Website: www.agapehouseforgirls.org

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, . . . He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners . . . " ~ Isaiah 61:1



Wednesday, November 25, 2009

What are you thankful for . . .

This is the question we asked at Agape this week; here are the responses we received.

~ I am thankful for the struggles and challenges because of how this makes us hunger for Him more.

~ I am thankful that Jesus Christ is my Savior, for my husband Paul, and our sons and their families. I’m thankful I can trust in the faithfulness of God. And I’m especially thankful that I can help at Agape House.

~ I am thankful for my true friends that I know will always be there for me, mostly my sister. Also, a relationship with God is so rewarding. I know He will never get mad at me for stupid things, and He loves me unconditionally.

~ I am thankful for friends to wake up each day and know that loving, caring people, sent by God, are in my life and are going to be there for me. I love to see their beautiful expressions; to be in their presence is just awesome.

~ I am very grateful for my parents and brother because they’re absolutely wonderful, and they put up with my unique sense of humor. I am also grateful for the people that haven’t given up on me and encourage me to do my best in everything I do.

~ I’m so thankful for everyone at Agape; you all rock. I love my family, and am so happy for them and all of my pets and friends.

~ I am thankful for my family; I love them so much. I am thankful for all of my friends, books, music, poetry, art and writing, and so much more.

~ I am thankful for my dog, Melvin - he’s my best friend. And also for my siblings and friends; for a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, and food to eat. Can’t forget my parents.

~ I am thankful for Ria, even though we fight, its never about anything dumb. I’m also thankful for friends that don’t degrade me, or think that they are better than everyone else because that’s not a healthy relationship. I’m also thankful for my Mom and family; they help me out a lot. Also, medicine and music, because they cure.

~ I am thankful for my family, my sisters Ava and Lean, and Brianna, even though she’s not a part of my family for real. I am thankful for my brother and for the love and healthy relationships I have with my besties, and Megan and Gerrick.

~ I am thankful for the love of God and family; the healing I’ve received this past year; the joy of the journey and the refining process; the splendor of His goodness and glory, each and every day; and the privilege of being a part of His work at Agape Home and School.

~ I am thankful for God’s love, joy, peace and grace; friends, family and co-workers, and God’s provision.


Prayer Requests:
~ Pray for the families we minister to over the holidays, as this can be a difficult time of year for so many people.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4

Friday, November 20, 2009

Rejoice in the Suffering . . .

Prayer Requests:
~ Pray that the girls will draw strength from God, not old coping mechanisms, as they work through the recognition of their healthy and unhealthy behaviors.
~ Pray for our new students as they adjust to many new routines and changes in their lives, i.e., eating habits, sleeping schedule, wake up time, following through on things they need to do, and pressing in to draw closer to God, especially if they are new to this.
~ Pray against the spiritual warfare we deal with at Agape every day, some days worse than others.
~ Several students are starting to deal with some difficult issues; please pray that they continue to work through them.


“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” I Peter 4:12-13


Praise Reports:
~ The girls are working through their individual issues.
~ The girls are recognizing healthy and unhealthy behaviors – beautiful things are happening.
~ The students are making it through the day without any outbursts; and they are speaking to one another with respect and are really sincere in the way in which they are communicating their thoughts, feelings and emotions. Once again, we were blessed with some heartfelt acts of forgiveness this past week - grace in action!
~ It is so beautiful to watch the maturing process, and the love being shared as they grow in their relationship with our Savior, Jesus.
~ The commitment to this ministry of our faithful volunteers is tremendous – love in action – Glory be to God!


Wish List/Needs:
~ Chicken (whole or cut up)
~ Ground Beef
~ Pasta
~ Fresh Vegetables
~ Fresh Fruit
~ Juice
~ Milk
~ Lunch meat for sandwiches
~ BBQ Sauce
~ Electric Can Opener
~ Crock Pot
~ Thank You note cards
~ Christmas Cards
~ Blank note cards
~ Stamps
~ $5 Gift Cards from fast food restaurants

Volunteers Needed:
~ Tutors and Readers to help our new student(s)
~ Computer database entry needed a few hours a week


Renovation Needs/Update:
What would you like for Christmas? Thank you to all of you who have already made donations in response to our October letter for the renovation process. To review this letter, go to our website (www.agapehouseforgirls.org); click on the ‘Help This Ministry’ tab, and you will see a link for the letter.

We are still in need of youth groups or young adult groups to scrape linoleum; thank you to all the groups who have already helped (YEAH – we are half way there!)

We’re also in need of dry wall mudders and tapers – if you know of anyone interested, please have them contact us.


Our faith is the VICTORY that overcomes the world – just BELIEVE!

Friday, November 13, 2009

The Gift of Hope . . .


Agape School has been blessed with many learning opportunities outside of the classroom, and the trip they took this week was no exception. They visited the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, and sat in on a live court hearing. The girls asked such wonderful questions, and answered respectfully when called upon. Their behavior was superb, and they were even invited to sit on the court and have their picture taken with Justice Prosser! An experience like this outside of the classroom is one that gives these girls hope that they can make a difference in this world, and that it is worth it for them to pursue their dreams.

