God has kicked open wide a new door!

Open doors are often an indication of God’s leading.  And sometimes the reverse is true.  A closed door may be an indication of God’s leading.  Over the past days, we have watched God miraculously open a door when another one closed. 

June 21^st was our last day to volunteer at the safe house.  Their doors officially closed last week.  We were told we could provide a goodbye party but we couldn’t actually tell them goodbye. This request was not a surprise since we saw many girls leave without knowing ahead that they were leaving.  My heart felt heavy with sadness. 

I shared Proverbs 3:5-6 repeating it for added emphasis.  I asked them what they thought it meant.  I was grateful to see each girl engaged and listening.  I struggled to express how incredibly important it was to not lean on our own understanding but on God alone.  God who loves them.  God who will never leave them.  God in whom they can trust.  And then I read Ephesians 3:14-21 as a prayer.  In my heart I cried, “Jesus, please take care of them.  Let them know Your deep and immeasurable love!”

We painted picture frames, empty ones because we were told (for security reasons) we could not leave a picture for them to remember us by.  I asked them to sign the matte of my frame so I could see their names in their own handwriting and pray for them:  Ruth, Mady, Mari, Juli, Sherl, Caro, Vivi, Kari...names that symbolize the many girls I have hugged and looked upon with such deep affection.  In so many ways, just little girls.  Many more faces flash through my memories as I write.

We ended our time by sharing ice cream sundaes.  We had lugged a cooler with ice cream, bananas and lots of toppings on the forty-five minute journey by feet and bus.  The sundaes were a hit and for most, a first time experience!  They ate them slowly and with great relish.  In the end, one of the staff announced to the girls that this would be our last time.  She thanked us for coming faithfully and allowed time for the girls and the rest of us to share.  Inside I rejoiced that God had provided such a healing closure.

When one door closes, God opens another!

 (picture from reflectionsintheword.org)

While we were at the safe house, one of the Casa Adalia team members received a phone call from another girl’s foundation asking if we would be interested in volunteering.  The director told her that one of the girls we knew previously from the safe house was placed there and recommended us. 

Last week we met with the director of the foundation, a similar but much smaller safe house.  As we walked into the outside patio, we were stunned to see a huge smile of surprise from Mari.  We had just hugged her goodbye the Friday before having no idea if we would ever see her again.  It was also such a joy to see Lori, another girl we had known previously.  As we hugged and talked briefly with the other girls, they felt so familiar, so much like the ones we had just said goodbye to.  I felt the hope of God rise up within me.  Yes, Emanuel God was with us.  He was with them.  He would continue to be with us. 

 The director told us, “These girls need to laugh and jump and yell and be girls.  You have freedom to share with them about God, to read the Bible, to teach them.”  Glory!!  God didn’t just open a new door.  He kicked it open wide!

Please, please pray with us!  Pray as we begin ministering to the girls in the new foundation each Tuesday morning.  Please pray as we continue to hunt for an apartment to rent for the 18 year old girls.  Please pray for God to provide the right house mom.  Please pray for wisdom as we collaborate with other organizations who have a similar passion.  Prayer is the wind of God behind us, giving us courage and strength.  Prayer is the mighty wind of God before us, opening the way for Him to enter in. 

For His glory in Ecuador,

Debbie Douce

Team Leader ESME – Casa Adalia 

 

Praise and Prayer Updates -- June 2013

Dear Friends,

We landed back in Quito on June 5th after the joyful celebration of our daughter's wedding.  Truth?  It was really hard to come back.  We wanted to stay.  We love our house in the country.  We wanted a few more quiet mornings to sip coffee on our back deck at the edge of a beautiful forest.  We love, love being with our kids.  We love our home church.  We love our friends and family.  We were reminded how much we miss it all!

But God is forever gracious and faithful.  He quickly and immediately reminded us why we are here.  Phil was reminded of how much he loves the Casa G boys.  He often says to me, "I just really love them!"  On Father's Day our table was filled with boys, some whom we hardly see now but who wanted to come and tell Phil, "Feliz Dia, Daddy!"

