Dhez's Story

Macau prison Dhez was raised in a loving home in the Philippines. She had good friends and could have anything she asked for. But, she took it for granted. “I was bored with my life and I left my family,” says Dhez. “I thought I could stand alone and I wanted to find what the world could offer me.” Dhez enjoyed life and almost forgot about God.

She woke up alone one morning in December 2008 in a prison cell in Macau. She had been arrested and charged with drug trafficking; her identity became prisoner 428. Besides still being very young, Dhez was six months pregnant. “I felt incomparable depression and that the whole world had turned against me,” she remembers. “I wondered how my family would accept this—the conviction, the jail sentence and the pregnancy.”

She describes her first few months in prison as being like hell. “It was very hard to cope with everything: new environment, new faces, new culture and new language,” she says. “I cried a lot and almost lost my faith.”

Dhez considered killing herself, but knew she was now responsible for another life. She gave birth to her son in March 2009. “I was so happy to have my son, and yet sorrowful that I could not be with him to watch him grow,” says Dhez. Her family came to get her son and assured her that they would give him all of the love and care they had given Dhez. “I was so grateful,” she remembers. “I had expected them to curse and blame me. Instead, they accepted and encouraged me.

“I was deeply thankful to our Father Almighty for the wonders He had done for me; giving me a wonderful family and a most precious gift—my son. I believe He gave me my son to encourage and inspire me, so I would look at the brighter side of life and what it has to offer. I realised life is wonderful despite my troubles.”

Dhez was shocked by her response, as this was the first time she had uttered simple praise to God since being detained. She responded in worship rather than cursing and blaming God. A couple months after giving birth, Dhez joined a Christian fellowship group in prison. At first she joined to ease the boredom, but she soon realised that she really needed it.

“I need God in my life,” she says. “I’ve received so much encouragement from my fellow Christian inmates. It helped me realise that there are a lot of people suffering, but instead of giving up, they strive to reach the main goal—to get closer to God—and do not lose faith and hope. I realised there are lots of people more miserable than I. Starting to read the Bible, I learned more about God and His unconditional love for me. I felt comforted and I discovered my identity once again—the ‘newly born Dhez’, through Him.”

30 August 2011

Dreams of a Young Bangladeshi Girl

Women learning to read in Bangladesh When Aklima was a little girl she used to watch other children trundle off to school. This made her very sad and she dreamed of the chance to go to school to break the bondage of poverty she was growing up in. Aklima’s family was very poor and they couldn’t afford to educate a daughter.

At the age of 12, Aklima was married off to a poor rickshaw-van puller in the area. This was extremely difficult for her, and she gave up on ever being able to read and write. She adapted to living with her in-laws and soon she had two sons. As a family, they barely managed to make ends meet, living day to day on the meagre money her husband earns.

Recently Aklima’s friends told her that OM was starting an adult literacy class in her area, and her childhood dream came alive again. Her husband and his family did not encourage her. “Why do you want to study?” they would taunt. “Don’t you have enough work to do in the house?” But Aklima would not let her dream evaporate again. She started to get up early in the morning to do the cooking and washing before her class in the afternoon.

Aklima does not find the course easy. It is an uphill struggle, as she’s never been to school before. But she is determined to see her dream come true. “This is not just for me,” she says. “This is for my boys as well.” Aklima is equally determined that they will be not be like her, that they will have the chance to go to school.

Watching Aklima and many other men and women in OM’s nine new adult literacy classes encourages the team. Over 180 adults attend classes. The nine centres are in very poor rural areas and bring hope and empowerment to many. The five classes for women take place in late afternoon; the four men’s classes are in the evening after they have finished work—usually physical labour.

Initially, some even struggled to hold a pen, but they soon master the art of writing and learning the sounds of the letters. It is hard work, but they, like Aklima, are excited to finally learn to read and write.

10 August 2011

TeenStreet QLD

TeenStreet QLD 2011 In Queensland, Australia, 170 teens and leaders joined for TeenStreet from 4-9 July. Although only in its second year, the event has gained momentum. OM witnessed God's faithfulness in the teens' lives through the sessions of teaching by Dan and Suzie Potter (USA), the small group times, Throne Room worship experiences and the "Hands and Feet" outreach.

A steady stream of testimonies from both teens and parents has since flowed into OM workers' inboxes and on Facebook pages, giving glory to God for what He has done in the teens' lives. "Before TeenStreet, I wasn't close to God at all," shared one teen. "Now I feel that I am truly friends with Him and I will keep having "shhh" times and reading the Bible and praying. Also before TeenStreet I didn't have any Christian friends but now I have my NET Group and my coaches to ask for support."

On the other side of the world, TeenStreet in Germany begins preparations on site in Offenburg to receive teenagers from around Europe from 30 July - 6 August. Volunteers are busy preparing the main hall stage, Art Zone, Interaction Zone, café, outreach day, translation system and more. Josh and Debs Walker (USA/Ireland) will lead the teens in a programme based on experiencing the "REAL" Jesus by getting to know the Jesus of the Bible and who He is today.

Praise God for the successful TeenStreet in Australia. Please pray that God's presence will be real to teens in Germany next week. Pray that TeenStreet experiences around the world will spur teens on to greater relationship with God.

TeenStreet Adelaide October 10 – 15, still has vacancies. For information visit www.teenstreet.org.au

27 July 2011