I'll do whatever it takes...

  We are so excited at how well the pregnancy is going! I'm halfway through my 13th week now and things are definitely starting to change and grow (my belly!!). I've seen my doctor a couple times now and have had 2 ultrasounds. The last ultrasound, the baby was bouncing all over, waving it's arms. It's such an awesome reassurance to see hear that little heartbeat (160 beats per minute). 

  On January 4th, I will be going to the hospital to have a procedure done called a cerclage. In this procedure they do a little purse string suture across the opening of the cervix. Mainly precaution for when the baby gets heavier and puts pressure on the cervix. With Miracle, her weight at 17.5 weeks was just too much causing me to dilate and deliver prematurely. This time around I will do whatever it takes to go full term. 

  I'm very optimistic! My doctor has done this procedure before and she is confident that I'll respond well. When I hit 36 weeks, they'll remove the suture allowing me to deliver naturally whenever God wants this little one to come! 

  Right now, we are preparing mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially for the baby. Planning showers and talking about registering for baby stuff is so much fun! I will wait a little while before choosing nursery colors and decor, even though it's so tempting to start now! I have some fun ideas that I'm looking forward to  trying out for the nursery! (Will post pictures!)

  DJ and I are taking it one day at a time, communicating when there are odd feelings or fears. Praying and believing for a healthy, active pregnancy and child. And just enjoying the pregnancy (as Nick Canuso prayed over us in October). Thank you for all your prayers, support, and encouragement! We are absolutely excited and cannot wait to meet this little one! God bless!!

Journey to Israel

       On October 23rd, we traveled to Chicago to start our journey to Israel. With a couple long flights ahead of us, we laughed and joked and prepared our hearts for what was to come. After arriving, we met our new group of friends, people that we would be seeing day in and day out for 2 whole weeks. Our group leaders, Dennis and Tirtzah, greeted us and we spoke shortly of what was to come for our trip. I went to sleep that night with great expectation and an empty camera card! The days started to fill up with amazing sights and Bible courses spoken in German. I enjoyed learning a new culture, but there was still something missing. After a couple conversations with group members, I came into a new light about Jesus, Jews, and Gentiles and how they come together. It's still something I need to learn more of, but there is no longer a big question mark in my heart when I think about Israel. A few of the trips we went on while in Israel: 

                                                                     

                                              Jerusalem

                        

  The Western Wall (The Wailing Wall):                        

                    Sea of Galilee

                                                                                                                                                         

                                                      The Jordan River

                                                                                                            Mediterannean Sea:

Caesarea:

Our fondest memory of Israel, was finding out that we are pregnant! God truly gave us an amazing gift and feel so blessed to have found out while on the trip! This picture is the day we told the group the great news. We had traveled to Mt. Carmel (which means "Fruitful") that morning and the group lifted us in prayer and declared life and protection over the baby on top of the mountain! We are so excited and will thank Him each day for this amazing opportunity! 

God Bless you, Friends and Family! We are so blessed by your prayers and encouraging advice! :)

Annabella

Let me tell you about a little girl I got to meet a couple weekends ago...Annabella. Anna means "Favor of God" and Bella means "Easy to love". She had dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, cute little button nose, and the cutest little smile you ever did see. Something about her resembled what I imagine our little Miracle to look like. Just beautiful, sweet, innocent...

The moment I saw her little face, I felt a warmth in my heart that brought me to tears. I got to hold her for a short time and even though my unpracticed arms fell asleep, I could almost not bear to hand her back to her beautiful mother. I heard the still small voice of God say,"Please don't be sad, keep your eyes on me, I love you..." 

I've managed to be strong and trust in Him through this whole chapter, but I have days that I remember Miracle and the journey that only just started when we lost her and it makes me sad. But I am hopeful and am clinging to His promises, that He is good. And just. And makes all things new. 

Annabella, thank you for giving me that moment to hear from the Lord and relish in His love for me. You are truly a blessing to everyone you come into contact with and God uses you, even now, as an infant! Mommy, please give her a squeeze for me...love you!

Be encouraged today that God has big plans and that He has great love for you!

