Great is thy Faithfulness

I grew up in a rural Christian community in Northern Indiana. The church I attended was a family driven church of about 200 members, known for its longevity in the community and the faithful people who attended it. We were a traditional church, and each week the song leader asked us to take out our hymnals and turn to some of the foundational songs of our tradition. These songs included Amazing Grace, A Mighty Fortress, and many more. The one I am thinking about today, however, is Great is thy Faithfulness. Here is the refrain of the song:

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!Morning by morning new mercies I see;all I have needed thy hand hath provided;great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

These words sum up my feelings for 2009. The excitement for 2010 is high because of the faithfulness of God, and an army of faithful people we witnessed in 2009. I want to share with you some of the good things that have happened over the last few months and give you ways to pray about The Refuge for Women – as we enter 2010.

In February of this year a Board of Directors was formed that became the gatekeepers for the ministry. If you go to the website www.refugeforwomen.org and click on “About Us” and “Board of Directors” -- you will see a list of our board and some background information of each of them. They are a talented and diversified group of passionate individuals whose desire is to see God’s purposes fulfilled in the city and beyond. I am so thankful for their commitment to be involved on the front lines of Kingdom advancement.

In August the hammers began breaking down the walls of a house donated to the ministry for transformation purposes. Forty volunteers showed up on two different Saturday mornings to help with demolition and rehabbing the farmhouse. The work has continued, with volunteers building new walls; installing electric, plumbing, HVAC; and much more. Scott Zoekler has led the charge as point person for the project and has donated many hours to oversee the project to near-completion with excellence. Insulation and drywall are next and the house is on schedule to be completed in February. The location will offer peace and stillness our guests will treasure, and a perfect location for healing. Thanks to all who have sacrificed in the process through labor, as well as many who have purchased items to make the house a real home. Every part of this process is critical to the final outcome – a safe haven where each woman will know she is loved and valued.

October 27 we held our first public event for the ministry. Our desire for the night was to inform, inspire, and involve as many people as possible in what we feel God desires for these women. Those goals were met, and even surpassed, as 450 people endured bad weather and a contagious flu bug to attend! There was an palpable energy in the room, and an overwhelmingly positive response to the ministry. Pledge cards were submitted by people donating their hard-earned money to a cause they believe strongly in, and many people signed up to cover the ministry in prayer. And numerous skilled volunteers signed up to help with the actual re-building of the facility. The testimonies that circulated in days following the event gave witness to God’s presence throughout the evening. Thanks to everyone who participated and especially to the ladies who shared their stories on video or paper, giving attendees an inside look at the darkness of this industry. You are much appreciated! If you didn’t get a chance to read these stories, a few of them are available on our website.

The response of anxious volunteers led us to host a jewelry making event as a way to involve volunteers, raise additional awareness in the community, and generate revenue for the ministry. Volunteers showed up on November 30 and December 1 from all walks of life to make 4,500 bracelets. The bracelets are accomplishing more than we could have imagined. I realized how many people are aware of them when I went door to door in our own neighborhood and multiple neighbors were already familiar with the bracelets and ministry. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Volunteers also began helping leadership prepare job descriptions to locate called passionate workers to serve the women God is leading to our ministry. The response of resumes received has been amazing, and we aim to have staff in place by February. I am serving as Executive Director; and we are in the process of hiring an administrative assistant, program manager, and house manager. Please keep this process in your prayers.

Another blessing in the last few weeks has been the completion of the headquarters for the Refuge for Women. A generous family at Southland Christian Church graciously donated office space at 342 Waller Ave. It has since been painted and furnished by volunteers, and the offices are open! As the administrative site for The Refuge for Women, the offices will serve as the entry point for each individual desiring to enter the ministry. God has given us a location easily accessible to all who may be sent our way. What a blessing!

As we end 2009 the phone has been ringing with greater frequency by individuals seeking help. I believe as we approach March 1 the need will increase. I believe we are in the middle of something big -- more than simply helping 5-7 individuals at a time – and that the ripples of this ministry will extend further than we realize. That fact is both exciting and humbling. The sex industry is rampant in our day and there has never been a time in history when more individuals have been involved. God wants to reclaim the gift of sexuality the enemy has tried to steal. It will require another level of prayer and boldness from all of us to see this come into fruition. The need is evident and the timing of God seems to be unveiling in our day.

