facebook post, reposted

Recently you all have seen lots of posts from me about needing prayers. We still do. Prayers are an important part of our ministry here. Prayers of protection from the firey darts of the devil. Protection for our team as we get emotionally exhuasted and bring it home to our family. Many times our families deal with moms who cannot just focus on things at home.




God has been moving. We have been doing as it says in Jeremiah "call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things thou knowest not." As we have done this, fellow Christians have complained, misunderstood and caused heartache. But we know that God is pruning our team for the ministry ahead. The ministry that God is showing us is one that will be difficult, not for the faint of heart. As is says in Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." It is the strength of the Almighty King of Kings that has been holding us through.



Our team at Morning Light has had a burden for quite sometime. One of our earlier moms, I helped her escape to the train station. I stood behind the alley of her house as she dropped down bags from the second floor of her boyfriend's house. As she got in the van, I knew quite clearly what happened. "He hit you didn't he?" she wanted to cry, but she had 3 kids with her, she just looked at me with teary eyes and said "I never thought he would do that." She made it to the train station and went back for a time with her parents. I hope to hear from her again, that she is safe and thriving.



This momma made us think and research. In our county, there is no home for single moms. Sure, there are shelters for women leaving domestic violence, places for unwed mothers who want to give their baby up for adoption, but there are only 3 places in all of Taiwan that house single moms and their children. We have felt more and more that God is calling us on this path. This is a scary path because we know no one close by who has done this, and we know that our moms can be emotionally draining, yet we know that God has brought moms to us for the sole purpose of drawing them closer to Him.



In the past few weeks, we have received phone calls on our hotline from moms in their 30's. They are pregnant, escaping an abusive boyfriend who doesn't want her to have the baby, "just have ANOTHER abortion" is the answer. There are women in crisis who have great jobs, those who don't, those who are married but poor, those who are disabled and afraid their child will be too. Crisis, comes in many shapes and sizes, and comes to those in all walks of life. Our recent moms have said they want to raise their baby on their own. YES!!! that is awesome. Most think that Morning Light is soley for adoption, but that is not the case. We are an alternative to abortion. That is raising the child on your own or adoption, but an alternative.



We are in the process of looking for two houses to rent. This in itself is stepping out in faith as we don't have the money and don't have the resources lined up, but we have moms who would move in in a minute! One house would be our home for moms with children. We have plans and will have requirements and classes. The other home would be a licensed 24hour daycare for needy families. How can moms or very needy families raise their children if they can't work? how can they feed their babies if they can't work because they need to watch their baby? many of our moms have been "orphaned" you can say by their families. Single moms still have this stigma in Taiwan, though ones who are single because of divorce, they don't have the "look" as bad as one who was not married.



We still do help with adoptions by referring them through a great Christian organization. But the moms who don't want to adopt, there has been no help for them at all to get on their feet. This is what we plan to do. Of course we know that Satan has not been happy with this plan as he wants nothing less than these moms to either abort their baby or find ways to get them down and discouraged.



So, this is what is happening on the ministry side for us. Tiring? yes! Scary? yes! needed? YES! God knows and is preparing. Please pray for us as we work on this. We hope to have a blog set up so you can see what is going on, ways to help. We are going to start teaching moms some crafts and having an online store to sell them so people all over can support the moms. They will be learning a skill.



We will need financial help. I hate to say that, but we all know it is true. We will need ways to help these moms. Please keep us and this ministry in your prayers. Look for other notes on how you can help!



Thanks!



Deana and the MLH team



.

God is moving!!!

Momma J called today, "I can't stand this anymore, can I come and move in today?" as we talked with her, we looked up the train schedule. She arrives at 1pm. She is roughly 4-5months pregnant. Her boyfriend, now EX boyfriend, has really been causing issues and problems for her and her family. Momma J has had one abortion already for this man, and she says she will not do that again!! my heart breaks for her, yet jumps with joy as we have this opportunity to minister. Please pray that we can support her all along the way and pray that most of all she will see Jesus!

Our hotline received ANOTHER call last night, from a 37 yr old!! (weird when someone calls is the same age as me!!). The story is the same, she already had one abortion because the boyfriend "doesn't want it", so FOR him, she aborted. But this time, she hasn't told anyone she is pregnant. She asks about coming to live at MLH. She wants to raise her baby on her own. We told her just come and we'll work it out. Momma Li needs a sponsor.

