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Happy New Year! I am filled with the wonder of a small child this time of year. It is a new day, a new week, a new month and a new year! I love new! I love change, and lives are changing here at C2BU and at Courage House. It has been amazing to welcome girls home to Courage House NorCal and Courage House Tanzania, and to see the journeys of healing and transformation begin.

My own life has changed as well. It has been a change that began with a simple question God asked me eleven years ago …. “Do you have the courage to be you – the you I created?” He whispered to my heart that I was created on purpose for a purpose and if I didn’t go do “it,” it would never get done.

“Every man and woman is born into the world to do something unique and something distinctive and if he or she does not do it, it will never be done.” Dr. Benjamin Mays

Those words create a constant urgency inside of me to be and do all God has created me to. But it does take courage! My life was totally recalibrated when I made the intentional decision to seek God for the answers to the questions “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” It has been such an incredible journey because when I went in search of Him for my answers, I found ME – the ME He created me to be. Once I realized that I was truly “created on purpose for a purpose” I wanted everyone I knew, and even complete strangers, to also discover this mind-bending; life-altering truth. That is why we created a Courage Conference: a time and place you can just focus on you and dive into the journey of purpose you were created for. A Courage Conference is all about YOU (and your spouse, your friends and your kids, so please invite them too!), and about discovering your true identity so that you (and your family and friends) can fulfill your destiny!

Please join us on February 3 & 4 in Roseville, California for an amazing conference all about discovering the you God created you to be! Adventure Christian Church is our host. My friends Barb Wilson, Aquanetta Gordon and Clayton Butler will also be speaking and The Reel, Chaya and Stephanie Midthun will be performing. There will be music, dance, drama and amazing stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to change their world, one individual at time. Please join us. And if you don’t live in our area, contact us at c2bu.org and we’ll bring a Courage Conference to you! I pray you have the courage to be you!

The Courage To Be Me
By Jenny Williamson

There are two me’s
inside of me.
The one I am.
The one I long to be.

The one I am
is familiar and true.
She expects so little of me,
yet dreams of more, too.
She seems somewhat less
while wanting something more.
But comfort surrounds her soul,
keeping her safe to the core.

Now that other ME,
inside of me,
is the opposite for sure.
She plots and plans
her escape from the same.
She longs to do more,
to see more,
to be more,
all the while using my name!

The one me and the other
were once the same child.
But as time hurried onward
I lost her somehow.
I gradually began
wanting others to see,
just a mirror, a reflection
of themselves, instead of me.

I am not aware
of when the thought first occurred.
Or when I recognized the truth,
but slowly I heard,
“How did this happen or come to be?
When did you become less,
so much less
that I designed you to be?”

At first I grew sad,
experienced a terrible ache.
I began to ponder
all that was at stake.
Another thought surfaced,
as scary as the last,
what if others needed me to be me?
Then I better become me, and fast!

A heavy sigh I let out,
as I began to pray.
“Lord grant me the courage,
(on this very day)
to cease to be
more of the same.
But for me to become me
and forever remain.”

I then asked a question
of my Father so true,
“What does she look like—
this little girl I once knew?”
“Ah,” he said,
“In her I delight—
let me tell you her secrets
and how to give her life.”

“She’s as beautiful as a sunset.
An original of mine.
Man’s approval does not matter,
as she completes her design.
She sings with the angels,
dances only for My smile.
Laughs with abandon,
knowing she is here for a short while.”

“What are you afraid of?”
My Father asked of me.
“Don’t you know by now
your purpose to be?
Lean close while I tell you
what you are longing to know.
I created you only; only so—
that you would be the “me” I designed you to be.”
“Nothing more, my beloved one.
Settling for less cannot be done.
Take my hand and with courage soar
To the dreams and destiny
I have in store.
Safety and comfort are not yours to be
But a life lived fully so others can see
that they too were created with a destiny.”

