Children waiting for a loving home...

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Place yourself in these shoes for a moment...

You are a 7yr old scared and hurt child. Abused by your own family members.The people who you have trusted to take care of you each day have neglected you. One day you are taken away from your home. A home that should have been a refuge, a safe loving place of shelter. But instead, it was an atmosphere of fear, pain, hurt and uncertainty. 

You are taken to a beautiful facility called Orangewood. A community of loving staff. Houses, schools, playgrounds, and many other children younger than you and older than you.Beautiful flowers and trees everywhere you look. Uncertain if/when you will ever be able to return back home and realizing that you are going to have to adapt to a new home.

Thoughts running through your mind... 
"Will  i ever find someone who loves me? Someone who will take care of me and not hurt me and someone who will protect me? Will i be forgotten here? Will i be adopted soon? How long will i have to wait until i am back in my own family again? Is this MY  fault this happened? Do i have worth and value? I am hurt, i need a healing touch!"

Orangewood Children and Family Center in Orange is another facility that is under the umbrella of Pacific Youth Ministries. I have only visited there a few times to help with the Wed Bible study with Chaplain Steve Matten. I have enjoyed those visits. I am in the process of doing the paperwork /Livescan fingerprinting needed to minister there regularly! Here are some facts/statistics on Orangewood:
**It is a 24 hour emergency shelter care facility operated and owned by the County of Orange Social Services Agency. It opened its doors in 1985 (same year Pacific Youth became a non-profit org ministry)**

Age Range:    8%   Under 1year
                       27% 1-5 yr old
                       25%  6-12yr old
                       40%   13+ yr old

Number of Admissions: 1,091 children

Average Length of care: 24 days. (with a range of a few hrs to a few months. Although i know a teenage boy who has been waiting to find a loving home for a year)
                        
Admissions by ethnicity: 58 % Hispanic, 27% Caucasian, 7% African-American,5% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander & 2% Other.

Reason for Referral:  46% Neglect/lack of care   (heart breaking to me)
                                     21% Abandoned ; unable or unavailable to provide care (heart breaking)
                                     12% Physical abuse
                                      5% Emotional Abuse (i bet this % is higher, but harder to prove evidence of)
                                      5% Sexual Abuse
                                     11% Other  

Children get released to:  38%  Relative/Family friend
                                            33% Foster parent
                                            12% Parent
                                            7% Group Home
                                           6% Temporary shelter home
                                            4% Other-hopsital, Juvenile Hall,or other county or state social agency 

Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries conducts Sunday and Wed church/Bible study services for the children. I am blessed to be a part of loving on these children who so desperately NEED it.

Hebrews 13:5-6  "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence,

'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.What can mere mortals do to me?”

Lets be fighting in prayer for these children who are helpless and in this situation. They did not choose to be there. Lets also fight in prayer for their parent/families/relatives who equally need God's love and healing. I pray these children find safe, caring, loving new homes and are raised in God's truth! Pray against ABUSE. It is NEVER OK. I HAVE SUFFERED THROUGH DIFFERENT ABUSES IN MY LIFETIME & I KNOW THE TRAUMA, PAIN,  GUILT, & SHAME IT CAN BRING. ONLY GOD CAN HEAL THIS WITH HIS MIRACULOUS LOVE.

May we all count our blessings today. Tell your loved ones you LOVE them. Be thankful. Pray for them. Serve them. Every GOOD and PERFECT gift comes from God.

Para-Chaplain Michelle  <3 

Incarcerated Youth Update!

Last year 2011: Pacific Youth Correctional Ministries came in contact with 13,000 teenagers!!!

It will be interesting to see what the total # will be at the end of 2012.

In 1985 Pacific Youth was started because of the desperate need to reach out to the incarcerated youth in Orange County and to share the Gospel and make disciples. The majority of prison ministries in America are focused just on adults.The youth have been severely neglected,outcasted & overlooked. Pacific Youth is a very unique ministry and one of a kind in the nation!