We are so thankful for these opportunities to serve HIM. More and more the need for a "graduate" home is looking like a need. More and more, work opportunities for these moms are needed. We have plans, but hadn't jumped on them, but God's timing is more perfect.

So much has been going on besides these moms coming. At times I wish that we didn't have to minister, not that I don't love being with the moms and helping, but that means there are hurting moms, hurting women, women with broken hearts and lives. Each story is different, but each heart is the same. Broken and bleeding and needing God's loving arms to help them. Some people say we are crazy, but God says "Don't be afraid, only believe." That is what we are doing, though it is hard!! I need to go back to writing my thoughts (my therapy!LOL!), but at times just so emotionally exhausted. As I lay in bed at night, my thoughts go to moms we hear about. We would LOVE to just make all their choices for them, but we can't. It hurts when you hear of mom's with a 2week old baby, being punched and abused over formula money! Just makes you want to run out and hug them and bring them back home (though I have 5 babies at my house right now, so that won't work!!LOL!) Moms who have been through abortions, know what it is physically and emotionally, yet place themselves in this position for love. They think that the man will love them.

I could go on, I need to gather my thoughts though before writing. But need some help.....what should be a name for a "graduate" home. A shelter for moms who want to raise their own children. Suggestions?

off to look at some places.

Monday was a busy day......

(this was written Monday, but not sent til now!!LOL!)

I really don't know if that is good or bad.....Monday's that are busy, tend to mean the ENTIRE week is going to be crazy! With Luke leaving the 17th (til the 26th) for China ministry, I am thinking that it will be crazy!

Our 15yr old gave birth yesterday (3.14)!! yup! you read that correctly! totally unexpected as she had been given three different due dates by three different doctors!! but when baby is ready, nature will take it's course! The baby boy is healthy and quite a handsome little fellow.....she asked us to name him.....so thinking of a name now.

A previous mom, who we had talked to via phone, but when she was to come to visit us, her boyfriend found her first and beat her up (don't get me started on that!!). Well she called the hotline Sunday night LATE to say she had her baby and can we talk with her. She has left the hospital, but is at a friends house. She can't go home with a baby, though she wants to keep it. *sigh* we have no single mom home for her to stay, she can't get much gov't support, she has NO family/friend support for the baby....her and boyfriend split up......her choice seems to be leading towards adoption. But really, these types of things, it is hard!! We meet with her today.

While I was at the hospital with 15yr old, Wuli met with a student....yup a 12th grader, who is 5 months pregnant. Wuli was pretty upset when talking about it. This young girl comes from a single parent family, rarely lives at home, well hasn't most of her highschool life. She weighs roughly 90lbs AT 5months pregnant. She doesn't get 3 meals a day. She asked if we would let her work....when asked why she felt she needed to work she said "how am I supposed to eat then?". She was concerned about working so she could feed herself!!! Wuli assured her SHE WOULD HAVE 3 MEALS and SNACKS while at our place. Oh, somethings just makes you sad. She still feels that the boyfriend will marry her. So, this is so important!! work!!

Our little premie is at 2.8lbs!!!YEAH!! looking good!! so so so happy! God is blessing.

I do have a request, there is a VERY special needs 3yr old boy that is laying in a nursing home. There is no home in our county for special needs children. This boy needs a home. He does not speak, we are getting him a walker so he can get out of bed, but he is normally in a stroller or bed (I visited twice, but it was just too hard!). He is not on oxygen, but on a feeding tube. I can find out any information necessary. But please, if you know of a family who is willing to adopt an EXTREMELY special needs boy, please let me know and we will see what we can do.

Ok, this post was done at two different times. It has been busy today!! please keep us in your prayers.

Deana

Some pictures!!!

Woohoo!!! I finally have a few minutes to download some pictures from last week and the painting.

As you can see, we mainly need some decorations!! The burgunday couches were bought

in the beginning by AGCI, but the rest of the furniture in the living room was bought with recent donations

and the items in the yellow room (dining room, reading area) were all donations.

