You are invited to join us for our
Graduation / Recognition Ceremony
Thursday, May 24, 2018 – 6:30 p.m. in the MPR

No RSVP Required; Light refreshments will be served afterwards!

Dear Friends:

We stand back swallowed in life’s chaos that stirs around us, and miss the moments that matter as it all passes by. The chaos isn’t always bad, but it is distracting. So we watch and pray and wait and do. We do what we know how to do in our own strength.

But God asks us rest in Him. He is the One who stands in the calm of chaos and directs our steps. In Him, His glory is revealed in us. In Him, we are able to be powerful. In Him, we accomplish more than we might ask our even think. In Him, we have watched these beautiful daughters of His do all that and abundantly more this year. In the midst of the daily chaos, our vantage point has been limited. But, in reflection of this past year, His abundance is obvious!

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us,
to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” ~ Ephesians 3:20

Blessings . . .
Kym & Jan

Prayers and Praises:

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

~ Peace during this season of transition.

~ Respite providers for the families and girls in need.

~ Discernment for upcoming opportunities within Agape House’s ministry.

PRAISE GOD FOR:

~ Girls who are crossing the finish line stronger than any of us imagined possible!

~ Stronger family connections and bonding as the girls prepare for reunification for the summer months!

~ Mentors who are so creative with the time they invest in their relationship with their mentee!
“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory above the heavens.”  ~ Psalm 8:1

LOOK WHAT’S NEW!!!

Lakeshore Estate Resale is a local charity that has been created to support local causes. They will accept “gently used” donations for resale, and all net proceeds from the sale of items you donate will be sent to the charity of your choice. Simply designate Agape House and your donation will benefit this ministry. And, you can also go shopping here, too!                                                                    Located at 80 N. Walworth Street, Williams Bay, WI

Dear Friends:

The beauty of new life all around us at Spring time gives us peace. I think we all need a reminder once in a while that it is possible to have peace, in spite of how things look in our secular world. Once we get to that place of peace within our spirit, the next challenge is hanging on to it, in spite of the troubles we face in our lives. At John 16:33 we are told to take heart because God has overcome the world! His promise is peace that passes all understanding.  We may not understand it while we are walking in the storm, but we find peace.  We trust Him knowing He will use the storm to nourish our soul.

Have a blessed Mother’s Day!

Kym and Jan

Happenings at Agape House:

There’s been lots happening at Agape House this past week; see current photos on FB.

Prayers and Praises:

Please Pray For:

~ Peace: for our girls, their families, the world; and especially for our Mother’s as we celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend.

~ God’s plans for the future design of Agape House, and that we are walking in His will.

~ the girls to be able to accomplish what they need to in the next 2 weeks before graduation.

Praise God For:

~ Peace in this world in the midst of the storm.

~ Patient staff at ‘crunch time’ in spite of tender emotions.

~ An amazing staff and volunteer corp at Agape School: we’ve celebrated Teacher’s Appreciation Week and all of our volunteers with a volunteer luncheon; we are blessed!

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory above the heavens.”
~ Psalm 8:1

Counseling at Mukwonago Location

If you are looking for Biblical counseling and live in the Mukwonago area, contact:

Carol Hayes, B.A, Christian Counselor; 262.894.7397 (text/voicemail)

Support Agape House through purchases at Amazon

Choose Agape House, Inc. and  Amazon donates money to our mission with every purchase you make!

You are invited to join us for our Graduation / Recognition Ceremony
Thursday, May 24, 2018  – 6:30 p.m. in the MPR
No RSVP Required;  Light refreshments will be served afterwards!

Walk Amazed With God
Thank You for a Successful 5K!

We are very grateful to everyone who joined us for our annual 5K event last Saturday. As you can see in this picture, it was not raining or snowing – yeah! We had over 200 participants support us as we brought awareness of Child Abuse Prevention month to the community – the support for this event was tremendous!