Empty, but simple

It doesn't seem like very long ago we were saying goodbye to Iowa. But we are back and I must admit, it feels great to be home! A friend in California told me that we'd get home and have this new perspective on how we live life in Iowa...and as we get further along in time, I am seeing this to be true! 

We have been waiting for our moving truck to arrive with all our belongings today, it has been forever since I've seen my possessions and slept on my bed (although we have been able to sleep on a comfy air mattress- thank you Lynn's!) 

We've come to live simply the last couple weeks and after some conversation on the matter, we both agree it's been nice. (I see a garage sale in the near future!) Empty walls have been a little depressing at times, so I'm looking forward to filling them with some new photos. And I think mostly we are excited to house people in need of a roof over their head. We have the room and the Lord has really put it in our hearts! 

God has also been speaking to us about our finances and to let Him be creative in where we work and how He provides for us. We believe in supernatural favor and are trying to walk in faith to receive all that God has for us! We have felt like this is a new chapter for us and are looking forward to being apart of something very great! 

This summer I am going to learn how to can veggies and fruits and I'm looking forward to spending as much time as I can in my families gardens, earning all those veggies that I'll be canning! I've been searching high and low for shelving that people are not using anymore or getting rid of. I'm also checking Craigslist many times a day for "treasures" that are being given away! Currently we are looking for a desk for DJ, 2-3 wooden bookshelves, living room furniture (chairs and ottomans), a full size or queen bed for our guest room, a queen bed frame, metal shelving for my potential, growing pantry, and chairs for our dining room table! We had to leave so many things in California when we left that we are kind of starting fresh and believing for the Lord to provide! Spread the word! :)

If I can find the time this summer, I'll be posting my canning adventures---should be a lot of fun learning!!

God Bless and THANKS for reading!!

Let the packing begin!

As I sit with my windows open, watching the palm trees lean back and forth in the warm, California breeze, I begin to think of all that we've accomplished here and were able to enjoy on this part of our journey! I remember in the times of loneliness, God brought us lifelong friends. I remember in the times of sadness, God brought peace and joyfulness. I remember in the times of plenty, God showed us to give as freely as we have received (and were blessed!). I remember all the times of laughter and learning we had and what great memories were created!  We have been so blessed to come along side and collaborate with some of the most generous, loving, and supporting people and organizations. They have welcomed us with open arms and even though it's hard to leave, they are letting us go, expecting our visits aren't too far and few between! (I agree gladly to visit ANY time!) 

Some of our favorite times have been welcoming Iowa family and friends into our home and showing them the beaches and downtown Hollywood, driving up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, being able to visit with my aunt (she gave DJ the great adventure of kayaking on the Pacific Ocean, which he loved!) camping on Thornhill Beach with my father, seeing our favorite comedian, Brian Reegan, live in San Diego, riding the carousel on the Santa Monica Pier, and living in the foothills of beautiful mountains! There were SO MANY great memories made and lots of pictures to look back at! We've also met some amazing people of God, whom we foresee running along side in this fight against human trafficking for years to come!

We are looking forward to moving back to Iowa for many reasons! Other than the most important of being around our family and friends more, we look forward to living in our house again (also repairing, "renovating", and updating the house!), starting new jobs, seeing the ground breaking and opening of the National Training Center at the Midwest Prayer Center, and so, so many other things! We have great expectation of what the Lord will do and can't wait to see His promises come to fruition!

We will keep you posted on the who's, what's, and when's...until then, please keep praying for our safe travels home, CRTEC (Center to Restore Trafficked and Exploited Children) and all that's ahead for the organization, and us on our journey to become pregnant again. We are so thankful for your prayers, love, and support! God Bless! 

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Prayer Answered

My prayers have been answered...I got a job today! I'm so excited because I will be doing something that I LOVE! I got the chance to meet the owner of the company, Stamp Out, tonight and I think we totally hit it off! She's very cool, easy going, and will be easy to talk to. I have a lot of freedom to use my imagination and creativity designing customized stamps! I'll also be helping with office tasks, organizing, and helping with the company's social media networking.  Thank you to those of you who were praying, I'm so blessed by this opportunity! If you're curious take a look at where I'll be...www.stampoutonline.com . Look for us on Etsy!

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you!"