We still have curtains to get and pillows, but also need to start doing the upstairs now.

So what do you think?

Keep praying!!

a coworker, Lily, rearranging.....we were about done....that TV was given to us
and is really about to go....we are looking for another second hand one (or cheap new one!LOL!)



we are getting a table cloth, and a lamp, but this area
is yellow and will be decorated in sunflowers!
only one window, so needed a bright color



the final product...I LOVE the black rocking chair!!we will be getting a small table to put
in that corner with the two couches, then a table lamp...but need pillow!!



during the painting.....Denice, we all love our bags!!



the walls are two different colors, I was being bold!!LOL! curatins
we need curtains....what colors do you think?

Gods' proimses!

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

Psalms 37:23,24

 

Actually, Psalms 37, the whole Psalms is just a splendid Psalms. Says so much. But while in college, there was a Ron Hamilton song based on Psalms 37:23,24 and to this day, when things start going awful and seems like we are down, God brings this song and verse to mind.

 

We know that our work is one that God has put us in, HE put us on this path. I am so thankful that there are so many verses in the Bible that we can claim that  God is with us. But I love the picture that is drawn in verse 24 here, "though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast dow; for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." I don't know about you (I am visual learner!) but this just brings pictures of a child who is learning to walk, or even a parent and a child walking along their way, having a great time. Sometimes the little one runs ahead skipping and laughing, all is carefree, he is going about his way. Then something happens and he stumbles and falls. He sits their crying maybe, whimpering, looking at his wounds. Then the parent comes and gets down, helps brush him off and holds out his hand saying, "it's ok tough guy, come one, get up and lets keep going." I can see in many times of this ministry, God has done that for our center, for each of our staff. That feeling is just a WOW feeling. Do you know what I mean?

 

The mom I had alot praying for last week, the one who was 20 weeks along and considering an abortion, we met with her on 228, a holiday here in Taiwan actually for remembering what happened on 228 in Taiwan. I can't explain it, so you can look it up:).  Anyway, she looked sooooooooo relieved to see us. She looks alot older than 36yr old, but her background and living it rough to survive is the cause.  Wuli talked with her while I talked with our doctor. He was happy she came to us. I sat there in the office next to her while he told her "don't worry a bit! I know and trust Deana, she will take great care of you." AWWWW!!!! I love that man.

 

We met with her again on Friday for her sign a few things and let her know we will find a way to take care of the cost of her amniocentisis, not to worry a bit about anything. Her husband was there. It seems he has been in an accident and has injured his hip. He walked around sorta limping like and you could tell he was in pain. They both felt relieved to have someone help them. Thank the Lord, when they left, we were able to give them a few bags of rice that were 2 kilos each as well as some oil and soy sauce. All were donated items from around the island.

 

Thursday we traveled 2hrs one way to pick up our 15yr old momma. It was hard. Her mom was really nice and the house was nice. She looked like a good young girl (not saying she isn't!). Her mom in the middle of signing paperwork stopped and looked at us with tears in her eyes. You could tell she was hurting for her daughter. It was not so much shame, but knowing from experience of being a mom, she wanted to protect her daughter from that. The mom said "my daughter had the best, she used to be in competitions for piano, and win,she is a wonderful artist, she excels in school, but why did she end up like this? what have I done?" Wuli and I spent time just holding her hand or hand on her shoulder comforting her that it was not her fault. We also comfortated the young momma who was almost shocked and in tears that her mom would say that.

 

It was an exhausting day that day. Pray for momma Yu as she has one more month before baby is born. She is in our house and pray she does well. She was studying cosmetology in school, so she brought her "head" with her!!LOL!!

 

God brought these women to  us for a reason. Pray that we can be bold and speak as we ought to speak and that we can show them and their family the love of God. Keep our ministry in your  prayers. God is doing things!

Well, God is just amazing!!!

If you have followed my facebook, you would have seen the call for action for prayer for a mom. I will post it here as well.

The mom is 36, low income, husband needs surgery, 4 children and pregnant with #5 (a boy more than likely). She had originally gone to one dr for an abortion, and he sent her on to our dr, Dr. Li. He saw the healthy baby and told the mom about Morning Light Center and how we could help her. Later he told me that he spent alot of time talking with her. He said he could see a change (for the good) in her face and body as a whole when he said she had other options.

