Dear Friends:

“…a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’
He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’
Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” ~ Matthew 8:25-26

It’s been ‘stormy’ at Agape House this past week; the waves have been sweeping over the boat. Unlike the disciples who were with Jesus in the boat that day when He was sleeping through the storm, we know that Jesus is walking right beside us through these difficult times for our girls. So, with great faith, we are asking you to pray in agreement with us to command the winds and waves to be calm, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Please Pray For:
~ our girls to surrender all to God, trusting that He will be there with them as they walk through the storms of life.

~ the ability to honestly look at belief systems that are interfering with taking bold steps towards healing.

~ school staff to be refreshed during Spring break!

~ girls to connect well with one another during the unstructured time of spring break, and to enjoy the special outings planned.

~ for those who God is calling to be in our program in the Fall; we continue to receive calls about young ladies in need of this program. Pray for God to open the door wide for those he desires to be in our program, and for a hedge of protection around them as they wait out these next few months before they can start our program, or that they will find another program to meet their needs. The stories are always heart-wrenching!

Praise God For:
~ another successful Clothing Exchange, held by Cyndie Devries, and the opportunity for the girls to volunteer at this event!

~ faithful volunteer tutors who come week after week to teach the girls!

~ many goals accomplished for the end of 3rd quarter!

Blessings . . .

Jan & Kym

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”  ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17

Life Skills w/Bob M: Woodworking
We are blessed to have a variety of volunteers come alongside of our girls and help them learn some life skills. Today the girls enjoyed having Bob Milliman help them make a wooden drum.

Dear Friends:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow
with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
~ Romans 15:13

HOPE: This is what we are clinging to, as we walk through the difficult journeys with each girl at Agape House, trusting God to meet them right where they are at. It’s a simple four-letter word, yet without HOPE, what do we have? Despair, Desperation, Despondency and Hopelessness.
Despair: a state of mind caused by circumstances that seem too much to cope with. Despair suggests total loss of hope, which may be passive or may drive one to furious efforts.
Desperation is usually an active state, the abandonment of hope impelling to a furious struggle against adverse circumstances,with utter disregard of consequences: an act of desperation when everything else has failed.
Despondency is a state of deep gloom and disheartenment: a spell of despondency.
Hopelessness is a loss of hope so complete as to result in a more or less permanent state of passive despair: a state of hopelessness and apathy.

These are complicated issues, and we cannot help anyone overcome them without God. Thus, we enter into the Easter season with expectancy; a season filled with HOPE.

Please pray for:
~ our Agape Angels to be filled with an overflowing abundance of HOPE that leads them to joy and peace.

~ our staff to be strengthened in His ways and filled with His wisdom and discernment, as we make so many decision throughout our days, advocating for these girls and their families.

~ our girls’ families, as they deal with a myraid of situations that crop up in their lives as they seek healing.

~ those girls who are yet to come to Agape House to have peace about making this courageous decision, and for their families to be filled with His courage as they trust the care of their daughters to the staff at Agape House.

Praise God For:
~ this ministry and the hope and healing to be found at this special place called Agape House!

~ the hope of finding freedom as we come to know the beauty of who we are in Christ!

~ the reminder of why God gave up His only Son to die on the cross for us, so that we might have the hope of eternity in heaven with God!

Blessings . . .

Jan

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
~ 2 Corinthians 3:17

A Visit from the Brooklife Church
Thank you to the women of Brooklife Church who visited
the girls at Agape House last week. They spent time
getting to know the girls, and sharing a healthy yogurt bar of treats. I’m told that the girls really enjoyed the visit!

5K Event (Please see info on last week’s post)

WISH LIST
Lunch Providers for School (Contact Debby @ 262.394.5043 if you’re interested)
Drawing/Painting paper, 11 x 14 or larger
Canvas for painting, any size
Vacuum in good working order (for C.C.)
Volunteers to provide and serve school lunches (Contact Debby at 262.394.5043)
Healthy snacks, i.e., almonds, walnuts, cashews, raisins, beef sticks, and low sugar protein drinks
CDs for School: Tedash, Mandesa, Lecray, Amanda Cook, Bethel, i.e., Melissa Hessler, Leeland Mooring, Kristen Dimarco
CDs for Home: KB, Toby Mac, Andy Mineo, Hillsong United – Need to Breathe, Francesca Battistelle, United Pursuit, Gungor, Matt Kearney, Audrey Assad, The Modern Post, All Sons & Daughters, Rend Collection
File Cabinets, 2-drawer/vertical w/lock

Agape House 5k Run Walk Stroll

April 28th 

Walk amazed with God!

We hope you will join us for our annual 5K,
and get your teams ready to help us bring awareness about
Child Abuse Prevention Month

Register or Download Registration and Sponsor forms at
www.AgapeHouseHeals.org/Events

Pre-Registration Entry Fee (by April 9th) – $20, includes
commemorative t-shirt, lunch and event.
Walk-ins/Late Registrants – $30; not guaranteed a t-shirt
(Children 16 & under are FREE; t-shirt and lunch are optional at $5 each)

Fee is waived with $100 or more in sponsorship donations;
***Prizes awarded to 3*** with highest sponsorship monies raised

***Canopy Tours of Lake Geneva***  has donated a Gift Certificate for Two for a 2.5 hour guided zip line canopy tour!

Check-In at Event: 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
Event Begins: 10 a.m. at Agape House
Lunch served from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm in the MPR

Dear Friends:

The journey is never easy, and often we don’t have the answers as to why things are so difficult . . . but in the midst of the most difficult situations, it’s good to remember the healing power of His love!

