me that the ‘prayer van’ could pray for me so I’m asking for help”.  This young man was wound so tight that I was afraid that if I took his hand to pray for him that he would explode but I really felt this was a desperate call that needed to be presented to the only source that could relieve his pain.  So I asked him if I could hold his hand and pray for him, he started crying.  We prayed, he hugged me, and we talked some more.  It started getting really busy and people were calling my name so I asked him if I could invite one of the ladies from the van over to talk to and pray with him also.  He agreed so another member of the team poured into him and led him to the Lord.  Before we left that street he asked what his next step should be as he didn’t know Jesus but was very open to learning more so I gave him a copy of the “Action Bible”.  When he saw what he was holding in his hands he said, “I never knew a Bible could look so interesting, I always thought it was a boring old book for old people, I can’t wait to read this and I know a lot of other people that need one of these”.   

This encounter took place about 6 weeks ago.  We’ve been back to that stop almost every week since then but we haven’t seen this young man.  When we would ask about him people would tell us that he has not been coming around but that he did ask them to tell us that he is reading his Bible. 

About 10 days ago I was cruising that street during the day; I was visiting with another friend that lives on this street, when I see a young man riding a bike up the street.  When he got closer he threw the bike down and came running toward the van yelling, “Hey Donna is that you, I’ve been praying I would see the prayer van again but I’ve been staying away from this street at night.  I’m only over here today because my mother lives on this street.  Can we pray?”  We prayed, I gave him my phone number and we parted ways.

Well Tuesday we are on the scary street again, someday I’ll have to take the time to write about the awesome things happening on this street.  We were praying with a large group of people again when this young man walks up and asks me if I got his text message.  It’s the young man we’ve been praying for!  Oh no, did I miss his msg?  Sure enough I check my phone and there is his msg.  He was asking if we were coming to that street tonight and if so he was waiting at a friend’s house to talk to us.  He proceeded to tell us how the Bible is changing his life but just recently he felt that he was facing some major battles and he needed to reach out for prayer.  He also asked us if we had anymore of the “Action Bibles” that we could give him to share with some friends that were really interested in reading it with him.  Oh boy! Did you hear us screaming with joy?  Thank you Father that you allow us to meet your lost sheep in the darkest places, you fill them with your Spirit, and start a new work in them.  May we never lose sight of your goodness and mercy.

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:7

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph. 2:8-10

Blessings,

Donna

www.70x7outreach.org

313-801-2204

P.S. Christmas is fast approaching and we are reaching out for assistance in helping to bless our clients with some things.  If you could help us we need:

Toilet paper

Toothpaste/brushes

Socks for Men and Women

Men’s gloves

Deodorant

Dish Soap (small bottles please)

Cereal – any size boxes

Soup/Ravioli (in the small cups)

Non-perishable snacks that do not require having teeth in order to eat it

1, 10 or any number would be a huge help, thank you!!!

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6

Part 2

I guess I’m making up for lost time.  Here is another heart-wrenching update, this one written by Jaime, another beautiful young lady on the team.  Lord keep Jaime strong as she reaches out through her own personal heartbreak and touches the lives of the ladies on the street with Your love that shines so brightly through her. 

REUNITE

She was the girl we met the very first time I went out with the 70x7 prostitution street ministry.  She was a white girl.  Short hair.  Eerily familiar.  She was on my side of the van so my window was down and as Donna prayed for her, I just stared at her.  Deep desperation ran through her eyes.  Broken.  Exhausted.  Waiting for the next hit.  But I KNEW her.  How? 

We parted ways, she went one way and we drove another way.  The moment we hit the end of the street I knew, she was friends with my brother.  My brother, who almost two years ago, died of a heroin overdose.  My brother, raised in Troy, Michigan - as suburbs as they come.  They were friends.  I thought to myself, there is no way.  She looked too different.  Way too different.  I graduated with her brother.  Good friends with her brother actually.  I knew the heavy set, bleached out hair girl.  Not the short brown haired, skinny girl wearing raggedy clothes and an old pair of tennis shoes.  My heart broke.  I was so shook up.  

