Pray for Noelle!

Many of you don't know Noelle, but I had the pleasure of rooming with her when I went to school at SWU. Noelle is an amazing young woman with a huge heart for God and the mission field. She has spent the last year living in Cambodia working with World Hope International to build a safe place for girls from prostitution. Here is the current email she has sent:

"I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.......peace, peace to those far and near," says the Lord, "And I will heal them." Isaiah 57:15 & 19

Our God lives in a high place yet He has chosen to make His dwelling in the lives of those who are lowly and broken in spirit. God is with us, and this truth has become more evident to me in the past few months as I've watched the assessment center grow from a thought, to a prayer, to reality. It seems that we barely breathe a prayer before it is answered. I am now seeing the faces of the little ones we've been praying for since before my time in Cambodia even began. The Lord is very near to these girls and His hand is upon them. I have a vision for their lives and I know for sure that God has a plan for each of my little sisters.

My heart breaks when I hear the stories of these victims that have endured things my mind cannot even conceive. I have delayed in writing you because I don't know how to convey to you what I am seeing and hearing each day. These girls are precious and they each have deep wounds. We now have 7 young girls at our center. We are working around the clock to investigate family situations, set up doctors appointments, meetings with the lawyers, and conduct our assessments and therapy. Meanwhile the center is full of activity. We've hired an artist to come and help the children paint the white concrete walls that surround the center. She has done an amazing job. We have a teacher that comes to the center twice a week to teach Khmer reading and writing, English, math and science. They have sewing classes and special drama activities once a week to help the children express themselves through drama. There is also a lovely dance teacher that is helping them learn Khmer traditional dancing to songs like, "The Lord's Prayer."

The girls have initiated prayer from the very beginning.They admit that they prayed to the one true God for help while they were still in the brothel. They all are familiar with the name of Jesus. Three of our girls have professed that Jesus is the true God. We bought some Christian DVDs in the Khmer language and the girls were amazed at the character of Christ. They all began to talk and ask about Him. I had the opportunity last week to share the plan of salvation with the girls and answer some of their questions about why He had to die on the cross and the importance of the resurrection. They asked me questions like, "who are the other two men on the cross next to Jesus in all the pictures? did they rise from the dead also?" and "Who created God? When was His beginning?" I find they absorb God's word like sponges, and are so eager to learn more. They've already begun memorizing scripture and I almost always hear praise songs coming from their mouths while they play. They are so responsive to the Love of Christ and the love of God they see in the lives of the housemothers and counselors here. I am so amazed. None of us expected these girls to cry out to God like they have, but God heard them crying long before we ever knew about them. He is so near. When one of the housemothers was sick, one of our little girls immediately began to pray over her. When the girls were asked to draw a picture of how they see themselves in the future, one child drew herself in heaven with Jesus. They are full of love and life. They shower me with hugs and kisses as soon as I arrive. I most enjoy playing pick-up-sticks and connect four with the girls teaching them English words while they teach me Vietnamese or Khmer. They are each a blessing from God! But these precious ones have been cursed with hurts and wounds so deep. The stories are too numerous and heart wrenching to recite, but I say all of this to urge you to pray with broken hearts for these little ones. God is with us and I know He desires to set these oppressed children free but the enemy is attacking as always. The children battle nightmares and often feel as if they are reliving the trauma even though they are now in a safe environment. They desire more than anything to return to their families even though they realize they are not safe with their families. Often we've found that the families of these children are abusive and the children are at great risk of being resold into sex slavery if they return home. Pray that they will begin to let go of their old lives and the only families they've known, in exchange for a new family that will love them and truly care for them. Our staff has been attacked with this and that as well. At times we find ourselves afraid of the brothel owners and pimps that seem to be on our tails. We know that God has not given us a spirit of fear so we meet every morning to pray against fear, discouragement and burnout. We fight these battles with prayer and God is so faithful!

I led a group therapy session today. After we finished I explained to the girls that I would be returning to the USA in two weeks. I didn't expect it to be so hard. The girls all began to cry. I did all I could to hold back my tears, but I didn't have the strength. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I looked into their big brown eyes to tell them that I prayed for them before I knew them and that I would never ever forget them. One girl said that she wanted me to be her her real sister (they all call me "Bong," which means "older sister"). I assured her that we were most definitely sisters. Two of the children asked to come to America with me. I know that these girls have not had much consistency in their lives and today I felt as if I was stirring up their emotions and making life so much more difficult for them and less stable. I don't want to leave. I don't want to say goodbye, but I know God is leading me to further my education in counseling so that I can be better equipped to work with these children. Please pray for us all. Pray that God will help me to find closure here and that the girls will not feel abandoned. They have many housemothers that love them dearly. However, they've endured such hardship that even the thought of someone they love leaving them can create such deep pain.

I will return to the States on July 28. It is difficult to explain what I'm feeling. My heart feels split in two. On the one hand, I'm excited to see friends and family that I've missed terribly. On the other, there is a great loss that I will face when I leave. Today was my last day of teaching English. I love my students. They are also a blessing to me. As difficult as teaching English has been for me, I praise God for this opportunity. My students are awesome! I have learned more from teaching them than they have learned from being taught by me. Pray for each student as they desire to serve the Lord in whatever capacity they can. Pray that God will provide for their financial needs and their families' financial needs so they can continue their study at the Bible Institute. In this culture, often it's the children that support and provide for the family. Pray for me as I prepare to return home. I feel a great sense of loss as I leave my friends and family here in Cambodia. Pray that the Lord will make it a smooth transition for me from this culture to life and culture back home.

I will be attending Wheaton College beginning August 22 this year. Therefore, I will have a very short amount of time home before heading off to school. Pray that the Lord would prepare the way and the next steps for me. I hope to be able to meet with all of you before moving to the Chicago area. You have been an extremely important part of this ministry. I don't know if I would have made it the whole time here without your prayers and continued encouragement. Thank you for all that you do! May the Lord be very near to you today and bless you with reminders of His love as you seek and serve Him wherever you are!

Much love,

Noelle

My prayer for Noelle:
Dear Lord,
I praise You for all of Your blessings! All of the blessings you have poured on me and those I love. I lift Noelle up to you now, Lord, as her time is nearing its end in Cambodia. I lift up all of the children and women that she has reached for You while she has been in Cambodia. Continue to work in their lives and to pour Your many blessings on them. I pray Lord that they would follow Your will and they would be used for Your glory. I pray Lord that You would help them to let go of their old lives and the only families that they have ever known, for a new future and a new family. I pray that You would bless their growth with their new families and new in their new life. I pray Lord that the girls will find closure and peace and that they would not feel abandoned. I pray Lord for all of those involved with the beginning and present program there in Cambodia. I pray for their strength, wisdom, and direction. I pray Lord for each student as they continue their studies. Provide means for them and their family so they may continue to study at the Bible Institute. Bless their paths in You. I pray for Noelle as she makes her journey home. Give her guidance, strength, and peace. May the transition between cultures be smooth. Prepare a way for her as she comes home. I praise You for all You do, and all You're going to do! Thank you Lord that I am able to be a part of this and to witness this. In Your precious name I pray~ Amen~

Please look at Noelle's website. I encourage you to let her know you are praying for her by leaving comments on her page.