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My name is Melissa Yocum and I’ve had the awesome privilege of being on the Board of C2BU for almost three years. Although administrative type of stuff fills my days, real joy comes in getting to share life with our Courage House girls. I had the opportunity to hang out with two of our amazing daughters recently and I treasured every minute of it! I loved our time of chatting, cooking, game playing and birthday celebrating.

On my drive from my home, I prayed for our girls. As I drove up to the Courage House driveway, tears sprang to my eyes as I recalled the dream that God provided to Jenny so many months ago. I just can’t see our white picket fence without remembering God’s faithfulness to His people. He promises to have a plan and not just any ‘ole plan, but His good plan. He promises to always be present, whether in the pain of the wilderness or the comforts of home and family. I absolutely love that God has no dark side. He is perfectly pure. His total lack of darkness is why we can trust Him. Did you know that God is incapable of impure motives?! This blows my mind, but 1 John 1:8 reminds us that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. And this girl is grateful!

This holiday season, I’m grateful for the transforming work that we see at Courage House. God is up to some pretty incredible stuff and I’m so happy to have a front row seat!

Have a great holiday, pause in gratitude and enjoy the goodness around you. God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you” or to encourage another?

-Melissa Yocum, C2BU Board of Directors

About a year and half ago, my husband met Jenny Williamson at a city pastor’s meeting. As she was sharing her passion and vision for Courage House, my husband told her, “You’ve got to meet my wife; you two would totally get along.” Soon after, Jenny came and spoke at our church and we instantly connected. I sensed that we shared the same heartbeat for the things of the Lord. As we talked more about the vision to open Courage House, I knew the Lord brought us together to be a part of this incredible ministry.
As we decided to meet for coffee, which seems to be the destined meeting place for many of us, we further discovered our passions and the Lord directing us to partner with C2BU. Our vision was the same, to encourage, equip, and empower lives and to change the world, one person at a time. My heart is to see individuals discover their identity in Christ and walk out His purposes for their life.
As Jenny asked me to pray about becoming a board member, I sensed the Lord affirming this direction. It is truly my privilege and delight to serve along side such incredible people all sharing one common passion, to see girls lives transformed and changed by the power of God. To simply be used to rescue and restore dignity, freedom and purpose in these girls’ lives is an incredible honor.
It is an amazing journey to be on, seeing miracle after miracle happening before our very eyes. My desire is to simply serve and be available to all the Lord has purposed for Courage House.

Cindy Gilliland
Board Member

I met Jenny Williamson, Founder of Courage to Be You, Inc., after her prayer at the National Day of Prayer, May 2009, on behalf of victims of sex trafficking. On Friday of that same week, I attended a Courage Conference at my home church and discovered that Jenny was the event host and presenter. I was excited to hear her vision of equipping, encouraging and empowering individuals to discover their identity, destiny and purpose in life, as God had given me a similar vision, but I did not know the population of young women He would have me serve.

A few weeks after the Courage Conference, Jenny presented her newly developed eight-week bible study called the Uniqueness Assessment, which I attended. As each week progressed, I felt a strong desire to speak to her and encourage her in what God had called her to do–awakening women and men to their identity, destiny and purpose in God, which I did. After the eight week bible study, Jenny said to me her famous words, “I feel like we need to have coffee!” She also asked me to serve as Intercessor for the organization. Within a few weeks, we met for dinner and she asked me to travel to Carmel for a Courage Conference as the intercessor to pray for the conference and individuals at the end of each gathering.

I quickly learned that when Jenny offered a coffee or a dinner date, it meant she would be presenting me with a new challenging task (like any good life coach would do, right?). We joined our faith together, along with so many others, to pray and see the hand of God work miracle after miracle and to see the vision God gave Jenny of Courage House-Nor Cal being established as a home for minor girls recovered from sex trafficking.

On April 29, 2010 at 6:49 p.m., I received an email from Jenny that stated, “Hello my friend. You were officially confirmed by C2BU’s Board of Directors as an addition to our group.” What an amazing journey the last two years has been! I would describe serving on the board as stated in Psalms 133 – Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! . . . . . . For there the LORD commanded the blessing . . . . I am privileged to serve this international organization that is affecting not only one individual at a time, but also generations to come that will be world-changers and history makers!

Michele Bryant
Spiritual Director
Courage to Be You, Inc.

Almost 3 years ago, the Lord laid it on my heart that there was something for me to do with children in our community. I prayed about it for months and saw an article in the Sacramento Bee that August, 2008: I was shocked to learn that our own children are being trafficked for sex, even in Sacramento. The article featured Jenny Williamson and her dream for a Courage House. I called Jenny and met her for coffee. I wasn’t sure if this was what I was supposed to do until she told me she needed a song to tell the story of the girls. That was it. Jenny did not know I was a musician or a songwriter. It was obvious that this was a divine connection!

Soon after that, Jenny invited me to be on the board of Courage to Be You. I did not hesitate when she asked me because the vision of C2BU was where my heart was: to equip, empower and encourage individuals and to change the world, one person at a time. I’ve been amazed at the leadership that has joined our Board of Directors – godly, like-minded individuals with a common heart for the kids that need to be rescued. We have pastors, professionals and business leaders. The spirit of unity is amazing. The board meetings are nothing like anything I’ve experienced before. Each time we come together, we are completely blown away by what God is doing and the time of prayer is incredible. It is an honor now to not only serve as Creative Director of C2BU, but on the Board of Directors as well. Jenny has been advised many times to put wealthy, influential people on her board, but her response is always the same: “This is not what the Lord told me… He told me to put godly people with a strong faith and deep commitment to the Him on my board.” Yes, none of us are rich by the world’s standards, but the board is rich in integrity, in character, in unity, in passionate hearts and we are ready to change the world, especially for the most broken, vulnerable children in the world. We are ready to see these kids rescued and restored, filled with courage and strength to be all that God intends for them to be!
Stephanie P. Midthun
Creative Director, C2BU