More than half a million young people are currently being imprisoned each year in more than 100 juvenile detention facilties across America. Criminal statistics of the FBI show that aggressive crimes committed by adolescents are close to exceeding in number the total aggressive crimes committed by all other age groups.

And THIS is my DAILY /FULL TIME/MINISTRY/ life mission!! Lots of work to do, as you can see!!

****THIS WEEK ALONE i personally had the chance to interact/minister to over 100 teenagers!!!!! (67 at church this morning, 10+ at Mon/Tues Bible studies, one-on-one discipleship counseling, & other encounters on the "Outs")****

If you have prayed for me, encouraged me, financially supported me or volunteered in any way=YOU have invested in all of these youth & families' lives also! Every Salvation is added to your account also!!! Can you imagine the impact on His Kingdom if the  majority of those teens believed in Him, put their FAITH in ACTION, & went out & changed ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, AMERICA AND THE WORLD FOR HIM?!! It is happening folks! Believe it or not, i have been eye witnessing it firsthand!

Wednesday-  I met up for an hour with a young 17yr old young man full of energy in Intake Unit Z. He had attended my Bible study Tues evening & then requested to see me & get his own Bible. I delivered his own new Bible and sat down to hear his life story.He really opened up to me and PASSIONATELY shared with me how he wants to be a pastor someday or a military chaplain. He has a HUNGER to study His Word and share it. He was thrilled to get his own Bible. I told him that i have been ministering to incarcerated youth for about 8yrs & i have NEVER met a teen so enthusiastic about sharing with others. He is also a talented rapper  & wants to rap for the LORD to glorify Him & reach out to other troubled teens. How refreshing this was for both of us: for me to hear it & for him to get encouraged by me. God was/is at work within this boy! We have a future leader and pastor here! He is a skilled football player,on top of that!Please pray that he stays on track with the LORD & that his fire & passion for sharing the Gospel never gets extinguished!  I saw him at church in the Hall this morning & he came up & shook my hand & had a big smile on his face- he was excited that i simply remembered his face & his 1st name. (they get called by their last names all day)

Thursday Discipleship!-   God calls us to share the Gospel & make disciples (followers). I have had the honor of discipling a young woman the last several months. I meet up with her for an hour each week  & study the Bible with her/go through discipleship materials. She has been incarcerated for 10 months now. She placed her faith in Jesus Christ when she came into Juvenile Hall! She has about 14 months left of time & i get to spend that time with her. This girl has a 1yr old little boy, who i have met. I have been able to see the GROWTH & MATURITY in her over the past few months. I have witnessed BIG changes in  her attitude, thoughts & actions. She is extremely grateful for the time we get to meet & we walk through life together. She is my little sister in Christ & i am extremely PROUD of her! She is already being a leader to the young ladies in her unit & standing up for what's right, even when it's difficult. Please pray that she continues to be strong in Christ!

THANK YOU for your prayers and support! Please feel free to share this blog/blog link with anyone/post on Facebook... spread the word! If you would like to receive my weekly email with the specific names/prayer requests from the youth, please let me know! God bless you!

Matthew 28:19-20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Isaiah 58:6 "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?"

Watching a 5yr old girl being buried...

Saturday June 23rd, I eye witnessed a precious 5yr old  girl's lifeless body being placed in a body bag by police men in Santa Ana after being hit by a car and immediately passing away. I didn't know the family but i instantly KNEW i had to reach out to help, in any way i could.Her mother and 6yr old sister were hit also, and were rushed immediately to the hospital and barely survived. That was 13 days ago.