See more thank yous, photos and videos from the 5K on FB

Prayers and Praises
It’s that time of year again . . .at Agape House; we are walking amazed with God as we watch Him transform our caterpillars (the girls) into butterflies – it is always such a beautiful process!

Max Lucado says, “God loves us just the way we are, but He is not finished with us yet.” God continues to refine us to help us be just like Jesus. Our girls are in a transitional time as they finish up these last few weeks of school, uncertain about what the future looks like for them.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

~ Respite options for girls who may not be able to fully re-unify with their families this summer.

~ Endurance for staff as they minister to the girls in preparation of upcoming transition into their family homes this summer.

~ Ministry needs for the 2018-2019 school year.

PRAISE GOD FOR:

~ A successful 5K event bringing awareness to child abuse and the impact it offers.

~ Girls who are achieving goals, beginning employment and other independent activities.

~ Grant monies awarded to Agape House from Alliant Energy Foundation.

“How great is the love the Father has for us.” ~ 1 John 3:1

Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers for this ministry.

Jan and Kym

Dear Friends:

Peeking out on the crisp white snow are these beautiful crocus flowers, giving us HOPE that Spring is here!
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”
~ Proverbs 13:12

Hope: Highly anticipated expectations
Deferred: Prolonged or delayed outcome
Heart Sick: Feeling despondent

We put our hope into many worldly things; we hope:
– for our favorite team to win the game.
– to go to our favorite restaurant with our friends this weekend.
– our children bring home a great school report.
– our car makes it one more year before it needs replacing.

We hope and we hope and we hope. It is a normal reflex in our world to hope. Placing our hope in those things often leads to the disappointing outcomes as those things we hope for are not reliable. People fall short and things are unpredictable. Life, this side of Heaven, leaves us feeling heart sick. This side of Heaven that is. When we put our trust in Jesus, our hope is secured in Him. He never leaves us or forsakes us. So when the world fails to meet our expectations as it often will, we can rest in the Truth that He created us to persevere through the resistance and rest in Him.

Peeking out of the crisp white snow are these beautiful crocus flowers. Trying to make their way into a world that was to be prepared for their arrival, they push their way through the opposition. They know where and when they belong even though it appears the earth is not yet ready for them. We have a lot to learn about hope from these budding beauties!

Please Pray For:
~ The families as they transition into more time together with the girls during weekly home visits.

~ The girls to .be filled with hope during moments of pressing into natural opposition so they may become who they were created to be despite the circumstances.

~ Our upcoming Run/Walk/Stroll 5K: Be Amazed With God.
DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER TODAY!

Praise God For:

~ Opportunities for the staff to connect and refresh through professional enrichment.

~ All who have signed up to participate in this year’s 5K event as we bring awareness about Child Abuse Prevention month!

~ Our volunteers who continue to be so faithful in serving the needs at Apape House.

Blessings . . .

Jan & Kym

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 and download Sponsor forms at  www.AgapeHouseHeals.org/Events

Walk-ins/Registration now $30, includes event & lunch; t-shirt depends on availability
(Children 16 & under are FREE; t-shirt and lunch are optional at $5 each)

Fee is waived with $100 or more in sponsorship donations;
The following prizes will be awarded to the 3 participants with highest sponsorship monies raised:

~ Canopy Tours of Lake Geneva – Gift Certificate for Two for a 2.5 hour guided zip line canopy tour!
~ Heyer True Value – Gift
~ Main Street Country Store – Gift Cert

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

Our Precious Agape Angels

For Valentine’s Day, the girls were treated to a fabulous Spa Day by many volunteers and Jasmine’s Salon & Spa in Lake Geneva hosted the event this year, which was a fun treat. After they had their time at the ‘Spa’, getting all dressed up, they were treated to a dinner out at Tuscan’s Tavern & Grill in Lake Geneva, which is where they are seated in the picture above, in front of their fireplace.