I was reminded that there are girls who desperately need to know the healing love of Jesus.  They need the safety and hope of Casa Adalia.  We love our friends here.  We love the country of Ecuador.  We are certain that God has called us to His purpose here, in this corner of the earth,...and for however long He tells us, we will remain here through His strength and faithfulness. 

Praise and Prayer Updates:


Casa Gabriel

1.      Praise God with us!  We are three quarters on our way to obtaining the funds needed to pay for the renovation of Casa Gabriel.  Plans are being made to start this August.

2.    Thank you for your prayers for the Ackerman family.  God has called them to leave Ecuador, not for one semester as we stated in the last update, but long term, to live and serve in Canada.  On June 16^th, we had a wonderful time celebrating with the Casa G family and missionary community their years of service at Casa G and in Ecuador.  They will be missed!

3.     Please pray for Sonnet Medrano who is currently in language training in Costa Rica and will head to Ecuador when finished.  We praise God for adding her to our team in the much needed role as office administrator.

4.      We thank God for bringing Edgar to fill in as respite house dad when needed.  

5.      Please pray for the boys to finish well their academic year.

6.     Please pray for summer activities at Casa G:  visits to families, renovation project, camping trip on the beach, Quito Quest (summer short term team ministries with our mission) team outreaches and relationship building. 

Casa Adalia

1.     Thank you for praying for the 18 year old girl I mentioned in the April 2013 Mother’s Reflection.  She returned from the coast for a visit.  It was so good to see her and her little girl and hear that they are doing ok. 

2.     We are in the midst of the many logistical details for setting up an apartment to begin providing training, safety and hope for healing for girls 18 years of age.  Every day I thank God for His grace and faith to accomplish such an enormous task.  God is mighty and able.   “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified:  do not be discouraged, for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9  

3.     Please reply to casaadalia@gmail.com  if you would like more information or to receive the praise and prayer updates. 

For His glory in Ecuador,

Debbie for all at Casa G (and Casa Adalia)

Casa Gabriel and Casa Adalia are part of International Teams, a global organization committed to helping the oppressed and seeing lives and communities transformed by the power of God.  ” Follow this link for an easy way to give:  https://wwws.iteams.org/iteams/  Designate your contribution to “Casa Gabriel-Ecuador” or “End Slavery Ministries – Ecuador, Casa Adalia” 

 

 

Unexpected Blessings -- No Chance for Rain!

The past weeks have been packed with family times filled with laughter and the labor of love and conversations and goodnight prayers and real life and the expected stressors related to the amazing celebration of our daughter, Danelle's wedding.  Overriding and resonating through all of it was God’s incredible grace and presence....I am sharing a few of the unexpected blessings.

I was met by our 22 year old daughter with a huge hug and the words, "I am getting married in just 28 days!"  I had flown ahead to be with Danelle and help in any way I could.  Almost every morning she greeted me with, "Just....days until I am married!"  Each time my heart sped up.  First, because our little girl was getting married, and second, because there was so much to do.  Phil who was still in Quito asked me, "Will I be overwhelmed when I come?"  Just coming to the states can feel overwhelming.  I gave him a definite, "Yes."
 
An outdoor wedding on our land in Missouri sounded incredibly special and romantic.  In reality, an outdoor wedding meant "special and romantic" plus lots of labor of love. 

It is flower time!!  Nate's family, the Prevettes arrived in time
to help cut all the rose stems...under water of course!

Tuesday night wedding crews facilitated by sister Chelsea
began and ended in prayer.  Here Aunt Gracie is sewing the burlap table runners. 
She and Aunt Janie, Phil's sisters, baked and decorated the beautiful wedding cake.

The wedding would not have been the same without all the hard work done by Danelle, Nate, Chelsea, and the weekly Tuesday night wedding crew; then by family and friends leading up to the wedding day.  At one point our niece, Beth looked at me and said, "No wonder people spend thousands of dollars on their wedding.  They didn't have a family that could help them do everything." 

Due to how busy we were, we have very few "before" pictures.
Danelle's brothers took a moment for a bit of fun!