From day one, on June 23rd, I was steppinng out in faith, praying for a miracle for the precious 5yr old girl. Believing and  praying for the impossible-that God would breath life into her lifeless body and wake her up from the dead. for 13 days a few of my friends and i prayd in faith for this, with all of our heart! Exercising my faith on a whole new level than ever before.I heard word that her viewing ceremony was last night, so i showed up at 5pm and stayed until 11pm when they closed the building and the family/loved ones left also.For those 6hrs i prayed with all of  my heart, mind and soul. From the beginning, God gave a few of my friends and i favor.We were introduced to the father, little sister (she has miraculously  healed since being hit by a car 13days ago!) and aunt right away. Hundreds of people were there. My friends and i were the ONLY white people there too. There was a Catholic service and then a Christian service.The aunt of the little girl being viewed in her casket came up to my friend and i as we were seated in the back of the building and asked us to come up to the microphone for 15min to pray for everyone/share!!! Wow, what an invitation! She didn't know us either!So i said "yes, i will" and then started sweating and getting nervous, praying for God to give me the right words for a crowd of grieving people.I had 2 minutes before i was to go up.

I get up to the front of the room, and begin to share the Gospel and speak of faith. Asking people to get on their knees!!! These words and this courage is ONLY from God. I am still in shock! Shared that God loves us and is close to the broken hearted.That He desires a personal relationship with ALL of us and desires no one to perish. A few children came up to the front and got on their knees praying. Child-like faith! It was beautiful.PEOPLE WERE ON THEIR KNEES IN REPENTANCE! I SAW PEOPLE ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS FROM GOD FOR THEIR SINS! GOD DID MIRACLES! HE RESURRECTED MANY SPIRITUALLY LAST NIGHT!! THANK YOU JESUS!!! Before i came up and spoke, i had an opportunity to pray over the body of the girl with her family, a very special yet heart breaking moment. (i boldly asked him if i could touch her hand and pray over her, and he said yes!)Again, was taking a leap of faith, believing that God could heal her if that was HIS plan for her life. Nothing happened, but the father was SO appreciative of our faith and prayers and compassion. he and the family kept thanking us. Later that evening, around 60 people got on their knees and prayed and weeped.

For the 6hrs i was there, God DID do miraculous things. Even though the ONE thing i was praying for the most didn't happen, He did SO many other things.The 33yr old woman who hit the 2 girls and the mom on June 23rd was a blonde haired white woman. She was under the influence and also ran a red light and tried to escape after the hit.So me...being a white, blonde haired 32yr old woman...up in front of hundreds of hispanic men, women and children, weeping over the girl.....had bigger influence than i know. I didn't want to leave when they kicked everyone out at 11pm. I wanted to keep praying over  her. I did not want to accept that she wasn't going to be raised from the dead.But i have to remember that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.

Today i attended the mass/funeral ceremony.Hundreds attended.Saw the family and told them i was praying for them. Saw them weeping with sorrow.Followed everyone over to the graveyard where we placed carnations on her casket...

 and watched them place her into the ground and  had the tractors cover her with dirt. Then it really hit me....this was the end of her life here on earth=5yrs. I was told that before she was hit crossing the street, she had given her father a bible and inside the bible she placed a picture of a traffic light that she had drawn.This 5yr old girl had shared God's love and truth with her own dad....

Fighting the tears back again right now....i know without faith we can not please God. I know God was pleased of our faith, even though what we prayed for wasn't answered.But i do believe God is resurrecting  the Santa Ana community through this tragic event.Hundreds, maybe even thousands, heard the Gospel a few times last night and today. They were faced with the reality of life, death and Eternity. I will not let this cause me to doubt and decrease my faith. I pray that this experience will only strengthen my faith.When i woke up this morning, Satan kept trying to tell me i was a fool for praying in faith -"oh look, you prayed for something and it didn't happen, how foolish! You should be embarrassed!" But i know Satan is an accuser and liar. Oh LORD, send your healing, comfort touch to the father and little sister. And to the mother who is still in critical condition at the hospital....my heart goes out to them...thank you all for your faith and prayers and support....   <3

Hebrews 11:6  "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Heart Construction...

God meets us wherever we are at....BUT He loves us too much to KEEP us where we are at...

