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The month of May has been a busy month for the girls at Courage House, but our atmosphere has been one of expectation. Truly, they are seeing the God who exceeds expectations beyond their wildest hopes and dreams.

When our girls come home for the first time, they believe the lie, most often, that they are failures. God is reversing this lie for them personally. We see it in opportunities to build and maintain relationships, to try new activities, and for them to work through the difficulties of their pasts. Our girls are victorious, and we are learning that victory each day comes in small ways. But, they are no less than victorious.

Truly, when the Bible talks about how we are more than conquerors, this is the new label for our girls. God is allowing the Courage girls to experience newness at every place in their lives. Our girls are celebrating special moments like their high school prom. They know what it means to be home, to be safe, and to be loved. It has been a transformation process, one that you can markedly witness from the time a young lady comes home to when she has truly settled in her heart that this is where she belongs.

Please pray for our girls as they experience the transforming love of Jesus through relationships, through their environment, and for their futures that they are so courageously walking towards. Pray for them to dream, and then for God to do above and beyond that.

Our girls are winners, champions, and more than conquerors; it may take time to see this in the natural. But, we believe this is a reality for every young lady that God calls home to Courage House.

It has been an exciting month with many opportunities to share the vision of Courage House Hawaii. God is raising up volunteers who want to help take the lead in making the dream of a restoration home for girls rescued out of sex trafficking a reality. We had our first official team meeting with over 30 people who were interested in various aspects of the project. We continue to pray for more “workers” especially in the areas of fundraising, event planning, and group home licensing. We met a wonderful woman who feels called to helping with land procurement. She is a developer here in Hawaii with many connections. She attends a church on the east side. I love her enthusiasm. Her story of ending up here in Hawaii and being drawn to the issue of trafficking is very inspirational. We are excited to work alongside her—what an answer to prayer!

I had the opportunity to share at the “Republicans for Life” luncheon. It was a great networking event as there were several political contacts in attendance. Through this event I was able to meet a man who is heavily involved in the Soroptomist of Honolulu. I was asked to come and speak at their luncheon a few days later. Candice and I participated in the luncheon.  The soroptomists have made human trafficking the focus of their mission over the next few years. They had heard about the domestic issue before, but our highlighting of the need for a long-term home was key. There was a great turnout with many interested individuals.

We are currently looking for more musicians to help record music specifically for Courage House Hawaii. This is one of our fundraising efforts.  The music we have gotten so far is incredible. We know you will all be encouraged by it. If you know anyone who may be interested in helping with this project, please let us know!

International Justice Mission had a very nice booth at the HIM conference in Honolulu. It is a huge, Christian-based conference with a wonderful turnout. We worked with them by helping at their booth and were able to talk to a lot of people and network for Courage House Hawaii as well. It was a very good outcome, and they gave a very inspiring lecture at the conference. The work they do globally is incredible in the fight against human trafficking, and they very much back everything we do in Hawaii! They were very encouraging to our members!

We have a prayer request to see an organized effort by Law Enforcement to recognize and act on behalf of sex trafficking victims in Hawaii. Recent article highlights concerns about how the state is handling sex trafficking as a whole. “Mainland crime experts suggested that lack of trafficking victims could be a reflection of the Honolulu Police Department’s overall approach toward prostitution.” This information was taken from http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2012/03/15/15152-cops-prostitutes-and-pimps-arrests-turn-up-no-trafficking-victims/.

We continue to pray for the location/land for Courage House. We know the King who has cattle on a thousand hills will provide the Promised Land for our girls. We are trusting for His timing and process. I truly believe that we are here on this planet at this time in history to be a part of the solution to the many problems that exist in our world today. For too long Satan has held our girls in oppression and the bonds of slavery—we have the keys to freedom. Everywhere we look there are needs. The big difference between “looking” and “seeing” is that when we just look, it’s easy to pass by, but when we “see”—truly see—it’s impossible not to act. Any one can look, but seeing leads to action.  We can no longer shut our eyes to the needs or the problems; we are part of the solution God has in store for rescuing and restoring broken lives. It’s too easy to say, “Someone needs to do something.” When we listen to His voice, we hear, “Yes, someone needs to do something and that someone is you.”  I believe God is raising up individuals who are seeing the problems and needs and want to take the next step—they are not satisfied with just looking but are beginning to “see” the needs and are rising up to meet them. He has equipped us with all we need to fulfill our purpose, but we have to rise to the occasion, take the step of faith, and be the change we want to see.

Jessica- Courage House Hawaii

We are seeing so much beauty at Courage House Tanzania! We’ve had several new friends join us at Courage House this month. Jay and Becca Ramirez came to spend two months here. They are so much fun to be around and keep the girls laughing. The girls only recently became Christians, so Jay and Becca have been walking through the Story of God with them. Revealing simple truths in a story form has been transformational in their faith. Additionally, they’re teaching the girls to express themselves and tell their stories through photography. I’ll never in my life forget the first time one of the girls looked through the camera lens. The emotional mixture of excitement and amazement was hilarious.

