Major Prayers Please!

Hey everyone!

Okay, so today is a big day for us and we really, REALLY need it to be bathed in some major prayers.  Our close support community has been praying with us about this decision, but we have waited to share it all with you until we knew where God was leading us.  We have received an opportunity to begin a relationship with a young girl and we feel that God has led us to her to love and support her in this time in her life.  Her name is Ntgozo and she is a Zulu 16 year-old girl.  We have learned about her through a partner ministry called Baby Safe that does incredible ministry around us in Cape Town, and one of their places of service is to counsel girls about to get an abortion.  They met Ntgozo at the hospital as she had just given birth to her baby son, but had been unaware she was even pregnant.  She is an orphan, and has been living with an aunt and uncle and the baby came out of a rape.  The family doesn't want the baby, but through counseling they learned Ntgozo did want to mother this child after she graduated high school.  So the ministry found a foster family for the baby, but in the meantime Ntgozo's family wants to kick her out and the environment has become increasingly abusive.  So we are going to do an emergency foster situation with Ntgozo until she can be placed with a foster family, meaning she will live with us for 1-2 months.  The incredible part is through meeting her, the Baby Safe ministry women have started to disciple her and she is now learning and believing in Jesus Christ.  God has given her a second chance at a life that seemed doomed and we believe God wants us to open our home to her and love her through these next years.  She goes to Ocean View High School which is literally right down the street from us, so after she moves in with her new family she can come and spend a great deal of time with us learning to be a mother and love Jesus over the coming years.

Up to this point I have mostly FORCED Casey to speak about this prayer request because of the multitude of feelings that overwhelm me by this situation.  It is such a tragic story and emotionally I know that Ntgozo must have major trauma because of her life of abuse.  I feel helpless and overwhelmed by it and my mind just wants to run in the other direction in fear.  I am honestly terrified.  Not of if we will be 'safe' with her, but just the complexities and extreme nature of her broken heart.  But we serve a great God and I do truly beleive all the things I say about Him, and so trust (with a trembling heart) that He is leading us to her.  We can't change her and heal her wounds, but I know that God can.  So all I can do is show her Jesus and love her and pray that He can do a mighty work in her heart.  I have NO IDEA how this is going to look, it's hard to even imagine our home now with a 16 year-old girl, but God is ahead of us, sovereign over this, and has a plan.  I am SURE of that. 

Today, a girl from the Baby Safe ministry is going to bring Ntgozo to our home, we will share time with her and have dinner, and then take her home.  After that she will decide if she feels comfortable with us and even wants to move in for a time, so the ball is in her court.  We just need prayers and we just need GOD.  This is way beyond us.

Today my heart is FULL of emotion, but I have brought my anxious heart and my life to Jesus this morning.  I have been worshipping thanks to the beautiful music of Hillsong United, and  these lyrics have been moving and building up my heart. 

"The Greatness of our God" by Hillsong United

"Give me eyes to see more of who you are
May what I behold still my anxious heart
Take what I have known and break it all apart
For you my God, are greater still.

No sky contains
Or doubt restrains
All You are
The Greatness of our God
I spend my life to know
And I'm far from close
To all you are
The Greatness of our God"

So here we go.  Into another adventure.  As I sang this morning in my heart at the gym, I watched the CNN updates about violence in Mexico, and cholera killing those in Haiti, and other tragedies overtaking our world.  I couldn't help but think how crazy we must be to CHOOSE to step into another tragedy.  But our God is greater still and I do believe His love conquers all.  How could I NOT step into this life and share His love that has transformed me.  So here we go.  Prayers please....

Lots of love,
Sarah