In Italia: are you in 3?

THE STREETS

"Che fate?" ('what are you guys doing?')...came the voice of an invisible man behind me. I say invisible because for some reason, that night, I didn't want to look. I just wanted him to go away. I will never know what he looked like. But he didn't go away. He waited. Easily 20 minutes....

You see, last time I wrote, we were getting ready to get back on the streets with Schiavitù Mai Più. After team prayer and a sad group decision that we could never take a 'team photo' to send to prayer warriors because of the risky nature of our work...we set off. After talking with a few girls...including the beautiful, trembling 'D' I've talked about before and 'S' (who says she wants to go shopping)...my team-mate Fjori and I went to talk to 'C'. There was a new girl with her. New Girl looked a bit younger. A bit rougher. She stuck her tongue out at the passing cars trying to get attention. C joked about how New Girl had said "Where are the young, hot guys?" and C retorted, "I tried to explain to her the old ones have all the money...". Anyway, the funny thing is that when we introduced ourselves, C said immediately, "She doesn't speak Italian" and then muttered something to New Girl. Suddenly I heard Fjori in a torrent of Albanian! She turned to me, "These girls are Albanian, do you mind if I speak in Albanian?" OF COURSE NOT! After a quick scold to C ('You told me you were Romanian' ...'Oh yes well...' haha), I realized my purpose was to PRAY the night away. C came and went with clients about 3 or 4 times during the hour. But after a good 30 minutes of talking with New Girl, Fjori turned to me, "Ok, she says we can pray now." I'd been completely in the dark. Just asking God to guide Fjori. YES. Let's pray. Fjori's prayer lasted much longer than I would have ever had the courage to pray. The 3 of us on the street corner, holding hands. Me praying and praying that the Spirit would tell her what to say, would open New Girl's heart. Would send the curious client behind me with his engine still on--away. At one point I looked up to see New Girl's face flooding with tears. It fueled my prayers. When--after what seemed like an eternity--Fjori 'amen-ed', Mr. Client (who had settled in and turned his engine off) called out, "Hey are you in three?" New Girl didn't understand. Fjori translated. New Girl looked back, "No!" He left.

Why do I tell you all of this? Because I don't tell enough stories. Because I want you to better understand what I do on Friday nights. Unfortunately, Fjori herself is back in Albania for an undetermined amount of time. Pray she can come back soon! Pray for at least one Italian and one Romanian as well to be added to our team. Pray for New Girl. We didn't make it to her end of town with the visits we did last Friday. To date, no one has called our team phone.

Please continue to pray for God's direction and power in this ministry to prostitutes and trafficking victims in Rome. It has started to become quite heavy for me. I see the world as a different place. I've gotten bolder about asking my own friends about their experiences. Sexual depravity is rampant. It is beyond discouraging. Yet God is alive and at work. I don't begin to understand the depths of darkness...nor the depths of His love. And I remember: A CORD OF 3 STRANDS IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN.

I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. Joshua 7:12

OTHER...BECAUSE I AM TOO TIRED...

A hard thing: the girls I trained for Sunday School suddenly moved to France. A blessing: God raised up someone to teach the kids for Easter. Praise Jesus for Barbara and her servant's heart!
Work...continues to be crazy. Lots of stuff going on. I am tired. My kids are needy. Please lift it up.
Church...lots of logistical, administrative stuff going on. We need time and help to get organized.
My driver's license. I need motivation and time and energy to study for exams.
Sex Trafficking Conference. I was told I could go, then that I might not be able to. Please pray problems are resolved (I get subs) so I can go.
Travel. I leave Saturday for Seattle. Please pray for safe travels (I am already feeling a bit rundown and sick), that I can get everything done before that I need to, and that Tania manages things well while I am gone. I have a busy schedule when I'm home: missions event, doctors appointments, radio interview for book, visiting friends and family and OF COURSE the wedding! Pray for my non-Christian family in attendance, that they would see TRUE LOVE of Jesus.

Thanks you.

ALSO PRAISE JESUS FOR A NEW LAUNDRY MACHINE!

Lots of love x