Psalm 82:3-4 says:
3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
4 Rescue the weak and needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

I take this command seriously and I know you do to. So I end this letter as I began it --stating that God is faithful! The foundation built in 2009 will prepare us to continue on this journey in 2010. We enter 2010 with a core of monthly financial partners but we have not yet met our goal. The budget for 2010 is $170,000. We know God is faithful and will provide.

If you and your family are considering a donation in 2009, there’s still time! You can give online at http://refugeforwomen.org/donate.html or send a check to The Refuge for Women, 342 Waller Ave. Lexington, KY 40504.

Your partnership with this ministry is appreciated. Please keep us in your prayers as we fulfill the call of God for our day. We will do our best to keep you informed in 2010 of ways to pray, serve, read success stories and more.

Happy New Year!


Ked Frank
Executive Director of Refuge for Women
ked@refugeforwomen.org
859-254-0041
www.refugeforwomen.org
http://www.sccthejourney.blogspot.com/

INTERESTING!!!

I mailed a couple of packages at UPS tonight. They were willing to put a container of bracelets at their store for potential buyers. I asked one of the employees if any of them had sold. She replied, "oh are you the person that is doing this?" I said that I was and she said, "that is a very.....INTERESTING.... mission." With a smile on my face i agreed and tried to assure her that it wasnt one you hear of everyday.
I
love when the word INTERESTING gets used. It is such a, I dont know what to say, word. I think it is awesome and the uncomfortableness is probably healthy. It causes people to stop and reflect and ask questions. The question gets asked, "Why do you feel like you need to help those people in there?" Inwardly you are thinking I thought you would never ask.

1 Peter 3:14-16
14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear[a]; do not be frightened."[b] 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Keep your eyes open for that word INTERESTING. It is a door waiting to be walked through.

Word of God

It never ceases to amaze me how God gives you each day just what is needed. This morning's word was so relevant for the day to prepare me for the needs of the day. God is so good and as Psalm 145 reminds us that all of his promises are true and applicable. If I will sit still long enough each morning and digest the manna He has for the day it is enough and it meets the needs. It is an anchor that gets dropped in the water and keeps us steadfast through the days storms. It is a set of lenses that keeps faith at the forefront and the natural thinking behind. I love it!!!

Prayer Warriors

God has the ability to call folks to pray through means that are hard to figure. My wife and I recently met with an individual, whom I had never met, that said she had come across our website for the Refuge for Women. Her company had been praying about a women's ministry to be involved with and they felt this was it. They decided before approaching us about our needs that they would fast and pray for God's confirmation. When we met she told me that our company has been praying for your ministry and fasting one day a week for that last 6 weeks. We want to be involved!!!!
Fasting and praying for the last 6 weeks without ever even talking about the Refuge for Women to anyone? It confirmed once again that God can raise worshippers from rocks and he can call intercessors to action. He is able to orchestrate my life and your life in ways we could never have done ourselves. Thank God for those who are praying for you today....you may just not know them by name.

The Dollar Club

A friend helped me realize today that it had been 3 weeks since i had blogged. Not Good!!!
What an amazing couple of weeks that it has been. Volunteers made over 4200 bracelets in the last 10 days that look amazing. They each have an information tag on them that talk about the Refuge and our desire to help women leave the industry. Around 220 volunteers participated with mostly women but a few guys involved. The best was being at LCA and seeing some of the state champion football players intensely making bracelets with candy at stake for the winners. All ages participated and multiple churches contributed. It is awesome watching the body of Christ work in unity and come together for something bigger than one person or church can contain.

Our offices were completed yesterday on Waller Ave by a group of volunteers as well. The deadline was 4:00 pm because the board of directors was meeting in there to see the offices for the first time. I was pulling out the sweeper from the offices when the first board member arrived. The last picture was hung after 3 board members had arrived. It was done at exactly the time it was needed. Praise God!!! Thank you to those who stripped walll paper, painted, decorated, hauled furniture and more.

Today I had the opportunity of watching one of the girls get selected for the dollar club at Southland. She was presented with a brand new 2004 Grand Am. Watching her excitement was priceless. She will be attending college in January and finding positive employment. God is at work. I will try to slow down and do a better job of recording it. We are still believing the staff will be in place in February and the doors of the house will open March 1 2010.