Beautiful Roses

As I sit watching tears well up and spill over... these are the destitute. The ones my heart cries out for, echoing His own tears shed. I love them, more than my own life, yet still not as much as He does. Thinking about them makes me yearn to leave home, wishing to be with them. They are worth it. They are a treasure of great value, buried in a field. I am willing to give all that I have and all that I am to tell them that Jesus Christ wants to purchase their freedom - He gave all He had for them, because they are worth it.

Roses of Mumbai from Roses of Mumbai on Vimeo.

From my own experience working in the red-light district of Thailand, the power of telling a women she is priceless is incredible. I have wanted to go give roses to women in these places for years and have yet to, but someday - I will personally see the change in their faces as I hand each one a rose and tell her she is Beloved. 

God knows my vision does not stop there, but right now, simple acts of honor are so appealing. The harvest is ready- swing the sickle wide!


The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
(Isaiah 61:1-4 ESV)

Love Always

There Is HOPE

"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." 1 Thessalonians 5:8

Tuesday an American woman was sentenced life 

She'd allowed a man to rape her 5 month old daughter - multiple times

Now 3 years old, the child has a new mother

THERE IS HOPE

Last week I spent several days 

With a 5 year old little girl who'd been sexually abused by her father

My heart is stirred and I cling to the truth

THERE IS HOPE

Last year I spent 2 months with SHE ministry in Thailand

Going into the bars to show they are priceless, to show love

I pray to someday go again because

THERE IS HOPE

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

At a time when the dark is getting darker

I praise the Lord for remaining the same, He is good

Even when i am broken hearted

THERE IS HOPE

A man named Jesus, who is God

Came in white as the Redeemer, Savior, Salvation

To mend the broken, heal the bruised and restore the abused - He came

THERE IS HOPE

Firstborn of the dead,

He is coming again - only this time He will be

Jesus in Red, the Judge

THERE IS HOPE

"For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness." Galatians 5:5

To reach the hopeless and destitute

He has called me to walk out Isaiah 61, bringing HOPE of a better day

Promising a time of justice and restoration

HE IS HOPE

"Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope."

Hebrews 3:1-6

HOLINESS IS MY CRY, FOR WORTHY IS HE TO BRING FORTH JUSTICE

"And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."

 1 Peter 1:17-21

Love Always

Brazil's "Muwaji Law" Approved!

After years of fighting for the Muwaji Bill to pass in Brazil - it is finally a reality! Here's a breakdown of the history behind the bill, the journey and the affects of this legislation as it moves into action!

article below from Grassroots News 

BRAZIL – “MUWAJI LAW”, FOR THE RIGHT TO LIFE

Today in Brazil, the bill 1057 known as “Muwaji Law”, was approved at the Human Rights Committee at the National Congress, which seeks to protect indigenous children at risk for being born with physical or mental disability, being twins, daughters of single mother or for other reasons determined by the tradition of each indigenous people. In some ethnic groups such children are still at risk of being rejected, abandoned in the woods or killed by members of the family, due to internal pressure. In some of these communities there are reports of more than 200 children killed in these conditions.

The bill was named after Muwaji, the first indigenous mother from a remote tribe called

Muwaji and her daughter Iganani

suruwahá, in the Amazon, who fought for her daughter’s life who was born with cerebral palsy, going against the traditions of her tribe of burying the baby alive. After her, many other indigenous families were inspired to fight for their children’s rights to live.

The practice of infanticide in some indigenous tribes in Brazil got international attention in 2008, after a controversial movie “Hakani” by the  international filmmaker, David L. Cunningham, telling the true story of a a survivor of infanticide.

Indigenous leaders with Congresswoman - Brasília, Brazil

In spite of some opposition worldwide, the movie helped to launch a national movement for the approval of the “Muwaji Law”.

The bill was first proposed in 2007, finally approved by the Committee of Human Rights, with the assent of the Congresswoman Janete Pietá.

With this bill approved, the brazilian government has to offer to the indigenous tribes the access to be informed and to public policies of health and education, so that they will not fell pressured to kill their babies.

Congresswoman Janete Pietá - Brasilia, Brazil

According to the proposal, governmental programs aiming at stopping infanticide will be done after intense dialogue with the community leaders. This will avoid imposition in the indigenous cultures.

I spoke to brazilian Attorney Damares Alves, main activist in defense of the children’s rights at the Congress. She was celebrating today with a group of the indigenous leaders believing that this bill will benefit a lot of indigenous children in the country, and guarantee that the fundamental right to life will be respected.

Damares also believes that this can model how other countries will deal with the same issue of indigenous infanticide, for the right to life.

Photos by Bruno Mancinelle

Text by Nadia Otake