I like talking better than I like writing. I’d rather be sharing my heart and my words with you face to face over a cup of coffee or on a long walk instead of through this vehicle called “a blog.” Every time I attempt to type words on a sheet of paper, they feel inadequate and small compared to all that I am feeling and experiencing these days! My heart and life are so full that words do not seem to suffice or reflect the intensity of it all. Instead of writing to you, I wish I could show you–show you what the fulfillment of a dream looks like. I wish I could take you out to Courage House here in Northern California and walk beside you on the trail that goes around the entire property and watch peace surround you as it does me every time I am there. I shared that walk at Thanksgiving with the young ladies that now call Courage House home and some other very precious people in my life–people who believed in the dream of Courage House before there was any tangible evidence. That walk, that day, and that home is the fulfillment of a long held dream and an answer to a prayer, one I didn’t even know I prayed.

Ever since my family moved to California twenty years ago, I have longed to recreate the Thanksgiving of my childhood in Tennessee. Rolling hills. Wide open spaces. Loud laughter. Food with way too much butter in it! Horses. Dogs. Kids. Adults. Family — so many that you didn’t know everyone’s name. That was the dream God put on my heart: a home filled with family and with people who believe in you.

All of that happened at Courage House this Thanksgiving. My entire family was there. The family that was born to me, the family I married, the family I adopted, the family I chose and the family God divinely brings to me. A friend of mine whispered in my ear on Thanksgiving Day at Courage House (as we were piling our plates high with food that was destined to clog our arteries), “Take a moment to enjoy all of this; it is the fulfillment of a dream.”

Another place I wish I could take you is to Tanzania, Africa so I could show you Courage House there! The drive is one that I never tire of though I don’t get to travel it often enough. If you are blessed with a clear day, Mt. Kilimanjaro is the backdrop for your drive. There are hundreds of kids enthusiastically waving to you, smiling the biggest, most beautiful smiles as you drive through their villages on the way to Courage House. If I could take you there, I’d show you the church that my seventy-five year old daddy built by hand last year in one of those villages and the garden he helped put in at Courage House. I’d introduce you to the three young ladies that now call Courage House home and to Joshua, the baby boy of one of our girls. A baby at Courage House! That too is a fulfillment of a dream! (God whispered to my heart years ago that Courage House would have babies.) I’d introduce you to Lauren Eden, an amazing twenty-something-year-old young woman who left everything she loved in Mississippi to follow the dream God put on her heart – to be a dispenser of His justice, His grace and transforming love in a remote village in Africa. Lauren has lived in Moshi, a small town in Tanzania, Africa located at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro for three years entirely by faith, waiting for God to fulfill the dream he put on her heart, while at the same time pursuing it with her entire heart. This week, that dream was fulfilled. I think I heard Lauren’s shouts of joy all the way from Africa!
I promise you that words will never convey what Lauren and I are experiencing and feeling. The only way you will ever understand it is if you too have experienced it; the pursuing of a dream with all your heart, risking what our society calls comfort, security and safety to see if fulfilled, believing in something you cannot see when no one else does, and praying you aren’t crazy or just dead wrong! I have such a passion for YOU to experience this same thing: the fulfillment of a God-sized dream.

With the New Year fast approaching, I am reminded that it has been seven years since Courage to Be You, Inc. was founded and God gave me the dream of equipping, encouraging and empowering others to dream big, live large and laugh loud™ as well as fulfill their own God-given dreams and purpose. My prayer for you this Christmas season is that God will give you a dream too big for you to fulfill, but one that He longs to so that you can understand what I am trying to say. You were created on purpose for a purpose™ and if you don’t do what you were created to do, someone’s prayer will go unanswered and your dream will go unfulfilled.

This New Year, I pray you will have the courage to be you! Thank you so much for being a part of my dream and for being the answer to my prayer when I prayed, “God where is your church? Where are your people? How will I ever do this alone?” Through your giving, your volunteering and your prayers, you not only helped fulfill my dream, but the dreams of the girls that now call Courage House home.

