The Last Few Days..

A few stories for you, examples of the dire need for a safe house here in the valley, and why i need help raising money.

    Wednesday. We were having our morning prayer team meeting in the yellow house, when a woman comes to the door. Two of out friends go outside to speak with her, find out what help she needs. Its quick and soon enough they whisk her away. We follow the prayer meeting with more meetings with the schools and social workers, and carry on throughout the day.

    Yesterday. After our prayer meeting I sit awaiting the next step, when the woman comes back with a back pack. She has been being horribly abused for years by her boyfriend, addicted to tick with him until her daughter was taken away. It was then she made a break for freedom. She made the choice to get out of the relationship, get clean, follow Jesus, and get her daughter back. Her back pack has all she will have for weeks to come. The next step is finding her a safe place to stay while a rehab solution is figured out. It can't be in Ocean View, OV is too small, someone will tell someone where she is and her plan foiled. Another need for a safe house.

     Today. We hear of a young girl who can't take living at home anymore. Her mother is a drug dealer, and the men that come into their home threaten and abuse her, she has no relief. she needs a safe place to go but there are no safe houses.... This is another case I give you as an example for how much I need to raise money for a safe house.

    After the meeting. We have a list of high school kids and their addresses that haven't come back to school since the first quarter, and we are going to speak to each one of them. Getting them back in school will help keep them off the streets, and possibly get them a grant to college. The drop out rate is extremely high, parents are unsupportive, and often don't care if their child has dropped out. The third house we stop at... 10th grade girl. We are invited in and sit, and inform the grandmother why we are here. She tells us that the girl we have come to speak with (we will call her Laci), had a baby, but it died after a month, and this is why she hasn't come back. Laci comes and sits, we make small talk, ask her how old she is...  she is 14. We ask her if she has spoken to anyone about the baby, she freezes, traumatized by the thought, and says "no". She continues to say she doesn't want to speak to anyone, it won't help, and so on. We leave on the note that i am picking her up tomorrow to go to the beach. Prayers are always appreciated!