Comings & Goings!

We've had a few more changes here at Freedom Firm the past few weeks.. In my last post, I talked about how how of the girls left the program, reunited with her family. Well, coincidentally, the very next morning, someone showed up on the doorstep of the girls' house...

The girl who arrived is a previous Freedom Firm participant. She was here about 7 months ago, but her father also came to collect her, with the promise of having a marriage arranged for her. For whatever reason, it seems that didn't happen, and due to an intense amount of conflict (suspected abuse) within her family, she ran away and came back to Freedom Firm. It's been quite an adjustment, and I can see that this girl is still very vulnerable, even after being in the program almost 2 years previously. I'm definitely in need of some God-given peace while spending time with her.

So as one leaves, one comes.. but then another leaves! This past Friday, we had a graduation celebration for one of the girls who will be leaving to go start another workshop in another city for rescued girls. She's a very strong individual (which can be both good and bad..!), and I feel so excited for her to start a new time in her life. She has also faced an intensely difficult time earlier in her life, but the way God has redeemed her and brought her strengths out to glorify Him is very evident. We all have a feeling she's going to impact many people in a very strong way - she will surely be used by God!

We had another very exciting celebration today, as two of the girls were baptised! They shared a short testimony in front of the church about how God has reached them, the way He loves them, the way Freedom Firm staff have ministered to them and taught them, the way they hold Jesus in their heart, and the joy they have experienced in knowing Him. It was a really beautiful and exciting time. The pastor shared with the congregation beforehand about how if you look at the genealogy of Jesus, God used people who were unfavourable in the eyes of society; particularly prostitutes. He shared about the way God redeems people, washes them clean, and uses them for such good things. It was such a beautiful reminder of how these girls who have been subjected to such evil are now beautiful creations in the eyes of God, and of us! It was really wonderful to witness :)

As far as I personally go - I am doing well. The girls can be quite draining at times, but I have some nice down time (and time with my housemates) to recuperate. I am learning that I need to continue leaning on God the same way I did in Rwanda, when I was feeling so low, even when I feel so much stronger than I did then - even in the times where things are going well, I still need to go running to him. I have had to take some time to re-surrender this trip to Him, and allow Him to do with it what He wants, instead of sticking to my own agenda. Already I have seen results of this (only one day after I prayed about it!) in the way I have been able to support a missionary family I know here. They work with prisoners, and this specific project involves bringing supplies for women to make jewellery in order to: give them something to do, and to also bring in a small wage. I've been really excited to be able to sell some of the pieces in the States to help fund the project, as all the money used so far was my friend's personal savings. If you're interested in looking/purchasing (I will be making deliveries once I return to the States in May) there's a link at the bottom of this post (it's all hand-made and really cheap!) :)

I thank you all for reading, please continue in praying for me as I finish out the last 6 weeks of this long journey! I appreciate you all so much.

Much love,

Bronte.

Click HERE to see handmade Indian jewellery to support prison ministries!

ALSO! I have really been enjoying sending/receiving MAIL :) so if you'd like to write or receive a letter my address is:

Bronte Hughes

C/O Freedom Firm

78/85 Indu Sadan

Glenrock

Ooty, Tamil Nadu 643001

INDIA

:)

care means nothing.

Hello again my beautiful, wonderful, faithful blog readers! (and welcome to those of you who have newly joined the cyber-version of my journey!)

It’s time again - time for me to set off on another foot of my journey. In just 3 days, I will head off to India.

A couple of weeks ago (here comes that brutal honesty you all enjoy… ha), I would have given anything to get back on a plane to America and just say goodbye to this trip (again..). But, today, the Lord is faithful and kind and merciful to hear my cry! How beautiful is it to see His promises in scripture come true (finally…! Just kidding.. who am I to question His timing?!)

I have been lucky to be able to be in contact with the two girls I will be living with in India – both about my age, which is a nice touch. I am looking forward to meeting them.