Nancy Musuruve, our Courage House Tanzania Group Home Administrator, also arrived toward the end of the month. That’s right folks; I finally have a partner. I could not be more excited to welcome her and all that she has to offer here at Courage House. She grew up in Kenya and lived in America, so culturally, she is the perfect combination. I know God has great plans to use her here!

Joshua (the son of one of the girls who now calls Courage House TZ home) had his first birthday on April Fool’s Day. He loves to laugh, and I can already tell he will be funny. What better day to celebrate his life? Birthday parties are not part of Tanzanian culture, especially for a one year old, but I couldn’t help myself. We baked a chocolate cake, and I had visions of him being so excited that he just shoved his face right in it. That didn’t happen, but the party was pretty stellar anyway. As I stood back and watched everyone laughing and talking, I was so humbled to remember all that God has already done in Joshua’s life. He was born as the product of sex trafficking to a young girl enslaved. Now, a year later, he is happy and healthy with a mom who loves him. Together they live in freedom and are discovering more about God’s plan for them every day. In Exodus, after Moses left the Tent of Meeting, Joshua would always remain (no doubt) desperate to encounter the Lord. I pray this precious Joshua has that same desperation!

Thank you, as always, for your continued prayers and support for the girls at Courage House Tanzania, as well as the volunteers and staff. We truly appreciate it.

-Lauren Edens, Courage House TZ

After carefully choosing their plants and flowers for their home, the girls planted a garden this month. And, boy did they ever plant! Rows of corn and butter beans, promises of lush watermelon, and lots of potatoes are hidden in the soil now. Watching the girls being willing to get dirty for the promise of new life was awe-inspiring. Laughter and joy were evident, and so were the realizations that they had over how strong they are!

Only God can tell the flowers when to bloom and the plants how to grow, and He does the same with our girls. We are watching seeds and hope being hidden away for the promise of a harvest. The girls are listening, considering, watching, and waiting for beauty to be found within them.

The girls are working hard. But, we have fun, too. Recently, we had an opportunity to quickly put on shorts and have a water war with bubbles, balloons, and lots of laughter. This all came about because we saw the sunshine come out and we wanted to play!

Yesterday, magnificent thunderstorms rolled across the sky at Courage House, and truly, God soaked His very presence on the hard work and labor of our girls. We know to expect tangible results in our garden this year. But, we also believe for tangible realities of hope and new life to come alive in our girls, for our staff, and for everyone connected to Courage House.

So the girls have been doing a lot of “marching” this month, if you want to call it that. When I think of marching, I think of moving forward with purpose and determination. That’s the goal here at the Courage House, and the girls are figuring that out.

No matter how far I take them or how long we go, they never stop. The pace slows down sometimes, but there’s never complaint or refusal, just excitement to be going. We just got back from camping at Lake Chala, which required lots of hiking and climbing to get to and from the inside of the crater.

Marching.

We started running in the evenings, which is a hilarious and exhausting adventure. Slow and steady.

Marching.

They’re also putting in extra effort for their schooling, some nights they stay up late quizzing each other about the day’s lessons.

Marching.

Spiritually and emotionally they are asking God to change them and renew them. Asking God to do a work of complete restoration.

Marching.

No matter what task is set before them, they’re marching forth, and it’s a beautiful journey. Maybe it’s easy to say that they are so motivated and intentional because they have come from a life of such difficulty and are working hard to not return there. Even if you’ve never been rescued from slavery or faced a challenge, I think we’d all do well to march forth.

God has so much more in store for all of us!

May you be overwhelmed today by the wonder of God’s goodness and love for you.

-Lauren Edens

The Courage House Hawaii team is so very excited to share what has been happening over the past month. As many of you know we had the opportunity to partner with Abolition Project and screen the movie Sex + Money, National Search for Human Worth. The event targeted raising awareness on the North Shore of Oahu about the issue of domestic minor sex trafficking. We had over 280 people attend the event! One of our local mothers whose daughter had been sex trafficked shared her story. It was extremely powerful and moving. Jeremy and I had the opportunity to share about Courage House and our vision for Hawaii. Jeremy felt lead to address the men specifically about the demand aspect and the issue of pornography. It was very bold and powerful. It was wonderful to be able to share with our small North Shore community about the issue, the need to protect our children, and the need to rescue and restore our girls trapped in this slavery. We were blessed with the presence of our local north shore representative Gil Rivere. He came to support our cause. We were amazed at how many people came forward wanting to help in vary diverse ways. We are praying God rises up an army of volunteers who will help in seeing this project to completion. The entire evening ran very smoothly. We had some very generous individuals who donated jewelry and cookies for the event.