From all of us at Courage to be You, thank you and Merry Christmas!

“Thank you for everything; you’ve given me a home that is overflowing with love.  It is hard to accept it all sometimes, but just knowing and being able to feel its presence is so healing to my soul.  You have given me hope and drive to fulfill my purpose.  I never thought I was going to be anything and now just after one month at Courage House I have more hope than I’ve ever had in my entire lifetime.  I actually have a future thanks to you.  You filled me with something that is missing or maybe you helped me to let God now fill that missing piece; either way – thank you.  I am finally safe.  This will be my forever home if you will have me.”

These words are from a beautiful young lady who now calls Courage House home; she wrote them to me last week on my 51st birthday. However, these words don’t just belong to me; they belong to every person who believed and shared in the dream God birthed inside of me almost four years ago. This precious girl also wanted to share the following words of gratitude with you: “I want to thank everyone for my new home, my new life.” Because you believed, because you prayed and because you financially gave, she is finally safe, living in a loving home and believing she has value and a destiny. Thank you!

I could barely contain my excitement the day I went to juvenile hall to pick up another “daughter,” another princess, who would call Courage House home!  We had fought daily in prayer and in court for her to come home to Courage House. We-SHE-needed a miracle to occur in order for that to happen.  After three long months, our prayers were answered. I wish I could share all the details of the many miracles God accomplished on her behalf, but I will share her words to sum up the journey best. Our newest daughter simply said, “It’s obvious God wanted me at Courage House!” Thank you for bringing her home and being an integral part of God’s plan.

In other joyous news, our peer mentors celebrated their seventeen month anniversary at Courage House and publicly gave their testimonies at the Natalie Grant Concert and Courage Gala. Through Courage House, God has given our girls amazing “testimonies” that glorify Him, instead of the evil that perpetuates the crime of sex trafficking. Their past doesn’t define them, but their destinies will! They are already changing this world and have touched thousands of lives. Thank you for giving; thank you for bringing these young women home.

Our daughters at Courage House are called princesses.  As they daily walk the incredible journey to their true identity and destiny, we’ll be sharing their highlights with you through their princess blogs, original poems, and thoughtful writings, which are posted on our website and enews under Princess Blog.

Four lives have been changed because you believed and you gave financially to bring them home! We have more daughters who are ready to be welcomed to Courage House; however, the state of California is broke. This means, in order for us to bring more girls home to Courage House, we are going to have to take more “private placements.”  A private placement means we have to raise the money for their care, just as we did for the property, because the state or their families cannot provide the necessary funds to provide quality care for these girls. Because of the financial constraints of the state, we are seeing placement agencies (Child Protective Services and Probation at Juvenile Hall) sending “our daughters” back to unsafe homes where they continue to run. This breaks my heart! We have had six intake interviews within the last week from Reno, Nevada to San Diego, California, with moms, grand moms and desperate girls begging us to bring them home to Courage House.

My takeaway from our situation is that God intends for his people to bring these girls home for the holidays, not the government, not the state of California! Let us bring four more girls home to Courage House for Christmas!  We are asking God for a $300,000 miracle by the end of the year to accomplish all of this.  Will you help us?  Will you call them family and bring our daughters home for the holidays?

It is easy; simply click on the link below to donate.

Thank you for believing in our precious daughters. Thank you for bringing four more girls home for the holidays. Thank you for changing this world, one life at a time.

May God bless you as much as you have blessed each child.

Jenny Williamson

“Blessed is she who believed for there will be fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45

For three years, I have believed. I have believed with all my heart that pure evil is the instigator behind what many of us are now calling sex trafficking. Sex trafficking… That is an interesting way to describe the rape, abuse and torture of children who are being repeatedly sold for sex as if their bodies were a reusable commodity. I have heard it said the reason why sex trafficking or human trafficking will one day bring a higher yield than the drug trade is because a drug you can only use once … but a child: they can be used and sold, over and over again.