Nate is working on the burlap bows for the chairs. 
Many hands labored in love to make the bows 

Some of the Thursday work crew:  Uncle Tim, Jordan Douce,

Cousin Joe, Chelsea Douce, Cousin Becky, Violeta Douce

Family and friends came from Missouri, Texas, Canada, Chicago, Michigan, W. Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio.  They pitched in wherever it was needed in a variety of tasks from lending their gators and trucks to putting mulch down, hanging signs, parking cars, setting up for the reception, moving 240 chairs down to the ceremony meadow and back up to the reception meadow, shuttling guests to the ceremony and reception, replacing the front door on our house, moving and setting up a sound system, setting up a stage, helping the porta-potty truck get unstuck, washing strawberries, making desserts, cutting and prepping the hundreds of flowers that had been brought from Ecuador, initiating and figuring out how to make do when the original plan wouldn't work.  I could keep going.  

The love and service poured out was overwhelming!

 

The beautiful roses from Ecuador deserve their own miracle
story.  I love Our God who cared about the roses!

An outdoor wedding also meant lots of prayers for good weather.  It was  kind of hard not to worry, especially in a place like Missouri where the weather is so unpredictable.  It seemed like everyone was checking the weather forecast on a regular and sometimes daily basis. 

Initial predictions were reassuring, "Little chance of rain."  As the wedding approached however, the chance of rain increased every day.  Danelle and Nate truly would have been happy getting married in the mud and rain, but the rest of us weren't so sure everyone else would enjoy it.   

Even more, I wanted everyone to enjoy Nate's pavilion of lights he had worked so hard to set up for the reception.


Nate gave us a preview of his beautiful pavilion of lights. 
It was magical!

Phil worked like a crazy man, or is it a crazy father, from the moment he arrived two weeks before the wedding until it started.  His greatest concerns were ticks, mosquitos, rain and mud.  He was the wind behind the outdoor details and transformed our country home into what looked like a beautiful estate in the middle of a national forest.  The mulch trail leading behind our house to the ceremony meadow was stunning.  Every day our son Tully worked at his summer job mowing a local cemetery and then came home and mowed on our land until dark. 

But it just seemed there wasn't a good solution for the ground where the ceremony would take place if it rained.  The chairs literally sunk completely into the ground when it was wet, and there was a large puddle in front of the trellis where Danelle and Nate would stand to say their vows.

Friday was beautiful and sunny and perfect for the rehearsal and dinner.  We were hopeful and thankful!

Nate's parents, Todd and Zoe Prevette provided
a beautiful rehearsal dinner at the reception site.

On the day of the wedding I awoke early to the sound of thunder.  And then I heard the rain start.  There was a lot, and it was coming down hard!  Whispering under my breath, “Jesus, have mercy!” I walked into the kitchen to start some coffee.  I could hear Danelle and Chelsea laughing and talking upstairs, with seeming unconcern.  They heard me grinding coffee beans and called me to come upstairs. 

“I am getting married!” exclaimed Danelle.  “You’re getting married!” exclaimed Chelsea and I.  And as the thunder rolled and the rain hit against their window pane, I joined them as they began to sing the Revelation Song they would later sing while descending the hill during the wedding procession. 

Phil, his boys, nephews, cousins and the many family and friends began working outside early that morning to finish many of the outside details.  Phil went to town to buy more mulch.  He was definitely worried about the rain pouring down.  I have no idea how many dump loads and bags of mulch he purchased those two weeks.  This final morning God gave him his answer to the problem he had been worrying over.  Next to a dumpster he spotted carpet thrown out, a lot of carpet.  He was told he could take it for free.  With his cousin Allen, they put all of it into his truck, and with some mulch sprinkled on top, it became the perfect solution for the chairs to keep from sinking into the wet ground.

By mid-morning the rain had stopped.  By noon, the sun began to peek out and dry up the rain.  God had answered our prayers.  A friend later told me that she checked the forecast right as the ceremony began.  It said, “No chance of rain.”

From "Life by Lydia"  -- our amazing friend and wedding photographer

In the end it was a storybook wedding, a tiny glimpse of the heavenly wedding to come

on that glorious someday in that never-ending celebration land.

Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away with me,

for the winter is past; the rain is over and gone...

the time for singing has come.  Song of Songs 2:10-12

Thank You, thank You, Jesus, King of my heart,
King over everything!

