My mom recently pre-ordered herself and my sisters and I copies of her friend, Brenda VanWinkle's book In Love Where I Belong due out in April 2011. Since the book won't be out for several months, all pre-orders get a very pretty, handmade "book cord" - neat!
Brenda and her husband have been in the ministry for over 20 years, specifically helping to plant churches in China and Southeastern Asia. Brenda began Blue Door Ministries in an effort to free young women in Asia and around the world from bondages of all kinds, but especially the many injustices that face women born in countries where boys are prized more than girls and women have very little hope for upward mobility.
Blue Door ministry efforts from around the world benefit these young women and girls in China and throughout Southeast Asia to come to know a loving and compassionate heavenly Father through the works of his children who help give them shelter, food, clothing, and education to better their lives. What an amazing ministry!!!!
One of the ministries specifically aided by Blue Door is Eden Women's Ministry in China. I wanted to share a story with you from their ministry brochure:
"At only a few months old, Xiao Qing's grandmother had tried to kill her. The culture in China favors boys and girls are seen as second class citizens. The grandmother had poured boiling water over her. Xiao Qing survived this, but still carries the scars today. Her hands, body, and scalp are badly scarred, a constant reminder of her rejection.
At the age of 14, her family moved to the city; and she started to go to school, through other friends she started to meet new people and felt very flattered by the attention of a young man who lived nearby. He invited her over to his place and then raped her. Shocked and in pain she told no one and closed her heart completely, she ran away from home because of the shame she felt and resigned herself to just be a prostitute, a curse her grandmother used to speak over her saying, "You're only good to be a prostitute!"
After four years of working in the business, other friends introduced her to some Christian workers, she is now beginning to face the pain of her past and be healed in the deep places of her heart."
-Eden Women's Ministry, China
Such a heartbreaking story. I am constantly drawn to broken people like Xiao Qing, people with a past and a story, people who know what it's like to go through something terrifying and terrible. Heck, my band is called "The Beautifully Broken"...we chose this name purposefully; because we know that we are all broken people in need of loving Father in heaven to bandage our wounds and put our pieces together again. The only way to heal is to help one another - show God's compassion and mercy for us by showing it to others - like Blue Door and Eden Women's Ministries are doing.
If you are interested in having Brenda speak at your gathering or in pre-ordering her book (proceeds help Eden's Women's Ministry in China), I have listed her contact information below:
Blue Door
P.O. Box 494624
Redding, CA 96049
Website: brendavanwinkle.com
E-Mail: bluedoor@brendavanwinkle.com
To Pre-Order her book In Love Where I Belong (published by Destiny Image), e-mail to: bluedoor@vanwin.cotse.net
I hope you are having a wonderful day in your part of the world!
Blessings,
*mandie*
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