For three years, I have believed. I have believed that God will bring justice to those who participate in this evil and that he will shine a bright light in the darkness where this evil festers and grows so that the young captives can be set free. I have believed that God will build an army of his people to go into the ends of the earth preaching the good news and setting the captives free. In this year, that dream is being fulfilled.

For three years, I have believed. I have believed that when these precious daughters are released from the darkness, the only thing they will need is a safe home, someone to believe in them and call them family, as well as tangible tools to equip, encourage and empower them in their healing and ultimately in their God-given destiny.

I have believed for three years that God called us at C2BU to help build these types of homes around the world. We call them Courage Houses because it does take courage to walk out of the darkness of your past, engage in the necessary steps to ensure your future and then lend a hand to others coming out of the same horror. In this year, that dream is being fulfilled as we said, “Welcome home,” to children in Northern California and in Tanzania, Africa.

I have believed for three years these daughters would one day call Courage House home. This year, that dream is being fulfilled. I am overwhelmed at the goodness of our God. I am overwhelmed by the sacrifice of the team that works and volunteers at C2BU and Courage House. I am overwhelmed by the simple truth that believing in something bigger than yourself enables God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Wholeness and holiness are being experienced at Courage House because of that belief.

As I reflect, trying to articulate all that is in my heart, I think one of the hardest things for me to explain to you is that you matter – your prayers; your money; your belief in our efforts to build these homes. All of this has changed lives and will continue to change more lives. More than a single life, together we are changing the world! The song that C2BU Artist Cameron wrote for our efforts, “What if you believed you could change the world?” stays with me constantly. I do believe, for I have seen evidence this year as young girls have come home to Courage House. Thank you. Thank you for believing in us.

-Jenny Williamson,

Founder and CEO, C2BU

It has been a month filled with blessings at C2BU! The Courage Concert was amazing, the Courage Awards Gala was beyond what we could have imagined, and, most importantly, we have welcomed our first princess home to Courage House NorCal. I am overwhelmed with gratefulness as I think about all that God has done through all of you and your sacrifice of time, talent, and treasure, as well as through the volunteers and staff at Courage to Be You. It is so humbling to see how He has taken the dream He placed in my heart years ago and turned that dream into reality.

Yet this is only the beginning.

Please take a minute to read the blog updates in this enews and be inspired by the miracles that are happening and the lives that are being changed. The journey of restoration and healing is now underway for some, but there are many more who need to come home. There are many more who have yet to discover how much God loves them. There are many more who need to be rescued and told that they were created on purpose for a purpose™, that they are precious in God’s sight, and that they are unconditionally loved.

My prayer and the call from my heart is that, as you read this, you will be touched by the stories and lives being shared and you will be inspired to help us change the world, one individual at a time.

I have seen and heard things during the past four years that I didn’t know existed in the world I live in. Things I still find very hard to reconcile with my own life. Things I find hard to believe are real. But I know they are even if I don’t want to believe them. At first, I found evidence of these “things” by researching a new, now in-vogue and politically correct term called “sex trafficking.” I was horrified by the reams of research and data available on this topic simply by surfing the internet. I was paralyzed by the sheer volume of statistics and reports stating that slavery of this kind is alive and well on our planet. I’m old enough, have watched enough evening news, and have seen enough Law and Order episodes on T.V. to conjure up a few visual images to go with this term sex trafficking. But then, as a result of what I believe was the divine hand of God, I began to meet, to talk to and literally fall in love with young girls who have lived through the torture of what we have come to softly label sex trafficking.

