From the moment I saw this broken young woman, God gave me a burden for her. Ron and I began to reach out and help her in anyway we could. Some days it looked like she was making progress, and other days… trying to help her was nothing less than frustrating. Beans had a difficult time staying focused, keeping a job and finding shelter. It seemed that survival and homelessness had become a way of life that she was unable to break free of. Several times I was tempted to give up on her altogether, but then the thought would come to me: “what if this was my daughter? I would want someone to help her.”
One particular frustrating day after trying to find her shelter and work – again, I asked her if she had ever thought about going back to America. Her eyes began to well up with tears, and said she would miss us and church. For the first time in her life she had found a place where she was accepted. I reminded her that God had not given up on her – that He loves her and still has big plans for her life.
It took a few months of working with the US Consulate, but finally last Sunday Beans boarded a flight and flew back to the USA to begin her new life. Ministry isn’t always comfortable. It can be smelly and dirty and inconvenient. It comes at the worst possible moments and can ask everything of you. But, I believe there is no greater calling than to be available, to point people to Jesus and see their lives transformed.