I am almost in tears as I write this!! God allowed us to meet her and she will meet us again on Friday. She will have to do an amniocentisis, which we will probably look into paying for (after subsidy there will be $75roughly left over to have to pay.)

This though comes to a part where we push for "ministry" in our work. We are a center that works with women in crisis no matter the situation. Unfortunately, some places around the world feel that if we can adopt overseas that we should send them on to someplace else. After all, have bills to pay. Now, that doesn't sound nice, but that is the feeling we get. But, nope, God is our boss and we will serve HIM faithfully til the very end. This actually makes mom number 2 recently that is in her 30's! So, see, we don't work with just underage girls!

The painting has left me soooooooooooo sore today!! They are finishing it up, I will wait til it looks all nice and the rooms put back together before pictures:-).

We have some plans coming up due to some possible changes. I will hopefully get things typed up and written out more, but they will be just keeping us going independently and strong! For example:
1. support for rent: 350US/m*12= $4200US for one years rent for the momma's home!!
2. total support for center : $760US/m*12= $9120US for one year

Of course adding them up together looks scary!! But if we look at it in bits and pieces, for example $2100US will pay for 6months of rent for the momma's home! looks better that way doesn't it.

We also will be making a sponsor a momma program so that others can have a part in helping out mommas, no matter if the momma is giving up baby for adoption or not, we don't want to have her to feel she ONLY has abortion as an option.

Some ideas for fundraisers that you or your family or Sunday school or homeschoolers coop, somethings that can be done to help:
1. Read a thon (or somekind of a thon): I read this on another blog about a family doing this for supporting education in Haiti. Their children were getting sponsors for either books completed or reading time. Like $1US for every 15min of reading. Then at the end of the fundraising period, things were tallied up and sponsors sent money. I think this is awesome for a class or homeschool family or co op! I might try to get this worked out with my kids
2. Baby Bottles: have empty baby bottles that friends and family or churches or offices can put change in, when filled up then you can collect them.
3. Garage sales/yard sales (though with the USA cold weather right now, that is last from your minds I am sure!)

These are just some ideas, maybe you all could think of some more?  I will be quite frank with you and say that for MLH and Crisis Pregnancy Center, after figuring up a conservative (well, based on current situation) budget, we will need approximately $75,000US to run everything. I am looking at grants....but no idea where to start!!

Ok, well, I will get off of here for now and get somethings done. But keep us in prayers. We don't know what the Lord has in store, we aren't going home on furlough this year now because of the work here. God is in control!

Deana

Painting today....

I don't know if I can download pictures yet, but will try to do before and after..... we have a few teens helping us out (helping out should be interesting.....). So excited!! YEAH!! our mom did not move in, decided end of April. But we have had a number of donations and SO THANKFUL!!! I will revamp our list when I can.
Today is technically a holiday......but ministry never takes a break:-)

**Please pray for a mom, Wuli and I will be going to meet with a mom in about 40 min. She is 20 weeks along, this is baby 5(healthy baby!), married, low income, husband needs surgery soon, really a woman in crisis. So thankful that God placed this woman at our doctor and that our doctor has a heart to not do abortions (though he does do them). This is the 2nd woman he has sent for preabortion counseling. Pray that we can do more of this but also pray as this is a big responsibility! We are the link between life and death for these babies......that makes me have heart palpitations! Wow!!! we really need prayer!

Today was awesome!!

Wuli, Alexia and I went to Orchid Island. Now this is a first for all of us. Alexia is not fond of airplanes, so we had to reassure her after we got on it that SHE WILL SURVIVE! LOL!! The plane was a 20 seater (I think!) anyway, it was small and LOUD!! Only a 20 minute ride, after we got there, man, my stomach was at the bottom of my neck...ya know that feeling? PRAISE GOD coming back was much easier! Still laughing over the pilot (who I could see very clearly from my seat---only three seats away from him!) leaning over and back and forth to see while we were in the clouds.......goodness....it was like a Taipei taxi but in the air!!LOL!!