Last night we went out again.  When we finished Lindsey and I were not ready to be done, so we got dropped at our cars and went out again.  Before this happened we prayed and asked God to show us specific things we needed to know about the people we should find.  Our treasure hunt.  Among other things REUNITE was on our list . We stopped at a coney island to find a “bridgette” on our list.  No dice.  So we drive on our way and just outside the coney island is a woman waiting to be bought.  We were going to stop and noticed it was the crazy lady we prayed for earlier so Lindsey said, “keep driving.” Then we see the girl next to her.  Grey ragged shirt, brown scraggily hair, a huge mess.  I thought to myself and maybe out loud, “Wait, is that a boy or a girl?” She turns to face us and my immediate response out loud was, “Oh crap , she’s the one.”  Lindsey thinking nothing says, “Hi! We are from the prayer van, we don’t have food but we would like to pray for you.”  

I’m looking into her eyes and my heart is pounding and my hands shaking.  Before she answers Lindsey, I look her in the eyes and I point, “What is your last name?” Without hesitation she answers me with the last name I expected to hear.  I almost lost it.  I fumbled for my seat belt, dropped some choice words, covered my mouth as I cannot believe what just came out of it and ran around the back of my car to her.  

I look her dead on and with a hand over my heart I say, “I am Jaime Davis.  I am Mark Davis’s sister.” 

“Oh. Crap,”  She says.  Her heart sinks.  My heart sinks.  I grab her and pull her away from the car and we hug forever it seemed.  She cried.  I cried.  My whole body shook.  I couldn’t even believe who I was holding in my arms, rubbing her back, feeling her boney spine with my hand. 

“How are you? Does your family know what’s happening? Are you working the streets? How are you? How are you? Tell me everything” 

She explains she’s been waiting for her girlfriend for over an hour now.  She hasn’t come back yet.  She is planning on going to rehab in a couple days.  She spoke with her family not too long ago and sometimes she works the streets.  She has to.  There is no other way.  We get in my car and I pray some more for her.  We talk.  ”Do you want to be free from this?”

“Everyday”

After Lindsey asks about the relationship she had with my brother she told us, “He was the first person I got high with.”

Followed by a mumbled

“It was the hardest funeral I’ve ever been too.”  

We prayed for her.  We prayed the chains of addiction would be broke.  The scars on her arms would be gone.  Every area she ever stuck a needle would be healed in the name of Jesus.  The blood in her body would run clean and Jesus would replace it with His.  That She would never desire another high.  That she would have the strength to walk away and to get on the plane to South Dakota and start fresh.  That this night would be the first day of the rest of her life.  We called out the destiny and purpose for her life.  

We prayed three times with her and every time we were done she was wiping away her tears.  Lindsey told her she had a vision as we prayed the last time of her living in a nice house, with a family and a husband, with money.  That blessings are coming her way.  

Lindsey gave me twizzlers I never even intended to eat.  And so she, starving, gladly accepted our twizzlers with a, “yeah I want those, I’m fu**ing starving.” She got out of the car.  I hugged her again, “I Love you. If you need anything call me.  Today is a new beginning, I fully believe that.”  As we drove away, Lindsey looks at me with brokenness and says, “How does someone from Troy, Michigan end up in a place like this??”

Today as I was praying for her, this verse came to me, Hosea 2:14 

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, 

and bring her into the wilderness,

and speak tenderly to her.”

And 15 continues to say, 

“And there I will give her her vineyards

and make the Valley of Achore a door of hope.

And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,

as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.”

Verse 14 is hers.  If you read this, that is what you pray over her.  She will walk out of the darkness.  Lindsey told me last night that me REUNITING with her gives her hope beyond belief.  It reminds her of what will happen if she doesn’t get clean.  My brother’s memory will be a lasting impression of why she needs to get better. My brother through his weakness can be her strength.   

Lord give her the strength to move on.  Supernaturally intervene.  This God - His way is Perfect.  

“Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.” Deut.28:6