“Show me your ways, o Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are my God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5


Praise Reports:
~ Last Friday the girls teamed up with the residents at Inspiration Ministries to wrap gifts for Operation Christmas Child. One of the resident’s said we were “stuffing the boxes with love”. I’m not sure who was blessed more by this event, the girls or the residents at IM. In addition, the girls took skirts they had sewn earlier this year that will be sent along for the women in Africa; they were very colorful, yet practical!
~ The girls worked hard to help with the Barn-Load of Fun event last Saturday evening; what a blessing to share this time with all who attended.
~ The girls did an awesome job helping to serve a Thanksgiving dinner at Southern Lakes Evangelical Free church on Sunday. They worked very hard at serving before and during the meal, and they all really worked hard at clean up. We received many appreciative notes from church members about the girls work.
~ Paul tells us to speak the truth in love, and we are happy to report that our girls are modeling this all-important means of communication. They also continue to think about how they respond to people; there have been several heartfelt apologies this week!
~ The volunteers and staff at Agape House and School are INCREDIBLE!


Prayer Requests:
~ Pray for the girls to find their hope in God; hope for their day-to-day situations, as well as for their dreams for the future
~ Pray that the girls come to know who they are in Christ “In Him we live and move and exist.” Acts 17:28
~ Pray for our new girls who have just started at Agape, or are yet to come here


Needs:
~ Sandwich bags for lunches
~ Aluminum Foil
~ Waxed Paper


Volunteers Needed:
~ Tutors and Readers to help our new student(s)
~ Computer database entry needed a few hours a week


Renovation Needs:
What would you like for Christmas? We recently sent out an appeal letter in the mail with this question as the lead paragraph. We would ask that you prayerfully consider how you might respond to this request to help complete the living quarters of our Teen Home. If you did not receive the letter, please go to our website (www.agapehouseforgirls.org) and see it attached on the ‘Help This Ministry’ tab.


“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Perspective from our Resident Assistant. . .

In the picture above, the girls are practicing line dancing for Saturday night.



The following paragraph was written by our Resident Assistant for the Teen Home; and it should give you some insight as to what it is like to have ten teenage girls in one home. These are her thoughts on serving in this ministry.

The girls are such a joy to work with. Of course, they are not always a joy to be around because they have their moments like we all do, but watching them grow is amazing. If I am remembering right, every girl currently living in the Home has decided that they believe Jesus Christ is their savior. It was not that way at the beginning of the year. That alone brings a huge smile to my face and to my heart. To know that I can be a part of these girls learning the Gospel, some of them for the first time, and truly understanding what it is all about. I have built good relationships with them all. I love being able to just listen to them when they are struggling with something. When they are sad, mad, depressed, happy, or even exploding about something, I love to be a person they can come to and talk about it, say what they need to say and figure out a rational way to deal with their feelings. I have seen all of them overcome some sort of obstacle, whether big or small, and I have only been here one quarter (9 weeks) so far. I am truly thankful God has called me to work at Agape House.


Prayer Requests:
~ Pray for discernment for the staff as to when to press on and when to back off with the girls.
~ Continue praying for each of the girls; as you can see by the praise reports below, your prayers are being answered


Praise Reports:
~ One of our girls helped an adult accept Jesus as her Savior
~ Two girls who left Agape School at the end of last year decided to return this year.
~ One girl commented that she’s starting to feel good because she’s learning and taking responsibility for her education, and she likes school now. When asked what she would like for a treat to reward her for her hard work, she said, “I don’t need a treat for doing what I’m supposed to do.”
~ One girl made it through the entire day without a ‘blow-up’, and even joined in on the morning walk with the other girls. Also, she completed her goals for the day for the first time ever this school year!
~ For the gift of laughter; we’ve had a blast this week!
~ For our faithful volunteers and the staff working together beautifully
~ For our senior volunteers and all their energy


Needs:
~ Sheet protectors (couple of large packages) for our PACE Score Keys
~ Diary of a Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson for our school library

Weekend Events:

Barn-Load of Fun – Last chance to sign up for this event is by calling and leaving a message at 262-275-6466 (no more e-mails) by 12 noon on Friday, November 6th.



This will be a night of information, testimonies, food, dancing and fun (yes, in a barn)! The event takes place on November 7th, from 7 to 10 p.m., at the Seth Hansen Farm at W2644 Loveland Road, Elkhorn (between Bowers Road and Hwy. 120). The cost is a donation of $10 per person; payment will be collected at the door.



If you’re out enjoying the beautiful weekend, stop by The Lodge at Geneva Ridge November 7th and 8th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and visit the Women Entrepreneurs Shop & Spa Holiday Boutique. Admission is free; Agape House will have a booth there with two items being raffled. Services and products represented at this Boutique include items such as jewelry, cosmetics, candles, clothing, purses, Christmas wreaths, chiropractors, etc. So treat yourself to some fun and stop by at W4240 State Road 50, Lake Geneva (f/k/a Interlaken). Donations are being accepted to support Agape House.


By the grace of God . . .