Relational Tithe: We Are Not Alone by Shane Claiborne

This video is narrated by author Shane Claiborne, who I have been reading the last couple of months. I have been greatly challenged by his writings, and convicted by the Holy Spirit to not just be aware of the poor around me, but to do something about it. Jesus didn't visit the poor and then go home to his ritzy house in a gated community. He spent much of his time with them, treating them like people who were special and important. People who were created. I hope this inspires and grabs you the way it did me.

Seen by God at the postal annex...

    Hi all! This is DJ, trying out my first attempt at blogging! Hope this is as encouraging to you as it was to us! When things aren't going well for me, it's sometimes difficult to have a clear perspective about God's role in everything, and where exactly He is during all this. There are times though, when God makes Himself very visible- and very close. A couple of days ago, I went to the Postal Annex for some stamps. I needed one hundred of them for our February newsletter and the guy who owned the place made a comment about me needing so many stamps. I explained that Nicole and I are kind-of-missionaries and needed them for our monthly newsletter .(The bill came to $49 and I only had $46 in cash.) But as he was ringing me up he says, "So your a missionary, huh?", and I tell him yes. So he punches some new numbers into the register and gives me a $3 discount so the new total is $46- exactly the amount I had. He tells me to keep doing God's work. I ask him if he is a Christian and he answers yes and says that he, too is doing God's work. I make a point of saying I am too, even though it may have been self-explanatory. I tell him thank you and walk out to my car.

     As I'm walking, my body has a weird feeling from head to toe and felt like the Lord was saying, 'Yeah, I see you.' I thought about the blessing I just received, and thought it was really neat that the discount he gave me was the exact amount of cash I had. And even though it was only $3 he knocked off the bill- I felt super special. And seen by God.

     

It may be a small part of our day for something like this to happen, but we are just doing our part to change the world...what can you do?

God Bless!

Steen February Newsletter

Hello Family, Friends & Partners!

It is with great pleasure that I announce to you that on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 the San Gabriel Valley Children’s Restoration Center Task Force had its inaugural meeting on the campus of Azusa Pacific University! We have a wonderful group of men and women assembled for the next three months.  Among our members are a social worker, a pastor/house of prayer leader who does outreach to prostituted women, a professor/missionary, a director of an anti-human trafficking organization, a pastor who specializes in fundraising, and a survivor of trafficking. We all work well together and have a Spirit of unity that was my biggest prayer leading up to our gathering.  We are meeting every other week through the end of April, when we will have a strategic business plan that will be used to implement the task force finding, and secure prayer partners and financial support.

                Two days after our first meeting, some members of our task force visited the Institute for Children’s Aid, a faith-based organization that deals with adoptions and foster care. (This is where our social worker works.)  They showed us an amazing interactive display that kids and adults go through that teaches about children’s human rights, child soldiers, poverty, and human trafficking.  Then, over lunch, we talked about ways we could work together.  Laura, the founder of ICA, said that we could use their state license to operate our restoration center under. This is a really big deal because it is very difficult to obtain a state license, and if you don’t have one, you have to obtain a separate license for every county you work in.  There are many details to be worked out in this arrangement but as you can see, the Lord is already moving on our behalf. 

                A week before our task force launched here in L.A., I flew to Terre Haute, Indiana to meet with a group from the Wabash Valley House of Prayer. This is a group CRTEC trained last summer and they wanted us to help them get ready to start their task force.  So some of our CRTEC staff drove in for a Saturday meeting where we answered questions and provided direction for them as they seek to establish their own CRC (Child Restoration Center).  It’s important to note that the task forces in L.A. and Terre Haute are the intended outcome of CRTEC’s TIP-ID (Trafficking In Persons- Identification) program. We train people in human trafficking identification, and then assist those who want to take the action step of putting together a task force with the purpose of establishing a CRC in their community. Since there are less than 100 beds in the United States for child victims of human trafficking, and over 100,000 victims every year, WE (that’s you and me) have a lot of work to do.