Thank you also to everyone else who contributed their time, talent and gifts to make this a very special event for these girls, wherein they were shown how much God loves them through the hands and feet of so many of you:
~ Pesche’s Greenhouse
~ Sandy’s Upscale Consignment
~ Kimberly Ausen
~ Patricia Landreman
~ Frank & Mary Lou Stellato
~ Kaleigh Thelen
~ Deborah Werner

And an extra special thank you to our Coordinator for this entire event: Barb Ditzenberger!

Dear Friends:

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.” ~ II Corinthians 4:18

I saw a new word for our unstable weather the other day. It referred it to a season now known as “Sprinter”. A word defining what mother nature can’t seem to discern as the difference between winter and spring; I had a good chuckle at that one!

While we are anticipating the presence of new growth, green buds on the trees and a kiss of warmth, there lies snow on the ground and a damp chill in the air. I was thinking about “Sprinter” and about the seasons we walk out alongside God. They are ever-changing, sometimes predictable and other times not at all what we had our hopes set on. Realizing that things are not as they appear is hard to embrace while our season consumes us with its’ current realities. So we choose to fix our eyes on what is unseen. Trusting in God’s promises of the victory Jesus claimed on the cross for you and me is our unseen.

Please Pray For:
~ The peace of the unseen to saturate the hearts of all.

~ Endurance for the girls who have much to accomplish in this final quarter to achieve their academic goals.

~ A heart to truly receive the healing they have been pursuing this year; to be able to go deeper with the Lord and in their healing.

~ Our upcoming Run/Walk/Stroll 5K: Be Amazed With God.
DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER BY APRIL 9TH! Register at www.AgapeHouseHeals.org/Events 

Praise God For:
~ A wonderful Spring Break for the girls to connect with one another and their families.

~ All who have signed up to participate in this year’s 5K event as we bring awareness about Child Abuse Prevention month!

~ The joy of fixing our eyes on the unseen “Sprinter” seasons God walks us through as we joyfully trust in Him for the victory!

Blessings . . .

Jan & Kym

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

~ Hebrews 11:1

Wish List
Lunch Providers for School (Contact Debby @ 262.394.5043 if you’re interested)
Vacuum in good working order (for C.C.)
Healthy snacks, i.e., almonds, walnuts, cashews, raisins, beef sticks, and low sugar protein drinks
Volunteers to provide and serve school lunches (Contact Debby at 262.394.5043)

CAN WE “CLUE” YOU IN?
Over Spring Break, our girls were gifted some wonderful opportunities to bond, one of those being an afternoon at the Lake Geneva Clue Room. The girls were able to solve the puzzle with 4 minutes to spare! A chance to bond and press in to truly working as a team was such a blessing.

Other activities that filled their days included an overnight at a local hotel to enjoy swimming and a change of scenery, an afternoon at an arcade, a pizza party and karaoke night and also a Christian Concert, Winter Jam.

Thank you to those who contributed their time and gifts and our staff for the extra resources offered to make this a very special week for these girls!

COUNSELING SERVICES IN MUKWONAGO

Contact Carol Hayes, B.A, Christian Counselor
262.894.7397 (text/voicemail)

AMAZON SMILE
Did you know you can support Agape House for Girls just by shopping Amazon for your holiday gift giving needs? Many of you shop Amazon weekly and don’t even realize that we are part of Amazon’s amazing give back program, Amazon Smile!

All you have to do is shop https://smile.amazon.com, choose Agape House, Inc. and every purchase you make, Amazon donates money to our mission! You can give year ’round just by shopping! So easy!!

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.

We hope you will enjoy reading the following topics in our February Newsletter :

• Walking AMAZED With God by Pam Patterson, Executive Director
• This Year in the Home
• Let Our Heart Beats Echo … We Are Loved by Hillary Jones, Agape RA
• Beauty for Ashes by Hailee Middleton, an Agape Student
• APRIL is National Volunteer Appreciation Month
• Santa Cause Thank You
• 5K Event Information

Please click on this link: February 2018 Newsletter