In order to help promote the education to the public of what is happening in Hawaii we were able to attend several events. We spoke at the Sunset Beach Christian Church. The message was well received and many from this church attended the screening event. It’s so nice to have the local churches supporting our efforts. Also we attended a three church worship night and made an announcement about the video screening. The art fundraising event was a key piece in bringing attention to our event by handing out flyers and word of mouth. It was very nice of Hope Chapel Olomana women’s ministry to have us come with a table to their fundraiser event. It was refreshing to have these women coming alongside our team members and also drive a long way to attend the screening event that weekend. We hope these churches will continue to work alongside us more to put an end to sex trafficking! We are thankful for everyone who invited friends and Ohana to the successful movie screening in North Shore!

Over the past couple months there has been a steady stream of underage victims surfacing. Sadly, there are few options for the girls in Hawaii. We have been blessed to have a local psychiatrist help with placing girls in a safe location in one the facilities. It is a temporary solution. We all know that there needs to be a more permanent solution. We are working on a volunteer training program to help establish a team of mentors/victim advocates that can work with the girls that come into the system now.  We are praying for the right volunteers to step forward and that there will be a harmonious relationship between our team and the professionals that currently treat these victims.  

Hawaii is home to all branches of the military, which makes it a prime target for sex traffickers who seek to capitalize on military personnel in the area. I had the opportunity to do the yearly briefing/training for Jeremy’s infantry platoon on sex trafficking in Hawaii. It was an honor to spend the time with his soldiers and educate them on the issue of trafficking both internationally and domestically. It was the first time I shared in front of a “men only” audience. My take home message was- “Be the hero here at home”…Be the protectors not the perpetrators”.

We continue to pray for the land/location for Courage House Hawaii. We are working on the details for the licensing for the home.

The Lord is teaching me to be patient. He is also showing me that I need to “be still.” I have a hard time slowing down and resting.

My personality is one that sees a need and wants to fix everything about it now. I don’t want to wait. I want justice for those who have been wronged. I want a place for these girls. I don’t want them going another night on the street, alone, living in darkness and being abused.   I know the Lord will provide and I am excited to see what unfolds in the weeks to come. It is His work, His Battle- we are His soldiers in this fight against injustice

Blessings-

Jessica

Shouts of laughter and squeals of surprise were heard as we played Hide and Seek recently one night.  But, perhaps, the most precious moment was listening to one of the residents count creatively fast so she could go find her sisters.

After counting, she said, “Sisters, sisters, where are you?”

Another resident has fallen in love with “her horse.”  The horse will literally run up to “her girl” anytime she comes near.

Moments of childhood wonder and delight are becoming more evident here at Courage House as the girls take ownership of this dream and belief that they do deserve a childhood where safety and joy are evident.  They are young women of promise, young women of hope, young women who are believed in beyond all odds and earthly expectations.  They will change the world; they are already changing ours.

There was a special reason that Jesus said we needed to become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven and our girls show us this daily.  They show us innocence and wonder.  Our girls are believing in the dream of Courage House for themselves more and more now.  Your prayers and belief are changing their hearts.

Dreams of where they, too, believe in the hope and future God has called them to are fast becoming a reality.    We will walk through their days with them, and you do, too.

After preparing for two years, finding the perfect home, hiring and training staff, Courage Homes was ready to open in October. However, the license and girls did not come. In January, the co-directors revisited government officials. The government pledged to send girls and work on the licensing process at the same time. Within a week, Courage Homes received the first two girls. The first was not a case of trafficking, but of abuse, and after the abuser was put in jail that week, the girl went home. The second looked like a case of abuse too. Instead, as her story unfolded, it was clear that it was an ugly story of child sex trafficking. Two other girls were referred, this time with the police and rescue agencies. Word had gotten out that there was a healing, good home for girls rescued from sex trafficking. The government sped up the licensing process. The girls felt the warmth and safety of their new home and chose to be brave. They began telling their stories, people starting going to prison, the nation began to wake up to the issues of child sex trafficking, and trafficking laws in Delhi began to change . . . in less than two weeks. Then on Tuesday, in the middle of February, a big raid was done in one of the major brothels of Delhi. Five girls were delivered to Courage Homes! That same night, Courage Homes was called about another girl.. “Would you take her?” In less than a month, they went from no girls to ten girls. The staff is running, they are running to mandatory medical appointments, to court appointments, and to required home studies where they determine the safety of girls returning home, while others stay at home and the girls have counseling, life skills classes, and school. We rejoice! We pray! We marvel at what God can do if we just dare to say, “Yes!” And then we keep praying!

