He works justice for those who are pressed down by the world, providing food for those who are hungry. He frees those who are imprisoned; He makes the blind see. He lifts up those whose backs are bent in labor; He cherishes those who do what is right. (Psalm 146:7-8)

April

Lately I've been thinking about how, from the moment Jesus arrived on the scene, God was doing something different. For example, while the Jews had strict laws about cleanliness and unblemished lambs for sacrifice, Jesus was born in a dirty stable and then sacrificed his life for us after having been beaten and nailed to a cross. God was showing us a different set of laws that were to guide us moving forward. How grateful I am for the Lord's grace today.

Now grab a cup of coffee and find out what we've been up to!

Every Thursday we spend time on teaching our residents healthy life skills that will allow them to flourish as independent adults. Not only does trauma make even living a normal life difficult, many women who have been trafficked never gained, or have forgotten, essential skills for living successful lives. Such skills not only include budgeting, shopping or applying for a job, but also include social and communications skills. Having these skills lowers the odds that a resident will fall back into a life of being trafficked.

From a Christian perspective, life skills are foundational to a Christian life of teaching and serving others. It follows that one cannot serve others without being able to adequately care for oneself.

Improving life skills helps our residents to:

• Learn how to effectively handle money
• Learn effective job interview skills
• Learn meal-planning, cooking and home maintenance skills
• Learn to keep and honor a schedule or calendar

Thursday can be a fulfilling day, since it includes activities like planning and cooking meals for the other residents, shopping, learning a home maintenance skill or learning how to handle money.

I pray that you will set aside time each week to focus on your own life skills, or help a young person develop theirs.

Family Corner

Our daughter, Jordyn, got foot surgery to correct her flat feet. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Dakota, will start physical therapy for her knee issues. Her bad knees are likely thanks to her mom; I had to have my knees reconstructed at age 14 - we're hoping to avoid that with Dakota!

Answered Prayer: Praise God to our loyal supporters for the four hay rolls that were requested in last month's newsletter! We have also received items from our "Hope Haven" Amazon wish list of ordinary toiletries and sundries for our residents. Click here if you'd like to help our residents with their toiletry needs. Don't forget to change the mailing address when you order!

We are also grateful for the mitigation of medical expenses we have recently received; a local doctor's office has agreed to charge a discounted rate and treat more issues in a single visit. We are still on the lookout for pro bono services if you know someone who can help.