But, as I have been thinking about this next part of my trip, I realised I had to remind myself of something that I wrote about earlier (I think in my second post). WHY am I doing this?? I was sitting in church yesterday (I admit, my mind may or may not have wandered after this point came to me, spurred by something the pastor had said..hehe). I am an emotional person – perhaps you are too – maybe those sad ads on the TV or the sad videos on Facebook or the sad stories in the magazines just make you feel sad and horrified and like the world is just an ugly place. I know I feel that way sometimes – I think ‘How can SUCH evil exist?’ But here’s the thing: an emotional reaction basically means, well..nothing. When I feel sad or offended or angry at a situation or issue, that emotion really has no effect on any situation other than my own..how selfish am I?? A reACTION, really, doesn’t mean a thing until it becomes an ACTION. What purpose does my care or compassion really serve if it ultimately does nothing for those I feel it for? How dare I sit and cry or sit and be disgusted or sit and condemn those who commit evil if I’m not willing to get up and DO something about it! That is vain, selfish, shallow, and a misuse of the emotional capabilities (+ whatever other gifts I feel He has created me for) that God has placed within me. It’s time to stop seeing, watching, reading, feeling – and DO. A verse that seems to have followed me my entire life is Micah 6:8 – and what does the Lord require of you? To DO justice, to love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. Not think about justice, not want justice, not like justice – but to DO justice.

So, I am feeling excited to finally get to live this out. Don’t get me wrong, I am still nervous! I don’t typically don’t get along very well with transitions.. and I’m really sick of airports and planes.. ha! But, overall, I feel excitedly-anxious for what is ahead of me.

If you are pray-ers, I would appreciate your help!

• That I would transition quickly and easily to my life in India – I REALLY struggled with this in Rwanda, so I don’t want a repeat of that!
• That God will really bless the relationships I have with both my housemates, and the other workers at Freedom Firm.
• That God will quickly heal any negative emotions I will feel leaving Australia and arriving in India – that He would remind me of the things written in this post as I go through this next phase.

THANKS AS ALWAYS! You guys are more encouraging than you know!

P.S. Check out Freedom Firm (click here!) if you are not yet familiar with them..

"You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered down occasional hope that you'll get to tomorrow. Intention without action is useless" - Caroline Myss

'"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." - Matthew 25:40

big changes.

It is after much anxiety, many tears, many prayers, and much consideration, that I have decided that I will no longer be working with New Hope Homes here in Rwanda. It has been very confusing to try to understand why God would have allowed me to fly all the way to Rwanda only to feel that He is not calling me to work with this ministry, but I have full confidence that that is what He wants, and what is best.

At New Hope, the kids are provided for and so well taken care of, that I have realised that I am not truly being a servant – I have been treated so well that I function more as a guest, and an onlooker of other’s hard work, and that is not why I came to Rwanda. I came to offer something – to be helpful, and to be useful. The Aunties and Uncles work so very hard, that I see nothing left for me to do to serve in this ministry. It is hard to not feel guilty about leaving, but I have peace about the fact that God will bring me to a place where I can truly live out the things that made me want to come on this trip in the first place. And I have the peace of knowing that in my leaving, these kids will still be immensely loved and cared for. I am disappointed that this has happened, as it has been beautiful to get to meet these kids, but I also trust that I have to follow the paths where I see God being able to use me as much as possible. I have not yet found that path – I am still searching for work to do here in Rwanda, fully hoping that there is some group here that could truly use my help and where I can truly serve people.