“Love never fails.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:8

Blessings . . .

Jan
PRAY FOR:
~ our girls to see the lies they are believing in their lives, and to learn to replace those lies with God’s truth.

~ the staff and parents to be able to provide the patient, love and nurturing that our girls need.

~ our staff to be strengthened in His ways and filled with His wisdom and discernment, as we make so many decision throughout our days.

Praise God For:
~ God’s never-ending, unconditional love; it can be the answer for so many situations.

~ the ongoing support and encouragement we receive from all of you as we all work together to make a difference in the lives of the girls and their families.

~ Agape House, a special place for young girls to find the hope and healing they need.

~ the hope of finding freedom as we come to know the beauty of who we are in Christ!

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”  ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17

Wish List:
Drawing/Painting paper, 11 x 14 or larger
Canvas for painting, any size
Vacuum in good working order (for C.C.)
Volunteers to provide and serve school lunches (Contact Debby at 262.394.5043)
Healthy snacks, i.e., almonds, walnuts, cashews, raisins, beef sticks, and low sugar protein drinks
CDs for School: Tedash, Mandesa, Lecray, Amanda Cook, Bethel, i.e., Melissa Hessler, Leeland Mooring, Kristen Dimarco
CDs for Home: KB, Toby Mac, Andy Mineo, Hillsong United – Need to Breathe, Francesca Battistelle, United Pursuit, Gungor, Matt Kearney, Audrey Assad, The Modern Post, All Sons & Daughters, Rend Collection
File Cabinets, 2-drawer/vertical w/lock

Life Skills / Grocery Shopping

Seneca, Haylee and El – While they were happy to get out of the classroom for this ‘price comparison’ lesson, I’m not so sure they enjoyed the task at hand!

Dear Friends:

“Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I will fear no danger, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff – they comfort me.” ~ Psalm 23:4

For those of you who read the prayer blog we sent out on Monday, you know that we have been walking through a dark valley here at Agape House. This is no surprise to most of us here because we know that for these girls to find the healing they need, they are going to be challenged. Praise God that we also know that on the other side of that dark valley there is freedom, hope and healing, as we trust in God to be our strength, and so much more! We know the battle has already been won; we just need to learn to walk it out.

I am reminded every year as we go through the Easter Season that it aligns with the time of year when our girls and their families are truly learning the meaning of what was done for us when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins – Amazing!

Blessings . . .

Jan

Praise God For:
~ a comment I heard one of our girls make yesterday:
“I never thought I would finish high school, and now I am only 6 PACEs away!”

~ the compassion our girls have for others going through difficult situations!

~ the fact that God is with us as we walk through the dark valleys in our lives!

PRAY FOR:
~ our girls and their families to not fear danger as they walk through the dark valley, but rather to be encouraged knowing that God is with them, comforting them with His rod and staff.

~ all of the girls to recognize that the next 90 days are going to fly right by, and that each day is a precious nugget for them to live to the fullest, walking out the healing that God has in store for them.

~ our staff to take time to rest in God so that we are all strengthened to give our best for the remainder of the school year.

“He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” ~ Isaiah 61:1b-2a

Wish List:
Vacuum in good working order (for C.C.)
Volunteers to provide and serve school lunches (Contact Debby at 262.394.5043)
Healthy snacks, i.e., almonds, walnuts, cashews, raisins, beef sticks, and low sugar protein drinks
CDs for School: Tedash, Mandesa, Lecray, Amanda Cook, Bethel, i.e., Melissa Hessler, Leeland Mooring, Kristen Dimarco
CDs for Home: KB, Toby Mac, Andy Mineo, Hillsong United – Need to Breathe, Francesca Battistelle, United Pursuit, Gungor, Matt Kearney, Audrey Assad, The Modern Post, All Sons & Daughters, Rend Collection
File Cabinets, 2-drawer/vertical w/lock

5K Reminder: Run Walk Stroll, Amazed with God
We hope you will join us for our annual 5K on April 28th
and get your teams ready to help us bring awareness about
Child Abuse Prevention Month

***Register or Download Registration and Sponsor forms at
www.AgapeHouseHeals.org/Events

Pre-Registration Entry Fee (by April 9th) – $20, includes
commemorative t-shirt, lunch and event.
Walk-ins/Late Registrants – $30; not guaranteed a t-shirt
(Children 16 & under are FREE; t-shirt and lunch are optional at $5 each)

Fee is waived with $100 or more in sponsorship donations;
Prizes awarded to 3 with highest sponsorship monies raised

Check-In at Event: 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
Event Begins: 10 a.m. at Agape House
Lunch served from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm in the MPR

School Service Project:
The girls are visiting the residents at Inspiration Ministries today. They will spend time helping them write letters, note cards, etc. to loved ones.