Dear DingDash family, please keep us in your prayers today. I am here in the US writing Meriam Ibrahim's story. Not an easy story. Yesterday was filled with emotion and tears as Meriam talked about being born in a refugee camp, her father brutally murdering her aunt for an honor killing, her mother being tied up for two days and raped, and her running away and hiding to escape circumcision - only to be forcefully dragged back to the village and the Muslim elders publicly witnessing her genital mutilation - and this was all before she was even 7 years old!
We can use all the prayers we can get for this project.
@sinbach such a God-ordained project and opportunity. Praying He will give both of you the grace and strength to carry the responsibility of it 🙏🏼❤️
@bethany I believe so too. It kind of felt ordained from the beginning, but I didnt know if that was REALLY ordination or excitement. To be completely honest with you, in the beginning stages I kind of felt "THIS IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN." I really felt that her and I didn't click. She was very guarded and I was a stranger. She also has so many people wanting to write her story and I felt insecure with her asking me. But I dared myself to take each step with a feeling in the back of my mind that it was going to stop for one reason or another. Do you know we JUST signed the contract yesterday? that is how much doubt I had that we would actually do this. We have been working on this for a couple of months, but it was only made official yesterday and now it feels more real than ever. So many things have been clicking into place in the last week that has made me also say "this is ordained by God."
@sinbach I kind of feel like when there's a thousand reasons something shouldn't work out, and it STILL does... it has to be God. I can't wait to read it once it's finished. You got this 😁🙏🏼
@sinbach Heartbreaking! May God give you grace and strength.
@sinbach praying! 🙏 ❤️
@sinbach listening intentionally and weeping with those who weep are first steps to healing.
When victims tell their story to caring listeners they heal remembering the story differently each time. This helps them have a new perspective.
When a listener challenges with questions parts of the story which are not true (clue: look for sentences with the word never or always) the victim is helped to put the experiences in proper perspective.
I like to ask victims where Jesus was when this was happening. Most don't know. Most admit that they did not reach out to Him then for help. They tried to cope on their own. I help them realize clues that indicate the Lord Jesus was there all along pained at what they were facing knowing that He was not invited to help them face it.
As a listener to other people's tragedy I take comfort knowing that God made children resilient-they can recover, allow Christ to heal them and use the memory of tragedy to accomplish good works in the earth.
@tanjaostman @sinbach currently I minister to individuals, and families who are in crisis. A crisis is a prolonged season of unfortunate circumstances that erode one's ability to move forward in life.
@sinbach oh my gosh! This just ripped my heart out😢 I'm grateful Jesus gave you the talent and strong loving heart to put the once crushed lives into words that take us closer to our loving Lord. Only Jesus can heal such terror at that tender age. I hold my grand kids tight and thank Jesus they have never lived through the evils of mankind.
I thank you also for the children's books so I can teach them about their brothers and sisters who have endured hardship while cradled in God's hand.
I ask Jesus to grant special healing as each spoken memory falls onto paper. For her strength, release & everlasting emotional stability - grounded in faith.
@sinbach only God can heal a wound like this.
Father, please bring restoration and healing, in Yeshua's name.
@sinbach
praying!!
For healing; for wisdom; for peace
Andy B