 

Unexpected Blessings -- Former Street Kid, Serious?

The past weeks have been packed with family times filled with laughter and the labor of love and deep conversations and goodnight prayers and real life and the expected stressors related to the amazing celebration of our daughter, Danelle’s wedding.  Overriding and resonating through all of it was God’s incredible grace and presence....I would like to share some of the unexpected blessings.

If you have been reading this blog, you might remember reading about Juan Miguel, one of the leaders at Casa Gabriel in Quito, Ecuador.  You can find part of his story on the blog entry April 18, 2013 called, "Water into sweet wine.  Miraculous, powerful, intimate grace."

The first unexpected blessing was the fact that Juan Miguel was given both a ticket (thanks, Brad and Sindy Keller!) and a visa to come to the U.S.  

Juan Miguel flew in with Phil's parents, who had been on a mission outreach in Ecuador, to Chicago the Monday before the wedding.  Our son and his wife, Jordan and Violeta, (also from Quito, Ecuador) enjoyed orienting him to Chicago and treated him twice to his favorite food in the United States, Chipotle.  Together they drove to Columbia, MO on Wednesday.  They arrived to a flurry of pre-wedding activities and little personal attention from us. 

 

Friends of our family, Lydia and Ryan Hunt, hosted Juan Miguel during his time in Columbia.  Lydia, who was an intern missionary with our mission several years ago, and her husband Ryan from Australia ,made the perfect hosts.  I am not sure how many times Juan Miguel ate ice cream and Chipotle!

Our kids embrace the boys at Casa Gabriel as family and brothers.  Juan Miguel brought a huge wedding card created by the boys with special notes of blessing.  His personal gift was a beautiful song he had written and composed for their wedding.  I can’t think of a more special gift!

The night before Phil and Juan Miguel left for Minnesota, we celebrated our son, Tully's birthday. 
Everyone gave one word to describe Tully.  Juan Miguel's word was "brother."

Juan Miguel’s passion and gifting for music surprised everyone.  He sang spontaneously at a local radio station and in some restaurants in downtown Columbia while visiting with Corrina, a girl who had been on the CFC- Casa G mission outreach in April.  He was invited by our friend, Russ Duker, to share his testimony at a Columbia rotary club.  And he “wowed” the admissions staff and music professors at McNally Smith and Concordia in St. Paul, MN during his visit the week after the wedding.   

As Phil and Juan Miguel reflected and debriefed during their return drive to Chicago, it was evident Juan Miguel has a strong desire to study music production.  His ability and zeal to do so was confirmed during the visits at the universities.  However, an even greater confirmation was that his sights are set first on Jesus Christ and His eternal purpose and plan. 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Unexpected Blessings -- Displays of Grace



Chelsea and I on our last day together this time around.

It was a Monday night in downtown Columbia at a local coffee shop.  Chelsea had invited me to join her college girls’ Bible study group.  One of the girls in her group is a beautiful young woman with a difficult and sometimes debilitating condition that causes her muscles to contract unexpectedly.  Chelsea had invited each of us to tell something we were thankful for and it was my turn to share.  Across the table from me the young girl had broken into a sweat as she tried to control sudden, excruciatingly painful spasms.  Her shoulder was contracting, and her arm was starting to twist backwards.  Chelsea remained calm and assuring.  Neither pity or extra notice would be welcome.  However, my face didn’t hide my concern, maybe even horror, and she felt the need to apologize, “I’m sorry…for some reason my arm isn’t cooperating.” Desperately holding back tears of compassion, I looked into the brave girl’s eyes and said, “God is faithful.  Always.  I am so thankful for this.”

Many of the unexpected blessings over the past weeks were due to being invited into life with our kids in their day to day ministries through relationships as well as planned discipleship groups and outreach.   I watched them live out the challenging, fun, hard, growing stuff of life with wisdom, love and grace.   I learned so much from each of them.  And I asked God to give me more grace like they have. 

Unexpected Blessings -- The littlest bridesmaid

Taken from Chelsea's fb album, "Things that make me smile."