“Lived through” – now that is an interesting way to put it. A victim of, survivor – all words trying to describe someone who has lived through a type of pain and humiliation uncommon to most of us. There are no adequate words available in any language to describe what these children have endured. It does not seem the words I read in my research, the images from the TV new segments nor could my own imagination invoke the true details of the disgusting, repulsive and atrocious acts committed by adults against children often called throw-ways by our society. These children–children I now call my daughters–are truly the most courageous human beings I have ever had the privilege of meeting.

There is a part of me that wants to shock you with the details of what I know. Details of the sadistic, inhuman and violent acts committed against children, children I know and love. I want to tell you because there is a part of me that believes if you knew, if you really knew what I now know, you too would have no choice but to totally recalibrate your own life to fight for this group of invisible and extremely vulnerable children. I guess I so desperately want to believe that if you really knew what they went through then you would move heaven and earth to save them. I want to believe that if I shared with you the details of their lives then you would give your life and all your resources to help them discover their true identity and destiny. I really want to believe that you would give and do whatever it takes to give them what they so desperately long for … a family.

But sadly, more often than not, people remain unmoved even after some of these courageous, amazing young women share their own stories. Oh people cry. They shake their heads in disbelief. They hold up a hand as if to stop the words from penetrating their hearts and allowing them to change their lives. But the majority return to their lives unmoved and unchanged. If we consider the details of their stories too much to bear then we insult them since they are the ones who had to endure the blows and carry the shame.

I don’t understand. I really don’t understand. So I won’t tell you the details I carry in my heart and in my mind on this blog. You won’t find the girls’ stories on our website or Facebook fan page so you can “like” them. I won’t let the news media “interview a victim.” I won’t exploit my daughters further just to raise awareness or funds or to satisfy some people’s curiosity. It is not my story to tell. It is my very humble but very strong opinion that this issue and these kids have to be one that you will give your life to before you are afforded the privilege and honor of hearing their stories. But my daughters disagree with me. They want to share their personal stories with you even though it is difficult at times to relive and recount those memories. But they do it for the children who are still enduring this evil. They do it with the hope that it will move you to action; with the hope you will give a child what they have been given. They don’t do it to sadden you or burden you with the details of their past. They tell their stories only so that you know there is still a God who hears the prayers of hurting children and to testify that He is still in the business of rescuing the lost, redeeming the slave and resurrecting the dead. They want you to know that He does this through people; very ordinary people like you and like me. They tell their stories so you will know that you have the power to change the world, one individual at a time. It is your purpose, your destiny. But it does take courage. And it will take sacrifice. It is worth it though – worth everything to experience the miracle of partnering and participating with God in rescuing and restoring the life of a child.

If you are reading this blog, then you are probably already a Facebook “fan,” a volunteer or follower of our organization. If you are reading these words, then you probably already know that our organization builds homes for children rescued from sex trafficking here in the United States and around the world. In my role as director of this effort, I often find myself with the task of making people aware of this issue and then finding the words that will compel you to care enough that you will give of your time, your talents and your treasures to help us. But I’m afraid I’m not a fundraiser. I’m not an abolitionist. I’m just a mom. A mom, whose daughters are being raped, abused and sold for sex on a daily basis. That fact places an urgency inside of me and compels me to do things I hate to do … one, ask for money and two, ask for help. But we need both.

A few children–a few of my daughters–have been rescued, but there are so many more who have not. Do you care? Will you care? Will you help me, help us rescue and restore these kids? This plea is not from some organizational capacity but from my heart, the heart of a mother…
“The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene …” Isaiah 59:15b-16a

Join us in intervening – in changing the world, one individual at a time. It is your purpose. But it will take courage and sacrifice. Here are some ways you can do that…

This is such an exciting time for C2BU! I just returned from Tanzania, Africa and announced by faith that we opening our doors at Courage House Nor Cal and Tanzania on August 1st. Kids will come call Courage House home and we will call them family! In addition, we are also embarking on some new ventures here at C2BU that I’m excited to tell you about. As you know, C2BU is self-funded for all of its administrative overhead so that nearly 100% of all donations go directly to building homes for children rescued out of trafficking. One of the ways we intend to continue to support our administrative costs is through a variety of avenues that will provide funding, such as our Courage merchandise and through Courage publications. As part of this, I’ve been writing a book about courage and purpose. It is a story about how God still uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things, how everyone was created on purpose for a purpose™. I’m excited to share more about the book here on my blog and get input from you as well! Today, I’ll tell you about how the book got started, and for the next few months, I’ll be sharing excerpts here. Be sure to stop by and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you!

