Mondays Offering...Miracles and Gifts

I have realized that some of the stories

I have shared from my pilgimage to Colombia

have not been the easiest to read

I do not share them to bring dismay

or a heavy heart,

as much as to give a voice

to those who don't have one.

I feel it is time to bring these stories

to a close.

I am missing the use of this space being used

for "daily bread"

not only for you my lovelies

but also for my own heart and soul.

I continue to work on my book

which will hold the treasures of my pilgrimage

to Colombia, and my hope is

 that if you are interested in reading further

that you purchase one of these

when it comes to completion.

 *

Steven and friend

A couple weeks back I wrote about my dear boy

Steven

This past week I received some news about him.

News that pierced my heart, but yet

I was not surprised by.

A few weeks back Steven got into a serious altracation

with him mom's boyfriend.

The boyfriend was beating on Gladys, Steven's mother,

and Steven intervened

This turned the boyfriends abuse from Steven's mom

to Steven

and he was severely beaten.

Steven then went out

got a gun

and had it in his mind to kill the boyfriend.

 This story found it's way to our center

where Karin and Vivianna convinced Steven to give up the gun and the plan of murder.

What did come to be was Steven did make himself heard

as he took a group of friends and beat up the boyfriend

who then left the home and 

so far

has not been heard from.

15 years old

just a boy 

and yet

 making these kinds of life choices.

Hope is not lost

That he had a "place of reason" at the center

That he had women who cared and whom he trusted

That he had somewhere to go to take his greif

this is the Hope

this is the Miracle

Without the center there.....

the worst would most likely have happened

and his life

his precious young life

would have been changed forever.

our warrioress and her niece

The gift of the center continues to unfold

as one of our girls 

11 years old

came running down from the mountain top

for sactuary

Someone who had been brought into her home

had tried to be sexually inappropriate with her.

She knew where to go

and she did!

Bless her little warrioress heart!

Miracles

Where would she have gone?

Who would have told her, her rights?

"No one has a right to touch you or behave towards you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Your body is yours and your alone."

It is as simple as that

knowing God given rights...

these children

and all children who live

in the bowels of poverty

do not

know their rights.

I feel it is up to us

to tell them.

*

(Danielle and me)

When we go down to Medellin

we always attend the church in which this all began.

Church was something I was brought up in

but do not traditionally partake of any longer.

 But after a week of going deep

into the lives and stories of those on the hill

I was happy to gather in this Holy Place.

It was what my stretched and aching spirit needed.

I drenched myself in the music, the singing, the powerful words being shared...

and felt the ever abiding Divine Love that holds us all.

We each spoke

and as always there was a time

for those who gathered, to come and lay hands

on us, blessing us, praying prayers for us, loving on us.

At this time a young girl who had spoke earlier joined us.

her name was Daniella

She was part of an outreach youth group 

and was going into another city to do some innercity work

When she has spoke she has asked for finacial support to make this trip happen.

She has commited to go, but had not yet raised the funds

she was in full trust that it would come together....

she was leaving the next day.

Before we went to church that day I brought some of

the money you had so graciously given.

I was hoping to find a place to put it.

When she spoke

I knew I would give her a donation....

but was not sure how much to give

When we were called up to be prayed for

we all stood in a semi circle

arms around each other

Daniella came up and stood beside me

and with head bowed I said to God

how much?

how much do I give?

A number came clearly

$300

As we sat down I went over to her

and past her the money, which was bundled up

I let her know about all of you

and how this money had come to be.

She was very grateful

We hugged

and that was that....

or so I thought

I sat back down as the service went on

(church services in Colombia go on for hours!!)

After a period of time I felt compelled

to look back at her

and to my surprise she was sobbing

I went over to her and put my arms around her

which only seemed to make her cry all the more.

You see

the amount I/We gave her

was the EXACT amount that she needed....

*

Another thing I was able to do 

with your amazing help

was to put together gift bags for the women

who work day in and day out

at our center

These bags are filled with love and light

appealing to the feminine in each of us.

I was even able to put some money

in each of their new leather wallets purses

because of you

I was able to spoil those ladies!

There is such a joy to giving

such a gift in that gesture

Thank you for assisting me

in making that happen

Truly

I could not have done it with out you.

So I think this concludes my stories from the hill

well...

at least in this space

Thank you for being an important part of this journey

you touched many lives

especially mine

my lovlies

especially mine

Love and Light

 (more stories found here)