                On April 16, an important event will take place in conjunction with Worldteam Foundation (the missions organization CRTEC is working with in L.A.). It is called Proclaim Freedom, and it is a major fundraising evening with the proceeds going towards CRC’s in Thailand and the one we are establishing here in Southern California. Madisen Beaty, who played opposite a young Brad Pitt in the movie Benjamin Button, will be the MC for the evening, and we will be presenting the vision for a CRC in the San Gabriel Valley. We covet your prayers over the next few weeks leading up to April 16, that those who attend would respond to the Lord’s call, and join with Worldteam in launching a place for children to be restored from trafficking.

                Here are some things we would ask you to join us in prayer for over the coming weeks:

1. We have many medical bills coming in from Nicole’s stay in the hospital in November-December and no money to pay them.

2. That Nicole would be able to find a job. She has applied to numerous places and nothing has panned out. It’s important for her to find work to help us cover our expenses.

3. For the task forces in L.A. and Terre Haute to be faithful to the vision the Lord has given them in establishing CRC’s, and that they would be successful in their endeavor.

4. For the Proclaim Freedom fundraiser event in April to be successful in raising money but also in recruiting men and women to join the movement to end modern day slavery.

                Lastly, I want you to consider your part the fight against human trafficking. What if you could play a role in helping boys and girls who have been sexually exploited receive the help they need to have a new life? You can start making a difference today regarding this issue by refusing to buy the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue or by assuming that all women and children in prostitution are not their by choice but are being prostituted. But I would ask you to also consider supporting Nicole and I financially, either with a one-time gift or on a monthly basis. This allows us to concentrate less on working to pay bills, and more on seeing this CRC become a reality. But supporting us also connects you to the children we help and I want you to become more aware and involved with protecting children around you in your own community. We have a mandate from God to take care of the exploited, such as Proverbs 31:8-9,”Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, ensure justice for those who are perishing. Yes, speak up for the poor and the helpless, and see that they get justice.”

                So for those of you who are reading this and are standing on the sidelines, please pray about supporting us financially and/or as prayer warriors. And for those of you who are supporting us financially and praying for us- THANK YOU! We couldn’t be doing this work in Los Angeles without you. Whichever camp you may fall in, we love all of you and treasure your friendship. God’s richest blessings on all of you! 

                                                    In Him,  DJ &Nicole    

P.S. Please prayerfully consider supporting us online at www.crtec.org OR send check to:

                              CRTEC

                              PO Box 296

                              Hiawatha, IA 52233

Remember to pray for Los Angeles & Terre Haute task forces and our Proclaim Freedom fundraiser in April. And please help us out by reading the following questions about our newsletter and responding to nicole@windandfire.org with your thoughts and comments. Thank you for your feedback!

1. Do you read our newsletter? If not, why? (Is it too long? Are you too busy? Does the content not interest you?)

2. Has our newsletter moved you to action in any way? (Do you now pray about human trafficking? Do you talk about it more?)

3. What do you like about it?

4. What don’t you like about it?

5. What would you like to be better informed about?

6. Do you know of others that would be interested in reading and acting on this information?

A day in San Diego

 Over the last month, we've had the opportunity to take part in some really great experiences! For Valentines Day, I surprised DJ with a day trip to San Diego. Since we've moved here, we've wanted to travel down and spend time taking in the sights. We just happened to be there the same day they had a 100 year aircraft celebration, it was really interesting to see all the old, new, and really fast planes!

These fighter jets flew over and gave me chills! We also got to visit the San Diego harbor. There were so many people to navigate through, but we got some sun and fresh air before heading to change for dinner. I made reservations at the Operacaffe, an Italian restaurant in the Gaslamp district. After dinner, I unveiled my surprise to DJ...tickets to see Brian Regan, our FAVORITE comedian! We had a great day!!

Sun on my face

   Today is a beautiful day! The sun is shining and the sky is blue! I got to sit in the sun for a little bit today...it was peaceful, warm, and very hard to get up and do other things. 

   As I sat, I thought...God is good. I shouldn't praise Him circumstantially, but I should offer praise good, bad or otherwise. I've been convicted of my tongue lately. Using it for praise not complaint or ill of situations (or other people's situations). I am a temple, therefore I should honor God with my lips. It's hard to control my tongue, but my prayer has been that my heart would be pure...because you speak what is in your heart. 

   Wouldn't we all get along better and not be as easily offended if we kept our hearts pure and controlled our tongues? 

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The Frazzled Blogger