So, as of Sunday, I will be moving into a house with two other women I met through the Bible Study I have been attending. This has been a huge answer to prayer. I have been praying constantly for God to somehow arrange things to work out to somehow let me know that I am in fact meant to be here in Rwanda (in all honesty it has been so tempting to just get on a flight out of here). Last night, I had been planning to go to Bible Study, but it looked like rain was coming, so I decided to set out an hour early and just wait at a friends house until it started. However, as I went to put on my shoes, the rainy season of Africa hit.. I was praying that God would please stop the rain (a petty request, but I had been looking forward to Bible Study all week). Half an hour before Bible Study was meant to start, I realised the rain had stoped – I rushed to get my stuff together and rushed out the door hoping to find a moto driver who would be willing to take me (the motos tend to stop when it rains). It took a while, but I eventually found one. I was already so thankful to God for stopping the rain. In Bible Study we shared some needs and problems we are currently going through, so I shared that I am struggling to find my purpose here in Rwanda. After Bible Study, the woman who runs it and hosts it, asked me what was going on exactly. By the time I got home, she had called me and offered me the spare room in their house. Funnily enough, our study last night was about trusting God’s promise of provision. I am in awe of how good He has been, not only to grant me somewhere to live, but to allow me to live with two really great people, to be surrounded by people I already know in the neighbourhood, and to answer my prayer so quickly (although it felt like an eternity waiting..).

I still feel some anxiety about what I will actually be doing with my time here, but the same way He has proven faithful to provide me a great place to live, I hope He will also somehow show me what comes next.

Thank you for everyone who was praying for this situation, or just for me in general. God is faithful to hear you, that’s for sure. Please thank Him for that.

And I ask your continued prayer for provision of a place for me to serve here.

Much love,

-Bronte.

motivation.

ok, this post is going to be a little difficult to navigate - the writing i mean, hopefully not the reading!

last night, my two best friends and boyfriend threw me a surprise going away party. they are much too sneaky! i cannot believe they pulled it off so well, but am so grateful to them for doing so. at the party, people were asked to share something about me, or a memory, or just a kind word. all my closest friends came, some family friends, church friends, my boyfriend's family, etc. as they went around the room and shared things, i was truly humbled. to hear the high opinions people held of me and what i am about to do meant so, so much to me. it was such a special time of people just being genuine and kind and encouraging. it is a moment that i think i will keep with me for the rest of my life.

i emotionally tried to thank them all and explained that over the past few years and months, the idea of this trip was exciting, but now that it is getting closer, and has become more real, it is now scary, nerve-racking, and causes a lot of anxiety. i let them know that they had reminded me of the things i had forgotten about myself - the reasons why i had decided to go on this trip. it was so confirming to hear from people who have known me just one year, to my parents who have known me all of my 22 years, that they understand and believe this is what i am meant to do.

as much as this was confirming and encouraging, and i am extremely grateful to all the people who support me, there are still a lot of emotions i am facing. i have only short moments of excitement when i think of what is ahead of me. i have been thinking over the fact that this IS my passion, and the fact that i should be desiring to serve these people and to live out God's call on my life, but more than anything all i have felt is the anxiety and the temptation to run away from it. i don't feel guilty for this, necessarily, because i think that God understands that the things He asks of me aren't always going to be easy. i think He is gracious enough to me and my humanity that He knows that it's scary, and in a way, i think that makes this trip even more special - it would be EASY if this was something i was whole-heartedly ready to do and unafraid of. but to be honest, my whole heart isn't in it (yet - i have full belief that this will come once i arrive, etc), but i think that's what makes it important - that i do something that requires faith and trust in God, because faith is made stronger and made truer when there are struggles attached to it. i am reminded not only of Jonah, but also of Moses, who was called by God to take a trip to an unknown place, and although he was feeling unqualified and like he wasn't the right person for the job (something that i can relate to currently), he trusted and went anyway.

that being said, not only will i find my motivation and my courage in this promise of God's understanding and guidance through this time, but through each of those people in the room last night, and each of the words that they shared will be a constant encouragement and source of strength. to know that people believe in this, even when i may feel like i don't, will be something i will hold on to. because not only do i not want to let God down, or the people of Rwanda and India, but i do not want to let down the people who see so much in me and believe in me the way they do. i do not want to make their words become a lie - i want to live them out to the best of my ability.