A friend reminded me recently "Michelle, God is doing MORE in you than THROUGH you right now. Yes, He is doing amazing things around you & using you to do great things for Him, BUT He is doing a miraculous work IN you!"  **Thank you, Israel, for your insight, encouragement, & for challenging me**    :)

It is MUCH easier for me to blog about an event & updates on changed lives of the imprisoned youth & gang youth on the streets. There have been several events in the past few days that i could write 2-3 blogs on. I had the privilege of being in contact with almost 200 teens in the last few days (inside prison & on the streets).It is MORE difficult to fully express what exactly God is doing INSIDE me. And i don't want to neglect sharing about the most important aspect of my life...my relationship with my Creator, Savior, LORD, Best Friend, Redeemer..the list goes on. He is at work: The beautiful contruction & remodeling of my heart & thoughts.....

I thought that living out of a backpack while traveling/serving around the world with 65+ people & living in 10 foreign countries was going to be the PEAK of my adventures in life. Although it was the BEST year of my life, so far....i believe that the ADVENTURE has only just begun.This has all been preparation. God has gigantic plans for my life, & i am giddy like a 5yr old on Christmas Eve. Not just physical adventures of meeting people, walking down new streets & seeing communities change for the glory of the LORD...but adventures of my HEART.

Philippians 1:6 "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." 

God doesn't abandon the construction site of our hearts...He is constantly purifying our hearts, like silver through the fire. The # of completion in the Bible is 7. I find it ironic that there are 7  steps to the process of refining silver! Now....God will never abandon the construction site, but many times we put up road blocks & interefere/delay it.He does the work in our hearts, but we need to be open & have a humble heart for Him to be able to mold it & shape it.

Psalm 66:10 "For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver."

 James 4:10 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Change He has done in me lately: I honestly can't put it into words!! I am struggling right now for accurate words to fully express what's going on in me. I know for sure He has allowed my heart to be completely SHATTERED for the struggling men, women, teens & children of the lovely city of Santa Ana. Just like a bullet penetrated this glass & shattered it, so has He done with my heart...

COMPASSION. Compassion compels  & requires action. Just like LOVE is a verb= An ACTION.I can't walk past people in need anymore without at least stopping to pray for them or helping out with a physical need if i have the resources/time to. Usually we do, but we choose not to, for whatever reasons: fear, selfishness, greed, "too busy"...etc. God has WRECKED my heart, i can no longer pass them by. Feeling sorry isn't enough anymore.

Don't get me wrong, i can't FIX their problems & poverty & be their Savior. That is why i point them to the One who can save their soul & also rescue them. He delivers those who cry for help & He sees EVERY tear that falls. When Jesus walked the Earth, He had compasison on people & SHOWED it with His actions. This is just a small % of what He is doing in my life, on a greater scale than ever before.

CAUTION: This blog is NOT written to brag about me. I am not worthy of that & never will be. My Daddy in Heaven gets the credit & glory. He is worthy of the praise & miraculous TRANSFORMATION in my life. Studying His Word on a deeper level lately has been washing my thoughts & heart of the garbage the world dumps on it.

My faith's growng stronger every day. His boldness in me is increasing, like a lion. I am not the same as i was yesterday. I'm more hungry for Him, less hungry for the empty things of this world. My soul thirsts for Him like a parched deer searching for water in the desert. I find my REST in Him & my PEACE & JOY. I have found CONTENTMENT. COMPLETE SATISFACTION. At 32 yrs old, i never thought i would be back living with my parents in Fountain Valley where i grew up. Not married, no kids of my own.(But i am thankful to have  that provision of a roof over my head & to spend time with my family whom i love & am so grateful for.And even though i don't have my own kids, i have plenty of kids/teens i am looking after/mentoring) AND working/serving fulltime w/gang members/prisoners...without getting PAID!!! haha God has a great sense of humor. Please pray that i can soon move out and pay for rent in Santa Ana. (Please prayerfully consider partnering up with what God is doing in these communities by sponsoring me monthly!! Donation info is on the righthand side ------->>)


If we are COMFORTABLE, it is very possible that our very comfort is what is delaying His construction......      

**thanks for reading & for your support....& the journey continues... Love, Michelle**