We taught our Worth Waiting For program today. The school counselor was SO happy to just talk with us. It is a small island. Junior high  (7-9th grade) has 136 kids, Highschool has 48. Wuli and I taught the junior high (while watching the goats feed on the grass!!LOL!) and Alexia was volunteered to teach High school.

What to say.........Orchid Island is an island (think of an island of Hawaii I guess), where the culture is TOTALLY different. Most of the kids in junior high and highschool live in the dorms and only go home on the weekends. This schools served 4 villages. Premarital sex is quite a normal issue, abortion is a rarity. They are encouraged to have the baby, and then they get married. It is custom for and almost mandatory so to say, for mom to stay with baby for one year. So many girls take care of baby one year, and then they might go back to school.
Unfortunately, due to the extreme boredom, they find other activities to occupy their time: internet and pornography. We discuss that some in our lessons.

This island is funny, they are like "the Taiwan people"....LOL!!! they don't claim themselves as Taiwanese. We have had two moms from this island,so we are making a path.

We first though, met with the Dept of health. First, there was no one there. Originally to begin our meeting at 10:40am, to explain our home, services and a report of the past year, but no one was there!!! Finally around 11am, someone came up to ask (by this time we were making phone calls to figure out what to do now!). The head of the woman and children's social services in Orchid Island came upstairs and asked about when we were to meet. She was like "well, I am the only one....." I quickly said "One is enough, we can have more time to share with you then:-)." She said she was moved that we would think about having the meeting even if she was the only one. We went ahead and started! We went from one to about 10!!! WOW!!  they were so happy to hear what we are doing. We took out our fetus models to show what we use to teach and counsel with and that was a big hit.

It is 5:30pm. We have been back for 30 minutes and Wuli and Alexia are catching up on phone calls.

There have been some things and situations here that have just been emotionally draining! Sadness, discouragement and wounds that have been made. We thank God for prayers from others who support our ministry. We thank God for wisdom He has given us so far to get things out and the open and make things right. It seems that after we had a big meeting on Monday and got somethings out, that God was like "ok, now let's get down to business!" We have a mom moving in on the 25th, one on 3/2. Tomorrow at 9:30am we have a meeting with a possible case. There have been a numerous numbers of phone calls for schools setting up our Worth Waiting For!! So excited about what God is doing!

Our translation of post abortion devotional (from Ramah International) is halfway done!!!YEAH!!! God is so good.

Oh, 2/28 we are painting! Furniture is here......we will see what else we need. I know for sure that there will be a need of $600US for redoing some electric issues for the summer.

Keep us in prayer!

the meeting went well....

I really think alot of things got out in the open and cleared up to a degree. I could feel prayers being offered on our behalf.

It was looking good that, wow, we all prayed and got things out in the open and somethings got a bit uneasy, but overall I felt God was glorified in this. Then within the hour, we had two moms we have been counseling call to say they were wanting to move in and set up plans to do that!!YEAH!!!

Ok, then this afternoon, personal attacks were coming from where I would least expect it. The wounds are still open and oozing. But I do know that we all are humans, and humans are great at ASSUMING things and not looking into things. I am not mad at people, but rather disappointed. Satan is just using selfishness to kill the desire to serve. The desire to serve is overcome by a desire to want.


I am proud of my team. We have been through thick and thin. We can sit and pray, cry, share and all together. My team knows that things are looking good. Sure, we aren't sure if we will get the support we need much longer, but we are looking into options. God is good. When HE closes one door, He opens another.

I am excited that we have two moms to minister to. We may have another move in in April. We are planning to paint on 2/28, even though one mom will be here already. Pray for Momma A as she is older, worked at a pub and has one 5yr old and has had an abortion before (she knew it was a girl, that's how far along she was). She is due May 12. Pray that God will soften her heart and she will adjust well. March 2 we pick up a 15yr old....yup.....a 15yr old who is due March 26th.

God is moving. Keep praying! Thank you all for your prayers.

need prayers....

We will be having a meeting today with everyone. One problem that often comes about in CPC's and our ministry is lack of unity and wounded hearts. We need to have a big meeting today with everyone to just get it out and get God back in our work.
Please do pray for us us. 9am here in Taiwan is our meeting. please, if you see this pray for us. I will come back with some words later.