SHANupdate1-18-12

She Has A Name Update 1-18-12

I wanted to start this update by sharing a beautiful prayer that speaks volumes to the privilege we have to serve these women. It is from an advent book called Lighted Windows: "Lord, you have revealed your love to us. You have commissioned us to make that love a reality in your world. You have anointed us to serve your people and transformed our brokeness into a strand of your wholeness. You have freed us from the captivity of our own self-absorption and nourished our dreams with your own vision. Keep us rooted in you. Send us out with your seal upon our lives. Return us to tomorrow's world, carrying the light of your mystery into every new beginning. Amen."

We can only love because He first loved us. The past few months have been marked by a sense of urgency and a deepening of the relationships we share with these women. We have also seen a rising increase in the number of new and increasingly younger faces with each passing week. Many of these young women are being jumped, raped and abused regularly and yet the bondage they are in keeps them on the street.

Please pray for Karen. She is a severe alcoholic who also abuses crack cocaine. In a 2 week span she was raped 4 times. Karen is a licensed RN and has been in rehab a few times. Her heart seems tender towards the Lord yet to this point she hasn't had the faith to step out of the lifestyle she is currently in.

Do you remember Lisa? Many of you know that we sent her back to Boston to her family in July after an outreach in the park. She contacted us frequently, which was great. At the end of September her mother passed away. She returned to Camden a few months ago and as the Lord would have it we were the first people she saw. She is full of pain over the loss, feels abandoned by her other family members and is again bound to drugs and alcohol. Please pray that she would seek treatment in a long term Christian rehab where she can begin to address her pain and allow the Lord to heal her heart.

Pause for a praise! Many of you have been praying for Helena. You may have read her story months ago....what a testimony. She has successfully completed her 1st six months of treatment in Maine and was home at Christmas for a 5 day visit. She has now returned to Maine and is entering into phase two, with independent living, seeking employment. She loves Maine and calls it home. We are hoping to have an update from Helena after she has transitioned for awhile....we will keep you posted but most of all keep praying.

Thanksgiving eve dinner on the bus was awesome! Special thanks to our lady friends from the River church who provided a feast fit for royalty.....(no kidding) This has been a highlight and huge blessing for the past several years. This year saw the addition of gift bags with hand made necklaces, lip gloss...you name it. Most importantly there were handwritten cards to each women about how special they are in God's eyes. Each woman read her's out loud before leaving the bus. I don't think anyone on the bus had a dry eye....praise you Lord! Thank you young women for responding to what God put on your hearts and taking the time to specifically bless each and every woman on the bus!

We have continued to see a rise in women coming to the Saturday morning breakfasts. This is a great context to come serve and to begin to foster relationships (women to women only) Our continued prayer would be that God would grant us a place this year to provide a safe haven for the women. This has been on our hearts,and in our plans for some time so we solicit your prayers as to timing and ask God for continued favor.

Friday nights have been especially lively over the past several months. We have moved our start time to early evenings and we have seen a lot of activity. Last Friday night was so cold we had the usual stuff we take with us along with hot chocolate and handmade sleeping bags made by some wonderful women from a local church. The timing was perfect as several young woman are sleeping in a makeshift shack with electricity somehow. We pulled up there and you can't imagine how excited the women were to see us. To receive a handmade sleeping bag on a night so cold...what a blessing. God's timing is always perfect! Thank you ladies.

Please continue to pray that God will free these young women. He is the only one who can. Pray that we will not grow weary watching them struggle and that we will be full of love, truth and prayers for freedom...true freedom. I think last Friday night's highlight came from Kelli. We have known her for several years so after we had provide her with food, hot chocolate, clothes and toiletries, she looks at us and says, "I need to go, but can we pray?" My heart was so touched and moved. She knows there is power in prayer and can feel the Lord's comfort and presence.

I will leave you with a current prayer list. Prayers warriors, we need you and can't continue to battle for these lives without your prayer!

Camille gave birth 4 months ago to a little girl named Bobbi Christine. Her father has custody She is back on the street and using crack cocaine.

Jamie and Angelina: Please pray for these 2 young women. Jamie's family is desperately seeking help for her and they are heartbroken. We believe that she was locked up last week.

Giselle is in Camden County Jail. Pray she will enter treatment upon release. She has not reached out to us since she was incarerated.

Michelle was released from Camden County Jail over a month ago and instead of returning to her family in Shamokin ,Pa. she returned to the streets. The pull of the drugs is so strong. Please pray that she will come to her senses and trust God to leave Camden, enter treatment and return home.

Chanel was just released from jail in Philly and has returned to her mother's home. Please pray for that situation as her mother is a drug addict as well.

Katie 23, Charlene 45, Little Jess, Haley, Sharon, Nikki, Dana, Janette, Eva, Frank & Khobby,..please pray that God will continue to keep a hedge of protection around these dear ones as we continue to build our relationships and trust God with their souls. We know that He loves them much more than we ever could so that gives us tremendous comfort. It is so powerful to be able to tell them how much they are loved by God and that it has absolutely nothing to do with how they perform or where they have failed. How great is our God! How Mighty! How faithful! How loving! How strong! He is our Rock and our Redeemer and we should stand in awe of who He is. Take back these lives Lord. Transform them by the power of your Holy Spirit and let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Do what only you can Lord. Glorify yourself in the lives of these women we pray, Amen.

We love you all and thank God for your prayers and practical support for us.

Brenda and the SHAN team

Needs list:

Desperately need womens jeans all sizes from 2-12.

Sweat pants, sweatshirts, boots and womens coats (appropriate for all kinds of weather) We have been giving out gloves, hats, scarves, socks, underwear and toiletries several times a week.