Note: We at Courage to Be You, Inc. are excited to share an update from Courage Homes India! While Courage Homes is not part of C2BU, we consider them our partners in fighting this evil of sex trafficking. Our good friends Kim and Troy, along with their daughters, relocated to India for a year to partner with an organization already onsite in Delhi to open a Courage Home. This group honored us at C2BU by choosing the name of Courage Home. We ask that you keep them group in your prayers as they enter into the war of restoring these precious children.

The Courage House is about an hour and a half from Moshi, on a good day. Someone recently asked me how many times I’ve driven that road and my brain hurt just trying to calculate. It’s like asking how many conversations you’ve had with a good friend. There’s evidence without concrete details. I know the road as well as I know any friend. Every bump, every gate, every bush with kids seeking refuge from the heat. I know where the sand is too deep, and which parts are going to be trouble when the rains come. While most people say it’s like a video game come to life, I find the drive to the Courage House has become my best thinking and praying time. It’s just routine. Until this past week…

I left the Courage House early in the morning, with two of the girls in tow. We were headed to town so they could travel further on to a funeral. Almost immediately upon exiting our village, my brakes went out. I asked Stella to say a prayer that God would go before us, and we continued on, very slowly. I knew the best places to downshift and which hills would help to slow us down. The dirt road was no big deal; we just stayed in second gear and coasted through.

When we got to the first gate, panic struck and I silently begged the Lord to clear the way. It was crazy. I generally stop at each of the five gates, talk to the guards, and they let us through. Usually nobody is ever in a hurry to let me through. So, we get closer to the gate, and I’m freaking out, ready to just bust through the line and pay for damages later. But no, the guy sees me, and lifts the barrier with a wave and a smile.

God, how’d you do that so beautifully?!

Ah, four more gates and same scenario. Gates open with no stop. I couldn’t believe it.

An hour later and we’re through the gates and on the paved road. The paved road of many speed bumps. The kind you have to slow down for, even in turbo. Thankfully, me and this old road, we’re friends. I managed to anticipate each bump and not pop a tire. If you’re keeping track, we’ve now clocked about an hour and a half of no brakes and lots of prayers. Amazing! We go through the final speed bump and head full speed ahead into town. The town is a maze of round-abouts, public transport, motorcycles, bicycles, wheelbarrows, random goats and small school children. I barely survive without incident in the best of circumstances, but now we were working with no brakes.

I still can’t quite say how it happened, but I managed to turn across traffic lanes, navigate around all pedestrians and arrive at our destination. I downshifted and stopped accelerating a good five minutes before, then yanked my emergency brake and crossed my fingers. We were there. But we weren’t inside the lines. So I tried to put it back in neutral and inch forward. Nothing would move. Everything was all locked up. I had to call the mechanic to come and move the vehicle, because nothing would work. We got out of the car and headed toward the bus stand for the girls to continue on the journey. One of the girls who now call Courage House Tanzania home grinned at me and said God had carried us to Moshi. The miracle is that we made it, but the beauty is in her grin. She’s always believed God existed, but never believed she was good enough for Him to love. After coming to Courage House, she decided to begin a relationship with Jesus, and it’s been so fun to watch her faith grow. She believes that He will do what He says. He says ask and you shall receive, so she asks. This past week, she received just what she asked for, a miracle.

-Lauren Edens

February flew by in a blink of an eye! This will be a shorter update as we are very busy preparing for our Community Awareness event this Saturday. We have spent the past few weeks sending emails, going to different businesses, schools, community sites on foot inviting people to come to the event. This has provided several divine appointments to discuss the issue. We have actually had quite a positive response. People seem to be interested! Candice and I had the opportunity to be on the local news in order to highlight the event. We have no idea how many people or who is coming to the event, but we know God has handpicked who he wants to be there. We want to love on our community through bringing awareness to the issue of sex trafficking of children in the US. We want to equip our local families with knowledge of the issue and the potential risk this crime poses to our children. We plan to highlight the need for Courage House Hawaii at the event. Jeremy and I will be sharing about the vision of Courage House.

In preparation for this week, the Lord has taken me to Isaiah 60, vs 1-2 which says— “Arise, Shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the people but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” We realize daily that we are living in the midst of a lost and dark world. Isaiah recognized that the nation was living in a dark time. Economic crisis, war, addiction, disease, and crime all plagued the nation. Does this sound familiar? As King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes there is nothing new under the sun. The battles haven’t changed much throughout the ages, but with each new generation we have to engage in this war against injustice. Isaiah 60 speaks of restoration as well. Gods plan was to rebuild the city through his people whom he had rescued from exile and slavery so they would be light to other nations. His light illuminating every dark place through THEM. ARISE, SHINE… for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. God sees his daughters living in captivity and we have a means to help them. We are at war for their souls. Satan has long had his hand and foothold on this industry, but we are taking it back.

We are rising up we have a war to fight, and God’s glory will light the way. We look forward to God continuing to move!

Jessica Munoz