outreach - 20 sept 2011

The Lord really covered us with His grace and favor last Tuesday night when we went into the clubs. We took food and encouraging notes to the girls who were working that night. They were so blessed! I think our leaders finally were able to feel the Lord's heart for these women when they got to meet them face to face.

Let me explain what an "outreach" typically looks like:
We normally check in with the management of the club before going in, to make sure it's ok that we do and also to know how many girls to expect. Then we normally bring either food or gifts to the girls while they are at work. We get to hangout with them in their dressing room while they are getting ready or on their breaks and just talk about life. We never stay more than an hour - we never want to just be in the way.
Our hope is to just bring blessings and love to the women working. But we truly desire to build lasting and deep relationships with them so that we can really help them recognize their true value and worth.

What is SO amazing, though, is that the management at the club is actually HELPING us to fulfill those desires ...with out their knowledge. The "house mom" asked us to leave a phone number for the girls to reach us. And she told us that they would probably love to meet up with us outside of work!! When we asked her what the girls needed for the next time we visit, she told us that they really just need encouragement -- THAT is exactly what we want to bring them! We had written encouraging notes for the girls, and the house mom said she would tape them up on their mirrors in the dressing room.  :)

It just amazes me how much favor we have at these places now. We were reminded when we tried to go back in last Wednesday to pick up the platters and things we had left. The staff who was working that night didn't understand when we asked to go into the dressing room to get the plates we had left. We had to convince them they had to ask the manager to make sure it was ok. It is a BIG deal that we can just hang out with them there whenever we ask to!!

PRAYER: please continue to pray for our ministry, for the women we minister to, and also for me, the other interns, and our student leaders. Pray that we are always physically, mentally, and spiritually protected when we go into these places. Pray also that we would be able to organize a time to hang out with these ladies outside of their work.

just a few of our staff

Our director, Bob Beckwith, inviting everyone to come out to a special acoustic worship night. haha :)

There is never a dull moment at Wesley!

His favor is our shield.

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protections over them,

that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 

For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; 

you surround them with your favor as with a shield."

The Lord has really showered us with His favor. A ministry like The Bethany Project doesn't make sense to the world. Why would a group of girls want to go hang out with women working in a strip club... while they are working? It isn't logical. But last Tuesday, Gracie, Heather, and I went into the club downtown and met the part-time "House Mom" there, and she was so excited for us to come back! ...what...? God's protection over us is so evident. On Thursday, we went back to meet with the main House Mom, and God again proved His faithfulness in answering prayers. We had been praying that the new House Mom at this particular establishment would like us and be more open than the last one was to us coming in to hang out with the girls. Well, to our surprises, she already knew us! She had worked at another club in town that we used to always go into, but it recently closed. We had great relationships with the people at that club, and now I believe it is evident that the Lord has now given us that same favor at the club downtown. She invited us to come every Tuesday! This is not normal. We won't be able to go every week, but it is great that the offer is there!! 

We plan to go in with a group of girls from our small group on Tuesday night to bring food and gifts to the girls who will be working that night. Join us in praying for that outreach - that we will be able to have meaningful conversations and begin to build lasting and trusting relationships with the girls.   

We will also be going into another establishment in another part of town. Pray that God gives us the same favor there. That we will be able to meet those girls and really bless them. 

I'll be sure to keep you updated!! 

2 weeks of training... ready to intern!

Well, my internship has officially begun, and I'm loving it already!

I'm not really sure where to begin... I just can hardly believe this is my JOB! Bob and the Directors at Wesley feel like the "theme" of this year is Maturity (in the spiritual sense)... check out Ephesians 4:11-15. When they told us that and began to explain how they felt this was what the Lord has for us and our ministry this year, I thought to myself, "Well, of course it is..." Then I realized, "Wow! God told me that too!" All the reasons I felt called to be a part of this ministry were totally confirmed as Clay began to explain what he and the others felt the Lord had for us this year. 

The rest of Intern Training was a wonderfully balanced mix of fun, fellowship, service, worship, prayer, and learning. I am very positive that the Lord is going to do great things through the Wesley Foundation this year, and I feel so blessed to be a part of that! One thing I am most excited about is that I get to disciple 8 girls this year. That will involve meeting with each of them for at least an hour per week to discuss particular teachings and what the Lord is doing in their lives. But most importantly I will pray for those girls daily. One thing I really hope to grow in this year is intercession. In Hebrews 7:25, we are told that Jesus, the resurrected Christ, lives to intercede for us, so then shouldn't we do that for others? I really look forward to learning what it means to be a "watchman on the walls" (Isaiah 62:6-7) for these girls and for my particular ministry area this year. I know I am going to learn so much just through witnessing how God will guide and answer my prayers. 

Another thing that happened during intern training was that my ministry area, formerly known as Redeemed, got a new name! Gracie Lewis, Heather Troutman, and I are the leaders for this ministry, and we decided it was time for our ministry to have a name that we could use and be proud of. (There are several reasons behind this... but using the name Redeemed got a little complicated last year.) We have decided to call ourselves: The Bethany Project. We hope that the women we minister to in the clubs in Athens will eventually be transformed by the love of Christ and will become like Mary of Bethany who anointed Jesus before Passover. (This story is told in Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:1-8, and I love Luke's interpretation in 7:36-50).

I really look forward to sharing with y'all everything the Lord is doing and what He is teaching me. I am so thankful for all your prayers and support! Thanks for joining me on this journey!! I pray it is a blessing to you too :)

(This is a video taken of us at No Longer Bound in Cumming, GA. This was our service day, but getting to worship and pray with and for the staff at this ministry was pretty awesome too!)

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