thank you to everyone who was there, to everyone who wanted to be there, and to anyone reading this blog - because the fact that you took the time to read it means you care, and i hope that that also means you believe in me to accomplish all that i have written about.

please continue to be in prayer if you are one who prays

some requests are:

-obviously for these feelings to be cancelled out

-the language barrier when i arrive in Rwanda

-my ability to become adjusted to the schedule and daily happenings and to find my place in that

-continued financial support (thank you for all who have prayed for this, as we have already seen some support come in!)

thank you so much again

-Bronte.

WHY.

So I definitely should be sleeping, alas, I am in the mood to write this.

So as an update, first and foremost: my visa application is on it's way to Delaware to be united with all the other documents required for my application to be formally submitted. I'm hoping to get a multi-entry visa in case I want to pop over the border into Uganda, or some other neighbouring country. But at the moment, I'm just anxious for everything to be approved so I can move forward with booking my flights.

I was able to skype with Donna and some of the kids the other night and also morning!! Gosh - I already am filled with such joy. I can't wait to actually meet them. Their first question for me was "Do you like football?", followed by "Will you play football with us?" They were thrilled to hear I am a Chelsea fan, and proceeded to ask me only about which Chelsea players I like :) They also asked when I was coming and when I was leaving - it makes me feel good to know they are already anticipating my arrival :)

As far as India goes, I have not heard anything back yet - I'm being optimistic and taking this as a good sign - that perhaps they are looking into it and seeing what can be done about the time period..

Ok. Moving on.. another question posed by a friend that I decided would be appropriate to answer here for all to read..

"What made you want to go?"

HA. Probably a question I SHOULD have an immediate answer to. It took me aback because I really felt like I had to think about it.. I don't know that there is an easy answer. It's cliche, but it's true, that this is something I've been wanting to do since I was a kid - I can't remember a time that I didn't want to go to Africa/travel. But obviously this is much more than just some childhood dream. I'm the kind of person that can't just hear something sad, and feel something, and then move on in my life. When I feel something, I need to act upon it in some way. (This of course has it's limitations in that I am not able to act upon EVERYTHING that sparks emotion..) I am not comfortable, or happy, or purposeful, or passionate just sitting still and watching a world go on around me that is suffering. I know that I cannot fix the world, or a country, a state, a city - heck I can't even "fix" one person.. but I can stand by them and empower them to move forward in some way. Perhaps not even that, perhaps they will never find relief from suffering, but if I can just show them an ounce of love and compassion, then my purpose as a human being, and as a proudly-confessing Christ-follower, has been fulfilled. I suppose my motivation comes from a desire to prove evil wrong: I don't want people to continue to live their lives thinking that there is only pain and suffering in this life. I want them to know that there are people who care, that there is hope, that there can be peace in the midst of evil. If I could be the one to bring that message to them, I would feel that my life has reached what it should be, and would be TRULY honoured. Ultimately, I would hope they could see that this peace and hope and love all does come from Christ, but even if they don't, I would be happy to know they had relief from doubt, sadness, and hopelessness.

So. There you have it - why I do what I do. In a very brief nutshell..

To all the pray-ers out there, would it be ok if I compiled a little list for you? :)

- For my India application to be approved for January

- For my Rwandan visa to be processed, and processed QUICKLY

- For finances - this is a trip that my parents and I decided we would fund ourselves, however, the cost is very high. Although I am not asking people directly for support (through formal support letters, etc), I am not too proud or naive to know that God does provide, and that His provision often comes through others. So, prayer for financial provisions (feel free to contact me if you are interested in donating :) )

- Safety while I am there. Although I am not placing myself in any direct danger, traveling always has risks, especially being a female in a foreign country.

THANKS. I appreciate if you made it to the end of this horridly long post... :)

-Bronte.