For a very long time I believed courage was a personality trait and one that I was not born with. I do not have, nor have I ever had, a desire to pursue adrenalin producing adventures and activities . My preferences are activities that produce feelings of comfort, safety and security. Sunday afternoon naps are high on that list as is reading a good book, taking a hot bath and enjoying a glass of California produced red wine made by a winemaker I know who creates award winning wines year after year. I am an expert at avoiding surprises and anything that could possibly invoke fear or uncertainly like trading stocks, 100% commission sales jobs, vacations with strangers, new restaurants or starting a non-profit organization! I like my feet to be on solid ground at all times and I like to know exactly what is about to happen at least five years in advance.

As you can imagine, flying through the jungle on a zip line, bungee jumping off a bridge or parachuting from an small twin engine airplane are not on my bucket list. For those of you who do these things on a regular basis and enjoy them, you may not need to read my book. If courage is naturally in your DNA, you are probably already living a courageous, purpose-filled life, changing the world one individual at a time. But if you are like me–bravery challenged–I pray you will be equipped, encouraged and empowered as you read this book. For I believe before time began, God imagined us, planned us and created us on purpose for a purpose ™. I believe we all want to change the world, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and to have people say it matters that we live. Those things, as opposed to extreme sports, are what caused me to begin a journey of purpose … though I was told upfront it would require courage!

Growing up in the bible belt (aka Mississippi) we were taught two very important things at a very young age: go to church on Sunday and go to football games any chance you got. Now, football required courage if you played or admitted you were an Ole Miss Rebel or New Orleans Saints fan in the 1970s and 80s… but faith requiring courage? No, I was not taught that living a life of faith or following God would require courage, unless you were one of those “foreign missionaries” who went to faraway places to teach the natives about God. I personally did not know anyone who was courageously pursuing their destiny; I don’t know that I even heard that word used in the company I kept. Everyone I knew was just trying to pay their bills, keep their kids safe, go on vacation once a year and retire at the age allowed. Please hear my heart; there is absolutely nothing wrong with that way of life except it is not what we were created for! The message, whether covert or overt, when I was growing up was don’t do anything risky. Based on the frequency I heard, “Go to college, get a job and get married,” (in that order) I assumed that was what I was born to do. Thus, I hope you can appreciate my reaction when at the ripe old age of forty-something (when I had accomplished two out of the three destiny choices –the job and marriage), I believe I heard God ask me–rather challenge me–with the question that changed the entire trajectory of my life:

“Do you have the courage to be you – the you I created?”

“Heck no!” was my reaction.

I didn’t even hesitate with my answer or contemplate the mystery of being addressed directly by the God of the universe. As a mere afterthought, after a nano-second of reflection , I added incredulously, “I don’t do scared,” for it was obvious that question had huge overtones and implications of fear-producing activities. But … I also remember secretly thinking to myself, certainly God couldn’t read my mind… “Why is it going to take courage to be me?” I have to admit, God had my attention and I was intrigued. When I later felt the whispered words, “You were created on purpose for a purpose,” He had me! Afraid or not, God had successfully planted an urgency and passion in me to know why I was created and what was I created to do.

Courage and purpose are two of my favorite words now and the topic of my book. With the announcement this week of the opening of Courage House Nor Cal and Courage House Tanzania on August 1st of this year, I shudder to think what might have happened if I had said no to God. It is overwhelming to realize that your destiny and your purpose may be the answer to someone’s prayers.