How do I begin to sum up this tiny girl with such a big and adult like personality? I was first introduced to Nancy and her mom through Chelsea's sweet and sometimes comical descriptions over the phone of their unusual and unorthodox friendship.

Chelsea had initially befriended them through their church small group.  Later Danelle and Nate met and also became part of their friendship circle.  They embraced the bonds of servant friendship by taking care of Nancy during her mother's frequent hospital stays.  Many times however, they spent time with Nancy because they had fallen in love with this tiny, smart, sometimes stubborn, and precocious redhead.  In truth, we have all fallen in love with her.


Nancy has been an animated presence for most of Danelle and Nate’s romance, including the day Nate proposed to Danelle, at the bridal shower, and during the wedding planning.  Before she had invited her other bridesmaids, Danelle asked Nancy to be her junior bridesmaid.  During story time at the rehearsal dinner, Nancy stood on a chair so that everyone could hear every word of her “remembering” stories. 

Taken from Nate's fb on October 18, 2012

Knowing she would be extra energetic and excited on the day of the wedding, Danelle asked a friend from their small group to get Nancy’s hair ready and then bring her to our house where all the bridesmaids and Danelle were getting dressed.  Nancy rushed into the house with her long red curls bouncing beautifully.  I happened to be the only one she found because the other girls were already outside ready to take bridesmaid pre-wedding pictures.

I took her into the bedroom to help her put on the dress Danelle had purchased for her.  She clutched a Walmart bag.  I looked in.  Hmm…there were no tights, no leggings or dress socks, only a pair of hot pink, oversized Mickey Mouse slip-on shoes.  “I have to wear the socks I have on because otherwise my shoes will fall off.”  I looked down at her feet and at the grungy white socks inside her tennis shoes.  “If you scrunch your toes, I think you can keep them from falling off,” I suggested.  Gamely she agreed.   Then she asked for a small bag to place the wedding gift she had brought for Danelle and Nate.  “Do you want to see it?  I made it special for them.”  She unwrapped it carefully.  Inside was a small, partial bracelet made from colorful plastic beads.  I didn’t have a small gift bag so I gave her what I said was a special box, the one Danelle’s wedding shoes had come in.  She wrote on the outside, “For Danelle and Nate from Nancy.”   

And then in a rush she was off to join the other bridesmaids.  In so many ways, Nancy's wedding shoes and plastic homemade bracelet represent Danelle and Nate.  They would treasure this special gift just as much as the most expensive one.  And they certainly wouldn’t be concerned about how the hot pink oversized Mickey Mouse shoes looked on their littlest bridesmaid. 

Best sister-friend and maid of honor, seven beautiful bridesmaids,
one small junior bridesmaid, and the beautiful bride
-- Taken from fb album "Life by Lydia"

Unexpected Blessings -- Worship in Chicago

The past weeks have been packed with family times filled with laughter and the labor of love and deep conversations and goodnight prayers and real life and the expected stressors related to the amazing celebration of our daughter, Danelle’s wedding.  Overriding and resonating through all of it was God’s incredible grace and presence.  It is difficult to process or condense into words these past weeks, but I would like to share some of the unexpected blessings. 



Danelle and Nate's wedding procession -- Jordan escorts his bride of less than one year ago.  Photo from Jean Smith

I arrived two weeks ahead of Phil to Chicago to spend the weekend with our son Jordan and his wife Violeta who have been married less than one year.  Jordan was the worship leader and lead guitarist at their church that Sunday.  The other vocalist could not come, so he had asked Violeta to sing.  This would be the first time for her.  Together they asked if I would also sing with them.  While it is true that I love to worship, I have had no experience being up front as part of a worship team.   My first reaction was, “That’s just weird.  I mean no one knows me.  And I was looking forward to enjoying worship (from the pew) with you leading.”  My response was shot down quickly by Violeta who reminded me that if it was the other way around, Phil and I would expect them to jump into helping out and doing ministry with us.  True. 

"Doing" worship meant being at the church at 7:00 AM for practice, using headphones, and joining with a cello, violin, two drummers, and keyboard.  Two of the songs were in Spanish.  Jordan loved having his bride and mom beside him in worship.  And did we worship!  It was a taste of heaven’s joy.