Are you on your own journey of purpose or, like me several years ago, do you have no idea how to start? No matter where you are in the process, I’d love to hear your story!

C2BU Founder Jenny Williamson was recently awarded the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Community Spirit Award for 2011 by District Attorney Jan Scully. This prestigious award recognizes community members or organizations who exemplify an unwavering commitment to the safety and well being of the community. Jenny was selected for the award for the work that she has done in the greater Sacramento region that has given attention and brought hope to issues involving human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and building Courage Houses in the community and abroad. The award will be presented on May 5th, 2011. In addition to this award, Jenny received the FBI Director’s Leadership Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C..

I am beyond excited and just plain jumping up and down giddy! We are days, literally days, away from getting our group home license for Courage House NorCal! Which means we are weeks away from welcoming girls home to Courage House NorCal! In addition, we received a $30,000 donation designated to expedite the opening of Courage House Tanzania! Lauren Edens (C2BU’s director there) is beginning to interview and hire staff for the home there!

The C2BU Nor Cal Licensing Team met with the California State Licensing Board during early April to review the final updates to the Courage House program statement. The state licensing board was extremely complimentary and supportive of the years worth of work it took our volunteer team to take the vision God had given me and translate that into a 900 page application and program statement the state of California could approve. After a few minor revisions to the application, the state then scheduled our site inspection. On April 12th that inspection was held. Every bed was beautifully made with soft, new comforters in neon colors, fragrant flowers were placed in vases throughout the house and every staff member stood ready, waiting to show off their hard work from the past 12 months. We all had butterflies! Much to our amazement, the only improvements we were required to make was to replace 2 screens on bedroom windows, raise a section of the fence around the pond one inch and vacuum the windowsills! With 50 acres, that is nothing short of a miracle and a testimony to the hundreds, dare I say thousands, of volunteer hours given by many who sacrificed their time, talents and treasure to do what needed to be done to accelerate the process of gaining the approvals we need to open Courage House and welcome girls home! Now we wait! We been given the date of April29th as the day to expect our provisional license! We have no doubt we will receive it!

So by faith, we have scheduled a celebration event to thank God and honor YOU and all those who not only believed in the dream of Courage House NorCal and Tanzania but also who contributed in tangible ways to make it a reality. The event will be held on May 1, 2011, at First Baptist Church in Elk Grove. Please join us! It will be an amazing night of music, prayer, laughter, tears and celebration! We will “remember” all that God has done in the past and all that He is fulfilling today! We will be releasing the new music video “Who will call me family” as well as presenting C2BU’s prestigious “Water Walker, Giant Slayer, History Maker” annual . The 2010 honoree is Vicki Zito. Vicki’s courageous stance and bold voice in the fight against sex trafficking made her a unanimous choice for this award. We will also honor our 350 certified volunteers as well as our law enforcement partners, c2bu staff and board of directors. We are also praying that Lauren Edens will be able to join us from Tanzania via SKYPE if we get an internet connection!

We are also so excited to provide you with a new 5 minute video update that includes live footage from Courage House NorCal. I long to bring everyone “home” to see Courage House here or take you half way across the world to see the Courage House in Tanzania! But the reality is that we must keep the location of Courage Houses secret so the girls who live there will remain safe. I hope the visuals on this video will encourage and remind you in a very tangible way of the need to pray for the first six girls who will call Courage House home here in the Sacramento area as well as Tanzania. I often wonder what their names are. What they look like, how will they adjust to their new home. I get anxious wondering if they will let us love them. I feel like I did when I was pregnant awaiting the arrival of each of my babies … excited, scared and so ready for them to be here! I pray as you watch this video you will also!

Watch Courage House Video Here

Bless you, bless you, bless you!.. “Not by might, not by power but by God’s spirit!” these homes will be open soon!

Jenny